IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH APPARATUS FOR WASHING CLOTHES AND THE LIKE
Year: 1883

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in
the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN AND CONNECTED WITH APPARATUS FOR WASHING CLOTHES AND THE LIKE
communicated to him from Gaston Bozérian a person resident at Paris in
the Republic of France
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st April 1883.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH APPARATUS FOR WASHING
CLOTHES AND THE LIKE "
a communication to me from Gaston Bozérian a person
resident at Paris in the Republic of France
;
This Invention relates to that class of apparatus for washing clothes and other
articles in which the washing is effected by means of a circulation of water and it
has for its object graduating the temperature of the water in such apparatus by
the means' hereinafter described whereby the disadvantages attending the sudden
application of boiling lye or soda water are obviated. Moreover in washing
apparatus as ordinarily constructed in which the water ascends pipes arranged
internally hollows or vacant spaces are formed between these pipes and the clothes
or articles and the liquid instead of percolating the mass of clothes or articles
descends along these hollows or interstices which present the path of least
resistance-In this improved apparatus the liquid is caused to ascend on the
exterior of the copper or vessel the interior of which is thus enabled to be
completely filled with the clothes or articles without presenting the objectionable
vacant spaces before mentioned
In carrying out this Invention a vessel or copper arranged over a suitable
furnace is provided at a short distance from its bottom with a perforated plate
supported by ledges or supports rivetted to the sides of the copper or vessel. The
space underneath this plate is occupied by water containing the necessary quantity
of soda and soap-The articles to be washed having been duly scoured or prepared
[Price 6d1

page_text: are arranged in the copper or vessel above this plate and are retained in position
by an adjustable perforated plate or grating secured by means of rods engaging
with racks or rows of loops at the sides of the copper above the articles-The
copper is then filled up with a suitable quantity of preferably cold water and
closed by an ordinary lid or cover.
The water underneath the lower perforated plate communicates with an external
tube bent at its upper extremity so as to overhang the copper and provided at its
lower extremity with a fan shaped plate arranged at the opening in the bottom of
the copper in order to facilitate the escape of the water-A pipe or chimney is
employed to carry away the products of combustion the beat of which is utilised
by leading this pipe through a cistern contaming water.
The water at the lower part of the copper is caused to boil and is driven out by the
steam thus generated along the external pipe and being discharged at the upper part
of the said pipe into the copper warms the water above the articles which descends
through the said articles to the bottom of the copper. Here the water receives a
further increase of temperature and re-ascends the pipe which now discharges it
into water already warmed or heated The temperature of the liquid in the copper
is thus gradually elevated until the whole is in a state of ebullition; the action
is thus rendered uniform and the articles, being subjected to the action of the
washing water at progressively increasing temperatures, become cleaned without
injury
19
According to another arrangement more especially adapted for large stationary
washing apparatus the water is boiled in a separate vessel or boiler and the copper
'provided at a short distance from its bottom with a perforated place as in the
arrangement herein before described-A pipe connected to the bottom of the copper
serves to conduct the water thence to a separate boiler whence it flows through
another pipe to an intermediate vessel or cistern. A valve opening upwards is
provided at the end of this pipe for the purpose of preventing water from flowing
from the cistern to the boiler--A third pipe connects the upper part of the copper
with the cistern passing through the bottom of the latter and terminating in a
funnel shaped opening at the upper part of the said cistern
The cistern is filled with cold water up to the level of the funnel and boiling
water is introduced into the cistern by the pipe leading from the boiler thereby
causing the water in the cistern to overflow therefrom into the pipe leading to the
copper
The temperature of the water supplied to the copper is progressively elevated
by the boiling water from the boiler mixing with and displacing the cold water
in the cistern and a regular circulation with a graduated temperature is thus
obtained
.The water flowing from the cistern to the copper is distributed equally over the
surface of the articles contained in the latter by means of a perforated plate which
may be connected to the cover by chains of the copper so that the cover and
perforated plate may be both removed together.

page_text: -SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th October 1883.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH APPARATUS FOR WASHING
CLOTHES AND THE LIKE "
a communication to me from Gaston Bozérian a person
resident at Paris in the Republic of France
This Invention relates to that class of apparatus for washing clothes and other
articles in which the washing is effected by means of a circulation of water and it
has for its object to graduate the temperature of the water in such apparatus by
the means hereinafter described whereby the disadvantages attending the sudden
application of boiling lye or soda water are obviated. The action of such water
when employed in apparatus as heretofore arranged is liable to produce yellowish
spots upon the articles being operated upon which spots are extremely difficult to
remove and rapidly destroy the fabric. Moreover in washing apparatus as
ordinarily constructed. hollows or vacant spaces are liable to be formed between
the pipes and the clothes or articles and the liquid instead of percolating the
mass of clothes or articles descends along these hollows or interstices which present
the path of least resistance. In the improved apparatus constructed according to
this Invention the liquid is preferably caused to ascend on the exterior of the
copper or vessel or in such a manner as hereinafter described so as to avoid the
formation of the objectionable vacant spaces before mentioned.
In order to obtain the advantage of a graduated temperature for the process of
washing various descriptions of apparatus have been employed provided with pumps
and other arrangements for throwing the lye upon the clothes or articles but these
arrangements are only suitable for washing on a large scale and are not fitted for
domestic purposes. The improvements hereinafter described present the advantage
of affording a suitably graduated temperature without involving the employment
of any auxiliary apparatus or appliances and may be readily applied to existing
washing apparatus of ordinary construction. The boiling lye is poured 'into
tray or cistern which contains, in addition to the crystals of soda or potash required
for the washing, a certain quantity of cold water. This cold water is gradually
heated by heat abstracted from the hot water that proceeds from the bottom of the
vessel and which is cooled by contact with the said cold water so that the liquid
percolating the linen is slightly warm at first and gradually rises in temperature
until it boils.
а
In place of employing a separate intermediate cistern for the reception of a
eserve or body of water it is found more convenient to form a reservoir acting in
similar manner in the interior of the vessel above the clothes or articles which
re retained below the surface of the water.
The improvements are applicable generally speaking to all ordinary washing
pparatus of this class which may be provided according to this Invention with a
essel of wood or metal hereinafter described so arranged as to retain the clothes
r articles below the surface of the water.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
roceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to
he several figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of reference
adicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a vertical section of an
oparatus consisting of a vessel or copper A which may be heated by any suitable

page_text: •
furnace and is provided at a short distance from its bottom with a perforated
plate B shown separately and in plan in figure 2. Upon this plate which is
supported by suitable ledges or supports attached to the sides of the vessel A are
placed the clothes or other articles that are to be washed and these clothes or
articles are prevented from rising in the water by another plate or by an open 5
work frame or grating G shown in plan in figure 3-This grating is secured by
rods D engaging with rack shaped projections. D¹ on the sides of the vessel A.
The space beneath the plate B is filled with a solution of soap and soda and
communicates with an external tube E bent at its upper extremity so as to
overhang the copper at F. When the clothes or articles have been placed in the
copper and the grating G placed upon them as shown in the drawing the copper
or vessel A is filled with water to the level indicated at y or until the grating G
is well covered. The vessel A is then heated by any suitable means as herein-
before described and the water at the lower part of the copper below the plate B
is caused to boil and is driven out by the steam thus generated through the 1
external pipe E and being discharged at the upper part of the said pipe into the.
copper warms the body of water above the articles which water descends through
the said articles to the bottom of the copper. Here the water receives a further
increase of temperature and reascends the pipe E which now discharges it into
water already warmed or heated. The temperature of the liquid in the copper is
thus gradually elevated until the whole is in a state of ebullition, the action is
thus rendered uniform and the articles being subjected to the action of the washing
water at progressively increasing temperatures become cleaned without injury.
Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings represents a vertical section of a washing
apparatus consisting of a vessel A constructed with a horizontal plate or tray H at
its upper part. The clothes or articles are placed upon a perforated plate B resting
on legs or supports b and a suitable quantity of soda may be placed upon the
tray H. The vessel A is filled with water and the water in the space beneath
the plate B when suitably heated to boiling point ascends an external tube E at
the side of the vessel A and is discharged through a mouthpiece F as in the
arrangement herein before described. This tube being arranged outside the vessel A
the whole of the space between the plate B and the grating G hereinafter described
is available for containing the clothes or articles which may be so arranged that
the water is compelled to percolate downwards through the entire mass.
boiling liquid issuing from the mouth piece F mingles with the cold water contained
in the tray or intermediate cistern H and overflows through a pipe or opening M
on to the plate or grating G which holds down the clothes or articles and distributes
the lye equally over the surface of the latter as in the case of the apparatus
hereinbefore described.
The
Figure 5 represents a vertical section (taken along the line 1-2 figure 6 which
is a horizontal section along the line 3-4 figure 5) of a copper or washing
apparatus of ordinary construction provided with means for obtaining a graduated
temperature according to this Invention.
A perforated hollow cone K communicating at its apex with a pipe L for the
ascending water is arranged upon the bottom of the copper or vessel A containing
the clothes or articles that are to be washed. When this vessel is made of metal
as indicated in the drawing the cone K may be conveniently secured in position
by means of a bayonet joint arrangement as shown at k and is provided with a
plate which serves to prevent the articles being washed from choking up a
cock M provided for drawing off the liquid in the vessel A. Slips N (figure 6) of
wood are also affixed to the cone, in order to facilitate the flow of the liquid. The
clothes or articles are packed upon this cone and are retained in position by
wooden grating G secured by bolts g engaging with holes in plates provided on the
sides of the tube L.
When the vessel A. is made of other materials than metal such as wood fo
instance the metal cone K is simply placed on the bottom of the vessel and th
plate O and the clothes or articles being placed in position the whole arrangemen

page_text: is made firm by means of a grating G¹ shown in dotted lines in figure 5 which is
fixed by means of wedges G³ driven in between the edges of the grating and the
sides of the vessel.
In this as in the other arrangements hereinbefore described the liquid when
heated generates a certain amount of steam which draws or expels a certain
quantity of water along a tube leading to the upper part of the apparatus where
it mingles with a body of cold or relatively cold water held in reserve. This body
of water being thus warmed and heated by degrees and caused to percolate through
the entire mass of clothes or articles in the apparatus the washing process is carried
on with a regular circulation and a suitably graduated temperature.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is:-
First The improvements in washing apparatus for enabling the washing to be
performed at a graduated temperature consisting in the provision of means
whereby a reserve or body of relatively cold water situated above or covering
the clothes or articles can be utilized for preventing the boiling lye from falling
directly on to the said clothes or articles substantially as hereinbefore described.
Second-The washing apparatus arranged with an external tube and a tray or
reservoir for containing the reserve of water and graduating the temperature of
the washing process substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Third The washing apparatus with external tube delivering the lye at the
upper part directly into a reserve of water covering the clothes or articles which
are to be washed and which are confined between two supports to prevent their
floating on the surface substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
In witness whereof I the said John Henry Johnson have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal this first day of September One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three
J. HENRY JOHNSON
(L.S.)