Page:An Encyclopædia of Cottage, Farm, and Villa Architecture and Furniture.djvu/724

 700 COTTAGE, FARM, AND VILLA ARCHITECTURE. by Mr. William Strutt, from the common washing-wheel ; and is thus descrihed in Sylvester's Domestic Economy : — " Two sides of the wash-house are provided with stone benches. In the centre of the roonr is a boiler, containhig 100 gallons of w^ater; and near it stands the washing-machine. There are also several wooden tubs foi the purpose of washing by hand occasion- ally. Fig. 1335 is a perspective view of the washing-machine ; c d is a. water- tight cistern, in which the cylinder a revolves. The interior of this cylinder is divided into four revolvers. One quarter of the end of the cylinder is removed in the figure, to show the interior of one of these cavities. The proper entrances into these are by small doors, of which there is one in each, as seen at h : here the linen is introduced, and the doors are then closed. The perforations in the cy- linder, and in the separations of the ca- vities, are for the admission of water ; the linen is wetted, and rubbed with soap, the night before washing. Before the opera- tion commences, as much cold water is put into the outer vessel, c d, as wiU rise to the height of four or five inches in the cylinder, a. The vessel, c d, is provided with a steam- pipe from the steam-engine boiler. The steam is let in until the water and linen are heated to the niaximum, which is something below the boiling point. The part b being turned down, the inner cylinder is put in motion, and the lioles in its sides freely admit the hot water and steam. The velocity of the cylinder should be such that the linen may be heard to fall from one side to the other every time it is raised out of the water. This discharges most of the water from it, and it becomes filled with a fresh portion every time it dips into the water below. If the motion be too rapid, the linen remains against the sides of the cylinder ; if too slow, it slides down the sides. In either case, little or no effect is pro- duced. When the machine moves at a proper speed, one change of linen will be washed in less than half an hour. It must be observed, that during this process the quantity of soap in the machine should be such as to produce a strong lather ; so that, if a sufficient quantity has not been rubbed upon the clothes before they were put into the machine, more soap must be added, either in the state of thin shavings, or previously dissolved in hot water. A great advantage will be derived from the use of an alkali, when it is used in a proper state, and with caution. The operation of the machine consists merely in letting the clothes fall from one side of the compartment to the other, so that the texture is less injured than by any other mode of washing, and the water, being nearly at the boiling point, has a much greater effect in dissolving the dirt, than at the low temperature which can be borne by the hand of the washerwoman. The dirty water may be let off in a few seconds by a cock in the bottom of the fixed vessel, which may be immediately supplied with fresh water, and with steam to heat it. All the labour of lading the dirty water out, and pouring fresh water in, is saved by pipes being laid for its admission and exit ; and the constant supply of steam rendei-s the presence of fireplaces unnecessary. After the clothes are removed from the machine, some of them require to be looked over, and sometimes a little hand-washing is necessary ; but the greatest pro- portion are finished by the machine alone. The next process is boiling the clothes, which is performed in the boiler above mentioned : it is placed in the middle of the wash-house, for the pui'pose of getting round it. There are three pipes attached to it : one introduces cold water, a second steam, and a third carries the waste water away. During the boiling process, the boiler is covered ; the edge of the cover fits into a groove, which goes round the top of the boiler. This groove, being filled with water, ))revents the escape of steam, and by that means economises the heat. The linen is now taken from the boiler, and laid upon a board or tray, filled with small holes, and placed over the boiler ; by which means the water, which contains much soap, is drained out, and used for the process of washing in the machine. Near the ceiling of the wash- house, there is an oiiening into a chimney, which is for the express purpose of carrymg off the vapour." ( SyliHster's Fli'dosopliy of Domestic Economy, p. 27.) 1465. Tfie Mode of IVrinying is as folloivs : — " The linen is placed in a square bag of strong sacking, kept open by wire rings j this bag is contained in a cast-iron box, which