. . . . . . "Thor washing machine"@en . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "4679"^^ . . . "The Thor washing machine was the first electric clothes washer sold commercially in the United States. Produced by the Chicago-based Hurley Electric Laundry Equipment Company, the 1907 Thor is believed to be the first electrically powered washer ever manufactured, crediting Hurley as the inventor of the first automatic washing machine. Designed by Hurley engineer Alva J. Fisher, a patent for the new electric Thor was issued on August 9, 1910, three years after its initial invention. The idea of an automatic washing machine had been around for many years but these were crude mechanical efforts that typically involved a manually operated crank or similar design. In many ways, the patent of the new Thor washer sounds modern, even today. The patent states that a \"perforated cylinder is rotatably mounted within the tub containing the wash water\". A series of blades lifted the clothes as the cylinder rotated. After 8 rotations in one direction, the machine would reverse rotation to \"prevent the cloths from wadding up into a compact mass\". Drive belts attached to a Westinghouse motor connected to three wheels of different sizes, which moved the drum during operation. The design also included a clutch, which allowed the machine to switch direction, and an emergency stop rod. The new Thor washer was mass marketed throughout the United States beginning in 1908."@en . . . . . . . . . . "The Thor washing machine was the first electric clothes washer sold commercially in the United States. Produced by the Chicago-based Hurley Electric Laundry Equipment Company, the 1907 Thor is believed to be the first electrically powered washer ever manufactured, crediting Hurley as the inventor of the first automatic washing machine. Designed by Hurley engineer Alva J. Fisher, a patent for the new electric Thor was issued on August 9, 1910, three years after its initial invention."@en . . . . . . . "26856232"^^ . . . "1054242971"^^ . . . . . . . . . .