IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MA- CHINES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for
Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MA-
CHINES." A communication from abroad by John Jackson Grant,
of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, United States of
America.
Sealed the 1st February 1870, and dated the 31st August 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 31st August 1869.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object to furnish an improved washing
machine which shall be simple in construction and effective in
operation, doing its work quickly and thoroughly. The body of the

page_text: washing machine is made cylindrical, or slightly tapering if desired,
and to the inner surface of its sides are attached a number of upright
ribs extending from the bottom nearly to the top. A shaft or spindle
passes down vertically through the centre of the bottom, and to its
upper end is attached a circular plate, so as to be carried around by the
shaft. To the upper side of the circular plate are attached a number
of radial ribs or flanges. The lower end of the vertical shaft revolves
in a step in a bracket attached to the bottom of the body or tub. The
shaft carries a bevil wheel which gears into the teeth of a similar wheel
mounted on a horizontal shaft. To the outer end of the horizontal shaft
is attached a crank, to the crank pin of which is pivoted the lower end
of a connecting rod, the upper end of which is pivoted to a crank pin
of a wheel pivoted to the upper part of the body. This crank wheel
is provided with a hand crank, by which the machine is operated. To
the centre of the connecting rod is attached an inwardly projecting pin,
which passes through a slot in a vertical bar, the ends of which are bent
inward and are attached to the side of the body, so that the middle or
slotted part of said bar may stand out a little from the said body. The
slot in the bar should be made wider in its middle part to give the
necessary freedom of movement to the bar, and at the same time to
enable it to properly control the movements of the cranks or crank
wheels. To the upper end of the connecting rod is secured the winch
handle; therefore, as the connecting rod is vibrated by the rotation of
the cranks the body will be made to perform a partial rotation and back
again, and thus carry the contents to and fro.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 28th February 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the 3
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and 3

page_text: grant unto me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special licence
that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Edward Newton, 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
WASHING MACHINES," being a communication to me from abroad by John
Jackson Grant, of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, United
States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Edward Newton, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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 William Edward Newton, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say): :-
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the improved machine taken through
the line x, x, Fig. 2; and Fig. 2 is a side view of the same.
This Invention has for its object to construct an improved washing
machine which shall be simple in construction and effective in
operation, doing its work quickly and thoroughly, and it consists in
the construction and combination of the various parts, as herein-after
more fully described.
A is the body of the washing machine, which is made cylindrical, or
in its general form it may be slightly tapering if desired, as shewn. To
the inner surface of its sides are attached a number of upright ribs B
extending from the bottom to or nearly to the top of the body. The ribs
B should be rounded off upon their inner edges, so as to prevent them
from wearing the clothes. A shaft or spindle C passes down vertically
through the centre of the bottom of the body A, and to its upper end is

page_text: attached a circular plate D, so as to be carried around by the revolution.
of the shaft C. To the upper side of the circular plate D are attached
a number of radial ribs or flanges E, the upper edges of which should:
be rounded off to prevent them from wearing the clothes. The lower
end of the vertical shaft C revolves in a step in the lower or horizontal
part of the bracket F attached to the lower side of the bottom of the
body or tub A. To the lower part of the shaft C is attached a bevil
gear wheel G, which gears into the teeth of a similar wheel H attached
to the inner end of the horizontal shaft I. The inner part of the
horizontal shaft I revolves in bearings in one arm of the bracket F, and
its outer part revolves in bearings in the arm or bracket J attached to
the lower part of the side of the body A. To the outer end of the
horizontal shaft I is attached a crank or crank wheel K, to the crank
pin of which is pivotted the lower end of the connecting rod L, which
is pivotted to the pin of another crank wheel M at the upper part of
the body A. The machine is operated by the handle O. To the centre
of the connecting rod L is attached an inwardly projecting pin P, which
passes through a slot in the vertical bar Q, the ends of which are bent
inward and are attached to the side of the body A, so that the middle
or slotted part of the bar may stand out a little from the body. The
slot in the bar Q should be made wider in its middle part to give
the necessary freedom of movement to the bar L, and at the same time
to enable it to properly control the movements of the cranks or crank
wheels K and M. S and T are short tubes fitting into each other, and
to the outer end of the outer tube S and to the inner end of the inner
tube T are attached or upon them are formed plates which overlap the
outer and inner sides of the bottom of the body A. The tubes S, T,
are packed with suitable packing to make them serve as a stuffing box
to prevent the escape of the water. The tubes S, T, are pressed together,
thereby compressing the packing, and at the same time the tubes are
secured in place by bolts which pass through the bottom of the
body A, A, and through the plates attached to the tubes S, T.
Having now described the Invention which has been communicated
to me as aforesaid, and having explained the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent
as aforesaid,
First. The circular flanged plate D, E, attached to the end of a
LALNft necoing out through a stiiffing hot in the bottom of the

page_text: tub or body A, and driven by suitable gearing in combination with the
ribbed body A, substantially as herein shewn and described and for the
purpose set forth.
Second. The combination and arrangement of the crank O, cranks or
crank wheels M, K, pin P, slotted bar L, shaft I, bevil gear wheels H, G,
vertical shaft C, and flanged circular plate D, E, with each other and
with the body or tub A, as herein shewn and described and for the
purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-eighth day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)