IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY USED FOR WASHING, WRINGING, MANGLING, AND CHURNING
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Hornsby, junior, of Spittlegate Ironworks,
Grantham, Lincolnshire, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
USED FOR WASHING, WRINGING, MANGLING, AND CHURNING."
Sealed the 21st December 1860, and dated the 10th October 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Hornsby at the.
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th October 1860.
I, RICHARD HORNSBY, junior, of Spittlegate Ironworks, Grantham, Lincoln-
shire, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY USED FOR WASHING, WRINGING, MANGLING, AND CHURNING," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery used for
washing, wringing, mangling, and churning. For these purposes in con-
structing a washing machine it is preferred that the vessel in which the
washing takes place should be of a rectangular form, with a horizontal bottom,
but this form is not essential. The interior surfaces of the sides and ends of
the vessel have ribs, which are preferred to be vertical and parallel to each
other. In these particulars the construction of this vessel does not materially
differ from the vessels of other washing machines. At the bottom of this
vessel, what is called a bridge is constructed in such manner as to admit of
the water or suds passing freely through it below the articles which are for
the time resting on the bridge and are being washed in the vessel. The
manner of constructing what is called the bridge or raised ridge, which is formed

page_text: across the vessel, may, according to my Invention, to some extent be varied,
but whatever be its form it is to be hollow or have passages through or
between its parts, in such manner as to admit of the rush or flow of the fluid
below the fabrics or articles which are resting on and supported by the bridge.
It is considered that the best construction of the bridge consists in forming it
of a series of plates fixed upright and parallel to each other at the bottom of
the vessel, a space being left between each neighbouring pair of plates, and it
is preferred that the upper edges or surfaces of these plates should be of a
Gothic form, rising at each of the two sides quickly from the bottom, then
inclining towards each other, and in place of coming to a point the upper part
is somewhat rounded. This bridge is formed across the bottom of the vessel,
and from side to side of the vessel, leaving a part of the bottom on each side
of the bridge uncovered by the bridge; but in place of the bridge being con-
structed of these parallel upright plates with spaces between. them, the bridge
may be made of bars or perforated surfaces hollow below, so that the fluid in
rushing away from one side of the bridge may pass freely through the opposite
side of the bridge below the fabrics or articles resting on the bridge; by
which arrangement as the fluid passes or rushes away from one side of the
bridge, the fabrics or articles resting on such side will be pressed with a
tendency to pass into the hollow spaces of the bridge, whilst the fluid will flow
or rush out under the fabrics or articles resting on the other side of the bridge,
and as the vessel is caused to oscillate or rock this action will alternate on
either side of the bridge. The upper part of the vessel is covered by two fixed
ends, which incline, downwards, and between them is a middle moveable door
The upper edges of the vessel has inward flanges, which coming
above the cover or top of the vessel prevent any splashing over of the washing
fluid which may escape past the door or moveable cover. The vessel may be
caused to oscillate or rock by any convenient means, but it is preferred that it
should be suspended in a frame, and capable of being placed in and removed
from such frame. This frame consists of a hollow box or vessel to contain
sand or other materials to give weight thereto. The two ends of this frame
rise to some height above the lower parts, and at the upper parts the two ends
are mounted on axes, so that the frame is pendulous, being weighted at the
bottom, above which the vessel is received and slides between the two raised
ends. Above the washing vessel the wringing and mangling rollers are
placed and worked, which, however, is not new; but in order that these rollers
may at all times move at like surface speed to. each other, notwithstanding
they are constantly changing in respect to the distance they are apart, in place
of being geared together, and only one of them driven by the actuating power
or cover.
I.

page_text: as heretofore, the rollers employed by me are not geared together, but their
toothed wheels on their respective axes are both driven either by two cog
wheels or by worms or screws. It should be stated that the arrangement of
gearing for driving the rollers used for wringing and mangling may be applied
to such rollers where they are used separate from the washing machine.
In constructing churns a like construction of vessel to that above described,
with an internal bridge, is used, and the same is, by preference, received into
and worked in an oscillating weighted frame, such as is above described'; but
the bridge in place of being fixed within the vessel, as it may be in a washing
machine, is made moveable, so that it and the interior of the vessel may be
more readily washed and cleaned after being used for churning; and it is pre-
ferred that the interior of the vessels should not have ribs as.is described in
respect to washing machines.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Hornsby in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th April 1861..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
HORNSBY, junior, of Spittlegate Ironworks, Grantham, Lincolnshire, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Richard Hornsby, Her special licence that I, the said Richard Hornsby, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Richard
Hornsby, 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
USED FOR WASHING, WRINGING, MANGLING, AND CHURNING," upon the condition
(amongst others) that T, the said Richard Hornsby, my executors or adminis
trators, 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 Great Seal Patent Office within six

page_text: calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Hornsby, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery used for
washing, wringing, mangling, and churning. For these purposes in con-
structing a washing machine it is preferred that the vessel in which the
washing takes place should be of a rectangular form with a horizontal bottom,
but this form is not essential. The interior surfaces of the sides and ends of
the vessel have ribs which are preferred to be vertical and parallel to each
other.
In these particulars the construction of this vessel does not materially
differ from the vessels of other washing machines. At the bottom of this
vessel what is called a bridge is constructed in such manner as to admit of
the water or suds passing freely through it below the articles which are for
the time resting on the bridge, and are being washed in the vessel. The
manner of constructing what is called the bridge or raised ridge, which is
formed across the vessel, may, according to my Invention, to some extent be
varied, but whatever be its form it is to be hollow, or have passages through
or between its parts in such manner as to admit of the rush or flow of the
fluid below the fabrics or articles which are resting on and supported by the
bridge. It is considered that the best construction of the bridge consists in
forming it of a series of plates fixed upright and parallel to each other at the
bottom of the vessel, a space being left between each neighboring pair of
plates, and it is preferred that the upper edges or surfaces of these plates
should be of a Gothic form, rising at each of the two sides quickly from the
bottom, then inclining towards each other, and in place of coming to a
point, the upper part is somewhat rounded. This bridge is formed across the
bottom of the vessel, and from side to side of the vessel, leaving a part of the
bottom on each side of the bridge uncovered by the bridge, but in place of
the bridge being constructed of these parallel upright plates with spaces
between them, the bridge may be made of bars or perforated surfaces hollow
below, so that the fluid in rushing away from one side of the bridge may pass
freely through the opposite side of the bridge below the fabrics or articles
resting on the bridge; by which arrangement, as the fluid passes or rushes
away from one side of the bridge, the fabrics or articles resting on such side
will be pressed with a tendency to pass into the hollow spaces of the bridge,
whilst the fluid will flow or rush out under the fabrics or articles resting on

page_text: the other side of the bridge, and as the vessel is caused to oscillate or rock,
this action will alternate on either side of the bridge. The upper part of the
vessel is covered by two fixed ends which incline downwards, and between
them is a middle moveable door or cover. The upper edges of the vessel
have inward flanges, which coming above the cover or top of the vessel prevent
any splashing over of the washing fluid which may escape past the door or
moveable cover. The vessel may be caused to oscillate or rock by any con-
venient means, but it is preferred that it should be suspended in a frame,
and capable of being placed in and removed from such frame. This frame
consists of a hollow box or vessel to contain sand or other materials to give
weight thereto. The two ends of this frame rise to some height above the
lower parts, and at the upper parts the two ends are mounted on axes so
that the frame is pendulous, being weighted at the bottom above which the
vessel is received, and slides between the two raised ends. Above the washing
vessel the wringing and mangling rollers are placed and worked, which, how-
ever, is not new, but in order that these rollers may at all times move at like
surface speed to each other, notwithstanding they are constantly changing in
respect to the distance they are apart, in place of being geared together, and only
one of them driven by the actuating power as heretofore, the rollers employed by
me are not geared together, but their toothed wheels on their respective axes
are both driven either by two cog wheels, or by worms or screws. It should be
stated that the arrangement of gearing for driving the rollers used for wringing
and mangling, may be applied to such rollers where they are used separate
from the washing machine.
In constructing churns, a like construction of vessel to that above described
with an internal bridge is used, and the same is by preference received into
and worked in an oscillating weighted frame such as is above described, but the
bridge in place of being fixed within the vessel as it may be in a washing
machine is made moveable, so that it and the interior of the vessel may be
more readily washed and cleaned after being used for churning, and it is pre-
ferred that the interior of the vessels should not have ribs as is described in
respect to washing machines.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews a side elevation, Figure 2 a front elevation, Figure 3 a
longitudinal section, and Figure 4 a transverse section, of machinery con-
structed and combined according to my Invention.

page_text: a, a, is the framing of the machine; b, b, is a rectangular vessel, the interior
of which is formed on all sides with projecting ribs c, c, and on the bottom of
the vessel there is constructed what I call a bridge or transverse ridge, which
is by preference formed of a series of plates fixed parallel to each other, leaving
spaces between them, as is shewn by the Drawing. On one side of this bridge
portions of the fabrics and articles which are being washed will rest when the
-vessel is swinging in one direction, the wash waters above pressing them
against the side and upper part of the bridge, whilst the wash waters previously
below such portions of the fabrics and articles as are pressed towards the
bridge on one side will in rushing away from that side of the bridge act against
the under sides of those portions of the fabrics and articles which were pre-
.viously, resting on or against the other side of the bridge, by which the surfaces
of the articles which are being washed will be liable to be continually changed
in position, and the fabrics and articles will also be liable alternately to be
-pressed against and raised off from the bridge, according to the directions in
which the wash waters are for the time caused to rush by the oscillation of the
vessel b, b. The form and construction of the bridge or transverse ridge may to
some extent be varied, so long as the same is open or hollow, and will admit
of the wash waters rushing through it, or from side to side in a similar manner
to that which takes place in the construction shewn and described. The form
of the vessel b, b, is shewn to be rectangular, and with upright sides, but this
may be varied, and in some cases I make such vessel with inclined sides, the
bottom of the vessel being less than the top. The top of the vessel b, b, is
partly closed by two inclined fixed covers d, d, there being a moveable cover
or door e, to close the space between the two fixed parts d, d. The door e is
held secure and as fluid-tight as may be by buttons f,f, and to prevent any
fluid which may escape from the vessel splashing or getting away, two inward
flanges or projections g, g, are used. h is a hollow box, which is filled with
sand or other heavy material, to give weight to the box, which is suspended by
two necks or axes i, i, which are fixed near the upper parts of the raised ends
* of the box, so that the weighted box when the axes i are in the bearings at
the upper part of the framing a, a, acts as a pendulum. The vessel b, b, at its
two sides is formed with guides a*, a*, which fit on to the raised ends h* of
the box h.
The combination above described, with the exception of the frame a, a, is
by preference all made of wood, whether the same is to be used for a washing
machine or for a churn. When it is desired that a washing machine should
have combined with it rollers suitable for wringing or mangling, a framing
suitably constructed to receive a pair of wringing rollers or mangling rollers is

page_text: to be fixed on the upper part of the vessel b, b, in like manner to that in which
wringing or mangling rollers have before been applied to other constructions
of washing machines, but in place of the axes of such rollers being geared
together, as has heretofore been the practice, the rollers j, j, (whether suitable
for wringing or mangling,) are each to be provided with a screw or worm
wheel, so that they may be simultaneously driven by the shaft k and the
screws or worms k¹, as is shewn in the Drawing. Such arrangement admits
of the rollers j,j, working at different times at different distances apart, owing
to one of the worms or screws k¹ being capable of sliding on its shaft.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to the
mechanical parts separately; but what I claim is, the combined machine
herein described for washing or churning; and I also claim the mode herein
described of giving motion to wringing and mangling rollers.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Hornsby, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Ninth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
RP. HORNSBY, JR. (L.S.)