'The wringer mangle was invented in 1850 by Robert Tasker in Lancashire, the ansector of the current firm Taskers of Accrington, which is a furniture retailer; it was a cheaper, simplified version of the
box mangle. Box mangles were large and expensive; they were used by wealthy households and large commercial laundries. Middle-class households and small-scale washerwomen used the plain mangle. Later in the 19th century, the steam engine was harnessed to laundry purposes and commercial laundries used steam-powered mangles.'
Mangle (machine) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
'The creator and builder of the first geared wooden roller wet clothes-wringing machine was master blacksmith Robert Tasker, circa 1850. At the time, he had smithy in Back Union Street, which became part of Accrington Broadway. Robert and wife Betty, a weaver, produced 10 daughters and three sons so presumably, had an almost daily stack of dirty laundry.'
'Robert, who made the gates to the cemetery in Burnley Road, Accrington, which are still in use today, refused to patent his invention, saying, God gives men brains to help his brother, not line his pockets. However, he and Betty did charge their neighbours a penny a time to come to their house and use the machine!'
Taskers - Our History