Improvements in Rotary Washing Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Apr., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 5th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 5th Mar.,
1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rotary Washing Machines.
We, JOHN LAIDLAW, of the Firm of Watson, Laidlaw and Company, of 98,
Dundas Street, South, in the County of the City of Glasgow, North Britain,
Engineers, and JAMES WRIGHT MACFARLANE, Manager of the said firm, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved method of driving washing machines of
the rotary type and consists in the application to the machine of a water or other
fluid motor of the multiple or single cylinder reciprocating type to produce the
necessary power to operate the same, and arranged in such a manner as to produce
by special gearing in connection therewith or otherwise the requisite alternating
motion required.
In such machines there is an inner drum which revolves at a slow rate and the
direction of revolution is periodically reversed.
In carrying out our invention we employ several methods; for example we may
place a toothed pinion on the shaft of the inner drum which engages with a rack
cut on, or otherwise attached to, an extension of the piston rod of a simple cylinder
motor. This motor may be reversed by a suitable valve which is operated by a
stop on the axle of the revolving shell which engages with the valve gear at the
proper time so that a single stroke gives the required number of revolutions in one
direction, or intermediate wheels may be introduced, when necessary to produce the
required rotation of the cylinder in relation to the stroke or travel of the motor
piston.
In another method we drive by means of an ordinary single or multiple cylinder
reciprocating motor either acting directly on the revolving cylinder or through
gearing in the usual manner. With special gearing to produce the required alter-
nating motion or an attachment to actuate the fluid pressure admission valve in
such a manner as to move the motor in the alternate directions required.
According to another method, we drive by means of a reciprocating motor
running continuously in one direction and we reverse the motion of the machines
by means of a reversing clutch which is operated automatically by suitable
mechanism, attached to or in connection with the motor.
Another method may be by having a single or multiple screw thread cut upon a
prolongation of the alternating moving cylinder and having the end of the piston
of an ordinary single cylinder motor formed in such a manner as to engage the screw
thread and by the reciprocating movement of the motor piston produce alternating
rotation of the revolving cylinder, and a modification of this arrangement may be
carried out by placing the motor in such a position that gearing wheels may be
introduced to modify the alternate rotation of the cylinder to suit the reciprocating
motion of the motor; and instead of using racks and toothed wheels we may employ
pitch chains with suitable wheels or their equivalent.
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page_text: Improvements in Rotary Washing Machines.
We, JOHN LAIDLAW, of the Firm of Watson, Laidlaw and Company, of 98,
Dundas Street, South, in the County of the City of Glasgow, North Britain,
Engineers, and JAMES WRIGHT MACFARLANE, Manager of the said firm, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention relates to an improved method of driving washing machines of
the rotary type and consists in the application to the machine of a water or other
fluid motor of the multiple or single cylinder reciprocating type to produce the
necessary power to operate the same, and arranged in such a manner as to produce
by special gearing in connection therewith or otherwise the requisite alternating
motion required.
In such machines there is an inner drum which revolves at a slow rate and the
direction of revolution is periodically reversed.
In carrying out our invention we employ several methods: for example we may
place a toothed pinion on the shaft of the inner drum, as is shown at A, Figure 1,
which engages with a rack B cut on or otherwise attached to an extension of the
piston rod of a single cylinder motor. This motor may be reversed by a suitable
valve which, though not shown on the drawing, is operated by a stop on the axle
of the revolving shell which engages with the valve gear at the proper time so
that a single stroke gives the required number of revolutions in one direction, or
intermediate wheels may be introduced, when necessary to produce the required
rotation of the cylinder in relation to the stroke or travel of the motor piston.
In another method we drive by means of an ordinary single or multiple cylinder
reciprocating motor either acting directly on the revolving cylinder or through
gearing in the usual manner, with special gearing to produce the required alter-
nating motion or an attachment to actuate the fluid pressure admission valve in
such a manner as to move the motor in the alternate directions required. For
instance we may drive as shown in Figure 2 where the internal cylinder has its
axis at A to which is fastened the toothed wheel B¹, by means of which the internal
cylinder receives its motion from the toothed wheel C, which in its turn is driven
by the fluid pressure motor not shown by the agency of the crank pin D. The
motor is reversed by means of a valve (not shown) which is actuated by the star
wheel the said star wheel receiving its motion from the eccentric E.
According to another method as shewn in Figure 3 we drive the wheel C con-
tinuously in one direction and engaging with the wheel B direct and the wheel G
through the wheel H drives B and G in opposite directions. These two wheels are
loose on the shaft of the revolving cylinder and only drive it when a suitable
clutch J is thrown into gear which clutch is made to automatically engage with
them alternately.
Another method may be by having a single or multiple screw thread cut upon a
prolongation of the axis of the alternating moving cylinder as at A Figure 4 and
having at the end of the piston of an ordinary single cylinder motor C a suitable
crosshead as at B made to engage the screw thread and by the reciprocating motion
of the motor piston produce alternating rotation of the revolving cylinder and a
modification of this arrangement may be carried out by placing the motor in such
a position that gearing wheels may be introduced to modify the alternate rota-
tion of the cylinder to suit the reciprocating motion of the motor.
Instead of using racks and toothed wheels we may employ their equivalent.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
:―
The improved method of driving washing machines substantially as described.
Dated this 4th day of January 1898.
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
154, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicants' Patent Agents.