US18062A - Washing-machine - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES 'PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC A. SERGEANT, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

WASHING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 18,062, dated August 25, 1857.

provement; (ai), Fig. 3, indicating the plane of-section. Fig. 2, is also a vertical section of ditto (y), (y), Fig. 3 showing the plane of section. Fig. 3- is a plan or top view of ditto. Fig. 4 is a Vdetached side view4 of a section of one of the corrugated rollers.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention consists in the employment within a suitable water-tight tub, of an adjustable, rotating, perforated platform or secondary tub, substantially as hereinafter set forth.

V'The invention also consists in providing the outer end of the'rubbing roller with a shoulder of a diameter larger than that of the body of the roller, for the purposes hereinafter described.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention I will proceed to describe it.

A represents a framing on which a tub B is secured. This tub may be constructed similarly to the ordinary wooden wash tubs, and of a greater or less size as desired. To thebottom of the tub B, at its center a tube C is attached, the lower end of said tube being provided with a cock D. The upper end of the tube C has a flanch (a) formed on it, the flanch being attached to the bottom of the tub B.

Within the tub B a rotating, adjustable perforated platform or secondary tub E is placed. This secondary tub E has a spindle F, attached to the center of its bottom, at the under side, said spindle extending down in the tube C. The spindle is formed of a cylindrical metal rod. The secondary tub E may beconstructed of wood the same as the tub B.

The secondarytub E rests upon a bar G, the ends of which have straps (b) (b) attached, said straps passing over rollers (c) (c) at opposite sides of the tub B, the ends of the straps being attached to a lever in its bearings.

frame H, which works on center or fulcrum pins (d) at each side of the lower part of the framing A. The spindle F passes through the center of the bar Gr, as plainly shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The bottom of the secondary tub E has i radial strips (e) attached. These strips extend from a small circle at the center of the bottom of the secondary tub and extend outward to the sides of the tub. Shorter radial strips (f) are attached to the bottom of the secondary tub near its periphery and ybetween the strips (e). These strips are shown clearly in Fig. 3. The strips are transversely of triangular form, the sides meeting at the top and forming an acute angle. The strips (e) have notches (g),

made in them, these notches in each strip and the shorter strips (f) have each a notch (h) made in them. The bottom of the secondary tub E is also perforated with holes (i) between the stripsl (e). The sides of the tub E just above its bottom are perforated with holes I, I', represent two frames the outer ends of which are connected by hinges (lc) to a cross piece (Z) attached to the uprights (r) of the framing A. The inner end of the frame I, has a shaft J fitted in it transversely, and on this shaft a series of circularv wooden disks or rollers (m) are placed. The shaft J is permanent or does not rotate These 'disks or rollers are constructed of wood, and their outer edges are notched or serrated as shown clearly in Fig. 4f.

The inner endof the frame I has a shaft K fitted in it. This shaft is allowed to rotate in its bearings and a crank L is attached to its outer end. On the shaft K a Wooden roller M is secured. This roller M is formed of two parts (m) (fn) havingdifferent diameters. The periphery of the portion (m) having the smaller diameter is grooved diagonally so as to form diamondshaped projections as shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 3, at (o), the portion (n) constituting a shoulder having the larger diameter is notched or serrated parallel with the shaft K. See Figs. 2 and 3. The roller M may extend to the center of the bottom of the secondary tub E or it may project beyond its center as will be hereinafter referred to.

The operation is as follows: The tub B is supplied with a requisite quantity of suds or soap and water, and the clothes, shown in red in Fig. 2, are placed on the bottom of the secondary tub E, the frames I, I being previously thrown back as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. The frames I, I, are then thrown over forward and the end of the frame H is then depressed by the foot of the operator and the secondary tub E is thereby raised and the clothes are sub# jected to the pressure of the rollers in the frames I, I. The shaft K is then rotated by turning the crank L, and the secondary tub E will be rotated in consequence of the pressure of the roller M upon the clothes. The frame H is kept in a depressed state by a'ratchet catch N, as shown in Fig. l. The pressure of the rollers upon the clothes may be graduated as desired and by raising and lowering the secondary tub E or giving it what may be termed a dipping motion. The whole weight of the rollers and frames may be made to bear upon the clothes or only a portion of their weight, the frames resting when in a horizontal position on the top of the tub B. The clothes are supplied with purer water than in the usual machines for sand, grit, lint, and other impurities pass through the holes (i) (j) in the bottom and sides of the secondary tub E and settle to the bottom of the tub B, and by raising the secondary tub E above the surface of the water in the tub B the clothes may be adjusted therein as desired so that certain parts may be subjected to a greater rubbing than others.

I am aware that rotating wash-tubs are old, and I therefore do not claim, broadly, to be the inventor thereof. But to the best of my knowledge and belief, it is a new feature in washing machines to employ within a wash-tub a secondary rotating tub or platform E, upon which the clothes are placed, so that the clothes may be elevated or depressed in the water, at pleasure, or be raised entirely above thev water, for eXamination or change of position.

It is therefore frequently desirable, in washing, to change the quantity of water which covers the clothes; or in other words, sometimes to have the clothes deeper down in the water than at others, while being rubbed. My machine allows of this change. In its use the secondary tub E may be raised or lowered so as to give any desired dept-h of water above the clothes; and the change may be made without stopping the operation of the rubbing rollers.

I am also aware that rubbing rollers of conical and other forms have long been known and used in connection with rotating wash-tubs; and therefore I do not broadly claim the invention of such rollers. But to the best of my knowledge it is new to provide the extremities of such rollers with a shoulder (n) of greater diameter than any other portion of the said rollers; so that in starting the machine, the said shoulder (n) will (by vertical pressure upon the roller) come in contact with the bottom of secondary tub E, and thus relieve the clothes from the friction necessary to start the secondary tub E. Conical rollers, as used in washing machines of this kind, vare larger at their outer extremities than elsewhere; but such 'extremities would not answer the purpose of the shoulder (n), because if the clothes extended out as far as the shoulder (n), they would effectually prevent the end of the conical roller from touching the bottom of the tub. Butvby having a distinct shoulder (n) as in my improvement the clothes will not prevent the shoulder from coming in contact with the bottom of the secondary tub E; the inertia of the latter may thus be readily overcome by the contact of the shoulder on the bottom of the secondary tub E, without drawing on, or tearing the clothes.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The employment, within a water-tight tub B, of an adjustable, rotative, perforated platform or secondary tub E, in the manner substantially as described.

2. Providing the outer end of roller M with a shoulder (n) of larger diameter than the body of the roller, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

yISAAC A. SERGEANT. Witnesses:

HENRY NELSON, JOHN C. MILLER.

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