Who invented the first washing machine?
Throughout history, many devices, from the washboard to the roller, have been invented to make the laundry process easier and to complete it more quickly. However, all these devices required the workforce of their users.
James King in 1851 created the first washing machine to use a drum, Hamilton Smith in 1858 patented a rotary version, and in 1868 Thomas Bradford, a British inventor, created a commercially successful machine that resembles the modern device. William Blackstone of Indiana created one as birthday present for his wife in 1874 and then put it on the market.
In 1858, Hamilton Smith patented a rotary washing machine. It had a cylindrical structure and had a churning water and rotating paddles. This washing machine was one of the first examples of modern washing machines. Other washing machine manufacturers have developed similar products by combining shovels with machines. All of these early machines included a hand crank. But before long, models with fuel- or electric-powered engines were integrated instead of the hand crank.
Beatty Brothers Limited was a major international manufacturer of agricultural machinery, barn and stable equipment, and household appliances, which was based in Fergus, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1874 by brothers George and Matthew Beatty, and reached its peak in the 1900s–1930s under William G. and Milton J. Beatty, George's sons. It is credited as having popularized the washing machine in Canada, as well as incorporating a key component, the agitator, into its designs starting in the 1920s, a component which is today found in virtually all top-loading washing machines.
Alva John Fisher was born in 1862 and died in 1947. In 1906, he made the world's first electric washing machine. In the washing machine called Thor, dirty laundry was placed in a metal drum placed horizontally. The drum was rotated by the electric motor, and the laundry was being cleaned slowly as it rolled over each other. Fisher invented the washing machine in 1906, at the age of 44. The electric washing machine, invented by Alva Fisher, began to be produced in 1908. The company that manufactures and sells this machine is the Hurley machinery company in Chicago. Fisher applied for the patent of the machine he found in 1909 and received the patent in 1910.
The Hurley Company named the washing machine designed by Alva Fisher the Thor. This model was the first mass-market electric washing machine. The machine had a self-returning gearbox to prevent the laundry from getting stuck in the washing line. The machine did not sell well when it was released. Because at that time, the people who had electricity in their homes were already rich people and these people usually had servants in their homes. The presence of maids also made washing machines no longer a necessary appliance.
More importantly, the electric motor in the machines was unprotected, and splashes of water could cause the motor to burn out. However, with the widespread use of electricity in homes and the advancement of technology, washing machines have become safer and are an indispensable part of homes today.
From the 1940s on, fully automatic machines began to enter the service of housewives. However, it was necessary to wait until 1951 for the fully automatic washing machine to be put on the market in Germany. Miele introduced the first electric washer-dryer in 1958.