IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Bradford, of 142 and 143, High Holborn,
in the County of Middlesex, and of the City of Manchester, Laundry
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Bradford at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th September 1874.
I, THOMAS BRADFORD, of 142 and 143, High Holborn, in the County
of Middlesex, and of the City of Manchester, Laundry Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING, WRINGING, AND MANGLING," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus for
washing, wringing, and mangling, and these improvements consist,
firstly, in fixing journals to the bottom or sides of a square, oval, rect-

page_text: angular, or other suitably shaped washing compartment or vessel (made
of wood or other suitable material), and in causing the said journals to
work in the bearings of a suitable framework in such a manner that the
washing vessel may be made to oscillate to any given angle, and in
applying inside the vessel an improved "dash" (made of wood or other
suitable material) in such a manner as to be capable of sliding like a
shuttle backwards and forwards according to the motion given to the
vessel, so that when the clothes or fabrics are placed in the vessel either
upon one or both sides of the shuttle "dash" they are operated upon
with concussive dashes at any required speed or momentum, and which 1
acting simultaneously with the liquid or washing ley contained in the
vessel will effectually cleanse fabrics of the finest or coarsest texture or
material.
I actuate the machine either direct by hand or by steam or other
motive power, and by any ordinary mechanical combination of wheels, 1
cams, or eccentrics, and connected or not with an engine beam according
to the size of the machine or the quantity or quality of fabrics or articles
intended to be operated upon.
Another improvement consists in assisting the oscillation of the vessel
by imparting to it a reciprocating recoil by means of india-rubber 2
buffers or by a steel, lancewood, or other spring or springs applied or
fixed either to the vessel or to the framework, and constructed so as to
expand or contract according to the degree of oscillation required to be
given to the vessel or washing compartment.
A further improvement consists in the means of obtaining pressure 2
upon the wringing and mangling rollers by the application of a lever
and weight or a lever and spring, and also in regulating the fulcrum of
such lever so that it can be adjusted to any diameter of roller, as for
instance when rollers much worn required to be re-turned and thereby
reduced in diameter; this improvement is especially applicable to
machines with wood rollers.
A further improvement which also relates to the means of obtaining
pressure upon the wringing and mangling rollers consists in the employ-
ment of an improved link and screw bearing upon flat steel or wood
spring bars, and by which the requisite pressure is imparted to the
rollers; this arrangement is especially applicable to wringing machines

page_text: with india-rubber rollers, and more especially so to my "Acorn India-
rubber Wringer," for which Letters Patent were granted to me on the
12th day of November 1862, No. 3047.
A further improvement especially adapted to the cleansing of new
linen, such as shirts and collars, as well as sponge cloths, or cotton
waste, or such like fabrics, consists in constructing the washing com-
partment with a perforated false bottom of metal, wood, or other suitable
material, and in fixing underneath this false bottom a steam boiling
water supply and overflow apparatus similar in construction to thosc
ordinarily in use.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Bradford in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 25th March 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
BRADFORD, of 142 and 143, of High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
and of the City of Manchester, Laundry Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Bradford, Her special
licence that I, the said Thomas Bradford, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Bradford, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING, WEINGING, OR MANGLING," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Bradford, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the

page_text: Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Bradford, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement in writing, and on reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in and applicable to
machinery or apparatus for washing, wringing, and mangling.
One improvement which is illustrated on the accompanying Drawings
in Figures 1, 2, and 3, comprises the applying and fixing to the bottom
or sides of the washing compartment or vessel 1 of such machinery or
apparatus of journals 2 supported by and working in bearings 3
(Figure 1) made in the ordinary side frames 4 so that the said vessel
may be made to oscillate to any desired degree. This improvement also
comprises the applying and using inside the vessel 1 of an improved
"dash" 5 constructed, as shown, of bars 6 of wood (or other suitable
material) separated by pieces or blocks 7 of metal (or other substance)
and braced together by metal bolts S. The bearings of this "dash" are
formed of pieces or blocks 9 of wood (with the grain running in a
vertical direction) fitted in clips 10 of metal which embrace the bars 6
and are so retained in position. The dash is thus enabled to slide like
a shuttle backwards and forwards along metal side rods 11 held in the
vessel 1 according to the oscillating motion given to the vessel. This
motion may be given by hand. 12 represents a handle provided for the
purpose, or by any suitable mechanical arrangement; 15, Figure 3 repre-
sents a crank pin through which the requisite motion may be given
to the vessel by means of an excentric and rod. By this improvement
the fabrics are subjected to continuous concussive dashes by the "dash"
which causes the washing ley more effectually to cleanse the clothes or
fabrics.
In Figure 1 this improvement is illustrated as applied to a washing
vessel and side framing of ordinary construction; 13 represents
a stop working in the framing 4, and which can be inserted into a
socket 14 affixed to one side of the vessel 1 to hold it in a balanced
position when so required, and in which position it is shown. Figure 2
illustrates in side view the operation of the vessel and dash; the angle

page_text: of movement in domestic machines is limited by the stay rods 16 of the
framings 4. Any desired degree of movement may be given to the
vessel 1 by adjusting the positions of these rods in constructing these
machines. At each end of each rod 11 india-rubber buffers 17 are
placed which deaden the shock of the "dash" 5 at each oscillation.
Similarly the shock of the vessel 1 on the rods 16 at each oscillation is
deadened by rubber buffers 18 which come against the said rods, and by
their elasticity and recoil assist in starting the vessel on its return
oscillation. The buffers 18 may be made to act as means of varying the
degree of oscillation of the vessel by applying them to the latter in such
a manner as to allow of pieces of wood of varying thicknesses being
placed between them and the vessel so that they would then come
sooner against the rods 16 and thus lessen the degree of movement of
the vessel. Or these rubber buffers 18 may be replaced by steel, lance-
wood, or other springs applied or fixed to the vessel or to the
framework.
A further improvement relating to the washing compartment or
vessel and especially adapted to effect the cleansing of new linen, such
as shirts and collars, as well as sponge cloths, or cotton waste, or such
like fabrics (is illustrated on the accompanying Drawings in Figure 3)
and consists in providing or constructing the washing vessel 1 with a
perforated false bottom 19 (of metal, wood, or other suitable material)
resting on brackets 23, and underneath which I fit a steam boiling (20)
water supply (21) and overflow (22) apparatus similar in construction
to those ordinarily in use.
A further improvement especially applicable to machines having
wringing, or mangling rollers of wood or metal, and which relates to the
means of obtaining the necessary pressure upon such rollers is illustrated
on the accompanying Drawings in Figure 1, and the novelty of this im-
provement consists in combining with the arrangement of the spring (15)
and levers (14) described in the Specification of certain Letters Patent
granted to me on the 27th day of October, A.D. 1873, No. 3481, of
adjustable pressure screws 24 working in the overhanging ends 25 of the
top framing 26, and acting as adjustable fulcrums for the said levers (14),
by which combination and arrangement the desired pressure can be the
better adjusted to an altered diameter of the rollers, as for instance when
they have become much worn and have required to be and have been

page_text: re-turned and thereby reduced in diameter; 27 represents the bearing
surface of the levers (14) which act upon the bearing blocks 28 resting
upon the journals 29 of the upper roller 30.
And a further improvement especially applicable to machines having
wringing or mangling rollers of india-rubber, and more especially so to
my "Acorn India-rubber Wringer," for which Letters Patent were
granted to me on the 12th day of November 1862, No. 3047, and which
also relates to the means of obtaining the pressure upon such rollers is
illustrated on the accompanying Drawings in Figures 4 and 5, and the
novelty of this improvement consists in combining with the arrangement
of the flat steel or wood spring bars 31 and bearing picces 32 (described
in the Specification of the said Letters Patent) an improved link 33 and
screw 34 for the better regulation of the said pressure. The link 33 is
secured to the top cross bar 35 of the machine framing by small
staples 36 secured by screws, and the pressure of the screw 34. is exerted
upon the spring bar 31, as shown.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and
object of my said Invention, together with the manner in which the
same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, I
would remark in conclusion that I claim as my Invention, the above a
described improvements in and applicable to machinery or apparatus for
washing, wringing, and mangling; comprising,-
Firstly. The application to and combination with the washing vessel
and framing of ordinary construction of the journals 2, bearings 3, and
reciprocating "dash" 5.
Secondly. The further combination therewith of the rods 16 and
buffers 18.
Thirdly. The application to and combination with the washing vessel
of the perforated false bottom 19.
Fourthly. The combining with the arrangement of the spring (15) a
and levers (14) of the adjustable pressure screws 24 working in the
overhanging ends 25 of the top framing 26.
And, Fifthly. The combining with the spring bars 31 and bearing
pieces 32 of the link 33 and screw 34, all substantially as and for the

page_text: accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof I, the said Thomas Bradford, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
Witness,
BRISTOW HUNT,
Solicitor and Patent Agent,
5, Serle Street,
Lincoln's Inn.
THOMAS BRADFORD. (L.S.)