The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-12-09

THE New CorToN PRESs.-The f1ncl trial oil
q new cotton press, designed and built By Mr..
John F. Taylor, of the firm of John F. Taylor
l. Co., at their extensive workshops near
Union wharves, will be made this morning.
The press Is a direct acting steam and hydrau'
Lie one, and was made for Mr.. John Hanckel.
It is now at work at the foot Of Pinckney
street, and has been working occasionally on
trial during the summer. In appearance, the
press seems to work on the simple hydraulic
principle, but o glance at the gigantic power
it exhibits, and the work 1t turns out, Invites
a closer inspection. 1t is worked by a steam
engine OF thirty ty.horse power, with amor
tinary boiler, which furnishes the steam
for two immense hollow cylinders, forty-eight
inches In diameter aud Of seven feet stroke.
These are placed aifew feet from OF the press
In an inclined position, the smaller cylinder In
which the other end of their shafts work be-
ing raised somewhat in the air. Each OF these
smaller cylinders Is connected by strong
pipe with two other cylinders beneath the
press, which stand on end In q vertical posi-
ton and exert the COMPRISING force by push
ing up the lower lip of the press. A bale OF
cotton, when placed in the press, Is always
more or less loose and spongy, and the
machinery being set in motion, the
bale is partially, compressed by fore
ing the, water from the smaller cylinders
on the side into those beneath the press. The
bale Is thus half compressed By the mere
force of the water, thus relieving the steam
agency of one half of the duty. The steam Is
then turned on from the boiler into one of
the large cylinders, when the shaft Is driven
forward with gigantic power, aud the lips OF
the press come together with force (which
speedily makes a portly bale Of cotton resem-
BILE an empty pocketbook. The bale Of cotton
is thus compressed, leaving one Of tbe large
cylinders filed with steam. The bale is taken
out, a second one put in, and, being
as before, half pressed by the water
force, the steam is forced from the
frat into the seco:d Of the large cy-
finders, and is made 10 compress the second
bale. By this means, instead of escaping, the
steam is made to do. double duty, and the
same amount presses two bales. The ends OF
the two rams which push up the bottom OF
the press are two hundred square inches
each on the surface, and the pressure Is mea-
sured at three thousand pounds to square
inch. In this way a pressure of twelve hun
dred thousand pounds weight is brought to
bear, q power sufficient to compress the most
plethoric bale 'iuto reason, and which would
make even the rapaclous and tenacious mem.
bers of the Columbia Ring disgorge If 1t could
only be brought to bear upon them.
The press is altogether triumph OF art, and
speaks we'll for the skill and ingenuity of our
Charleston mechanics. The work 1t turns out
is already known at sight, and In demand
among shippers and stevedores. Ite1eris the
same power to compress each bale, and the
cotton is thus subjected to uniform pressure
throughout. A trial of the working qualities
of the machine takes place this morning, to
which the inspection of the public is invited.