IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES FOR COM- PRESSING COTTON, JUTE, AND OTHER MATERIALS
Year: 1869

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Watson at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th August
1869.
I, JAMES WATSON, of Calcutta, British India, but at present of 35,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES FOR COM-
PRESSING COTTON, JUTE, AND OTHER MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
The Invention has for its object the employment of combined lever,
steam, and hydraulic power, or lever and steam power only, and of
arrangement for refilling the box containing the cotton, jute, or other
material with a supply of fresh material while the compressed bale is
being lashed, whereby a greater number of bales of cotton, jute, or other
similar bulky articles are compressed and packed in a shorter time
than heretofore and with a very reduced expenditure of fuel; and owing
to the pressure required in presses constructed according to the present
Invention being considerably less to the square inch than heretofore
the continual bursting of the hydraulic cylinders is entirely obviated.

page_text: To effect these objects I employ two sets of levers, an upper set acted
on by steam and hydraulic power, or by steam power only, for pressing
the bale, and a lower set acted on by either hydraulic or screw or other
power for relieving the bale after it has been lashed; of these two sets of
levers the upper set consisting of five or more levers which work on a
joint, and which are connected by a link to cross heads attached to the
pistons of one, two, or more hydraulic, and one, two, or more steam
cylinders, or to steam cylinders only. The levers are also attached to
and act directly on the follower, which they move up and down as
required, and which communicates the pressure to the bale. The lower
set of levers also consists of five or more levers which are attached to
the bottom bearer of the press, which by these means is enabled to
sustain the pressure of the upper levers on the bale while it is being
compressed. As soon as the bale has been pressed into position a grid-
iron is passed into grooves cut for the purpose in the follower, thereby
immediately relieving the pressure on the upper set of levers and their
attached gear. The gridiron in this press being intended only to retain
the bale while being lashed does not sustain the whole pressure to which
the bale is itself subjected. On this being done the follower is raised
to the top of the press, thus admitting of the box being refilled with
cotton while the pressed bale is being lashed and completed under the
gridiron. After the bale is lashed and finished the lower levers are
drawn out by means of a weight acting in a direction opposite to that
in which the cylinders connected with the lower levers operate, thus
relieving the pressure on the bale and admitting of its removal from
the press. The levers may be worked by the power being applied to
one side thereof, or half the power may be disposed on each side and a
double set of levers employed, or they may be worked without any
hydraulic power whatever.
The following is a description of the mode of working presses con-
structed according to my Invention:-Suppose the follower to be at the
top of the box, and the lower bearer with the rope holes to be in the
proper position, the box is now filled with cotton, the doors are all shut,
and steam is admitted into the steam cylinders, and with one stroke,
which occupies about three seconds, the cotton is pressed by the follower
to such a position as to leave only about twelve inches to be accomplished
by the hydraulic cylinder. This is quickly done. When the steam
pistons move forward they draw the ram along with them, and water is

page_text: admitted into the cylinder, thereby filling it; this water flows in from
a tank on the top of the press or of the house. The remaining water
required has now been pumped into an accumulator weighted by pre-
ference to about one and one-quarter tons, and the pumps driven by the
steam which was used in the press cylinders in a former operation. The
cock from the accumulator is next opened and the bale is pressed into.
the required size in a few seconds, the pumps being always ready should
any extra pressure be required. As soon as the bale has been pressed
into position the gridiron is passed into the grooves in the follower;
on this being done a little steam is admitted into the opposite ends of the
steam cylinders, which assisted by a weight immediately lifts the levers
and the follower to the top of the press. This admits of the box being
refilled whilst the bale below is being lashed. When the lashing of the
bale is completed the lower levers are acted upon by a weight and the balc
is turned out. The lower levers are put into position again at once by a
small hydraulic cylinder. The doors are closed, the gridiron withdrawn,
and the steam admitted on to the pistons in the steam cylinder and
It may be here mentioned that the power exerted on the bale is,
in consequence of the use of levers as intended, nine times that exerted
by the steam and hydraulic power.