IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Stevens Andrews, of Charlewood Street,
Pimlico, in the County of. Middlesex, Machinist, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES."
Sealed the 3rd September 1858, and dated the 10th March 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Stevens Andrews
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th March 1858..
I, GEORGE STEVENS ANDREWS, of Charlewood Street, Pimlico, in the County
of Middlesex, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
My improvements in washing machines consists of a machine or apparatus
which plunges in the vessel containing the water and clothes, or other articles
to be washed, and which has a constant tendency to rise, by reason of a spring
or resilient parts to which the plunger is attached. For this purpose I use a.
vessel like an ordinary tub, or, better, if a little deeper and more upright in the.
sides; I place 'this vessel on a pedestal in which two long springs are fixed.
(one on either side), standing up considerably above the level of the tub; they.
also incline from the tub in opposite directions, in which direction also their
elasticity tends to keep them. A cord is stretched between these springs which
keeps them both more or less in tension. At mid-length of the cord a block
of wood is attached immediately over the tub; from this block depends a

page_text: vertical rod of wood, with a cross handle, and at the lower part a disc or
surface of about half the diameter of the tub, from which depend a number of
cylindrical pieces of wood, having the lower ends more or less convex. These
pieces are arranged somewhat closely under the disc, and are each provided
with stems some five or six inches long, which pass through the disc, and allow
considerable play up and down, each stem having a brass helical spring wound
on it, which springs project them downwards. The connection of the vertical
hand rod with the block on the tension cord is simply a cross pin by which the
plunger can be regulated in its height. The plunger is supported by the cord
and springs, and in washing it is simply necessary to depress it by the cross
handle to make it plunge in and out of the water amongst the clothes to be
washed, at the same time moving it about over the area of the tub. The
repeated impact of the cylindrical pieces of wood on the clothes in the water
effects the act of washing. The ordinary detergents used in washing are of
course employed.
Instead of two springs, arranged as described, the plunger may be supported
from the end of one long horizontal spring placed above the tub, or it may be
suspended by a spring of india-rubber or other material from the ceiling of
the washhouse, which will present the same facilities for operating the
plunger.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Stevens Andrews in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 8th September 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
STEVENS ANDREWS, of Charlewood Street, Pimlico, in the County of Middlesex,
Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth-day-of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said s
George Stevens Andrews, Her special licence that I, the said George Stevens
Andrews, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said George Stevens Andrews, 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 a
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain

page_text: and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said George Stevens Andrews, 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 Inven-
tion, 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 calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Stevens Andrews, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:
My improvements in washing machines consist of a machine or apparatus
which plunges in the vessel containing the water and clothes or other articles
to be washed, and which has a constant tendency to rise, by reason of a spring
or resilient parts to which the plunger is attached. For this purpose I use a
vessel like an ordinary tub, or better if a little deeper and more upright in the
sides. I place this vessel on a pedestal, in which two long springs are fixed,
(one on either side) standing up considerably above the level of the tub; they
also incline from the tub in opposite directions, in which direction also their
elasticity tends to keep them. A cord is stretched between these springs,
which keeps them both more or less in tension. At mid-length of this cord a
block of wood is attached immediately over the tub; from this block depends
a vertical rod of wood with a cross handle, and at the lower part a disc or
surface of about half the diameter of the tub, from which depend a number of
cylindrical pieces of wood, having the lower ends more or less convex. These
pieces are arranged somewhat closely under the disc, and are each provided with
stems, some five or six inches long, which pass through the disc, and allow
considerable play up and down, each stem having a brass helical spring wound
on it, which springs project them downwards. The connection of the vertical
hand rod with the block on the tension cord is simply a cross pin, by which
the plunger can be regulated in its height. The plunger is supported by the
cord and springs, and in washing, it is simply necessary to depress it by the
cross handle to make it plunge in and out of the water amongst the clothes
to be washed, at the same time moving it about the area of the tub. The
repeated impact of the cylindrical pieces of wood on the clothes in the water
effects the act of washing. The ordinary detergents used in washing are of
course employed. Instead of two springs, arranged as described, the plunger
may be supported from the end of one long horizontal spring placed above the

page_text: according to my Invention.
wasting
a is the tub into which the articles to be washed
are placed, together with water and soap or detergent now ordinarily employed;
b is a frame or pedestal supporting the tub a, and having fixed to it the ends
of the springs c, which are made of ash or other elastic wood; d, d, are cords
proceeding from the extremities of the springs c to the groove piece of wood e,
which enters the fork at the end of the plunger, as is shown by the cross
section, Figure 2, and is there secured by a pin passing through it and the
sides of the fork, which have several holes formed in them; in order that the
distance the plunger descends into the tub may be adjusted. On the stem of
the plunger the disc f is fixed, and this disc has holes formed in it, as is shewn
by the plan view of this part, Figure. 3; these holes receive the stems of the
pieces g, round which spiral brass springs h are coiled; the stems of the pieces
g are prevented from falling out of the holes in the disc f by pins i passing
through the stems.
When this machine is in use, the plunger is worked up and down by the
cross handle, and at each descent the ends of the pieces g all come in contact
with the articles to be washed, the springs h giving way, to allow the pieces g
to descend to different levels, according to the varieties of thickness of the
articles laying on the bottom of the tub..
In witness whereof, I, the said George Stevens Andrews, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of April, in the year of
-our-Lord-One-thousand-eight hundred and fifty-eight.