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66-530: Speed Queen is a laundry machine manufacturer headquartered in Ripon , Wisconsin , United States . Speed Queen is a subsidiary of Alliance Laundry Systems LLC, which billed itself as the world's largest manufacturer of commercial laundry equipment as of 2004. Speed Queen makes a large variety of residential and commercial products, from 25-pound (11 kg)-capacity tumblers to 250-pound (110 kg) washer-extractors, as well as dryers. Its commercial machines are

132-415: A class-action lawsuit and pulled off the market. In 2003, Maytag introduced their top-loading Neptune TL FAV6800A and TL FAV9800A washers. Instead of an agitator, the machine had two washplates, perpendicular to each other and at a 45-degree angle from the bottom of the tub. The machine would fill with only a small amount of water and the two wash plates would spin, tumbling the load within it, mimicking

198-667: A "Clothes Washer With Wringer Rolls". During the 1850s, Nicholas Bennett of the Mount Lebanon Shaker Society at New Lebanon , New York, invented a "wash mill", but in 1858 he assigned the patent to David Parker of the Canterbury Shaker Village , where it was registered as the "Improved Washing Machine". Margaret Colvin improved the Triumph Rotary Washer, which was exhibited in the Women's Pavilion at

264-730: A built-in sink and a detergent dispenser that claims to leave no residue on the dispenser itself. In IFA 2017, Samsung released the QuickDrive, a front-loading washer similar to the Dyson ContraRotator but instead of two counter-rotating drums, the QuickDrive has a single drum with a counter-rotating impeller mounted on the back of the drum. Samsung claims this technique reduces cycle times by half and energy consumption by 20%. The US has introduced standards for washing machines that improve their energy efficiency and reduce their water consumption. The top-loading, vertical-axis washer has been

330-468: A distinctive musical component to the exhibition of 1862. Music critic Henry Chorley was selected as advisor, and recommended commissioning works by William Sterndale Bennett , Giacomo Meyerbeer , Daniel Auber , and Gioacchino Rossini . Being in his retirement, Rossini declined, so the Society asked Giuseppe Verdi , who eventually accepted. William Sterndale Bennett wrote his Ode Written Expressly for

396-423: A drum washer that was hand-cranked to make the wooden drums rotate. While the technology was simple enough, it was a milestone in the history of washing machines, as it introduced the idea of "powered" washing drums. As metal drums started to replace the traditional wooden drums, it allowed for the drum to turn above an open fire or an enclosed fire chamber, raising the water temperature for more effective washes. It

462-419: A lint trap. During the wash cycle, the outer tub is filled with water sufficient to fully immerse and suspend the clothing freely in the basket. The movement of the agitator pushes water outward between the paddles towards the edge of the tub. The water then moves outward, up the sides of the basket, towards the center, and then down towards the agitator to repeat the process, in a circulation pattern similar to

528-439: A plastic counterweight that can be filled with water after delivery, reducing or controlling motor speeds, using hydraulic suspensions instead of spring suspensions, and having freely moving steel balls or liquid contained inside a ring mounted on both the top and bottom of the drum to counter the weight of the clothes and reduce vibration. Most newer front-load machines now use a brushless DC (BLDC) motor directly connected to

594-447: A popular brand for laundromats , apartment buildings, and hotels . The company was founded in 1908 by Joe Barlow and John Seelig as Barlow & Seelig Manufacturing. They got their start by taking existing machine designs and improving them. In 1922, Speed Queen was the first company to introduce washers with nickel-copper tubs. The brand name "Speed Queen" was created in 1928. During World War II , it switched production to support

660-526: A rectangle on the south side of the site; the largest, with a frontage on the Cromwell Road , was 1,150 ft (350 m) long, 50 ft (15 m) high and 50 ft (15 m) wide, with a grand triple-arched entrance. Fowke paid particular attention to lighting pictures in a way that would eliminate glare. Behind the picture galleries were the "Industrial Buildings" . These were composed of " naves " and " transepts ", lit by tall clerestories , with

726-626: A sensation. The work shown by William Morris 's decorative arts firm of Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. attracted much notice. The exposition also introduced the use of caoutchouc for rubber production and the Bessemer process for steel manufacture. Benjamin Simpson showed photos from the Indian subcontinent. William England led a team of stereoscopic photographers , which included William Russell Sedgfield and Stephen Thompson , to produce

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792-675: A series of 350 stereo views of the exhibition for the London Stereoscopic Company. The images were made using the new collodion wet plate process which allowed exposure times of only a few seconds. These images provide a vivid three-dimensional record of the exhibition. They were on sale to the public in boxed sets and were delivered to the Queen by messenger so that she could experience the exhibition from her seclusion in mourning. The London and North Western Railway exhibited one of their express passenger locomotives, No. 531 Lady of

858-475: A top-loading washer and dryer built on top of a front-loading washer and dryer respectively (in Samsung washers and dryers) or offer users an optional top-loading washer that can be installed under a washer or dryer (for LG washers and dryers) Both manufacturers have also introduced front-loading washers allowing users to add items after a wash cycle has started, and Samsung has also introduced top-loading washers with

924-581: A total profit of £790. An official closing ceremony took place on 1 November 1862, but the exhibition remained open to the public until 15 November 1862. The exhibition was held in South Kensington , London, on a site covering 11 ha (27 acres), and now occupied by the Natural History Museum. The buildings, which occupied 21 acres (8.5 ha), were designed by Captain Francis Fowke of

990-413: Is a machine designed to launder clothing. Modern-day home appliances use electric power to automatically clean clothes. The term is mostly applied to machines that use water as opposed to dry cleaning (which uses alternative cleaning fluids and is performed by specialist businesses) or ultrasonic cleaners . The user adds laundry detergent , which is sold in liquid, powder, or dehydrated sheet form, to

1056-419: Is an outrunner, due to its slim design with variable speed and high torque. The rotor is connected to the inner tub through its center. It can be made of metal or plastic. Some direct drive washers use induction motors instead of BLDC motors. The modern washing machine market has seen several innovations and features, examples including: In the early 1990s, upmarket machines incorporated microcontrollers for

1122-453: Is the practice of fulling . In a fulling mill, the cloth was beaten with wooden hammers, known as fulling stocks or fulling hammers. The first English patent under the category of washing machines was issued in 1691. A drawing of an early washing machine appeared in the January 1752 issue of The Gentleman's Magazine , a British publication. Jacob Christian Schäffer 's washing machine design

1188-667: The Centennial International Exhibition of 1876 in Philadelphia. At the same exhibition, the Shakers won a gold medal for their machine. Electric washing machines were advertised and discussed in newspapers as early as 1904. Alva J. Fisher has been incorrectly credited with the invention of the electric washer. The US Patent Office shows at least one patent issued before Fisher's US patent number 966677 (e.g. Woodrow's US patent number 921195). The first inventor of

1254-504: The Duke of Cambridge presided from a throne sited beneath the western dome. An opening address was delivered by the Earl Granville , chairman of Her Majesty's Commissioners, the group responsible for the organisation of the event. There were 39 participating countries, and a total of 6,096,617 visitors attended the exhibition. Receipts (£459,632) were slightly above cost (£458,842), leaving

1320-625: The Korean War , by 1953 automatic washing machine sales in the US exceeded those of wringer-type electric machines. In the UK and most of Europe, electric washing machines did not become popular until the 1950s. This was largely because of the economic impact of World War II on the consumer market, which did not properly recover until the late 1950s. The early electric washers were single-tub wringer-type machines, as fully automatic washing machines were expensive. During

1386-499: The Patent Office fire in 1836, no description of the device survives. The invention of the washing machine is also attributed to Watervliet Shaker Village , as a patent was issued to an Amos Larcom of Watervliet , New York, in 1829, but it is not certain that Larcom was a Shaker . A device that combined a washing machine with a wringer mechanism appeared in 1843 when Canadian John E. Turnbull of Saint John , New Brunswick patented

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1452-457: The Royal Engineers , and built by Lucas Brothers and Sir John Kelk. They took only 11 months to build. They were intended to be permanent, and were constructed in an un-ornamented style with the intention of adding decoration in later years as funds allowed. Much of the construction was of cast-iron , 12,000 tons worth, though façades were brick. Picture galleries occupied three sides of

1518-479: The 1960s, twin tub machines briefly became popular, helped by the low price of the Rolls Razor washers. Twin tub washing machines have two tubs, one larger than the other. The smaller tub in reality is a spinning drum for centrifugal drying while the larger tub only has an agitator in its bottom. Some machines could pump used wash water into a separate tub for temporary storage and to later pump it back for re-use. This

1584-431: The 1970s electronic control of motor speed has become a common feature on the more expensive models. Over time manufacturers of automatic washers have gone to great lengths to reduce costs. For instance, expensive gearboxes are no longer required, since motor speed can be controlled electronically. Some models can be controlled via WiFi, and have angled/tilted drums to facilitate loading. Even on some expensive washers,

1650-583: The British Allergy Foundation Seal of Approval. However, neither of the ContraRotator machines is now in production as they were expensive to manufacture. They were discontinued in 2005. It is patented under U.S. Patent US7750531B2 , U.S. Patent US6311527 , U.S. Patent US20010023513 , U.S. Patent US6311527B1 , U.S. Patent USD450164 . In 2001, Whirlpool Corporation introduced the Calypso,

1716-469: The Depression. England established public washrooms for laundry along with bathhouses throughout the nineteenth century. Washer design improved during the 1930s. The mechanism was now enclosed within a cabinet, and more attention was paid to electrical and mechanical safety. Spin dryers were introduced to replace the dangerous power mangle/wringers of the day. By 1940, 60% of the 25,000,000 wired homes in

1782-629: The Government's wish to purchase the building and the materials were sold and used for the construction of Alexandra Palace . The exhibition was a showcase of the advances made in the industrial revolution , especially in the decade since the Great Exhibition of 1851. Among the items on display were: There was also a range of smaller goods including fabrics, rugs, sculptures, furniture, plates, porcelain, silver and glass wares, and wallpaper. The manufacture of ice by an early refrigerator caused

1848-554: The Lake . A sister locomotive, No. 229 Watt had famously carried Trent Affair despatches earlier that year, but the Lady of the Lake (which won a bronze medal at the exhibition) was so popular that the entire class of locomotive became known as Ladies of the Lake . The manufacturing Lilleshall Company exhibited a 2-2-2 express passenger locomotive. There was an extensive art gallery designed to allow an even light without reflection on

1914-525: The Opening of the International Exhibition (upon a text by Alfred, Lord Tennyson ), Meyerbeer wrote his Fest-Ouvertüre im Marschstil , and Auber wrote his Grand triumphal march . These three works premiered at the opening of the exhibition on 1 May 1862, with the orchestra led by conductor Prosper Sainton . Controversies involving Verdi's contribution, the cantata Inno delle nazioni , prevented

1980-413: The US. This washing machine uses a computer-controlled system to determine factors such as load size and adjusts the wash cycle to match. It also used a mixed system of washing, first with the "Eco-Active" wash, using a low level of recirculated water being sprayed on the load followed by a more traditional style wash. The SmartDrive also included a direct drive brushless DC electric motor , which simplified

2046-510: The United States had an electric washing machine. Many of these machines featured a power wringer, although built-in spin dryers were not uncommon. Bendix Home Appliances, a subsidiary of Avco , introduced the first domestic automatic washing machine in 1937, having applied for a patent in the same year. Avco had licensed the name from Bendix Corporation , an otherwise unrelated company. In appearance and mechanical detail, this first machine

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2112-553: The United States. The hexagonal tub spins like a front-loading machine, using only about one-third as much water as conventional top-loaders. This factor has led to an Energy Star rating for its high efficiency. This type of horizontal-axis washer and dryer (with a circular drum) is often used in Europe, where space is limited, as they can be as thin as 41 cm (16 in) in width. In 1998, New Zealand -based company Fisher & Paykel introduced its SmartDrive washing machine line in

2178-435: The action of a front-loading washer in a vertical-axis design. In 2006, Sanyo introduced the "world-first" (as of February 2, 2006, with regards to home use drum-type washer/dryer) drum-type washing machine with "Air Wash" function (i.e.: using ozone as a disinfectant). It also reused and disinfected rinse water. This washing machine uses only 50  L (11.0  imp gal ; 13.2  US gal ) of water in

2244-577: The attending Members of the British Parliament , 70-year-old Robert Aglionby Slaney , fell onto the ground through a gap between floorboards on a platform. He carried on with his visit despite an injured leg, but died from gangrene that set in on the 19th. The exhibition buildings were dismantled and the materials used to construct Alexandra Palace. The exhibition eclipsed the previous two exhibitions in size and scale, but did not attract as many visitors as aimed for (11 million). Fowke posited

2310-509: The basket (direct drive), where the stator assembly is attached to the rear of the outer plastic drum assembly, whilst the co-axial rotor is mounted on the shaft of the inner drum. The direct drive motor eliminates the need for a pulley, belt, and belt tensioner. It was first introduced to washing machines by Fisher and Paykel in 1991. Since then, other manufacturers have followed suit. Some washing machines with this type of motor now come with 10-year or 20-year warranties. The motor type used

2376-566: The bowl and agitator drive by eliminating the gearbox system. In 2000, the British inventor James Dyson launched the CR01 ContraRotator , a type of washing machine with two cylinders rotating in opposite directions. It was claimed that this design reduced the wash time and produced cleaner washing than a single-cylinder machine. In 2004 the launch of the CR02, was the first washing machine to gain

2442-545: The center of the basket. A washing machine can have an impeller, also called a wash plate, instead of an agitator, which serves the same purpose but does not have a vertical cylinder extending from its base. 1862 International Exhibition The International Exhibition of 1862 , officially the London International Exhibition of Industry and Art , also known as the Great London Exposition ,

2508-420: The dominant design in the United States and Canada. This design places the clothes in a vertically mounted perforated basket that is contained within a water-retaining tub, with a finned water-pumping agitator in the center of the bottom of the basket. Clothes are loaded through the top of the machine, which is usually but not always covered with a hinged door. The drum of a top loading washing machine can include

2574-653: The edges. The cartridge was inserted into a slot on the machine and a mechanical reader operated the machine accordingly. Several manufacturers produced semi-automatic machines, requiring the user to intervene at one or two points in the wash cycle. A common semi-automatic type (available from Hoover in the UK until at least the 1970s) included two tubs: one with an agitator or impeller for washing, plus another smaller tub for water extraction or centrifugal rinsing. These machines are still available in some countries such as India. Since their introduction, automatic washing machines have relied on electromechanical timers to sequence

2640-634: The electric washing machine remains unknown. US electric washing machine sales reached 913,000 units in 1928. However, high unemployment rates in the Depression years reduced sales; by 1932 the number of units shipped was down to about 600,000. An early laundromat in the United States opened in Fort Worth , Texas, in 1934. It was run by Andrew Klein. Patrons used coin-in-the-slot facilities to rent washing machines. The term "laundromat" can be found in newspapers as early as 1884 and they were widespread during

2706-416: The first vertical-axis high-efficiency washing machine to be top-loading. A washplate in the bottom of the tub nutated (a special wobbling motion) to bounce, shake, and toss the laundry. Simultaneously, water containing detergent was sprayed onto the laundry. The machine proved to be good at cleaning but gained a bad reputation due to frequent breakdowns and destruction of laundry. The washer was recalled with

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2772-433: The least soiled clothing, then to wash progressively dirtier laundry. Removal of soap and water from the clothing after washing was a separate process. First, soap would be rinsed out with clear water. After rinsing, the soaking wet clothing would be formed into a roll and twisted by hand to extract water. The entire process often occupied an entire day of work, plus drying and ironing. An early example of washing by machine

2838-404: The norm. Most modern front-loading European machines now only have a cold water connection (called "cold fill") and rely completely on internal electric heaters to raise the water temperature. Many of the early automatic machines had coin-in-the-slot facilities and were installed in the basement laundry rooms of apartment houses. After the attack on Pearl Harbor , US domestic washer production

2904-475: The outer drum of front-loading machines is often (but not always) made of plastic (it can also be made out of metal, but this is expensive). This makes changing the main bearings difficult , as the plastic drum usually cannot be separated into two halves to enable the inner drum to be removed to gain access to the bearing. Many residential front-loading washing machines typically have a 25 kg (55 lb) concrete block to dampen vibration. Alternatives include

2970-512: The pictures. The exhibition also included an international chess tournament, the London 1862 chess tournament . A large tiger skin, from a tiger shot in 1860 by Colonel Charles Reid, was exhibited here. The skin was mounted by Edwin H. Ward and subsequently became "The Leeds Tiger", still on display at Leeds City Museum , UK. Unlike the Great Exhibition of 1851, the Society of Arts chose to have

3036-418: The recycle mode. Approximately in 2012, eco-indicators were introduced, capable of predicting the energy demand based on the customer settings in terms of program and temperature. Features available in most modern consumer washing machines: Additionally, some modern machines feature: Around 2015 and 2017, some manufacturers (namely Samsung and LG Electronics) offered washers and dryers that either have

3102-409: The shape of a torus . The agitator direction is periodically reversed because continuous motion in one direction would just lead to the water spinning around the basket with the agitator rather than the water being pumped in the torus-shaped motion. Some washers supplement the water-pumping action of the agitator with a large rotating screw on the shaft above the agitator, to help move water downwards in

3168-407: The spaces in the angles between them filled by glass-roofed courts. Above the brick entrances on the east and west fronts were two great glass domes, each 150 feet wide and 260 feet high - at that time the largest domes ever built. The timber-framed "Machinery Galleries", the only parts of the structure intended to be temporary, stretched further north along Prince Consort Road . Parliament declined

3234-489: The timing process. These proved reliable and cost-effective, so many cheaper machines now also incorporate microcontrollers rather than electromechanical timers. Since the 2010s, some machines have had touchscreen displays, full-color or color displays, or touch-sensitive control panels. In 1994, Staber Industries released the System 2000 washing machine, which is the only top-loading, horizontal-axis washer to be manufactured in

3300-453: The top-loading type) in the late 1940s and early 1950s. General Electric also introduced its first top-loading automatic model in 1947. This machine had many of the features that are incorporated into modern machines. Another early form of automatic washing machine manufactured by The Hoover Company used cartridges to program different wash cycles. This system, called the "Keymatic", used plastic cartridges with key-like slots and ridges around

3366-574: The war effort, manufacturing 20 mm shells , and parts for airplanes, tanks and guns. Later, it was sold to McGraw-Edison Company (which also owned Eskimo fans and Toastmaster ), and then to Raytheon , in 1979. In 1998, Raytheon Commercial Laundry sold the brand to Alliance Laundry Systems. Speed Queen Ireland provides cheap and easy self-service laundrettes around the Republic of Ireland Laundry machine A washing machine ( laundry machine , clothes washer , washer , or simply wash )

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3432-449: The wash time. With this arrangement, the electric timer motor is periodically switched off to permit the clothing to soak and is only re-energized just before a micro-switch being engaged or disengaged for the next stage of the process. Fully electronic timers did not become widespread until decades later. Despite the high cost of automatic washers, manufacturers had difficulty meeting the demand. Although there were material shortages during

3498-444: The wash water. Laundering by hand involves soaking, beating, scrubbing, and rinsing dirty textiles. Before indoor plumbing , it was necessary to carry all the water used for washing, boiling, and rinsing the laundry from a pump , well , or spring . Water for the laundry would be hand carried, heated on a fire for washing, then poured into a tub. This meant the amount of warm, soapy water was limited; it would be reused, first to wash

3564-414: The washer would use a stick to press and rotate the clothes along the textured sides of the basin or container, agitating the clothes to remove dirt and mud. This crude agitator technology was hand-powered, but still more effective than actually hand-washing the clothes. More advancements were made to washing machine technology in the form of the rotating drum design. These early design patents consisted of

3630-471: The washing and extraction process. Electromechanical timers consist of a series of cams on a common shaft driven by a small electric motor via a reduction gearbox . At the appropriate time in the wash cycle, each cam actuates a switch to engage or disengage a particular part of the machinery (for example, the drain pump motor). One of the first was invented in 1957 by Winston L. Shelton and Gresham N. Jennings, then both General Electric engineers. The device

3696-483: The work from being included in the inaugural concert. It was first performed on 24 May 1862 at Her Majesty's Theatre in a concert organized by James Henry Mapleson . At another concert, the French pianist and composer Georges Pfeiffer created his Second Piano Concerto. The pianist Ernst Pauer performed daily piano recitals on the stage under the western dome. At the opening of the exhibition on 1 May 1862, one of

3762-685: Was a world's fair held from 1 May to 1 November 1862 in South Kensington , London , England. The site now houses museums including the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum . After the Great Exhibition , held in 1851, had proven to be a huge success, the British Government planned another international exhibition that would surpass both this one and the 1855 Paris Exposition , larger in both size and scale. The intention

3828-427: Was done not to save water or soap, but because heated water was expensive and time-consuming to produce. Automatic washing machines did not become dominant in the UK until well into the 1970s and by then were almost exclusively of the front-loader design. In early automatic washing machines, any changes in impeller/drum speed were achieved by mechanical means or by a rheostat on the motor power supply. However, since

3894-407: Was facilitated by a 2-speed gearbox built to a heavy-duty standard (not unlike a car automatic gearbox, albeit smaller in size). The timer was also probably costly because miniature electric motors were expensive to produce. Early automatic washing machines were usually connected to a water supply via temporary slip-on connectors to sink taps. Later, permanent connections to hot and cold water became

3960-471: Was granted US Patent 2870278. On the early electromechanical timers, the motor ran at a constant speed throughout the wash cycle, although the user could truncate parts of the program by manually advancing the control dial. However, by the 1950s demand for greater flexibility in the wash cycle led to the introduction of more sophisticated electrical timers to supplement the electromechanical timer. These newer timers enabled greater variation in functions such as

4026-406: Was in the nineteenth century that steam power was first used in washing machine designs. In 1862, a patented "compound rotary washing machine, with rollers for wringing or mangling" by Richard Lansdale of Pendleton, Manchester, was shown at the 1862 London Exhibition . The first United States Patent, titled "Clothes Washing", was granted to Nathaniel Briggs of New Hampshire in 1797. Because of

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4092-488: Was not unlike the front-loading automatic washers produced today. Although it included many of today's basic features, the machine lacked any drum suspension and therefore had to be anchored to the floor to prevent "walking". Because of the components required, the machine was also expensive. For instance, the Bendix Home Laundry Service Manual (published November 1, 1946) shows that the drum speed change

4158-513: Was published in 1767 in Germany. In 1782, Henry Sidgier was issued a British patent for a rotating drum washer, and in the 1790s, Edward Beetham sold numerous "patent washing mills" in England. One of the first innovations in washing machine technology was the use of enclosed containers or basins that had grooves, fingers, or paddles to help with the scrubbing and rubbing of the clothes. The person using

4224-458: Was sponsored by the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Trade , and featured over 28,000 exhibitors from 36 countries, representing a wide range of industry, technology, and the arts. William Sterndale Bennett composed music for the opening ceremony. The opening took place on 1 May 1862. Queen Victoria , still in mourning for her consort Prince Albert , did not attend; instead her cousin

4290-432: Was suspended for the duration of World War II in favor of manufacturing war material . However, numerous US appliance manufacturers were permitted to undertake the research and development of washers during the war years. Many took the opportunity to develop automatic machines, realizing that these represented the future of the industry. A large number of US manufacturers introduced competing automatic machines (mainly of

4356-526: Was to showcase the advances which had since been made in industry, technology, and arts. It was intended to be held in 1861, but was delayed owing to various international events, including the Italian War of Independence and American Civil War (which caused a shortage of cotton, among other things). The exposition, officially named the London International Exhibition of Industry and Art,

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