IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR WASHING CLOTHES, APPLICALE ALSO AS A MIXER OR AGITAtor in Various PROCESSES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Partridge, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, for an Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
WASHING CLOTHES, APPLICALE ALSO AS A MIXER OR AGITAtor in Various
PROCESSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Partridge
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th July 1880.
WILLIAM EDWARD PARTRIDGE, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick.
"IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR WASHING CLOTHES, APPLICABLE ALSO AS A MIXER
OR AGITATOR IN VARIOUS PROCESSES."
My Invention has reference to improved means for washing clothes and other
articles, such as rags, cotton waste, wool, and other articlos, and is also applicable
as a mixer for nixing liquids or semi liquids, or for continuously agitating liquid
or semi liquids requiring to be kept in a constant state of agitation during any
process of manufacture, such as extracting the juices from hops, malt, barks,
plants, &c.
Taking my apparatus as it would be used in one of the most simple forms for
washing clothes, I will describe it as applied to any ordinary boiler or copper for
boiling clothes over a furnace or fire. I inake a conical or bell mouthed tube,
which is flanged or otherwise at the bottom end to rest against or on the sides or
bottom of the boiler, the other end standing above the level of the water in the
boiler. The top or narrow part of the cone or tube is provided with a bonnet or
deflector or continuous spout, so that as the boiling or heated water rises from the
bottom of the boiler up the conical or other tube it is deflected downwards in one
stream or in small jets upon the water or clothes, which are placed around the tube
in the boiler. In order that the action may be continuous or self acting, I make
provision for the water to return through holes at the base of the tube or around its
lower edge, as may be found most convenient, according to the form of boiler and
the purpose to which it is applied. A wire or other casing may be attached to the
base of the tube, which fits or nearly fits the sides of the boiler, for the purpose of
conveniently lifting out the clothes; this may be joined to the tube or may be
separate from it like a basket. The continuous stream of boiling hot water pou red

page_text: -
upon the clothes washes them most perfectly, so that they only require soaping
before placing in the boiler and passing through clean water before being wrung
out.
The great advantage of this machine is that not only is the work done quicker
and cheaper, but the clothes are not injured during the process, as the washing is
accomplished entirely by the friction of the water passing through or over the
clothes, i.e., through the texture or fibres of the material or matter under treatment.
Thus the most delicate articles, such as fine lace curtains, may be washed without
injury, as they are not subject to any hand or mechanical rubbing, as the agitation
of the water does the work.
It will be clearly understood that the apparatus may be made either one with the
boiler or as a complete machine, or separate from it, and that the same or similar
means may be applied to many other purposes, such as washing wool or cotton
waste. It will also be most useful as a mixer or agitator in chemical and other
processes; indeed, its application is very wide.
In cases-where-water-or-liquids are required at a lower temperature than boiling,
I should adopt a siphon or mechanical means for raising such liquid.
I also construct boilers so as to form a continuous stream all around the outside
edge, or a series of jets, either in conjunction with or separate from the centre
tube or tubes.

page_text: "
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Edward Partridge in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th
January 1881.
WILLIAM EDWARD PARTRIDGE, of Biriningham, in the County of Warwick.
'IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR WASHING CLOTIES AND OTHER ARTICLES, APPLICABLE
ALSO AS A MIXER OR AGITATOR IN VARIOUS PROCESSES."
My Invention has reference to improved means for washing clothes and other
articles, such as rags and cotton waste, and is also applicable as mixer for mixing
liquids or semi-liquids, or for continuously agitating such liquids or semi-liquids
during any process of manufacture, such, for instance, as extracting the pices from
hops, roots, barks, etc.
My apparatus as it would generally be used for washing clothes in a simple open
copper is shown by Figure 1, sectional elevation; Figure 2, plan. A is the conical
vessel, fitting the boiler B at its widest edge a, a, a, a. C, C, aro the pipes for
conveying the water on to the clothes, of which there may be one or more,
according to convenienco and size of apparatus, but there are two shown in the
shape I have found to be most convenient, as the two pipes crossing each other form
a convenient handle at the top for lifting the apparatus out of the boiler; the tops
of the pipes c, c, are flattened and bent downwards for the purpose of deflecting the
water on to the clothes in the boiler. The action is as follows:-Immediately the
water cominences to boil the hoter portions rise to the highest part of the conical
base in a perpendicular direction, and as the water rises it is guided by the top & of
the corrugations up to the top a³, a², of the cone A and through the openings c¹, c',
in the pipes C, C, and out at the mouths c, c, falling on to the clothes in the boiler,
descending through them and through the small holes a¹, a', a¹, which are placed at
the bottom of the corrugations so as to present the least possible facility for the
ascending water passing through the holes. A wire casing, just the shape of the
internal part of the boiler, may be supplied with the apparatus when necessary,
either fast to it or separate from it; but generally the apparatus would be sold alone,
practically as shown on the Drawing.
The great advantage of this machine is that the clothes are not injured during the
process, as the washing is accomplished entirely by the friction of the water passing
through and over the texture or fibres of the material under treatment. Thus the
most delicate articles, such as fine laco curtains, may be washed without injury, as
they are not subject to any band or mechanical rubbing; the agitation or suction
of the water through the clothes does the work as they lie upon the top of the
corrugations d, d, d.
It will be evident that this apparatus may be applied to many other purposes,
such as washing wool or cotton waste. It will also be most useful as a mixer or
agitator in chemical and other purposes. Take, for instance, the modifications
shown by Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6. Figure 3 is a side elevation, and Figure 4 a plan
of an apparatus suitable for extracting the pices from malt, hops, or other substances.
In this caso I prefer generally to use three ascension pipes E, E, E, with their three
mouth pieces e, e, c.
Instead of the holes in the bottom of the corrugations, I cut
the plate out to receive the wire gauze or gratings f, f, f, f, which, while they offer
the greatest freedom for the passage of the water downwards, they prevent
the hops or other matter from passing through to the under side of the
apparatus.
Figure 5 is a sectional elevation, and Figure 6 is a plan, of a modification of the
previous Figures, with a perforated bonnet g or h arranged to fit either fast or loosely
over the holes in the conical base of the apparatus. These bonnets, whether made to
finish at a point, as shown by g, or round, as shown by h, would have the effect of

page_text: exposing a larger surface to the hops, roots, barks, or other matter, and of preventing
any tendency the might have to become consolidated into a dead mass, which is not
desirable. The baffle plates k, l, may be secured under the holes at the lower part
of the corrugations of any of the forms shown to prevent the ascending water from
ousing through the openings.
In cases where water or liquids are required at a lower temperature than boiling
I should adopt a syphon or mechanical means for lifting the water from the bottom
of the apparatus to the top.
In some cases I construct boilers or the apparatus inside of them in such a manner
as to produce a stream or streams outside in conjunction with the central jet or jets,
and this I effect by carrying up the side of the boiler from the base of the cone a
number of small pipes, which are turned down at the upper ends towards the centre
of the boiler, similar to the centre ones.
Having now described my said Invention of improved--apparatus-for- washing.
clothes and other articles, applicable also as a mixer or agitator in various processes,
and some of the ways of applying the same, I would have it understood that what'
I claim as my Invention is,-
First. The washing machine as herein before set forth by Figures 1 and 2 on the
accompanying Drawings.
Second. The modifications, shown by Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, for extracting pices
from hops, malt, and for other similar purposes.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Partridge, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of January, One thousand eight
hundred and eighty one.
-
WILLIAM EDWARD FARTRIDGE. (L.S.)____