IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WASHING CLOTHES AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Hawksworth and Joseph Chaffer, both
of Thorncliffe, in the County of York, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WASHING CLOTHES AND OTHER SIMILAR
ARTICLES."-A communication from abroad by John Eaton, of
Scaled the 30th April 1875, and dated the 4th November 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Hawksworth
and Joseph Chaffer at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 4th November 1874.
We, Tпomas HAWKSWORTH and JOSEPH CHAFFER, both of Thorn-
cliffe, in the County of York, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for " IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WASHING CLOTHES AND OTHER
SIMILAR ARTICLES," a communication to us from abroad by John Eaton, of
Blairtown, in the Dominion of Canada, to be as follows :-
This Invention relates to a simple and effective means of washing
clothes and other textile fabrics by the action of water being forced
through them, and this is obtained by the vertical motion in ordinary

page_text: wash tubs of an improved apparatus, which consists of a funnel of tin or
other suitable material divided horizontally into two parts by a plate or
diaphragm of the same material. A long socket having a small funnel
at one end is passed upwards through the centre of the plate or
diaphragm, and out at the smaller end of the large funnel, where it is
secured by soldering. In the top part of the socket is inserted a wood
handle, whilst the lower part of the socket forms a continuation of the
small funnel, which is preferred to project slightly in front or below the
level of the large funnel. The upward movement draws the water
through the fabric or clothes, and the downward movement has the
opposite effect.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Hawksworth and Joseph Chaffer in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st May 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
HAWKSWORTH and JOSEPH CHAFFER, both of Thorncliffe, in the County
of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-eighth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said Thomas Hawksworth and Joseph Chaffer, Her
special license that we, the said Thomas Hawksworth and Joseph Chaffer,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the
said Thomas Hawksworth and Joseph Chaffer, our executors, admini- 2
strators, or 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 APPARATUS
FOR WASHING CLOTHES AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES," a communication to us
from abroad by John Eaton, of Blairtown, in the Dominion of Canada,
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Thomas Hawks-
worth and Joseph Chaffer, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our hands and seals,, or under the hand

page_text: and seal of one of us, 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 we, the said Thomas Hawksworth and Joseph
Chaffer, do hereby declare the nature of our 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 accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon, that is to say:―
Our said Invention relates to a simple and effective means of washing
clothes, textile fabrics, or other articles by the action of forcing water
through them, which result is obtained by the vertical motion in ordinary
or other wash tubs of an apparatus of an improved construction. The
apparatus consists essentially of a funnel or hollow piston or plunger
(composed of tin, copper, or other sheet metal, or wood or other suitable
material) by preference divided horizontally into two parts by a plate or
diaphragm of the same or other suitable material. If the plate or
diaphragm is employed a long socket having a small funnel at one end
passes upwards through the centro of the same, and out at the smaller
end of the larger funnel or hollow piston, where it is secured by soldering
or otherwise. In the top part of the socket is inserted a wooden handle,
whilst the lower part of the socket forms a continuation of the small
funnel, which it is preferred should project slightly in front of or below
the level of the large funnel or hollow piston. When the plate or
diaphragm is not used the inner funnel may be secured to the large
funnel or hollow piston. The inner funnel may however, if desired, be
dispensed with, the handle being in that case attached to the end of the
large funnel or hollow piston.
And in order that our said Invention may be fully understood we shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that
purpose
shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in both the
Figures.
Figure 1 of our Drawings is a vertical section, and Figure 2 is a half
under plan shewing the arrangement of annaratus we prefer to employ

page_text: in carrying out our Invention. a is the hollow piston or plunger, by
preference of a conical shape, as shewn, but which may be made of a
The
pyramidal, semi-cylindrical, or other similar form, if desired.
hollow or interior 6 of this piston or plunger may be either left entirely
open, or it may be partially closed by a horizontal partition plate or
diaphragm c, as shewn in the Drawing. It is preferred to employ in
combination with the main hollow piston or plunger a smaller conical or
funnel shaped plunger d, which is fixed by means of a tube e in the
centre of the partition plate or diaphragm c, the upper end of such tube
forming a socket for the reception of a handle g, by means of which
the apparatus is manipulated. The apparatus so arranged is placed in a
wash tub of the usual or any suitable description, and moved up and
down vertically therein, either by hand or by the aid of cranks or similar
means from any suitable prime mover. A current or currents of water
is or are thus forced amongst and through the clothes or other articles
to be operated upon, which currents are the result of the outward shape
or configuration of the apparatus of a certain amount of air confined or
compressed in the hollow or interior of the apparatus, and of the vertical
motion imparted to such apparatus. The upward motion draws the
water through the clothes or other articles, and the downward motion
forces the water through the same, whereby they are effectually
cleansed with greater rapidity and facility than by the ordinary

page_text: Second. The combination with the hollow piston or plunger of an
inner funnel or plunger, substantially as herein-before described and
illustrated by our Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Hawksworth and Joseph
Chaffer, have to this our Specification set our hands and seals,
this Thirtieth day of April One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-five.