They did the job, all right.
The last one I had like that was in 1955 in a house we rented in Chincoteague, Virginia, right on the bay, where we lived when my second son was born. It was an old one built by a sea captain that had been divided in the middle, from top to bottom, to rent to two families.
That son returned there a few years ago, located someone who knew the history to be sure it was the right one, and took movies in front of it with his family for me to see!
Now fully renovated back into beautiful condition, it was no such thing in my day. The only heater was in the living room, and supposed to warm the uptairs by heat rising through floor grates -- but there was NO insulation in the house and around the windows, and cold air coming in made it 'warm' only within a few feet of the stove. The first few months we put the bed and crib in the living room!
At any rate, the kitchen floor definitely slanted downward toward the main part of the house, and the washing machine was by the back door. I must mention it leaked a tad!!
Why, that was an "asset," getting to mop the floor and keep it and the clothes clean all in the same day..:))
I don't know......We had one that was left in our apartment when we moved into it while we were in Germany. I washed many loads with it, but didn't exactly enjoy it. I was terrified of the wringer! But washers were hard to come by over there, and the German ones were really expensive, especially to a Staff Sgt.'s family. We even shipped it home when we came back to the States and used it for a while until we could get a "real" one! Wish I had kept it though--it would have made a neat planter! LOL!