IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES ES FOR PRESSING COTTON, FIBROUS MATERIALS, AND HAY
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Wilson, of Wandsworth Common, in the
County of Surrey, and Edward Alfred Cowper, of No. 35, Great George
Street, Westminster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES FOR
Sealed the 25th September 1862, and dated the 3rd April 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Wilson and
Edward Alfred Cowper at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 3rd April 1862.
We, DAVID WILSON, of Wandsworth Common, in the County of Surrey,
and EDWARD ALFRED COWPER, of No. 354, Great George Street, Westminster,
do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES
FOR PRESSING COTTON, FIBROUS MATERIALS, AND HAY," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in pressses for pressing
cotton, fibrous materials, and hay. Heretofore in constructing cotton presses,.
it has been usual to employ a rectangular trunk or box, within which the
plunger or piston of the press works; this trunk or box is equal in area to the
bale which is to be made, and it is of a depth sufficient to contain the fibre in
an impressed state; this construction renders a trunk or box of considerable
length necessary.
Now according to our Invention, we are able greatly to reduce the length of
the trunk or box by making it with two of its sides (opposite the one to the

page_text: other) capable of movement; these sides we combine with pressing apparatus,
so that they become in fact the plungers of secondary presses. The box or
trunk is filled with cotton or other fibrous materials; when its moveable sides
are most distant the one from the other, and when consequently the area of
the trunk is considerably greater than that of the bale to be made, the first
pressure is obtained by the inward movement of the sides, so as to contract
the interior section of the trunk or box, the sides are then locked by suitable
bolts or catches, and then the remaining pressure is effected by the piston or
plunger of the principal press being as heretofore moved further and further
into the trunk or box; one side only of the trunk or box may be made moveable
if preferred, or all four sides may be made moveable, and may move either
together or in pairs.
The arrangements for filling the trunk and for lashing or hooping the bale,
and for releasing it may be as heretofore, and there is this advantage, that the
trunk or box when empty, being of larger dimensions than those of ordinary
cotton presses, the requisite charge may be supplied into the trunk or box
more rapidly than has heretofore been possible. The piston of the press and
the moveable side or sides may be worked by hydraulic power or by steam
power, or by screw, or by other mechanical power.
The arrangements for liberating the bale may conveniently be such as are
described in the Provisional Specification filed by one of us, on the 9th January
in the present year, and Numbered 65.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said David Wilson and Edward Alfred Cowper in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 3rd October 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, DAVID
WILSON, of Wandsworth Common, in the County of Surrey, and EDWARD
ALFRED COWPER, of No. 85, Great George Street, Westminster, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
David Wilson and Edward Alfred Cowper, Her special licence, that we, the
said David Wilson and Edward Alfred Cowper, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said David Wilson and Edward Alfred

page_text: .Cowper, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES FOR
PRESSING COTTON, FIBROUS MATERIALS, AND HAY," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said David Wilson and Edward Alfred Cowper, our
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing, under our or their
hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or them, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said David Wilson, on behalf of myself and
the said Edward Alfred Cowper, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof,
that is to say-
This Invention has for its object improvements in presses for pressing
cotton, fibrous materials, and hay. Heretofore in constructing cotton presses,
it has been usual to employ a rectangular trunk or box, within which the
plunger or piston of the press works; this trunk or box is equal in area to the
bale which is to be made, and it is of a depth sufficient to contain the fibre in
an impressed state; this construction renders a trunk or box of considerable
length necessary.
Now according to our Invention we are able greatly to reduce the length
of the trunk or box by making it with two of its sides (opposite the one to the
other) capable of movement; these sides we combine with pressing apparatus,
so that they become in fact the plungers of secondary presses. The box or
trunk is filled with cotton or other fibrous materials when its moveable sides
are most distant the one from the other, and when consequently the area of
the trunk is considerably greater than that of the bale to be made; the first
pressure is obtained by the inward movement of the sides, so as to contract the
interior section of the trunk or box, the sides are then locked by suitable bolts
or catches, and then the remaining pressure is effected by the piston or
plunger of the principal press being as heretofore moved further and further
into the trunk or box. One side only of the trunk or box may be made
moveable if preferred, or all four sides may be made moveable and may move
either together or in pairs...

page_text: The arrangements for filling the trunk and for lashing or hooping the bale,
and for releasing it may be as heretofore, and there is this advantage, that the
trunk or box when empty, being of larger dimensions than those of ordinary
cotton presses, the requisite charge may be supplied into the trunk or box
more rapidly than has heretofore been possible. The piston of the press and
the moveable side or sides may be worked by hydraulic power, or by steam
power, or by screw, or by other mechanical power.
The arrangements for liberating the bale may conveniently be such as are
described in the Provisional Specification filed by one of us on the Ninth
January in the present year, and Numbered 65.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A.
Sheets 1, 2, and 3, relate to a press having the two opposite moveable sides
worked by screw power, and having those portions of the trunk moveable
which retain the ends of the bale when the pressing is completed by the
plunger or plungers of the hydraulic press. The moveable portions of the
trunk are allowed to retire by means of eight spiral cams actuated by endless
screws to enable the bale to be withdrawn after it has been hooped, as described
in the Patent of David Wilson, Ninth January One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-two.
The moveable sides above mentioned are mounted on twin screw carriages
running on railways, and whilst the hooping of the bale is being performed they
are entirely detached from the press and stand at a distance from it, each on its
own railway, thus giving perfectly free access to the press and the bale which
has just been pressed, and which is ready for hooping. The sides of the press
are provided with moveable cheeks turning on centres, and before placing the
cotton into the trunk these are temporarily swung into such a position as to
form continuations of the ends of the press. The twin screw carriages are
then run up to their places, and are temporarily connected with each other by
means of strong wrought-iron catches, when the sides of the press, together
with the four moveable cheeks and the two ends of the press will form one
complete trunk or box, and the plungers of the press being down the press is
ready to receive the cotton.
Figure 1 represents an end view of the press and twin carriages. Figure 2
represents a sectional plan of the press, with the twin carriages run in but
with the sides open. Figure 3 represents a plan of the press and upper floor
Figure 4 represents a side view of the press with cross
section of railways. Figure 5 represents a sectional plan of the press with the
cheeks open, the twin carriages being run back, previous to withdrawing the
of the warehouse.

page_text: bale. Figure 6 represents a sectional plan with the section taken through
the larger and small rams of the hydraulic press. Similar letters refer to
similar parts in all cases.
A, A, are two strong screws fastened severally in the sides of the press M, M ;
B, B, are two strong nuts working
on the before mentioned screws having spur
wheels C, C, fixed on them. D, D, D, D, are pinions working into the spur
wheels C, C, and actuated by handles E, E, E, E, worked by men, and the
pinions D, D, D, D, are provided with small capstan wheels F, F, F, F, into
which levers may be thrust for the purpose of putting an additional pressure
on to the screws A, A, by means of the wheels C, C, and nuts B, B; G, G,
are cross heads which are provided with hooks H, H, H, H, capable of catching
into the bars I, I, these catches are provided with balance weights to enable
the workman to lift them with greater facility. The cross heads G, G, are
fixed on to plates J, J, which are provided with rollers K, K, running on the
railways L, L. The sides M, M, are mounted on the twin carriage formed of
G, G, J, J, and can move freely thereon when moved by the screws A, A. The
upper floor of the warehouse N, N, is situated immediately above the top of
the sides M, M, leaving room for them to run back freely on their twin
carriages on the railways as before mentioned, and also ample room for the
men to work without any annoyance from the loose cotton contained on the
floor above. There are openings in the upper floor at O, O, through which
the requisite charge of cotton can be supplied from the upper floor into the
trunk far more rapidly than has heretofore been possible, as it simply has to
be thrown down through the two openings into the trunk; by these means the
annoyance from the dust and floating fibres of cotton is entirely confined to
the upper floor. The openings O, O, are provided with plates P, P, for the
purpose of closing them. The round bolts or catches Q. Q, have lugs at their
extremities for the purpose of securing the sides M, M, when fully run in. The
head of the press R is provided at its under side with a grooved plate to
facilitate the introduction of the iron hoops for hooping the bale as is usual in
hydraulic presses. S, S, S, S, are the pillars of the press; they are provided
with strong screws and nuts at top and bottom, and serve to support the
head R of the press and retain it to the cylinder of the hydraulic press T.
This press may conveniently be made telescopic as described in the Patent of
David Wilson, 9th January 1862, and the catches, bolts, &c., may be similar
viz. for first holding down the large plunger whilst the small one is giving the
first pressure and for bolting up the struts for supporting a small plunger, .
when the large one comes into action; it will not therefore be necessary more
particularly to describe these parts. U is the top of the large plunger, V is the

page_text: table of the press; W, W, are the fixed ends of the press, forming portions of
the trunk for receiving the cotton; Y, Y, are the moveable portions of the
trunk forming also portions of the ends; X, X, X, X, .are the moveable cheeks
forming a continuation of the ends; the remainder of the trunk is formed of the
sides M, M, twin carriages, J, J, (when run in) the table V and head R and
covering plates P, P, hinged to the upper floor. The endless screws for actuating
spiral cams for moving Y, Y, are worked with a pair of bevil wheels and
handle Z, Z.
The action of the press is as follows:-Supposing the rams of the press and
the table V to be down, and the twin carriages run in, the sides M, M, being
screwed back, the moveable cheeks X, X, X, X, closed up, and the hooks
H, H, H, H, hooked on to I, I, and the covering plates P, P, thrown back
full open and the plates Y, Y, thrust in by the spiral cams to the proper
distance for forming a bale, the trunk will be ready to receive the cotton which
is thrown in from the upper floor through the openings 0, 0, and it can be
distributed and arranged with the greatest convenience as there is ample room
for men to enter through the openings 0, 0, and stand upon or tread down-
the cotton. The trunk of the press having been filled with cotton while its
sides are most distant one from the other, and when consequently the area of
the trunk is considerably greater than that of the bale to be made, the covering
plates P, P, are to be closed and if necessary secured with slight catches, the
cotton will now occupy the space indicated by the full diagonal red line on the
Drawings. The first pressure is obtained by the inward movement of the
sides so as to contract the interior section of the trunk by men working at the
handles E, E, E, E, attached to the pinions D, D, D, D, acting on the wheels
C, C, and nuts B, B, which act on the screws A, A, and move the sides M, M,
and which will reduce the size of the trunk and force the cotton from the two
opposite sides so as to cause it to occupy the space indicated on the Drawings
by the diagonal blue lines. The sides M, M, are then to be further secured
in their places by turning the catches Q, Q, so that their lugs may embrace
and hold fast the top edges of the sides. The large plungers of the press
being prevented from rising by its catches the small plunger with the table V
will rise as soon as the water is put on, and will press the cotton up into a
smaller space, and as soon as it is risen a sufficient height the bolts under its
struts are to be drawn and the catches of the large plunger are next to be
released, thus allowing it to rise and complete the pressing of the cotton by
lifting and carrying up with it the small plunger and struts and table V (as
described in the Patent of David Wilson, 9th January 1862,) until the cotton
is confined to that portion of the trunk indicated by dotted diagonal red lines

page_text: on the Drawings; next the hooks H, H, H, H, are to be unhooked, and the
catches Q, Q, undone, so that the sides M, M, together with their twin
carriages may retire on their railways entirely out of the way; the covering"
plates P, P, are to be turned back on the upper floor and the moveable cheeks'
X, X, X, X, are to be swung entirely open, so as to be entirely out of the'
way of the men whilst sewing up and hooping the bale, and as soon as this is
accomplished the moveable portions of the trunk Y, Y, are to be set back
a short distance by the handles Z, Z, by the action of the bevil wheels, endless'
screws, and spiral cams. The hydraulic press is then to be lowered, when the
bale can be turned out of the press and the ends of it finished. During the
time that the bale has been finishing the sides M, M, have been screwed back
on their twin carriages by other workman, so that directly the finished bale is
turned out of the press the moveable cheeks X, X, X, X, are closed, and the
twin carriages run in and hooked to their places, and the plunger and table of
the press being down and plates Y, Y, thrust in by their spiral cams the trunk
is ready to receive another charge of cotton or other fibrous material, the press
being equally applicable for pressing cotton, fibrous materials, and hay. In
place of using an hydraulic press or presses in combination with screw power'
for working the moveable sides of the trunk, the table of the press may be
worked by steam power, by screw, by rack and pinion, or by levers, in com-
moons of moving the sides

page_text: and moving down out of the way of the workmen whilst they are putting the
hoops on to it. The mode of securing and releasing the plates M, M, after
the bale has been formed is as follows:-The head of the press R is formed
of such width as to overlap the top edges of the plates M, M, and thus
embraces them when they are moved up into their places, but instead of the
surfaces in contact with the back edges of the plates being vertical, they are
made somewhat inclined or wedge-formed, so that if the plates are moved
down at all they become loosened from their places, and can easily be removed,
or bolts or catches may be used such as are shown at Q, Q, or any other kind
of fastening may be substituted. The lower edges of the plates M, M, are
kept in place by screws 8, 8, 8, 8, (provided with handles z, z, z, z,) screwing
through lugs on the pillars S, S, S, S, and the bottom edges of these plates lap
over the top edges of the plates M', M', so as to add to their strength, and
their weight is balanced or nearly so by chains and balance weights, and being
hung rather, behind the centre of gravity, they naturally tilt out at the bottom
as soon as the screws 8, 8, 8, s, are relieved, and when they so tilt out at the.
bottom edges they can descend easily, and thus relieve the top edges from
under the overlap of the head R, and can then be run down by pulling at the
chains so as to get them clear out of the way of the workmen whilst they are
finishing the bale.
The cheeks
J, J, to the
The cross heads G, G, are in this arrangement not mounted on carriages,
but are fixtures, and they are connected together, and to the plates M', M',
by the tie bars H, H, and are fixed to the bottom plates J, J.
X, X, X, X, are fixtures, and are also fastened to the plates
cross heads G, G, and to the pillars S, S, S, S, thus with the ends Y, Y, and
plates P, P, completing the trunk. The plates P, P, are hinged to the cross
heads G, G, or head R, or sides X, X, and are opened wide to allow of the
cotton being quickly thrown in from an upper floor, and packed into the
trunk, whilst the moveable ends Y, Y, are most distant the one from the
other. When the trunk is filled, the plates P, P, are closed and fastened
down, and the moveable ends Y, Y, are set up by the screws and wheels, &c.,
or by other mechanical means, and when completely in, they are secured by
the latches Q, Q, and the table V is then caused to rise by a bydraulic press
or presses, or by mechanical means, such as before mentioned in reference to
Drawings A, when the cotton will be pressed ready for hooping. The screws
8, 8, 8, 8, are next released, the plates M, M, lowered, and the bale then
hooped, when the ends Y, Y, are screwed back, the table V lowered, and the
bale taken out.
Figure 10 represents another mode of mounting the moveable plates M, M,

page_text: viz., by hinges attached to the head R of the press; balance weights are to
be attached to them to support them when open, and to enable the workmen
to open them with greater ease; they are to be secured when down by
catches, screws, or other means.
t
Figure 11 represents a mode of setting up the moveable ends by means of
pistons working in steam cylinders A¹; this plan is particularly applicable
when steam power is in use on the same premises, as the quantity of steam
required is not very great, and the action is very quick.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS C, SHEET 5.
Figure 1 shows a side elevation; Figure 2, a front elevation; and Figure 3,
a plan in section of so much of a press worked by hydraulic power, having
our Invention applied thereto, as will enable a workman readily to understand
our improvements. In this arrangement, two sides of the trunk are made to
move so as to enlarge the sectional area, and such two sides are arranged to:
be acted on by two hydraulic rams, in order that when the trunk has been
charged in the ordinary manner with cotton or fibrous matter, the dimensions
of the trunk shall be reduced so as to correspond with the plunger or piston
of the press.
A, A, are the two fixed sides of the trunk of the press; B, B, are the
moveable sides; C is the piston or plunger of the press. The two fixed sides
of the trunk of the press extend beyond the piston, and there are plates D, D,'
applied at the bottom and also at the top of the trunk by which the interior
capacity of the trunk is enlarged when the moveable sides of the trunk are
as far back as they can go, and the extent to which the sides of the trunk of
a press may be made to move may be varied.
In the arrangement of press shown in the Drawings, the sectional area of
the trunk is doubled as compared with the piston or plunger. The upper part
of the press is made with doors E, E, and the interior chamber, which is
closed by these doors, corresponds in dimensions with the piston or plunger, and
with the dimensions of the desired bale which the press is intended to produce,
The trunk of the press is charged through these doors in the ordinary manner
when the piston or plunger C is in its lowest position. The doors are then
closed and secured as heretofore, the details for doing which are not shewn in
the Drawing, as they are well understood. The rams of the two bydraulic
cylinders F, F, which act on the two moveable sides B, B, of the trunk of the
press, are, when the trunk has been charged and the doors closed, to be put
in motion, by which the moveable sides B will be moved towards each other,
and compress the cotton or fibre within the trunk till the two sides come into a

page_text: position to be locked by the lever stops G, G, or otherwise. The ram of the
hydraulic press which carries and acts on the piston or plunger C of the press
is then put in motion, and the cotton or other fibre within the trunk is
further compressed by being all brought within the upper chamber or com-
partment of the press between the doors E, E; the bale is then to be hooped
or lashed and finished in the ordinary manner, and as is well understood.
In the arrangement shown, provision is made for moving the ends of the
upper chamber or compartment of the press, as was described in the Speci-
fication of the former Patent, above mentioned, granted to David Wilson,
such movement of the sides or ends of the upper part of the trunk being
effected by the cams F, which have screw teeth on their outer peripheries for
the screws on the shafts H to work in, by which the cams formed on the
opposite side of the peripheries are caused to turn, and thus relieve or set up
the moveable ends or sides of the upper part of the press. The moveable
sides B, B, of the press are supported on wheels, and they are brought back
by means of weights on chains or cords passed over pulleys I, or such moveable
sides may be brought back in any other convenient manner. The hydraulic
press, in this arrangement, is shown to be telescopic according to the Speci-
fication of the said former Patent of David Wilson.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we would have it understood that what we claim is the
construction of trunks of presses with moveable sides, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Wilson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
D. WILSON. (L.S.)