AN IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR COMPRESSING AND PACKING HAY, COTTON, or OTHER VOLUMINOUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Wohl, of the Firm Wohl and Company, of
Boulevard Haussmann, 172, Paris (France), for the Invention of
" AN
IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR COMPRESSING AND PACKING HAY, COTTON, or
OTHER VOLUMINOUS SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 10th September 1878, and dated the 27th June 1878.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Joseph Wohl at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th June 1878.
JOSEPH WOHL, of the Firm Wohl and Company, of Boulevard Haussmann, 172,
Paris (France). "AN IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR COMPRESSING AND PACKING
HAY, COTTON, OR OTHER VOLUMINOUS SUBSTANCES."
The press which forms the subject of the present Invention is intended to com-
press hay, provender, cotton, and other voluminous or bulky materials, which it is
desirable to reduce in bulk for facility and economy of transport.
The Invention is based upon the descent of a plate or presser in a case or frame
mounted on wheels, and with movable sides or walls; the case is kept closed to
press the bale or truss, and opened out on its four sides when the bale is to be
withdrawn. The rack of the press is worked by a mechanical arrangement
of great simplicity and strength, allowing two men at the most to produce con-
siderable power.
My press is represented in the annexed Drawings in longitudinal olevation in
Figure 1; in transverse section, Figure 2; and in sectional plan, Figure 3.
Figures 4 and 5 are a front view and a horizontal section of a case on wheels with
inovable sides.
The framework of the press consists of four cross beams A of oak, and of a
beam A', bound together by two longitudinal girders B; the joints are strengthened
by bolts. Four tie rods c prevent the warping of the framework.
To the framework thus constructed are joined four uprights C, the connection with
the framework being effected by iron hooks a. These uprights support the beam D,
upon which rests the working mechanism of the presser plate P. Two vertical tie

page_text: rods b connect the beam D to the beam A¹, and prevent any rupture at that part;
oblique tie rods b' prevent any inclination of the framework, and straps a¹ bind the
beani D to the uprights C.
A platform E, support by angle irons d, carries the men who work the press;
access is obtained to this platform by steps e fixed in the uprights C, the handle
serving as a support.
The material to be pressed is put into cases or frames, the four sides of which are
movable.
The bottom F of a case is formed of girders; the interior girders stop flush with
the case, while the two outer ones extend through the outside to receive the
axles g of the wheels or rollers h, which allow of the case being moved upon the
rails of the press; these rails are supported beyond the framing by pieces of
wood j. When the case is brought under the presser plate P, the wheels or rollers h
no longer rest upon the rails k, so that the pressure transmitted to the bottom F of
the case is supported by the framing of the press.
Each of the sides of the case is movable upon two hinges ; when the case is
closed, the sides are supported by four bars G, which are jointed on the two short sides
of the case, Figures 1 and 4, and are caught in fastenings m on the longer sides;
these levers have for this purpose a notch m' at each of the two extremities
(Figure 1). At the upper part there are latches and catches.
To open the case, the front and rear sides are lowered upon the rails, and the
two lateral sides rest against the uprights C of the framing; in this position, the
pressed bale, being kept pressed by the presser plate P, is bound by means of wires
or hoops, which are passed along the grooves n of the bottom F of the case, as well
as along the grooves n¹ formed in the lower part of the piece of wood H which is
below the presser plate P.
I generally effect the binding of the bales with wire prepared beforehand, as
seen in Figure 6; one of the ends is furnished with two eyes 8 and 8', and at the
other end is an eye & and a hooks. To bring the two ends together, in order to
engage the hook & in the eye s, I employ a double jointed lever, shewn in elevation
in Figure 7, and in plan, Figure 8. This lever consists of a lever t, on which is
jointed a piece t¹, with a knob or projection u and a foot v, a hooked rod a is
jointed likewise to the lever t. To fasten a bale the wire is passed along the
grooves n and n of the bottom F, and of the upper piece H, the knob or projection u
of the lever is placed in a hole u¹ of the presser plate H, and the lever t is lowered
around the joint of the piece t¹; the hook is hooked into the eye a¹ of the wire,
and the lever t is raised; the eyes and the hook being thus brought together are
engaged, and the binding is finished.
An analogous arrangement of lever would effect the binding with hoops.
To unhook the bands without cutting them, so that they may serve a second time,
I use the pincers, shown in Figure 9; on bringing the legs together the jaws y, y',
engaged in the eyes s¹ and s² grasp the band, and the hook can be disengaged
from the eye s.
The jointed cross piece z, with stop notches, is intended to
hold the band tight, in case it is wished to use both hands to disengage the
hook 8³.
..To facilitate the working of the front sides of the press case, which are lowered
upon the rails, when it is wished to bind a bale, I fit counterweights C' to the two
sides of the case, thus relieving the workman in charge. These counterweights run
in a rod or bar M, fixed on each side of one of the uprights C of the framing, either
at the exterior, as shewn in the Drawings, or in the interior. The cords N, which
hold the counterweights, pass over pulleys Q on the beam D and on the platform
E, and have rings at their ends into which the hooks of the movable sides are fitted
when it is wished to work them.
I will now describe the mechanism for working the presser plate P. This plate
is firmly held by a nut of the rack H³, which latter gears with a pinion p, the shaft
of which carries a wheel g, worked by the pinion pl; upon the shaft of this latter
is the wheel g', worked by the pinion p²; and lastly, the shaft of this third pinion

page_text: carries the wheel q2 with which the pinion p³, whose shaft o carries the hand or
driving wheel V, gears. Owing to this arrangement of gearing, two men can pro-
duce a considerable pressing power. The shaft o' of the pinion p' and of the
wheel q' carries a hand wheel V₁, by means of which the plate P can be raised
more quickly. A ratchet wheel with paul is placed on the shaft o'. All this
mechanism, with the exception of the hand wheels and of the ratchet and its paul,
is placed in the interior of a cast-iron box, firmly fastened and bolted to the beam D
of the framework by two straps which oncircle the beam. This box is as narrow
as possible, so as to diminish the length of the shafts, and to lessen its thickness
and weight.
In order to ensure the strength of the toothed gearing, the pinions have laterally
to the teeth, cheeks, forming a body therewith, so that no breakage of the
teeth and no accident can happen. All the gearing of wrought iron, cemented
and tempered.
This improved press can be stationary or movable, and can be adapted to pressing
into square bales materials enclosed in canvas, as well as to pressing bulky or
voluminous substances into round bales.
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 the improved machinery, con-
structed substantially as herein-before described, and represented in the annexed
Drawings, for compressing and packing hay, cotton, or other voluminous or bulky
substances, the characteristic features of such improved machinery being,—
First. The general arrangement of the framework of the press.
Secondly. The working of the presser plate by means of pinions constructed of
the strengthened form described.
Thirdly. The arrangement and working of the wheeled cases with their movable
sides and counterweights, and fitted with fastening bars or levers.
Fourthly. The mode or means of binding the bales, and the tools for applying
and releasing the bands.
And, lastly. The general construction and arrangement of the press, all sub-
stantially as herein-before described, and represented in the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Wohl, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventh day of June, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
eight
Witness,
CH. ARMENGAUD,
Civil Engineer,
Bd. de Strasbourg, 23,
Paris.
JOSEPH WOHL. (L.S.)