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Before scientific and technological progress began to steadily gain momentum, washing methods and detergents were primitive. The first washing machine radically turned the life of a person and confidently entered people’s homes. If you are interested in the history of its creation, you have come to the right place – we will tell you the most entertaining moments of the appearance of washing machines.
Dates in the history of washing machines
It is difficult to say unequivocally who was the first to create a washing machine – in the past years, patent offices constantly received applications for registration of devices that facilitate washing. They were weakly similar to modern SMA, but they can be confidently called progenitors.
Interesting. A Californian gold digger created the original washing machine in 1851. This “machine” washed about 10 shirts in one go. Mules were used as the “engine”. He no longer had to “wash” the gold, instead he provided washing services to colleagues who paid off the enterprising inventor with the gold they found. It is known that the first laundry was opened due to the need for laundry from bachelors. Perhaps this refers to the story of the prospectors for gold.
Attention! If you’re in Eaton, Colorado, visit the Washing Machine Museum founded by Lee Maxwell. It contains a whole collection of devices of the XX century. Today, you can see more than 600 exhibits in it. The main thing is that they all work, so you can clearly see the principle of operation of each of the machines.
Machines with an engine
Washing has changed dramatically after the appearance of washing machines with motors. Some of them were gasoline, the rest were electric.
The Thor model, assembled in Chicago in 1908, got into serial production. The creator of the machine, A. Fischer, was known as the inventor of a technique that was unique at that time.
In the early 20s, there were more than 1300 organizations in the United States alone that launched the production of SM. Not everyone was destined to firmly consolidate their position in the market, so not many have survived to this day. From the “old-timers” of the washing machine market, the company “Whirlpool Corporation” can be distinguished.
The improvement of washing machines continued – all dangerous parts and assemblies were gradually hidden and covered with panels, the appearance of the equipment was more and more conducive to its purchase.
Such a “boom” provoked changes in the social structure of society – after the invention of most household appliances, the need for servants disappeared, and queues disappeared in laundries, most of them closed. By the mid-50s, 1,4 million washing machines had been sold. At that time, the cost of the machine was at the level of 60 US dollars.
It is difficult to say who created the first machine – the history of this technique covers entire countries and too many inventors and entrepreneurs. And it is almost impossible to decide when the first machine appeared – due to the fact that the first inventions bore little resemblance to the current CMA.
Stages of evolution
- 20s Wooden tanks were replaced by enameled metal counterparts.
- 30s. At this time, pumps powered by electricity began to be used. A timer was added to the design of the machines.
- 1949 This year the first programmer was invented and the production of the first automatic washing machine was launched.
- 50s For the first time, the function of automatic wringing out of linen is implemented.
- 78th year. A model with a microprocessor has been created.
- The beginning of the XXI century – the integration of SMA into the “smart home” system.
From the beginning of the 90s to the present day, manufacturers have been supplementing and improving the design of washing machines, adding options and functions, and unique innovative technologies.
The first Soviet washer
In the 50s, on the shelves of Soviet stores, you could choose from two models – EAYA-2 and EAYA-3, these machines were assembled in Riga. The design, like other Soviet devices, was little like foreign counterparts – these machines looked more like rockets.
“Vyatka”
Activator SM “Vyatka” went on sale in the 66th year. The design is obscenely simple – a tank in the form of a barrel and an engine. In the 16 years that have passed between the release of “EAA” and “Vyatka”, nothing has changed, except for the design and additions in the form of a timer.
Semi-automatic models with centrifuge
“Barrels” with a motor continued to be produced without any attempts to improve them. Reliability was positioned as the main advantage. Models with centrifuges became that “breakthrough” (in the meantime, the Americans were wrung out in automatic mode).
The first spinning machine was produced under the brand name “Siberia” (a harsh machine is a harsh name).
Machines
In the 70s, buyers finally saw automatic cars (20 years later than in the whole world). The first prototype was “Eureka”, although it did not reach the machine: the water had to be poured on its own. But the laundry was already wrung out in the same drum where it was washed.
Vyatka-automat has been evolving for almost 15 years, and a lot has changed over the years. They were manufactured under license from Merloni Eletrodomestici (Italy). The model already had a couple of programs. This is the only washing machine that did not become a shortage in the Union – it was released during the “stagnation”, and it cost 400 rubles (decent money at that time).
Interesting! To buy an SMA, it was necessary to bring a certificate to the store stating that the wiring in the house could withstand the load of the “gluttonous” device.
The next car “Volga-10” quickly lost the interest of buyers, as it was inferior to the “Vyatka-automatic” and consumed much more electricity.
Modern SMA
In modern models, discrete logic has been replaced by Fuzzy Logic (read more about it in the corresponding article). Its distinguishing feature is the mass of parameters that the user can set, as well as the information that the sensors read and report to the control unit.
In recent developments, Fuzzy Logic has been replaced by UseLogic – the system analyzes all parameters of the laundry, determining the optimal course of washing. During the regime itself, the processes are analyzed, researched and adjusted – this reduces the consumption of resources and detergents. At the same time, the quality of washing and the impeccable appearance of the linen are maintained.
Sensor Clear Water – a development that analyzes water pollution. If the sensor tells the board that the water is too cloudy, the system will automatically initiate an additional rinse.
You can endlessly discuss the cars of our time, but this is a topic for a separate article. And you have already learned the most interesting about the history of the emergence and development of this industry.