IMPROVEMENTS IN TOGGLE PRESSES PARTLY APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Olpherts, of Ardee, in the County of Louth
Ireland, Esquire, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TOGGLE PRESSES
PARTLY APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 27th June 1879, and dated the 19th April 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Olpherts at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th April 1879.
RICHARD OLPHERTS, of Ardee, in the County of Louth, Ireland, Esquire.
PROVEMENTS IN TOGGLE PRESSES, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES."
IM-
My Invention relates primarily to toggle presses, that is to say, to presses which
have a right and left handed or double screw shaft and toggle arms arranged so
that by rotating the said shaft the inner ends of the toggle arms are by means of
nuts on the shaft worked gradually along it, until they attain a position at right
augles thereto.
The first part of my Invention consists in carrying or supporting the double
screw shaft in a frame or cradle which is free to move up and down upon the press
columns or pillars. The ends of this cradle carry bearings for the shaft to work in,
and the shaft has shoulders to work against the sides of these bearings. The cradle
is also formed with one or more other bearings for the shaft at or near the middle
thereof, and has grooves in which the nuts on the shaft are guided and travel. As
the shaft travels up and down during the action of the press, the cradle travels
with it, working on the pillars, and acts both as a guide and as a stay.
In toggle presses the double screw shaft generally has a ratchet wheel thereon to
enable the final pressure to be given by means of a ratchet lever applied to such
wheel. This ratchet wheel may be at the centre of the shaft between two bearings,
or there may be a ratchet wheel at each end of the shaft, by preference outside the
end bearings, and in such case I connect the two ratchet levers by a bar, so that
they may be worked simultaneously.
I increase the power and facilitate the working of these ratchet levers, whether
one or more be employed, as follows:-I extend the lever beyond its wheel and
weight this extension so that the weighted end preponderates; thus, every time

page_text: the lever handle is let go after having been pulled down to act on the wheel, the
weight returns it to position ready to act again; but as the weight increases the
power required to pull down the levers, I increase the leverage by carrying a cord
or chain from the weighted end to a sheave or pulley in an elevated position, and
thence to the other end of the lever. Thus, the leverage, instead of being from the
end of the lever to the ratchet wheel, is from the end of the lever to the sheave or
pulley. Further, I fit a sliding weight on the lever so that it slides down the same
as soon as it has been lowered below the horizontal position, and thereby increases
the power. The improved arrangement of ratchet lever above described is applicable
to other purposes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Richard Olpherts in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th
October 1879.
"IM-
RICHARD OLPHERTS, of Ardee, in the County of Louth, Ireland, Esquire.
PROVEMENTS IN TOGGLE PRESSES, PARTLY .APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES."
My Invention relates primarily to toggle presses, that is to say, to presses which
have a right and left handed or double screw shaft and toggle arms arranged so
that by rotating the said shaft the inner ends of the toggle arms are, by means of
nuts on the shaft, worked gradually along it, until they attain a position at right
angles thereto.
The first part of my Invention consists in carrying or supporting the double
screw shaft in a frame or cradle which is free to move up and down upon the press
columns or pillars. The ends of this cradle carry bearings for the shaft to work in,
and the shaft has shoulders to work against the sides of these bearings. The cradle
is also formed with one or more other bearings for the shaft at or near the middle
thereof, and has grooves or openings in which the nuts on the shaft are guided and
travel. As the shaft travels up and down during the action of the press, the cradle
travels with it, working on the pillars, and acts both as a guide and guard for the
true working of the right and left hand screw, and as a stay for the four columns.
Figure 1 of the annexed Drawings is a side elevation partly in section of a toggle
press fitted with a cradle or frame in accordance with my Invention as hereinbefore
described. Figure 2 shews the cradle in plan; a, a, are the press columns or
pillars; b, the press head; c, the press bottom or base; d, the follower; e, e, the
toggle arms or levers; f.f, the nuts; g, the double screw shaft, and h the hand
wheel for imparting rotation to the same; i is the cradle or frame hereinbefore
described which is shewn as made in parts bolted together. It is formed with
sockets or holes which fit upon and are free to move up and down on the
columns a, a; 1, 1, are bearings at the ends of the cradle for the shaft g to work in,
and m, m, are other bearings near the middle of the shaft. The cradle has openings
n, n, in which the nuts f, f, travel. It will readily be seen that as the shaft g
travels up and down during the action of the press, the cradle i travels with it,
working on the columns a, a, and acts both as a guide and guard for the true
working of the shaft g, and as a stay for the columns a, a.
In toggle presses, the double screw shaft g generally has a ratchet wheel thereon,
to enable the final pressure to be given by means of a ratchet lever applied to such
wheel. This ratchet wheel may be at the centre of the shaft as shewn at o, between
two bearings m, m, or there may be a ratchet wheel at each end of the shaft, by
preference outside the end bearings l, l, as shewn at p, p, and in such case I connect
the two ratchet levers q, q, Figure 2, by a bar 7, so that they may be worked
simultaneously. I facilitate the working of these ratchet levers, whether one or
more are employed, as follows:-I extend the lever q beyond its wheel p, and
weight this extension as shewn at 8, so that the weighted end preponderates; thus,
every time the lever handle is let go after having been pulled down to act on the
wheel, the weight returns it to position ready to act again, and I carry a cord or
chaint as shewn in the side elevation, Figure 3, from the weighted end 8.to a sheave
or pulley u in an elevated position, and thence to the other end of the lever, where
I connect it as shewn to an arm v, centred at w, and having a handle or thumb
piece x. The operator by grasping the thumb piece x, together with the handle of
the lever will be able to keep the cord t taut during the descent of the lever,
notwishstanding the difference in the distances travelled respectively by the two
ends of the lever, and will 'therefore be able to act upon the weighted end of the
lever through the cord.
The improved arrangement of ratchet lever above described is applicable to other
purposes where a ratchet wheel and lever are employed.

page_text: And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,―
First. Constructing or fitting toggle presses with a cradle or frame in which the
double screw shaft is carried or supported, and which moves up and down the press
columns, substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn in the annexed
Drawings.
Second. The improved arrangement of ratchet lever for toggle presses or other
purposes, the said lever having a weighted extension beyond the ratchet wheel,
from which extension a cord or chain is carried over an elevated pulley, and thence
to the lever handle, substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn in the
annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Olpherts, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fourteenth day of October, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy nine.
RICHARD OLPHERTS. (L.S.)