Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-03-31
A NEW COMPRESS.
Clemens Automatic COttOn-Baler in
Successful 0peratiOn-The Most
Complete Invention of
the Age.

Yesterday morning, by invitation, one
of the editorial staff of the APPEAL VS.
tied Payne's cottOn-gin, at No. l3l Pop
lar street, where one OF
CLEMENS AUTOMATIC COTTON BALERs
was in operation. This is q new inven-
lion by MIR. S. A. Clemen, practical
Tnachinist, who has been twenty years
engaged in working upon machinery
and its operations, and as seen by the
writer seems to indicate
A REVOLUTION IN BALING COTTON.
The automatic baleT is a small press
that can be constructed entirely of iron,
or partly of wood and iron. 1t is Light,
= q, - ,saessgrrc, IS we shall show, Is so
small that heavy machinery Is needless,
and it can be attached to any gin, and
placed within any ordinary ginhouse,
the power necessary to run the gin be-
ing sufficient to also run the press, or
nearly so, Mr.. Clemen informing Us
that repeated experiments show that
less than one-tenth the power needed
for the gin being sufficient to prOpel the
.baler.
The baler consists of a bed, three feet
long and two feet wide, and two nova
Bile Ulatens of the same size on friction
rollers placed within the frame above
spoken of. The cotton, as 1t GENES from
the gin, is carried over an endless chain
sluron in a continuous roll to the center
OF these movable platens, and passing
between them, is deposited in layers on
the bed; each layer is pressed by the ac-
tions OF the platens, which each passed
entirely over the upper surface Of the
bed. into a thin sheet, an additional
layer being added at each movement of
the platens. AS the pressure from these
LAYERS becomes strong, an attached lever
lowers the bed gradually until, when
the bale is completed, it rests upon the
bottom Of the press.
The ginned cotton is thus taken from
the gin and
LAID IN FOLDS IN THE BALE
as it is ginned, lust as cloth is folded
back and forth into the bolt. The whole
process is simple and easy, the ginner,
hv the aid of 3 small toy, being enabled
to "pack1 each pound as it is ginned,
and have it ready for shipment.
The advantages of this process Of
baling are numerous, as we shall pro-
ceed to show: The first is in the saving
sof labor necessary to ''bale" the cotton,
a very important item. The next is the
sa wing of bagging, the automatic baIing
put ting four hundred and fifty pounds OF
cottl IN in bale,
rHBl &c FEET LONG BY TWO FEET THICK
and o little less than the ordinary
breadth, thus saving at least one third
of the 'agging. The next advantage is
in saml ,ling, as by ripping loose the
bagging from one end the quality of
all the cotton in the bale Gf it is mixed
can be seen in the ends of the layers.
Another and very great advantage is
in the greater weight Of cotton that can
bs placed in the same space for ship
RE. 1T. One of the freight-cars Of the
NTer 1phis and Charleston railway will
hold seventy-siX bales, weighing four
bnn{, sd and fifty pounds each, OF cot
ton h aled by the automatic baler, thus
giving --,,,,,s ,y,, 1o,7,rns
"a a carl, rad, instead of twenty thousand,
&c i'm tine ordinary bales.
Pnt IN . greatest advantage Of the auto
matte baler is yet to be shown. When
The hale OF col ton packed in the ordinary
NVav Is earned t1 the manuiactory, 1t has
first to be ca vried to the opener and the
nicker, and in th0se machines IT is pre-
pared in Just such layers as the auto
matte baler prepares az Ihe glhhouse'
Rv this means the cost of manufacturing
ie largely decreased, and the price ofthe
raw material prop0rtiOnately advanced.
FThe hale of cotton pressed in this way
is merely stripped Of its bagging, and is
al once ready for the beater, the inter-
mediate processes being done away
with. ,
y THE cost of the automatic baler is very
snaaIl. the entire machinery costing only
foIrr hundred dollars. A charter has
beeu obtained, and it is intended to or
ganizsa ,
for the purpose of manufacturing these
machines in Memphis. Mr.: .. A:
CIemen' the inventor, had his foot
crushed a day or two since, but the
baIer will be run to-day, and is
mt M and can be seen at Payne's
PinhoIse on Poplar street, where any
practical mechanic will be well
repaid for exan1ination. The writer
can see no reason why this automatic
baler cannot accomplish all that is
claimed for it, and if 1t does 1t viii GER
1ainly make very desirable revolution
in baling cotton, one that VIII dement,
the planter materially.
ItwOuld be well for our business men
generally to examine this cotton baler so
that they can report of ii TO their friends
in the country, and thus introduce it.
this year, as far as possible, into general
use.