The Thor is the washing machine which forms the basis of design for the present day washing machine. It adopted the drum-type design with a galvanised tub, which was rotated using a motor. This machine was invented a century ago, in 1910, by Alva J. Fisher. Chicago’s Hurley Machine Co. brought this machine to the market. On August 9th, 1910, the design was patented.

The introduction of the Thor changed the way clothes were washed. Earlier, the scrub board or hand-powered washing machines were used. Even in the beginning of the 20th century, women manually washed clothes and this was both tiresome and time consuming. The Thor revolutionised the way clothes were washed and changed this manual process into an automated one.

The Thor was initially driven by a Westinghouse motor. This motor was connected to 3 different sized wheels, which were used to rotate a drum. A set of blades would lift the clothes during wash. After every 8th rotation, a clutch would reverse the direction in-order to prevent clothes from cramming.

In 2001, Appliances International Corp., Los Angeles, bought the Thor brand. Presently, Thor Appliance Co. manufactures washers, dryers, combo-units and multi-family laundry appliances.

Via AOLNews