IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES AND MODES OF PRESSING, APPLICABLE TO COTTON, HEMP, WOOL, COIR, HIDES, HAY, FIBRES, PEAT, LINEN THREAD, PIECE GOODS, EXTRACTING OIL, AND OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1860

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Samuel Perkes at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th January
1860.
I, SAMUEL PERKES, of Clapham, in the County of Surrey, Civil Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PRESSES AND MODES OF PRESSING, APPLICABLE TO COTTON, HEMP, WOOL, COIR, HIDES,
HAY, FIBRES, PEAT, LINEN THREAD, PIECE GOODS, EXTRACTING OIL, AND OTHER
USEFUL PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in presses and modes of
pressing, applicable to cotton, hemp, wool, coir, hides, hay, fibres, peat, linen
thread, piece goods, extracting oil, and other useful purposes, and are con-
structed as follows:-For pressing cotton, hemp, wool, coir, hay, fibres, or
other elastic substances I employ a novel description of vertical press, which I.
construct of very strong boxed framing, of iron by preference, and furnished
with strong flanges at the angles for supporting the whole, and firmly securing'
it laterally together. In the upper half of this framing I leave suitable
openings for conveniently feeding in the material to be operated upon. There.
are also very strong head and base plates, and through each of which and the
entire of the framing at the angles or chief points of resistance I insert four
strong wrought-iron bolts, with solid heads and suitable fastenings for securing
the entire framing vertically together, and likewise for resisting the vertical
strain or tension when the press is in use. The lower part of the press is..

page_text: furnished with strong hinged doors for convenience of lashing and taking out
the bales when finished. In the base plate of this press I fix a powerful
hydraulic cylinder and ram, which is furnished with a suitable set of hydraulic
pumps, which can be worked either by hand or other power.
In the upper
part of the boxed framing I suspend a heavy massive weight of portable con-
struction. On the summit of the press I fix a vertical steam cylinder fitted
with a piston and piston rod, and which rod is furnished with a suitable gland,
and passes through the head of the press to the top of the massive weight, and
to which it is securely attached either by gibs and cotters, or by grappling
hooks. This cylinder is also furnished with proper arrangements for preventing
the possibility of concussion by any excess of steam. The steam is supplied
from an ordinary steam boiler, and is used for the purpose of instantaneously
raising the weight after the pressure of each bale. This cylinder is likewise
furnished with suitable valves and pipes for regulating the admission and exit
of the steam.
Suitable palls or massive resistance blocks are fitted into the upper sides of
the press framing, and furnished with self-acting mechanism for securing the
massive weight in position after each descent inside the box, and which
arrangements prevent the rebound which might otherwise take place. The
palls also receive the upward thrust from the hydraulic ram beneath.
The press is used as follows:-The proper quantity of material is fed in by
hand to the upper part of the pressing box from a conveniently arranged floor
or platform on a level therewith. The massive weight is then permitted to
drop with the full force of gravity either by suddenly discharging the steam
from beneath the piston which supported it, or by disengaging the grappling
hooks, as before alluded to. The instant the weight descends the palls or
resistance blocks are forced home between the head of the press and the top
of the weight by self-acting arrangements, and thereby intercept the rebound,
and receive the upward pressure from beneath. The hydraulic ram is
then set in motion, and completes the requisite pressure, and during which
operation the bale is lashed either in the ordinary way, or with iron or copper
bands, which I adopt, by preference, as being far more expeditious for lashing,
and will be found much more economical, as they will prevent tho greater
portion of the expansion, which invariably takes place, and adds so much to
the cost of freight, with hempen lashings, and may be used over and over
again at pleasure. The iron bands, by preference, I first heat and immerse in
linseed oil, which will prevent corrosion and injury to the goods.
The next description of press I construct horizontally either double or single
acting. In the double-acting press I employ strong hydraulic cylinders, with

page_text: one or more rams in each, and set opposite to each other at any required
distance apart, and securely tied together at the extreme ends with strong
tension bars, thus each forming a butt for the other of them to work against,
as the pressure is simultaneously exerted towards each other, and the material is
placed between them. I sometimes place a double-acting cylinder by preference
in the centre of the press, and admit the fluid between the two rams, which may
be made to act simultaneously in opposite directions, or modified so as to use
one ram or both alternately. I also apply single-acting horizontal presses with
one or moro rams, for the purpose of expressing oils and oleaginous fibres and
pulpy substances generally, and in other respects these single-acting presses
are similarly constructed to the double-acting press. The presses are each
worked with hydraulic pumps, which can be moved either by hand or other
power.
Suitable divisional disc plates, dies, or moulds are furnished for receiving
and dividing the material to be operated upon, and can be adapted for any
special substance, according to the nature thereof. For instance, for com-
pressing peat or other substances, I provido suitable pressing plates, in which
are formed moulds or dies, male and female, of whatever form or shape may
be required.
For pressing oleaginous or other substances where heat is required, in some
cases employ partially hollow divisional plates between each cake of material,
and heat them by the introduction of hot fluid, say, by preference, hot water,
or steain, which is admitted through flexible or other tubes at the top of each
plate, and passes through internal channels, so as to cause a continuous cir-
culation throughout each plate, and is discharged at the bottom through a
cock into a waste water receiver, and conducted into the drain. In other
cases employ solid discs, moulds, or die plates, and heat the material to be
operated upon, and envelope it in suitable hairs or bags or wrappers, which in.
some cases are partially metallic. I otherwise place some material in portablo
iron boxes for dropping into the moulds, as the case may require, according to.
the nature and description of such material. Suitable arrangements are also.
provided, either by steam power or otherwise, for withdrawing and separating.
the dies, discs, or moulds and rams after pressure, for the purpose of with-
drawing the pressed material, and refilling the press. The cylinders or butts
in each press are secured to each other by means of very strong horizontal
wrought tension bars with solid heads, and firmly attached for resisting the
pressure; there are also strong iron side frames for transversely supporting
the tension bars, and immediately above the top of which, where required,
there is supported a longitudinal cast-iron pipe for conveying the hot water or

page_text: other fluid to the disc plates, and the water or fluid is supplied from a common
boiler conveniently fixed for that purpose. The hydraulic pumps are of the
ordinary description, and are placed in any convenient position, and the water
is pumped from thence into the cylinder or cylinders through pipes in the usual
way; and when the rams are finally forced home, and the pressure completed,
valves are opened which will allow the water or other liquid used to leave the
cylinders or cylinder, and discharge itself through pipes into a receiving well,
which, in some cases, I construct beneath the hydraulic pumps of sufficient
depth to withdraw the rams by gravitation and atmospheric pressure, and the
liquid thus deposited in the receiving well is pumped up into the hydraulic
pump cistern by a common pump for re-use. The material to be operated
upon, if pulpy or oleagineous, is placed in suitable bags, or wrappers, or
frames, or otherwise, between the dies, moulds, or disc plates, as before
alluded to, and the oil or liquid which may be expressed therefrom drops into
a receiving trough, which is fixed underneath between the standards or side
frames, and extends along the bed of the entire machine, and from whence
the products can be conducted into any convenient receptacle provided for that
purpose.
Another form of bydraulic press I construct vertically, with hollow boxed
sides for heating the material under pressure, which is thus entirely encased;
in other respects it resembles an ordinary bydraulic press, and is worked by
hand or other power. This press is more particularly adapted for oleaginous
substances and piece goods, and all such materials as require heat during
the operation. It is a very economical press for working by hand power.
In certain cases, where necessary, I prepare the inaterial in small hand or
fly presses, which will partially press it, and thus reduce the bulk, which will
allow the hydraulic or finishing presses to hold much more material.
The next description of press is more especially adapted for pressing bay,
hemp, hides, common packages, cotton, wool, or corn, &c., by hand power up
to about one hundred tons pressure, and will be found of great value, par-
ticularly in inland districts, where steam or hydraulic power is not admissable
or available. It is of vertical construction, and consists of a cast-iron portable
box, with suitable connecting bolts, and is furnished with a plunger, which is
attached to a strong vertical screw, working in a fixed nut of suitable depth.
This screw is set in motion by means of a horizontal lever wheel, the nave of
which is squared on four sides with rounded corners to fit the vertical screw,
which is likewise flatted on the four sides to suit the nave of the wheel, which
thus enables the pressing screw to traverse up and down whilst the horizontal
lever wheel is in motion. This wheel is supported at a convenient height from

page_text: the floor by means of a cylindrical standard box, on which the wheel rests and
rotates, having gun-metal washers and steel plates between the two for pre-
venting friction. The entire press is held together by means of four strong
wrought-iron bolts and nuts, which resist the thrust and pressure. Theso
presses will be very cheap in construction, of extraordinary simplicity and
durability, and will perform a greater amount of work in a given time than
any presses for similar purposes in use. Steam or other power can be applied
to this press where desirable.