WASHING MACHINE

The earliest manual washing machines imitated the motion of the human hand on the washboard, by using a lever to move one curved surface over another and rubbing clothes between two ribbed surfaces. This type of washer was first patented in the United States in 1846 and survived as late as 1927 in the Montgomery Ward catalogue. The first electric clothes washers, in which a motor rotated the tub, were introduced into America about 1900.
The motor was not protected beneath the machine and water often dripped into it causing shortcircuits and jolting shocks. By 1911, it was possible to buy oscillating, cylinder, domestic washing machines with sheet metal tubs mounted on angleiron frames with perforated metal or wooden slat cylinders inside. From a technological perspective, washing machine manufacturers faced a number of challenges. These included discovering a method of transferring power from the motor to the mechanism, finding a suitable motor with sufficient initial starting torque, and ensuring that the operator did not get an electrical shock during operation.
In the transference of power, some washing machines were chain driven, some belt driven and others used shafts and gears. To overcome the initial resistance in starting a washing machine, a fractional horsepower motor which would not burn out or overheat during the startup period was used. This was usually a 1/8 or ¼ horsepower motor, manufactured outofhouse by Westinghouse or Robbins and Myers. To prevent electric shocks, the stator and rotor of the machine were enclosed in a housing equipped with a fan to prevent overheating.
By the early 1950s, many American manufacturers were supplying machines with a spindry feature to replace the wringer which removed buttons, and caused accidents involving hair and hands. In 1957, GE introduced a washing machine equipped with 5 push buttons to control wash temperature, rinse temperature, agitation speed and spin speed.