Before the actual washing machine was
invented, all laundry was done by hand. Without running water or electricity,
even a small load of laundry took a lot of time and labor. One wash usually took
about fifty gallons of water! The ladies doing the wash had to get water first
from a well or a pump, then boil the water on the stove, and pour it into a
bucket or a wash boiler. She had to scrub every piece of clothing individually,
rinse it, wring it out, and then hang it on the line to dry. Laundry was no easy
task back then!
The early washing machines mocked the motion of a human hand on a washboard.
This washer was first patented in the U.S. in 1846 and was in the Montgomery
Ward catalogue. The first washers to use electricity were introduced in America
around 1900. These washers had a motor which rotated a tub, however the problem
with these was that the motor was not protected at all beneath the tub. This
caused short circuits and shocks because water would drip onto the motor. By the
time 1911 rolled around you could buy an oscillating washing machine with a
sheet metal tub which was mounted on iron frames.
The manufacturers of the washing machine faced several challenges. They had to
find a way to transfer power from the motor to the mechanism. Also, they had
troubles finding a motor with enough starting torque, also ensuring that the
user did not get shocked while using the washer. Some washers were belt driven,
some were driven by chains, and some used gears and shafts. To overcome the
resistance in starting up the washing machine, they used a 1/8or ¼ horsepower
motor; these fractional horsepower motors would not burn out or overheat during
the start up. The motors were usually manufactured by another company. Now, to
avoid electric shocks the rotor of the machine was protected in housing with a
fan to stop overheating problems.
The early washers had a large, heavy iron mechanism mounted inside the lid of
the tub. By the 1920's they had replaced the awkward device by introducing a
metal tub with reduction gears; by this time the wooden tub was no longer being
made.
In the United States, the first company to embrace agitator technology was
Maytag. The vertical alignment of these machines became the standard, replacing
the horizontal rotating axis of the earlier style machines. Again, in the
1920's, white sheet metal was used to replace the copper tub and iron legs. By
the 1940's enameled steel was used and was sold as being easier to clean and
longer lasting than other finishes. This sheet metal was designed to extend
below the motor mount.
The next expansion of the washing machine was the introduction and fitting of a
clock-timer apparatus which allowed the washer to be set to run for a preset
length of a wash cycle. Now the operator no longer needed to be a watchdog over
the machine. Then, in the early 1950's, the American manufacturers were
equipping machines with a spin-dry feature to replace the wringer, which could
cause injury and catch hair and hands. In 1957 General Electric introduced a
washing machine with push buttons to control the spin speed, wash temperature,
rinse temperature and agitation speed.
And the rest, my friends, is history. We now have washing machines that use much
less water. We can control almost every function of the machine, and we even
have washers that are fully electronic. I hope this article on the history of
the washing machine has given you a good breakdown of how the modern washer has
come to be.
wasmachine - BESLIST.nl for the
latest products, the largest selection and best webshops. Compare 15 million
products to find the lowest price! |
