US18721A - Washingr-machine - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIOE.

DAVID ELLIOT, OF PEMBROKE, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, AND ISAAC WHITE, OF MERRIMACK COUNTY, NEW' HAMPSHIRE.

WASHING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 18,721, dated November 24, 1857'.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID ELLIOT, of Pembroke, in the county of Merrimack and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for IVaShing and Squeezing Clothes; and I do hereby declare that the same are described and represented in the following specification and drawings.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my improvements I will proceed to describe their construction and operation referring to the drawings in which the same letters indicate like parts in each of the figures.

Figure l, is an elevation of one side of a machine with my improvements. Fig. 2, is an elevation of one end of the same. Fig. 3, is a section through the line h h of Fig. 2. Fig. 4L, is a section through the line Y Y of Fig. l.

The nature of my invention and improvements in machines for washing and squeezing clothes, consists of a tub or vat, with ycorrugated parallel sides and semicircular bottom, in connection with one or more corrugated semicircular rubbers, arranged on a traversing axle provided with a spring or springs for forcing the rubbers toward one side of the vat, and producing the required pressure on the clothes being washed or squeezed.

In the accompanying drawings A, A, are the sides, B, B, the ends and C, the semicircular or curved bottom of the tub, all of which are fastened firmly together, and provided with four legs D, D, D, D, which support it. The interior of the sides A, A, are corrugated by means of the cleats E, E, shown in Fig. 3. These sides are also per foratedfor the shaft F, which turns and traverses freely in them to support the rubbers G, G, which are fitted to traverse freely upon the shaft; and the rubber Gr, may be locked to the shaft when desired by the key H, Figs. 3, and 4. These rubbers are made in a semicircular form, and corrugated on each side by means of cleats I, I, shown in Fig. 3, either radially as shown in whole lines, or parallel as shown in dotted lines. There is a lever projecting upward from each of the rubbers G, G, and terminating in handles J, J, as shown in the drawings by which they are worked by the operator. The collar K is loose on the shaft F, and prevents the rubber G, from coming in contact with the side of the tub. The coiled spring L acts against the side A, and the pin M, in the shaft to force the rubbers against the clothes.

The tub is supplied with water and the clothes properly prepared with soap or otherwise, are a part of them put between the rubber G, and the side of the tub next to it when the rubber is pressed against them; and the rubber G, is pushed to the opposite side of the tub and held there compressing the spring L and the other portion of the clothes are put between the rubbers, and the rubber Gr, released, so as to be drawn against the clothes by the spring L, and press the clothes against the rubber G, which is loose on the shaft F, so that it is pressed against the clothes first put in between it and the side of the tub. The operator now takes one of the handles J, J, in each hand and pushes one from him, while he draws the other towards him, and vibrates them alternately back and forth, working the rubbers against the clothes, so as to wash them very quick, with very little labor; as there is very little friction except the friction of the rubbers against the clothes in the water; so that nearly all. the force or labor of the operator is exerted on the clothes, to wash them and very little upon the working parts of the machine.

Then the clothes are properly and sufficiently washed, the plug N, may be drawn out and the water drawn out and a fresh supply put in, and the rubbers worked to rinse the clothes; when they are rinsed t-he plug N, may be drawn again and the water allowed to run off, while the rubbers are worked to squeeze the water out of the clothes, so as to save the time and labor of wringing them. After the water has been squeezed out by the rubbers the clothes are ready to be dried. By changing the pin M, to some one of the holes in the shaft F, the pressure of the rubbers may be adjusted to suit the change of clothes to be washed, and the pressure of the rubbers may be increased by the same means to squeeze the wat-er out of the clothes after they are washed or rinsed. As the clothes become soft by being wet and washed by the rubbers and yield to the rubbers, the rubbers are constantly drawn against them by the spring L, so as to always Work upon them to the best advantage. The spring L, might be applied to the shaft'betvveen the side of the tub and the rubber Gr in the tub; but I prefer to apply it outside of the tub as above mentioned.

I believe I have described the improvements which I have invented, in machines for Washing and squeezing clothes so as to enable any person skilled in the art t0 make and use them. I Will now state What I desire to secure by Letters Patent t0 Wit. l

I claim- A tub 0r Vat With corrugated parallel sides and a semicireular or curved bottom in combination With semieireular rubbers corrugated on their sides and arranged to traverse on the aXle or on a traversing axle, provided with a spring to draw the rubbers one towards the other and both t0- Wards one side of the vat substantially in the manner described for the purpose of Washing and squeezing clothes.

DAVID ELLIOT.

Witnesses:

DANL L. STEVENS, DANIEL M. ROBERTSON.

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