CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC PRESSES EMPLOYED FOR PACKING OR PRESSING COTTON, SILK, FLAX, WOOL, OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Heycock, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Merchant, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
HYDRAULIC PRESSES EMPLOYED FOR PACKING OR PRESSING COTTON, SILK, FLAX,
WOOL, OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Sealed the 29th December 1854, and dated the 4th July 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Heycock at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th
July 1854.
I, HENRY HEYCOCK, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
HYDRAULIC PRESSES EMPLOYED FOR PACKING OR PRESSING COTTON, SILK, FLAX, WOOL,.
OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS " to be as follows:-
Hydraulic presses at present in use, and employed in the packing of goods,
fabrics, cotton, wool, &c., have hitherto been deficient of any arrangement or
application of self-acting mechanism, by which, upon a certain pressure being
imparted to the bale or parcel to be packed or operated upon, the bale or
parcel on the attainment of such pressure may be released, and the ram of the
press fall.
Our improvements consist in the employment and adaptation to hydraulic
presses of a series of levers, weights, and valves. In the supply pipe to the

page_text: ram, and between the ram and the pump, I employ a pressure valve, connected
by a lover with a vertical bar, furnished with one or a series of weights; and
until the pressure on the ram or plunger of the press is equal or equivalent to
the weight to be removed, the weights of course rest, encircling the bar in-
operative. On the opposite side of the axis, carrying the lever and weighted
bar, is a second arm or lever and stud; this stud acts upon a counterbalance
weight, and when the desired pressure is yeilded by the ram tho before-men-
tioned pressure valve is raised, having as yet been confined by the weighted bar,
elevates the lever and bar, depresses the second lever, thereby throwing over a
counterbalance weight. This weight by means of a bent arm depresses a
vertical and descending rod, which is connected by a lever and fulcrum to
a vertical and ascending rod, at the top of which is a valve, which in its turn is
forced up, admitting a discharge of the condensed water in the cylinder of the
press to the cistern beneath, and of course allowing the ram to fall; but as in
the rise of the first-mentioned valve the bar has been elevated, and removed the
weight equivalent to the pressure desired from its seat, it must be evident,
that upon the return of the weight to its seat, by bringing down the bar with
it, the whole of the before-described apparatus would be reversed, and the
cylinder ready to be charged again.
In the above description I have merely described my improvements as
applicable to the working of one ram, but by a peculiar arrangement of the
weights and apparatus I am enabled to work a series of presses, each working
under different pressures at the same time.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Heycock in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th January 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
HEYCOCK, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Iler Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Henry Heycock, Her especial license that I, the said Henry
Heycock, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Henry Heycock, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should

page_text: at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CER-
TAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC PRESSES EMPLOYED FOR PACKING OR PRESSING
COTTON, SILK, FLAX, WOOL, OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Henry Heycock, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Heycock, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawing. (that is to say):-
:-
My improvements in hydraulic presses consist in the novel adaptation thereto
of a series of levers, weights, and valves. In the supply pipe to the ram, and
between the ram and the pumps, I employ a pressure valve, connected by a
lever with a vertical bar, furnished with one or a series of weights; and until
the pressure on the ram or plunger of the press is equal or equivalent to the
weight to be removed, the pressure valve is stationary, (the weights being at rest
and inoperative upon the bar. Upon the opposite side of the axis, carrying the
lever and weighted bar, is a second arm or lever and stud; this stud acts upon
a counterbalance weight, and when the desired pressure is given by the ram
the before-mentioned pressure valve is raised, having as yet been confined by
the weighted bar, elevates the lever and bar, depresses the second lever, thereby
throwing over a counterbalance weight. This weight by means of a bent arm
depresses a vertical and descending rod, which is connected by a lever and
fulcrum to a vertical and ascending rod, at the top of which is a valve, which
in its turn is forced up, admitting a discharge of the compressed water in the
cylinder of the pump to the cistern beneath, and of course allows the plunger
to fall; but as in the rise of the first-mentioned valve the bar has been elevated,
and removed the weight equivalent to the pressure desired from its scat, it
must be evident, that upon the return of the weight to its seat, by bringing
down the bar with it, the whole of the before-described apparatus may be
reversed, and the pump made ready for working again. This may be effected
by various modes, but the most simple would be by connecting the stud 7 (sec
Drawing, and hereafter fully described,) with the projecting piece m by chain

page_text: or otherwise, so that as the weights fall and the levers k rise, m may be drawn
over by the stud 7, and the valve r resume its seat. In the above description
he improvements mentioned are merely applicable to the working of one pump,
but by a particular arrangement of the weight and other apparatus I am
enabled to work a series of pumps, each working a different pressure at the
same time.
But in order that my Invention may be the better understood and explained
in detail, I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings, made upon a scale of
about two inches to the foot, except Figure 4, which is one-third full size, and
having upon the several Figures illustrated the same letters of referenco marked
upon similar parts of the machinery. Figure 1 represents a front or longitudinal
elevation of these improvements in hydraulic presses, the tank being partly in
section; Figure 2 exhibits a transverse section of the same, taken through the
supply pipe to the ram and one of the pumps; and Figure 3 represents a plan
or top view of Figures 1 and 2. a exhibits the pressure valve, through which
motion is communicated at desired intervals to the system of levers and weights,
and by the aid of which the counterbalance weights are thrown over, and the
various pumps thrown out of work. In the Figures shown four pumps arc
delineated. b represents a four-inch pump; c, a three-inch pump; and d, d
two two-inch pumps. When it is desired to start the press, the whole of these
pumps are put into work simultaneously, the effect of which is, from the employ-
ment of so large a superficial pump area, greatly to quicken and accelerate the
rise of the ram; but as to gain any high degree of pressure on the ram whilst
working so large a superficial pump area would require immense engine power,
by the arrangements herein-after described I am enabled to throw the larger
pumps out of gear or work when the desideratum is obtained of accelerating
the ram, in the first instance, and complete the maximum pressure by aid of
the smaller pumps. Supposing the pumps to be set at work, the pressure
beneath the ram must necessarily be continually increasing, as well as in the
channel or way beneath the pressure valve a. It will be evident, on reference to
the Drawing (Figure 2), that the greater the pressure beneath the valve (a) the
greater tendency it will have to become elevated or forced upwards. Supposing,
again, the weights e, f, g, to represent respectively 200, 480, and 750 tons on
the area of the ram: it will be understood now that the pumps in work and
the pressure beneath the ram having increased to 200 tons, the valve a will
now at any extra pressure rise, throw up the lever h, suspend the pendant rod
j, and hold in suspension, having taken it up, the weight representing 200 tons
pressure; but simultaneously with this action an opposite lever to the lever h,
k, with its stud 1, is depressed. The stud / catches against the projecting piece m,

page_text: which operates in its turn, and throws over the counterbalance weight n,
thereby depressing the vertical rod o, and one end of the lever p, the other end
of which elevates the vertical bar q, and forces up and retains the valve r of
the largest pump, allowing the compressed water beneath the ram to escape to
the tank, and thus rendering it inoperative; the water being now taken up
and expelled from beneath the plunger through the suction tube 8, alternately,
as the plunger rises and falls. The four-inch pump having now been thrown
out of use, the bed of the press rises somewhat less quickly; but the employed
power of the engine is now available for the diminished pump area, and con-
sequently by the repetition of the throwing out process, already described, the
maximum pressure can be applied from the smaller pumps or pump. The
method of throwing out the largest pump as only been described here, but as
the same process applies to all, it would be superfluous to describe herein the
mode of throwing out each. The last or smaller pump is thrown out of work
by à follower, secured on the bed of the press, such follower being furnished
with an adjustable stud or finger for regulating the height of the package or
bale under operation. This follower comes into effect as adjusted, and by any
suitable arrangement of leverage will throw the last pump out of work. t, t,
represents two safety valves, and w, v, and w, a lever crank and shaft, by which
the pumps are thrown into work, and the counterbalance weights reversed at
cach fall of the ram. This is here represented as being effected by hand, and
will be understood more readily by referring to Fig. 2, where it will be evident,
by drawing up the lever v the shorter lever a will become elevated and meet
the stop y, and thus throw the pumps into gear. This arrangement may be.
worked by hand, or made self-acting by any suitable arrangement of machinery
or apparatus working in connection with the bed of the press, or any other
moving part, as before mentioned. Any number of pumps may be employed
to work one ram, or one or more rams may be worked from the same arrange-
ment of pumps. Fig. 4 exhibits a vertical section of the relief valve, for
allowing the discharge of water from beneath the ram. When it is desired to
allow the bed of the press to fall, this valve is opened at will from above by the
attendant of the press; the gravity of the valve itself causes it always to be
closed, it being opened, as before mentioned, by an attendant, who depresses a
bent lever, which causes the valve to rise, and allow of a discharge of a com-
pressed water. The object of the peculiar construction of these valve is to gain
a larger superficial area on the top of the valve at a*, a*, than elsewhere, and
by such means secure its perfect closing, as the higher the pressure of the
water in the way b*, bx, the more securely is the valve closed.
Having now particularly described the nature of my Invention, and the

page_text: manner in which the same is to be performed and put into practical effect, I
wish it to be distinctly understood that I claim,―
First, the novel employment, application, and use of self-acting apparatus or
machinery for the purpose of throwing in and out of gear or work either
or several pumps of hydraulic presses.
And, secondly, the employment, application, and use of the arrangement of
the several parts of the apparatus or machinery for throwing hydraulic pumps
in and out of work, and thus render the operation self-acting and continuous,
in the manner and for the purpose as herein particularly described and ascer
tained and fully illustrated in the accompanying Drawing; or as the same
effect may be produced by other modifications or arrangements of mechanism,
I also claim any such other methods of producing the same or similar results.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Heycock, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
HENRY HETCOCK. (L.B.)