IMPROVEMENTS IN BALING COTTON
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Sydney Pitt, of Sutton, in the County of Surrey, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BALING COTTON." A communication from
abroad by Leslie Belden, of the United States of America.
Sealed the 22nd January 1878, and dated the 29th November 1877
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Sydney Pitt at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th November 1877.
68
SYDNEY PITT, of Sutton, in the County of Surrey. IMPROVEMENTS IN BALING
COTTON." A communication from abroad by Leslic Belden, of the United States of
America.
It is well known in order to transport cotton m its crude or raw state that it is
customary to compress the same under great pressure in bales. These cotton bales
are usually confined by what are known as bale ties, which consist of straps of
flexible material, usually steel or iron, which laterally surround the bale.
The process by which these ties are applied is as follows -The cotton is first
compressed between two plattens in a powerful press, thereby giving it the shape of
a rectangular prism or brick; then while under pressure the bale ties above mentioned
are applied to and surround the cotton bale. The pressure is then released, and the
following consequence necessarily ensues.
-
-
It is well to mathematicians that a circle contains the greatest area in pro-'
portion to its circumference or containing line of any form or figure. Therefore
as soon as the pressure upon the cotton bale is released, the cotton being elastic and
tending to occupy the greatest possible space, will, owing to this law, tend to cause
the surrounding bale tie to assume a circular form, and therefore the released bale
will be approximately cylindrical in shape.
Bales of a cylindrical shape are very ill adapted to stowing in narrow space,
and where it is necessary, as in the case of cotton, to transport materials to great.
distances, the space occupied in stowing them becomes a matter of great importance.
It is also impossible to compress cotton beyond a certain point, and restrain it by
20 .

page_text: the bale ties in use, and my Invention practically increases the strength of the bale
tie by decreasing the expanding pressure of the cotton upon it.
My Invention can be readily understood from the Figures, in which similar letters
refer to similar parts.
B represents generally a cotton bale, though it is obvious that other materials
besides cotton can be similarly baled; T represents the surrounding bale tie;
A represents a transverse clamp which passes through the substance of the bale and
connects the bale ties on the opposite sides of the bale and prevents their taking a
circular form. A sufficient number of these clainps are used to give to the bale a
practically rectangular shape, having its opposite sides parallel, as is clearly shown in
the Figure. These transverse clamps or stays as they may be called may be of
various shapes and various materials, provided they perform the function of
preventing the lateral or transverse expansion of the cotton.
The bale shown in the Figure is formed as follows:-The ties T are first placed
around the bale in its expanded condition before being put into the press, at the
same time the transverse clamps A which are formed of a wire, somewhat smaller
than that composing the bale ties, is looped around such ties, and drawn through
the bale by means of needles, or a sufficiently thick wire to make its own way may
be used. The loose bale of cotton is then put in the press, and compressed till it
has the shape shown in Figure 1, the bale ties T are then drawn tight and fastened,
which may be done in various ways
In the Drawing the ends are shown at F firmly twisted together, but they may
be fastened by means of buckles, or in any other suitable ways. Then the wire
forming the transverse clamps A. is drawn tight and looped around the same tie, as
is clearly shown in the Drawings. The press is then raised, when it is evident
that the cotton cannot expand vertically, being restrained by the surrounding bale
ties, the opposite sides of which bale ties are kept parallel by means of the clamps
herein shown, so that the bale retains the same square or rectangular shape
which it had in the press instead of expanding into a cylindrical form as is usually
the case.
Another advantage besides the saving of space on ship-board results from this
method of baling cotton, namely, the saving of the ballast which is now necessarily
carried by cotton ships. This carrying of ballast is due to the fact that the ships
cannot be sufficiently loaded by the loosely packed bales of cotton heretofore shipped,
while when cotton is baled by my process the increased density, in proportion to the
cubic capacity, renders any additional ballast unnecessary.
passage
It is obvious that all materials, such as wool, which are not injured by the
of the clamps through them, can be baled in this way. It is likewise plain that it
is unnecessary that the transverse clamps be attached to the bale ties although this
is the better way.
The transverse clamps might be attached to plates or similar structures resting
upon the surfaces of the bale, and thereby the same result might be obtained,
which is that of rendering the opposite surfaces of the bale approximately parallel
planes.
It is plain that the ties or clamps need not be put in position till after the cotton
is compressed in the press, and with proper mechanism it is more convenient to
first compress the cotton, then put the ties and clamps in position, and draw them
tight.
What I claim as my Invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,―
First. My improved cotton bale, substantially as described.
Second. The process of baling cotton herein-before described, which consists in
first reducing the mass of cotton to a rectangular prism by means of a press, and of
then binding around it a series of ties, which ties are held together by transverse
clamps passing through the substance of the bale, and put in position when the
cotton is still compressed in the press.
Third. As a new product a bale of cotton having approximately the shape of a

page_text: rectangular prism, as distinguished from a bale of cotton having approximately a
cylindrical shape, substantially as described.
Fourth. A bale of cotton having compressing ties surrounding it laterally, and
transverse clamps passing through the substance of the cotton for the purpose
of drawing and holding together the opposite sides of said bale, substantially as
described.
Fifth. A bale having lateral surrounding ties and transverse clamps passing
through the substance of the bale, and attached to said surrounding ties, substantially
as described.
Sixth. A bale having the lateral surrounding ties T, and the transverse clamps A,
which clamps consist of a looped wire or cord looped around the surrounding tie,
substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Sydney Pitt, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-ninth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
SYDNEY PITT. (L.S.)