A NEW OR IMPROVED WASHING MACHINE
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Motion, of Kirkcaldy, in the County of Fife, North
Britain, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED WASHING MACHINE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Motion at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th November 1876.
ROBERT MOTION, of Kirkcaldy, in the County of Fife, North Britain. "A NEW OR
IMPROVED WASHING MACHINE."
This Invention relates to a new or improved washing machine, and it consists of
a framework which is attached to the upper part of the tube or vessel in which the
washing operation is carried on. In this framework is a short shaft provided with
a handle at the exterior by which an attendant rotates it, and to that portion of the
short shaft situated below the framework a crank is attached, the crank pin passing
into a slide having a long slot, which as the crank is rotated is reciprocated back-
wards and forwards, to an extent corresponding to the circle of revolution of the
crank. To the slide a toothed rack is attached which gears into a pinion on a shaft,
at the lower part of which the arms, beaters, or washing intruments are carried.
By the continuous rotation of the crank the toothed rack is continuously reciprocated,
so that the pinion with which it gears, and the arms, beaters, or washing instruments
attached thereto, have their motion constantly reversed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Robert Motion in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th May 1877.
ROBERT MOTION, of Kirkcaldy, in the County of Fife, North Britain.
OR IMPROVED WASHING MACHINE."
" A NEW
My said Invention which relates to a new or improved washing machine, consists
of a framework which is attached to the upper part of the tub or vessel in
which the washing operation is carried on.
In this framework is a short shaft
provided with a handle at its exterior for enabling an attendant to rotate it.
[Price 41

page_text: Directly to the shaft a crank may be attached or bevil gearing may be introduced
to enable it to communicate motion to another shaft carrying the crank, and this
last mode I prefer, as it enables the shaft on which the handle is carried to be
placed horizontally. The crank pin of the aforesaid crank enters a long slot
situated transversely in a slide, so that as the crank is rotated the slide is
reciprocated backwards or forwards to an extent corresponding to the diameter of
the circle of revolution of the crank. To the aforesaid slide a toothed rack is
attached, and this gears into a pinion on a short vertical shaft, at the lower part of
which the arms, beaters, or other washing instruments are carried. By the con-
tinuous rotation of the handle, and through it the crank acting in the long slot, the
toothed rack is continuously reciprocated, so that the pinion with which it gears,
and the arms, beaters, or other washing instruments attached thereto have their
motion continually reversed.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or carried into practical, effect, reference being had to the
annexed Sheet of Drawings and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is
to say -
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a washing machine with my improvements shown
applied thereto; Figure 2 is a plan partly in section of the same and corresponding
to Figure 1.
The framework A is that wherein the gearing for driving the arms, beaters, or other
washing instruments B is carried. On the outer end of the shaft C is the driving
handle D, and on the inner end thereof is a bevil pinion E gearing into another bevil
pinion F. on the short vertical shaft G; at the lower end of the shaft G is the
crank H, the pin whereof passes into a sliding block 1 within the long slot J, in the
frame K, by which arrangement it follows, that as the driving handle is rotated
the frame K is reciprocated backwards and forwards, so that the toothed rack L
carried at its outer end, and the teeth whereof gear into the pinion M on the
vertical shaft N, causes the washing instrument B to be continually reversed in its
rotation, that is to say, to be alternately revolved in opposite directions.
Instead of using the horizontal shaft C and fixing the driving handle D thereto,
the shaft C and bevil gearing E and F may be dispensed with, in which case
the driving handle D is placed at the upper part of the short vertical shaft G.
In respects other than the foregoing my improved washing machine is similar to:
other machines long since introduced, and therefore need not be further described.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my, said Inven-
tion, and the system, mode, or manner of carrying the same into practical effect,
I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is, the arrangement or construction of the driving gear, wherein by
means of the continuous rotation of the driving handle in one and the same
direction, the constant reversal of the arms, beaters, or other washing instruments
is effected, as herein-before described and shown upon the annexed Sheet of
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Motion, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
Londed and