A washing machine is a device in the household, of course, necessary. Modern equipment of this type is inexpensive and can save its owners a lot of time. And in fact - even light summer clothes are very difficult to manually wash, not to mention winter clothes. But who invented the washing machine and when was the first such unit designed and built?
Ancient wash
When exactly people learned to wash dirt from clothes, water, it is not known for certain. But this, of course, happened quite a long time ago. Primitive people were unlikely to do the laundry, of course. However, historians were able to find out that a mixture of fats and alkalis, designed to remove dirt from clothing, was made more than 5 thousand years ago in ancient Sumer and Babylon.
The tradition of soap
Regarding the invention of soap by people, there is even one interesting ancient legend. According to legend, the Latin word sapo (soap) comes from the name of Mount Sapo in ancient Rome. In this place, according to legend, once upon a time sacrifices were made to the gods. The fat released during the burning of animals was subsequently washed away by the rains into the Tiber flowing under the mountain. Soon, the ancient mistresses noticed that linen is best washed in the river right next to the place of sacrifice.
Where did you come up with a washing machine: the first mechanical devices
With the invention of soap, removing dirt from laundry, of course, has become much easier. However, the washing procedure was still quite difficult. And of course, people have repeatedly tried to facilitate this process using various kinds of mechanical devices.
We will talk about who was the first to invent a washing machine a little later. The inventors of the primitive technology of light washing in antiquity were ordinary sailors. They simply wetted their dirty clothes with water, carefully soaped them, tied them to a rope and threw them from the ship into the sea.
In the middle of the XIX century. one of the American gold miners came up with the use of animal power to do things. In 1851, this entrepreneur designed a primitive device, driven by 12 mules. When answering the question of who invented the washing machine, it is first of all necessary to remember this person. However, his specific name and surname in history, unfortunately, have not been preserved. In any case, the machine invented by the gold digger worked quite effectively. She could wash up to 15 shirts at a time.
Thus, the United States is the answer to the question in which country they came up with a washing machine. Later, enterprising Americans, who had guessed to use pack animals for washing, even opened the world's first paid laundry.
The most convenient mechanical washing device was invented in the XIX century. American Jace King. The machine he made looked like a tub with a perforated cylinder on a rotating axis. This mechanism had to be set in motion manually. But the washing process, of course, this device was still much easier.
Although King's invention was extremely imperfect, it gave impetus to the implementation of many other ideas of washing machines. By 1827, for example, about 2,000 such mechanisms were patented.
When did serial production begin?
The first person to launch a mechanical washing device was William Blackstone. This inventor invented his typewriter and assembled it specially for his wife’s birthday in 1874. Later, convenient mechanical equipment began to bring a good income to the family.
In Europe, mechanical washing machines were first launched in 1900. The German Carl Miele became the inventor of new equipment designed to remove dirt from clothing in this part of the world. The machine he assembled based on the churn worked. A small batch of such mechanisms in those days was imported, including to Russia.
The world's first electric model
Mechanical washing devices manufactured from the middle of the XIX century. before the beginning of XX, of course, they could greatly facilitate the life of housewives. Laundries in those days were very popular among the population. But who invented the washing machine in the modern version, that is, with an electric motor?
Such a model was first developed in 1908. The American Alva Fisher became its inventor. After the electric cars went on sale, there was no need to spend physical energy on washing. However, the ultramodern Fisher cars at that time had one rather serious drawback. Unfortunately, they did not differ in safety. All parts of these units were open.
It was called the Fisher Thor aggregate. The machine was equipped with a drum made of wood and rotated alternately in one direction or the other. In the lower part of this equipment there was a special lever, by means of which the rotating drum device was engaged with the shaft of an electric motor. In 1910, Thor cars were put into serial production by the Hurley Mashine Company.
The evolution of washing machines in the XX century.
In the XIX and early XX centuries. companies produced mainly industrial machines used in paid laundries. Compact units suitable for installation in private homes, appeared on sale only in the 20s of XX century.
By this time, washing machines were already produced by more than 1000 companies. Various types of changes were constantly made to the design of this equipment, aimed at improving its usability and safety.
It was in the 20s of the last century that the wooden tanks of washing machines were replaced by enameled metal ones. At the same time, two, existing to this day, types of similar equipment were determined. Vertical machines and more convenient and expensive drum machines were supplied to the market.
In 1924, on sale, among other things, there were devices designed not only for washing, but also for spinning clothes. The first such units to deliver to the market began the American company Savage Arms Company.
Who invented the washing machine
In subsequent years, on the market, among other things, models with mechanical timers and drain pumps appeared. Such machines, of course, were already very convenient to use. However, the hostesses still had to constantly be near the washer - turn the water tap on and off, start and stop the engine, etc.
The first truly fully automated unit appeared on the market only in 1951. It is, unfortunately, unknown who invented the automatic washing machine specifically. The surname of the inventor is not preserved in history. In any case, the new machine was very convenient to use. The automatic unit had a spin function and two control toggle switches.
New Generation Equipment
So, who invented the washing machine is unknown. In any case, such devices were convenient to use, but, of course, they still needed improvement.
In the 70s of the last century, washing machines began, among other things, to be equipped with microprocessors. After that, the drying function, which was not very popular due to the uneconomy, appeared in the units. Also, new devices could wash clothes in different modes.
In the mid-90s, the Fuzzy Logic system was developed, which became a real revolution in the production of washing machines. Equipment began to be supplied to the market, capable of independently controlling the temperature of the water, the volume of loaded things, the concentration of detergents, etc.
Washing machines in the USSR: interesting facts
So, who invented the washing machine, we found out. The world's first mechanical device was assembled by an unknown American gold digger. The electric model of such household appliances was invented by Fisher.
European and American housewives began using washing machines at the beginning of the 20th century. In the USSR, such equipment only appeared in 1925. Unfortunately, at that time only wives of party nomenclature could use it. Cars were imported in the 20-30s to the Soviet Union, mainly from America.
Simple Soviet housewives were forced to wash on ordinary corrugated boards almost right up to the “thaw”. Directly in the USSR, washing machines began to be produced only in the middle of the century.
The first washing household units in Soviet stores were delivered from the Baltic states. Engaged in their manufacture Riga plant RES. The first cars that appeared in the 50s were called "EAA-2" and "EAA-3". The price of these units was about 600 p. at a cost of 1,500 p. After some time, a new generation of washing machines, Riga 54, appeared in stores, which could load up to 2.5 kg of laundry.
The first unit with a timer in the USSR was released in 1966. The new Vyatka machine was a huge vertical tank with a screw in the bottom. The first units with a timer were a real shortage and were sold exclusively in Moscow.
Soviet automatic machines
The answer to the question of where the washing machine was invented is, of course, America. It was in the USA that the most convenient and functional units of this type were originally produced. However, household appliances of this variety manufactured in the last century in the Soviet Union were quite reliable and ergonomic.
In the 70s of the last century, in the USSR, under the license of the Italian company Merloni Elektrodomestichi, they built an enterprise that began production of Vyatka-Avtomat machines. These units were twin sisters of the Ariston models and were very popular among Soviet housewives.
The first “Vyatka-automatic machines” appeared on sale in 1980. These units were quite expensive - about 400 rubles. (two salaries of the Soviet engineer). But still they were bought up very willingly.