The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-08-21
Account of what Newly Invented Press Can
nO

Account of what Newly Invented Press Can
Do.
The New York Journal Of Commerce says: (:
A remarkable exhibition of inventive skill
took place, on Wednesday, at the Standard
Compress Cotton Company's works in Morton
street. Here is an immense press, weighing
100 tons, with 1000 tons pressure, costing $780,
600, calculated to squeeze bale of cotton or
hay almost out of existence. Through the
desire of Mr.. George Mckenzie, agent of the
French Transatlantic line of steamers, to test
it, twenty bales of cotton that had been once
compressed in the South, and averaging 4S0
pounds weight each, were rolled to the press.
They stood averaging in width 33 inches, and
in a few minutes emerged one by one from the
compress, hooped and tied, in width aver
aging 18 inches. Mr.. Mckenzie had them
thrown into the hold of the Vile de Havre,
and found that such pressing had saved to the
company 81 tons measurement OF space In the
20 bales. This being the experiment with new
machinery, It's tons per 1000 bales as shown
is considered good, but it is believed that the
practical business working will save 200 tons
admeasurcment per 1000 bales. A description
of the working of this machine is interesting,
because it is an immense affair, and has never
been tried before, the patent having been
granted to g. w. Grader as late as September
%, 1871. 1t is new application of the double
cylinder Of the class of cotton press in which
q steam piston is made to act upon rack
rods to the platen, or follower of the press, in
such manner that the leverage will be increased
when the follower is drawn up. A bale of
cotton or hay is rolled in front of the machine
and all but one hoop CUT 1t is then thrown
on cog-edged bed plate called the platen, or
follower, weighing ten tons. Another station
ary plate weighing ten tons, and faced like the
other sets about six feet above the follower.
Both plates are concaved, so as to make the
bale highest in the centre when pressed
Above the stationary bed-plate is 4S inch
cylinder, containing piston which operates
ratchetted post so as to throw two immense
cog segments or quarter circular pieces up al
most to the end of their stroke. To the best
leverage points of these cog segments are at
tached the upper ends of immense rods that
connected the follower. And when it gets to
this point an automatic clutch seizes the piston
post and holds it, Then steam is run in from
properly adjusted and peculiarly Waived pipes,
under another piston in another and larger
steam cylinder. This is ifty-six inches in
diameter, and gives five times the power OF the
lower cylinder By the operation of this pow
er, enough pressure is brought to carry the cog
segments to the end of the stroke, and to
squeeze the bale, regardless of size, into nine
inch compass. The beauty of the thing, in an
economical phase, is that bale OF cotton may
be pressed without expending more steam than
is used. because by peculiar valve arrangements
the slack of the piston does not prevent the
expansive use of steam left in either cylinder,
and the steam may be used simultaneously in
both cylinders. The machine will press cotton
or hay to any size required or desired, to 93
inches for an ordinary bale of cotton of 500
lbs, or two ordinary bales of hay of 250 lbs.
each. In applying the iron ties, it is almost
impossible to get them tight, and the result is
that the bale expands some six inches measured
at the thickest part, after withdrawal from the
press. But once it expands the ties to their
limit the size is fixed not to exceed eighteen
inches. This press has great advantage by
reason of the uniformity in size cf the bales
after they have been pressed. ln railroad
packing, it has been found that a twenty-eight-
foot car is entirely filled with $4,000 pounds of
cotton, while its capacity for weight is 22,0OO
pounds If cotton can be pressed in this way,
cars will employ all their capacity. when they
carry cotton or hay, and be enabled to DO 1t
cheaper than now. In regard to ocean Tor
warding the custom is to pack cotton as light
bulky freight. By crowding it into half the
space the carrying capacity is doubled and the ne
result will probably be greater amount OF
such forwarding across the ocean by steam
vessels instead of the slower method of for
warding by sail. Two bales of hay, measuring
in width on top of each other six feet and two
inches, were unhooped and thrown together in
the compress. In moment they were hooped
and taken out as one bale, and the whole mass
after expansion of the ties, measured only
twenty inches at the thickest part. Cotton or
hay may be thus compressed at the rate OF
sailing vessel, instead of ballasting, may with
perfect safety carry her full complement of
cargo in cotton or hay. The Standard Cotton
Compress Company is joint stock association.
Mr.. James L. Harway, President of the New
York Dyewood, Extract and Chemical Compa-
ny of Greenpoint. is also president of this
company.