Who Invented The Washing Machine?

It may seem hard to believe that the first modern style-washing machine existed as far back as 1851, but historians have found that a type of washing machine that used a drum like the ones we use today was created in the late 18th century. Before the washing machine, people had to use fresh water, rocks, and other scrubbing devices to remove dirt from their clothes. How lucky we are that we are able to throw our clothes in a machine that does all of the work for us! The following is a brief history of the washing machine, including the people associated with its invention and improvement.

James King

In America, in 1851, James King designed the first modern-style washing machine. The washing machine employed a drum device that is still used often in washing machines today. One aspect that differentiates our washing machine from King’s was that King’s washing machine still required hand power. However, King’s invention was a step in the right direction towards a machine washer.

The Rotary Washing Machine

During the 19th century, two great improvements were made to the washing machine that James King had developed. First, in 1858, Hamilton Smith created the first rotary powered washing machine. About twenty years later, William Blackstone created the first machine-washing washer, and he presented his creation to his wife as a birthday present. These two improvements were the precursors to the electric powered washing machine that was to come.

Alva J. Fisher

The next great creation in the washing machine field came in 1908. Alva J. Fisher, who worked for the Hurley Washing Machine Company, created the first electric powered washing machine. In Chicago, Fisher called his machine the Mighty Thor. What separated Fisher’s design from previous washing machines was the electric motor that Fisher installed within the machine. The electric motor powered the machine in a faster and more effective way that had not been possible in earlier versions of the washing machine. Fisher’s machine allowed for large loads of wash to be done in record time, and his machine made the washing machines of today possible.

Source: http://invention.yukozimo.com/who-invented-the-washing-machine/

History of Washing Machines

Ancient peoples cleaned their clothes by pounding them on rocks or rubbing them with abrasive sands; and washing the dirt away in local streams. Evidence of ancient washing soap was found at Sapo Hill in Rome, where the ashes containing the fat of sacrificial animals was used as a soap.
Scrub Board

The earliest washing "machine" was the scrub board invented in 1797. American, James King patented the first washing machine to use a drum in 1851, the drum made King's machine resemble a modern machine, however it was still hand powered.
Rotary Washing Machine

In 1858, Hamilton Smith patented the rotary washing machine.
In 1874, William Blackstone of Indiana built a birthday present for his wife. It was a machine which removed and washed away dirt from clothes. The first washing machines designed for convenient use in the home.

Mighty Thor

The Thor was the first electric-powered washing machine. Introduced in 1908 by the Hurley Machine Company of Chicago, Illinois, the Thor washing machine was invented Alva J. Fisher. The Thor was a drum type washng machine with a galvanized tub and an electric motor. A patent was issued on August 9th 1910. View US patent #966677.
Facts About a Few Famous Washing Machine Companies

The Maytag Corporation began in 1893 when F.L. Maytag began manufacturing farm implements in Newton, Iowa. Business was slow in winter, so to add to his line of products he introduced a wooden-tub washing machine in 1907. Maytag soon devoted himself full-time to the washing machine business.
The Whirlpool Corporation started in 1911 as the Upton Machine Co., founded in St. Joseph, Michigan, to produce electric motor-driven wringer washers.

The origins of the Schulthess Group goes back over 150 years. In 1909, they began production of their first washing machines. In 1949, the Schulthess Group backed the invention of punched card control for washing machines. In 1951, production of Europe's first automatic washing machines started. In 1978, the first microchip-controlled automatic washing machines were produced.

Source: http://inventors.about.com/od/wstartinventions/a/washingmachines.htm