In the
past, people washed clothes by stamping on them with their feet,
pushing them, pounding them on rocks, or beating them with sticks
in the sea, river, or lakes. When or where the first washing machine
was used remains unknown.
In 1860 in the US, Hamilton Smith invented a cylindrical washing
machine. The machine consisted of a cylinder with holes revolving
in a wooden frame. In Japan, the first patented washing machine was
developed in 1906 by Iwataro Okuyama (Patent No.10609). This simple
mechanism used two washboards, placed above and below to form a sandwich
around the laundry. The washboards moved back and forth against the
wash.
These earlier models were followed by motor-operated agitator and
electric drum washing machines. These machines rapidly washed large
volumes of laundry, contributing to societal hygiene and creating
the new laundry business. In Japan, Shibaura Engineering Works, a
forerunner of Toshiba, imported and marketed a drum washing machine
made by Thor Corporation in the U.S. This machine removed dirt by
rotating a drum and pummeling the wash. It also incorporated a wringer,
as shown in Photo 1.
In 1930, Shibaura Engineering Works imported an agitator washing machine
from US manufacturer, Soar. In 1933, Shibaura Engineering Works obtained
a patent for its own agitator washing machine (Patent No.99044), launching
the first Japanese-made agitator washing machine in 1939. Named "Solar",
the machine sold for 370 yen (a public official's monthly salary was
50 yen).
The machine incorporated three large agitator blades moved right
and left by a rack and pinion mechanism to create three water currents:
a fast current near the bottom like a stream, a slower current in
the middle, and a gentle current near the surface of the water. These
currents drew soap through the fibers of clothes and pulled the wash
to and fro for ideal washing with minimal wear.
The washing tub consisted of cast aluminum coated with a thin film
of anodized aluminum. The tub was supported on three legs with a
roller to make it easy to move from place to place. The wringer consisted
of a rubber roller interlocked with agitator blades and a 1/4-horsepower
single-phase motor. When the user pressed a switch, the machine did
everything from water washing to electrical wring-drying within 20
to 30 minutes. It consumed 200W, equal to a 60W light bulb left on
for 1 hour (20 to 30 sen). The machine washed up to 2.5kg of laundry
at a time, equivalent to 4 cotton kimonos, 8 shirts, 5 jersey undershirts,
or 80 handkerchiefs.
This machine lacked a timer switch, and users had to time operations.
They also had to dissolve a solid cake of soap in hot water, or create
a bubbly soap powder solution in advance. This machine remained a
Japanese standard until 1950, when other Japanese manufacturers launched
inexpensive mass-produced models based on this machine.
Electric washing machines entered widespread use in Japan in 1952,
when a commodity tax imposed on washing machines drawing less than
100W was lifted, and on the appearance of a nozzle-type washing machine
made by Hoover in the UK . The first Japanese-made agitator washing
machines made by Shibaura Engineering Works freed housewives from
the rigors of washtub and washboard and helped the Japanese electric
appliance industry launch new areas of business. |
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Photo 1
Electric drum washing machine |
Photo 2
The first Japanese-made agitator washing machine |
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