CERTAIN IMPROVED APPA- BATUS FOR WASHING CLOTHES OR ARTICLES OF WEARING APPAREL, WHICH PROAL IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO CHURNING
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Bradford, of Salford, in the County of
Lancaster, Ironmonger, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVED APPA-
BATUS FOR WASHING CLOTHES OR ARTICLES OF WEARING APPAREL, WHICH
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Bradford at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 1st
September 1857.
I, THOMAS BRADFORD, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Ironmonger,
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR WASHING CLOTHES OR ARTICLES OF WEARING APPAREL, WHICH
APPARATUS IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO CHURNING," to be as follows:-
The apparatus consists in an oblong box or chamber in the direction of its
length, and oblong, oval, or other suitable shape in that of its width; this
chamber is to contain the articles to be washed, and the water or liquid
required; its internal surfaces are ribbed or corrugated, and at its ends it is
furnished with pivots or axles, upon which it bears and rotates; upon each
end of the said chamber is secured a metallic disc, having a stud or projection.
thereupon, the handle for imparting motion being situated in one of these
discs. The chamber or box is so arranged in a framing, that upon the handle

page_text: being forced round in an upward direction, the stud will come in contact with
a portion of the framing, which may be made to spring and act as a buffer to
diminish the shock; this concussion will suddenly reverse the direction of the
revolution of the chamber, and the handle coming in contact with a spring
upon the framing will impart a reciprocating or semi-rotatory motion thereto,
which will precipitate the goods and liquid to and fro against the sides of the
box, thus causing a continuous commotion essential to the proper and efficient
washing of the goods. When articles of a strong or heavy texture are to be
washed, I introduce with the articles a number of beaters having knuckled or
uneven surfaces; these beaters are placed loosely in the chamber amongst the
goods, and assist in cleansing them by rubbing or beating them against the
internal ribbed surface of the chamber. The chamber is provided with a
moveable lid or cover for the admission of the goods to be washed. This
apparatus may also be employed for churning purposes, in which instance I
place an arrangement of horizontal and vertical bars within the chamber, to
act as beaters, and by the before-named action of the apparatus the desired
effect is produced.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Bradford in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st March 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
BRADFORD, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Ironmonger, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Thomas Bradford, Her especial 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 "CERTAIN
IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR. WASHING CLOTHES OR ARTICLES OF WEARING APPAREL,
WHICH APPARATUS IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO CHURNING," upon the condition, amongst

page_text: others, that I, the said Thomas Bradford, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, 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
calendar months next and immediately 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 and accompanying Drawings, that is to say:-
The apparatus consists in a box or chamber oblong in the direction of its
length, and oblong, oval, or other suitable shape in that of its width; this
chamber is to contain the articles to be washed, and the water or liquid
required; its internal surfaces are ribbed or corrugated, and at its ends it is
furnished with pivots or axles, upon which it bears and rotates, one of such
axles being provided with a govern or ball for the purpose of equalising or
counterbalancing the weight of material contained in the chamber; upon each
end of the said chamber is secured a metallic disc, having a stud or projection
thereupon, the handle for imparting motion being situated in one of these
discs. The chamber or box is so arranged in a framing, that upon the handle
being forced round in an upward direction, the stud will come into contact
with a portion of the framing, which may be made to spring and act as a
buffer to diminish the shock; this concussion will suddenly reverse the
direction of the revolution of the chamber, and the handle coming in contact
with a second spring upon the framing imparts a reciprocating or semi-
rotating motion thereto, which will precipitate the goods and liquid to and fro
against the sides of the box, thus causing a continuous commotion essential to
the proper and efficient washing of the goods. When articles of a strong or
heavy texture are to be washed, I introduce with the articles a number of
beaters, having knuckled or uneven surfaces, either separately, or attached by
being strung upon rope, &c., and forming one jointed or flexible beater; the
beater or beaters are placed loosely in the chamber amongst the goods, and
assist in cleansing them by rubbing or beating them against the ribbed surface
of the chamber. The chamber is provided with a moveable lid or cover for
the admission of the goods to be washed; and also is supplied with one or
more valves or apertures for the exit of atmospheric air so enclosed by the
air-tight cover, thereby excluding the air, and obtaining a more efficient
action of the steam upon the articles, and also preventing the evaporation of
the washing ley or suds. This apparatus may also be employed for churning

page_text: purposes, in which instance I place an arrangement of traverse, horizontal,
and vertical bars within the chamber, to act as a dash, and by the before-
named action of the apparatus the desired effect is produced.
In order that my Invention may be better understood, and explained in
detail, I.have hereunto annexed a Sheet of Drawing, made upon a scale of
about two inches to a foot, and having similar letters of reference marked
upon corresponding parts of the apparatus in all the Figures exhibited.
Fig. 1 is a front view of the washing machine, to which a mangling or
wringing apparatus of ordinary construction is shewn attached; Fig. 2 is a
side view of the same; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken through from
front to back of the entire apparatus; Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the
chamber or box. with its internal, vertical, and horizontal arrangement of bars
as employed in the process of churning. In Fig. 1, a, a, is the framing in
which the chamber or box 6 is supported upon suitable axles and bearings,
and which is furnished with a lid or cover, and upon its internal surfaces are
the ribs or corrugations c, c, c, c; upon both ends of the box 6 is a metallic
disc d, and in one of these discs is inserted a handle e, and also the studs f, f',
at the required distance, which are for the purpose of stopping the rotation of
and assisting to reverse the motion of the box to the opposite direction, which
is effected by the studs coming into contact with the springs g, g', which act
as buffers to prevent too sudden concussion. The wringing or mangling
apparatus is of an ordinary construction, consisting of two rollers h, h, the top
one being weighted to any required pressure by means of the levers and
weights i, i, i, i, the rollers being turned and the clothes passed through by
means of the hand wheel kc, and spur gearing in connexion therewith. When
the box or chamber is employed for churning, it is constructed as seen in
Fig. 4, with the transverse ribs or bars m, m, m, inside, its action being
precisely similar to that of the box used for washing, but it will be evident
that the addition of a mangling apparatus will not be required. If the box
or chamber 6 be filled (or nearly so) with clothes, water, and other washing
necessaries, and the lid closed and secured by the latches n, n, the machine will
be ready to commence the operation of washing, which consists in turning the
box in an upward direction until the stud f comes into contact with the spring
9, which stops the motion in this direction, and reverses the box and handle to
a downward direction until the stud f' meets the spring g¹, thus an alternate
semi-rotatory motion is obtained, causing the clothes, water, and beaters to be
precipitated from side to side of the chamber, and thus effect the thorough
washing and cleansing of the articles; and when applied to churning, the
formation of butter will be obtained by the agitation of the milk or cream

page_text: from its precipitation through the transverse bars, which bars (if required)
may be made hollow, to contain water for regulating the temperature of the
milk or cream.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, together with
the most efficacious method with which I am at present acquainted for
carrying the same into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion, that I
claim the novel construction, arrangement, and combination of the herein-
before described improved apparatus for washing clothes and other articles of
wearing apparel, which apparatus is also applicable to churning, or any slight
modification or variation thereof which shall be substantially the same, and
whether such apparatus be actuated by steam or hand power.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Bradford, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
THOMAS BRADFORD. (L.S.)