A New or Improved Press for Hay, Straw, and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: A New or Improved Press for Hay, Straw, and the like.
I, EDWIN HENRY PHILLIPS, of Hawkesyard Park Farm, Rugeley, Stafford-
shire, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to a new or improved press for hay, straw and the like, the
object being to provide a portable device of simple construction which shall
efficiently fulfil all the requirements of a press for this purpose, while it can be
arranged so as to allow of the truss of hay, straw, or the like being weighed upon
the said device, without it being necessary to shift it about as has hitherto been
necessary, further my improved press does not contain parts that are readily liable
to get out of order, and, it is extremely strong and very simple to operate.
In carrying my invention into practical effect, I provide a frame-work of wood
or other suitable material fitted or provided with two shafts, an upper and a lower
one, the latter passing completely through the frame and being arranged beneath
the table or platform designed to support the truss, while being pressed. This lower
or main shaft is fitted with a strong ratchet wheel and a band lever of sufficient
length for operating same, while it further carries at each end a chain wheel
connected or gearing by means of suitable chains with corresponding wheels mounted
upon the upper shaft.
The pressure beam which is furnished or fitted with cross pieces or bars at right
angles so as to afford a sufficiently large bearing surface, is connected to the chains
by a strong steel bolt or bolts, so that upon the truss being placed upon the plat-
form it is only necessary to operate the aforesaid ratchet wheel by means of the
hand lever, when the gear wheels carried by the main shaft are revolved, thereby
operating the chain which passes over the upper chain wheel, and drawing down
the pressure beam for pressing the truss as required. When this operation has been
carried to a sufficient extent, the ratchet mechanism is thrown out of gear with the
aforesaid chain wheel, thereby freeing the said wheels and allowing the pressure
beam to rise automatically by reason of suitable weights secured to the other side
of the chain. Two different qualities of chain are preferably employed viz.:
a strong heavy chain designed to take the strain while the truss is being
pressed and a lighter chain secured to the end of same for the purpose of raising
the pressure beam, and to which the aforesaid weights are secured.
In connection with my improved pressing machine I may arrange a suitable
device for weighing the truss when in position, in this case a hoisting lever is
pulled down and secured, which suspends the truss until the proper weight is made
up when the lever is released which allows the truss to descend upon the pressure
table or platform, when the pressure beam is preferably drawn down into contact
with same and the ratchet mechanism is thrown into gear with the chain wheels by
means of any suitable clutch arrangement, when the necessary pressure is applied
by means of the aforesaid lever.
The machine is also fitted or furnished with a twine box of sufficient size designed
to keep the twine dry and apart from the hay, and when the latter is to be used for
tying, it is drawn through holes in the lid of the box.
The machine is mounted upon two wheels and furnished or fitted with a pair of

page_text: shafts for removing the machine from place to place as required, while two legs are
provided of the same height as the axle of the aforesaid wheels for the purpose of
supporting the machine.
As my improvements are capable of some modifications without departing from
the principle thereof, I do not restrict myself to materials, dimensions, or to the
precise form or placement of the several parts thereof.
Dated this 7th in- of I-11000
F. G. CASSELL
(Of Cassell & Co.),
22, Glasshouse Street, Regent Street, London, W.,
Agent for the Applicant.
1, EDWIN HENRY PHILLIPS, of Hawkesyard Park Farm, Rugeley, Stafford-
shire, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
My invention consists of the new or improved press for compressing or trussing
hay straw and the like, the parts of which press are constructed and arranged or
combined and worked in the manner hereinafter described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings the said invention having for its objects to construct a press
which while being readily portable, that is to say, may be transferred from place
to place, possesses great.strength and is easy to operate and the parts are not liable
to get out of order. Further, by my invention, the hay, straw or the like to be
weighted may be weighed without the use of a separate weighing machine.
In the accompanying drawings
Figures 1 and 2 represent respectively in side elevation and plan the new or
improved press constituting my invention; Figures 3 and 4 represent front
elevations of the same (both partly in section), Figure 3 showing the press before
the hay is compressed and Figure 4 showing the same after the compressing of
the hay;
Figure 5 represents a vertical section on the line x, x Figure 2 (parts being
broken away) and
Figure 6 represents a horizontal section on the line y, y Figure 1.
Figure 7 represents a part of Figure 1 detached.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of
the drawings.
I fix to a horizontal frame a, a supported at one end on wheels b, b and at the
other end by legs c, c and at each side of the said frame a, a, a pair of vertical
uprights or posts a¹, a¹ having a cross piece a³ at top.
In bearings on the frame a, a I mount a cross shaft d hereinafter referred to as
the lower or primary shaft and in bearings on the cross pieces a², a² I mount an
upper or secondary shaft e. In the guide ways formed between each of the pairs
of uprights a', a' I arrange the ends of a crossing beam f the said crossing beam
carrying a series of pressure bars f, f, fat right angles to the said beam f
The said crossing beam is carried by gear or endless chains g, g (indicated in
dotted lines) passing at top over chain wheels h, on the upper or secondary
shaft e and at bottom under chain wheels h, h on the lower or primary shaft d, the
two ends of the chains being connected to weights i, i which are more than
sufficient to counterbalance the weight of the crossing beam f and its pressure
bars f,ff.

page_text: The lower or primary shaft d and chain wheels h, h thereon are capable of
being rotated by a long hand lever k carrying a weighted pawl kel which engages
with a ratchet wheel turning loosely on the primary shaft d, the back motion of
the ratchet wheel being prevented by a spring pawl m. The loose ratchet wheel /
has on its inner side the "he" or "male" part of the clutch by which clutch
the loose ratchet wheel is geared with the chain wheel h fixed on the shaft d.
The two parts of the clutch are thrown into and out of gear by moving in one
or other direction the hand lever n by the action of which the ratchet wheel and
operating lever k are made to slide on the lower or primary shaft d until the two
parts of the clutch are thrown into or out of gear. The clutch is shown out of
action in Figures 2 and 3 and in action in Figures 4 and 6.
The bay, straw or the like to be compressed is placed on a table or platform p
supported on the frame a, a the said platform being connected by rods p², p² to a
spring balance 9 suspended from one end of a lever r situated at the middle of
and turning on the upper or secondary shaft e. In the normal position of the
lever represented in Figures 1 and 5 the platform p rests on the frame a, a but
when the lever r is turned in the manner hereinafter described into the position
indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1 the platform p is raised into the dotted
position indicated in Figure 3 and the weight of the platform and the hay, straw
or the like thereon is thrown on and indicated by the balance 7. The platform in
its rising and falling motion is guided by the bolts p3, p3 working through eyes p', p
on the frame a. The platform p is raised by turning a lever s downwards from
its normal or nearly horizontal position into a vertical position, in which position
it can be temporarily fixed by a clutch (see Figures 3 and 4). The hand lever s
is geared or connected to the lever by means of a gear chain connected at one
end to a chain wheels on the axis of the lever s and at its other end to the tail
or rear end of the lever r the intermediate part of the gear chain passing first
over the chain wheel u and then under the chain wheel ». A box w is placed on
the part of the frame a, a situated nearly over the axis of the wheels b, b for the
reception of balls z, z, z of twine cord or string for the binding and tying of the
hay, straw or the like after it has been trussed or compressed.
The press is used as follows;-
The twine, cord or string is drawn through holes w¹, w' in the box w and is
arranged in slots p', p', p' in the platform p. A quantity of hay, straw or the like
to be trussed is placed upon the platform p and the said hay or the like by turning
the levers into its vertical position is weighed. If the quantity of hay or the like
is not of the desired weight more is added until the desired weight is obtained.
The lever is then turned into its normal or nearly horizontal position so as to
lower the platform p on to the frame a; the twine or cord z, z, z is then passed over
the hay and the beam and pressure bars f', f', f' are brought down on to the top
of the hay or the like to be compressed by operating the chain g by hand. The
ratchet and ratchet lever k are then thrown into gear with the chain wheel and
the said chain wheel is rotated by the raising and depressing of the said lever k.
By the rotation of the chain wheel h the beam f and pressure bars f' are brought
further down and made to compress the hay, straw or the like between themselves
and the fixed platform p. When the desired compression has been effected the
cords or strings are tied and separated from the balls of cord or twine in the box w
and the ratchet wheel I and lever k are thrown out of gear with the chain wheel h
in consequence of which the beam fand pressure bars f' are automatically raised
by the descent of the weights i, i. On the removal of the truss thus made the
press is again ready for use. By attaching a pair of horizontal or nearly horizontal
horse shafts (not shown in the drawings) to the uprights a', a¹ the press may be
transferred on its wheels b, b to any place where it may be required for use
or to be stored.
I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the arrangement of parts
described and illustrated for gearing the hand levers with the weighing lever ras
the said levers may be geared by any equivalent mechanism; such for example, as

page_text: an intermediate lever turning on a fulcrum on one of the uprights a¹ being
connected by links to the levers 3 and r.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that I claim
as my invention ;-
First. The new or improved press for hay straw and the like hereinbefore
described and represented in the accompanying drawings, the said press consisting
essentially of a horizontal base frame having at each side a pair of uprights
constituting guides for a rising and falling cross beam carrying the pressure bars
of the press, the said cross beam being operated by endless chains working on chain
wheels on shafts situated respectively at the top and bottom of the press, the said
endless chains being connected on the one side to the said cross beam and on the
other side to weights which automatically raise the cross beam when it is free to
move, the several parts of the press being constructed, arranged or combined and
worked substantially as hereinbefore described and' illustrated.
Secondly. The combination with a press for hay, straw and the like of the kind
hereinbefore described and claimed in the prior claim, of a platform for receiving
the hay, straw or the like the said platform being capable of a slight rising and
falling motion and being connected at top to a spring balance for indicating the
weight of the hay, straw or the like ou the platform the said balance being
connected to a lever by which the platform is raised, the said lever being operated
substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Thirdly. In a press for compressing hay, straw or the like the combination with
the driving chain wheel h, which operates the endless chains carrying the cross
beam and pressure bars of the press, of a hand lever k, weighted pawl k¹ and ratchet
wheel which are capable of being thrown into and out of gear with the said
driving chain wheel by the engagement and disengagement of a clutch / the
sliding part of which is carried by the ratchet wheel 7 and operates substantially as
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Thirty-first day of March 1897.
EDWIN HENRY PHILLIPS.