AN IMPROVED COMBINED CLOTHES WASHER AND WRINGER
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED COMBINED
CLOTHES WASHER AND WRINGER." A communication from abroad by
Alexander Atkinson, of Winterset, in the County of Madison, State of Iowa,
United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th August 1880.
WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent. "AN IMPROVED COMBINED CLOTHES WASHER AND WRINGER." [A com-
munication from abroad by Alexander Atkinson, of Winterset, in the County of
Madison, State of Iowa, United States of America.]
The object of this Invention is to provide a simple and effective device for
washing clothes and afterwards wringing them without moving them from the
tub.
The Invention consists of a tub resting on and secured to a platform by ears and
clamps, which is provided with a false bottom consisting of a central plate having a
circular opening, and having on its under side radial ribs, and on the upper side
radial ribs which extend from the edge of the opening to the periphery of the
plate, and with short radial ribs at the periphery of the plate. These upper ribs
are notched on their upper edges, and secured in these notches are concentric or
hexagon circles of wire extending from the open centre of the plate to the periphery
thereof. Within the tub is a plunger consisting of a circular plate having a
circular opening, and having on its lower face two circular ribs and an intermediate
hexagonal rib, and a series of radial wires extending from the inner to the outer
circular rib. From the top of this plunger spring four braces that unite on the
centre of the opening and form a sleeve or socket for receiving a handle or lever
that passes down through the centre of the plunger. Braces also extend from the
and
outer edge of the top of the plunger upward to the top of the sleeve or socket;
from the top of two of these opposite braces flat springs extend still further up and
engage in notches of the handle or lever to hold it firmly in position.
In the bottom of the tub is a central opening, down through which projects an

page_text: A
upright shaft secured in place by a nut. The top of this shaft is formed into a
ball which is grasped by bent fingers on the lower end of the handle or lever.
cylinder or sleeve provided with perforations near its lower edge is set on the
bottom of the tub and projects upward through the central openings of the false
bottom and plunger surrounding the ball and socket joint of the handle and
upright shaft, thereby preventing the clothes from becoming entangled in the said
joint.
The device is operated by raising the plunger and placing the clothes upon the
false bottom, and then pouring sufficient water into the tub upon the clothes, and
then the plunger is pushed down upon the clothes and the operator takes hold of
the handle, pushing it from him, when the plunger pressing upon the clothes on
one side relieves the pressure on the other side.
By thus forcing the lever around, the point of pressure is made to pass around
the tub, thereby forcing the water around and through the clothes and quickly
cleaning them, or the plunger may be made simply to rotate or to press down upon
the clothes on all points at once, in each instance operating by pressure alone
without rubbing or pounding.
After the clothes are thus cleansed the water is drawn off from the tub by
withdrawing a plug from the bottom of said tub, when the water may run into
any vessel placed to receive it beneath the platform.
After the water is drawn out of the tub the pressing motion of the plunger may
be resumed and the clothes pressed or wrung dry, the water from them escaping
by the channels formed by the ribs and wires that are fixed upon the false bottom
of the tub and on the under side of the plunger.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th February
1881.
WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent. "AN IMPROVED COMBINED CLOTHES WASHER AND WRINGER." A com-
munication from abroad by Alexander Atkinson, of Winterset, in the County of
Madison, State of Iowa, United States of America.
The object of this Invention is to provide a simple and effective device for
washing clothes and afterwards wringing them without removal from the tub.
The Invention consists of a tub provided with a false bottom, which bottom has
radial ribs on its underside, and radial ribs in which are fixed hexagons or circles
of wire on its upper face or side; and it consists further of a plunger whose upper
face is provided with circular ribs and radial wires, and it consists further of a
short upright shaft fixed in the centre of the tub, and of a vertical lever or handle
that passes down through the centre of the plunger and is connected with the
upright shaft by a ball and socket joint, whereby the said plunger can be rocked
and rotated at will; and it consists further of a perforated cylinder resting
centrally on the bottom of the tub and surrounding the short upright shaft and
ball and socket joint, thereby preventing the entangling of the clothes therewith.
The Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, in which Figure 1
is a transverse sectional elevation of the device; Figure 2 is a plan of the upper
face of the false bottom of the tub, and Figure 3 is a plan of the lower face of the
plunger.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
A represents a platform on which the tub B.rests, said tub B being secured to the
platform by ears and clamps a and b respectively. C is the false bottom of the tub
consisting of a circular plate having a central opening c (Figure 2), and having
on its underside radial ribs & and provided on the upper side with radial ribs f
which extend from the edge of the opening c to the periphery of the plate, and
with short radial ribs f¹ at the periphery of the plate. These ribs f and f¹ are
notched on their upper edges, as shown in Figure 1. and secured in these notches
are concentric circles or hexagons of wire g, g', extending from the open centre c of
the plate C to the periphery thereof. D is the plunger, which consists of a circular
plate having a central opening h, and having on its lower face two circular ribs i, i,
and an intermediate hexagonal rib, and a series of radial wires m extending
from the inner to the outer circular rib. From the top of this plunger D spring
the four braces'n, n, that unite on the centre of the opening hand form a sleeve
or socket o for receiving the handle or lever E. From the outer edge of the top of
the plunger D the braces p extend upward to the top of the sleeve or socket o, and
from the top of two of these opposite braces h the flat springs q, q, extend still
further up and engage in the notches 7, 7, of the handle or lever E to hold it firmly
in position. In the bottom of the tub B is a central opening 8, down through
which projects an upright shaft F which is secured in place by a nut t.
The top
of the shaft F is formed into a ball u which is grasped by the bent fingers v on
the lower end of the handle or lever E. A cylinder or sleeve G provided with
perforations w near its lower edge is set on the bottom of the tub and projects
upward through the central openings c and h of the false bottom C and plunger D
respectively, so as to surround the ball and socket joint of the handle or lever E
and upright shaft F, thereby preventing the clothes from becoming entangled in
the said joint. The machine is operated by raising the plunger D and placing
the clothes upon the false bottom C and then pouring sufficient water into the
tub upon the clothes. The plunger D is then pushed down upon the clothes and

page_text: the operator takes hold of the handle E, pushing it from him, when the plunger
pressing upon the clothes on one side relieves the pressure on the other side. By
thus forcing the lever around, the point of pressure is made to pass around the tub,
thereby forcing the water around and through the clothes and quickly cleansing
them, or the plunger may be made simply to rotate or to press down upon the
clothes on all points at once, in each instance operating by pressure alone without
rubbing or pounding. After the clothes are thus cleansed, the water is drawn off
from the tub by withdrawing a plug in the bottom, when the water may run into
any vessel placed to receive it beneath the platform A. After the water is drawn
out of the tub the pressing motion of the plunger may be resumed and the clothes
pressed or wrung dry, the water from them escaping by the channels formed by
the ribs and wires that are fixed upon the false bottom of the tub and on the
underside of the plunger, as shown.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. A combined clothes washer and wringer constructed substantially as herein
shown and described, consisting of the tub B, ribbed and wired false tub bottom C,
ribbed and wired plunger D, plunger handle or lever E moving on a ball and
socket joint, and a sleeve G to keep the clothes from contact with said joint, as
herein set forth.
2nd. In a combined clothes washer and wringer, a plunger handle provided with
a ball and socket joint, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby
motion is given to the plunger, substantially as herein shown and described.
3rd. The combination with the tub A, plunger handle or lever E, and vertical
shaft F of the sleeve G, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby the
clothes within the tub are kept from contact with the uniting joint of said handle E
and shaft F, as set forth.
4th. The combination with the notched handle or lever E, of the ribbed and wired
plunger D provided with braces n, p, substantially as herein shown and for the
purpose described.
5th. In a combined washing and wringing machine, the combination with the
vertical shaft F provided with a ball u, of the plunger handle or lever E provided
with bent fingers e, substantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty fifth day of February, A.D. 1881.