IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Brown Wilson, of 10, Strand, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, and John Imray, of 190, Westminster
Bridge Road, in the County of Surrey. Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES."
Sealed the 3rd May 1864, and dated the 23rd November 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Brown Wilson
and John Imray at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 23rd November 1863.
We, EDWARD BROWN WILSON, of 10, Strand, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, and JOHN IMRAY, of 190, Westminster Bridge Road, in the County
of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain peculiar constructions and arrangements of
presses for pressing metals and other substances; whereby a moderate pressure
or a blow if required may be brought to act upon the substance or surface to
be pressed, which is followed up by a more powerful pressure.
According to one mode of carrying out this Invention it is proposed to
combine a steam cylinder with a hydraulic press, the ram of which press is
fixed whilst the cylinder is moveable and connected by means of side rods
with a cross head on the piston rod of the steam cylinder. The interior of the
hydraulic cylinder is connected by suitable pipes or passages with a' cistern
containing liquid and with a set of force pumps, the communication between
the hydraulic cylinder and the cistern being opened or closed by a cock or
valve, whilst the pumps will always remain in communication with the cylinder.
Price 8d.1

page_text: In commencing to use this combined press the cock or valve above referred
to is opened and the hydraulic cylinder is then lifted by the action of the steam
cylinder, the liquid in the hydraulic cylinder escaping into the cistern. When
the article has been adjusted for receiving pressure, the hydraulic cylinder is
made to descend, either by its own gravity or by the action of the steam cylinder
combined therewith, the liquid filling the hydraulic cylinder as it descends; the
cock or valve is then closed and the pumps complete the pressure.
According to another arrangemement of press it is proposed to combine with
the steam and hydraulic cylinders herein-before referred to, toggle or knee joints,
worked by a separate and independant steam cylinder or cylinders, in substi-
tution for the force pumps of the hydraulic press referred to in the arrangement
first described. These toggle joints are connected at one end to the hydraulic
cylinder and at the other end to a sliding block which imparts the desired
pressure. The steam cylinder or cylinders, which work the toggle joints are
carried upon a movable frame, so as to rise and fall with the hydraulic cylinder
and pressing block. In this press the whole of the pressure is given by
means of the toggle joints, the hydraulic cylinder serving as a moveable or
self-adjusting resisting bearing, the liquid from the cistern entering the
hydraulic cylinder and keeping the same filled in proportion as the compression
of the article proceeds. A safety valve is adapted to the hydraulic cylinder to
prevent the escape of the liquid therefrom during the application of the
pressure, except when such pressure exceeds that under which the toggle joints
are capable of acting. To facilitate the introduction of heavy articles into
these presses trucks or carriages may be employed, running on rails or trams
on the bed of the press. Or if preferred a revolving bed or turntable may be
adapted to the press, upon which the articles can be adjusted carefully and then
turned under the press. The presses herein-before described may be worked
either vertically, horizontally, or at any convenient angle, and may be provided
with two or more sets of steam and hydraulic cylinders if desired.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Brown Wilson and John Imray in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 23rd May 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, EDWARD
BROWN WILSON, of 10, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, and
JOHN IMRAY, of 190, Westminster Bridge Road, in the County of Surrey,
Engineer, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for. Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said Edward Brown Wilson and John Imray, Her special license that
we, the said Edward Brown Wilson and John Imray, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Edward Brown Wilson and
John Imray, our executors, administrators, or 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," upon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Edward Brown Wilson and
John Imray, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of them or us,
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 we, the said Edward Brown Wilson and John Imray,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings.
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:
Our said Invention relates to certain peculiar constructions and arrange-
ments of presses for pressing metals and other substances, whereby a moderate
pressure, or a blow, if required, may be brought to act upon the substance or
surface to be pressed, which is followed up by a more powerful pressure.
According to one mode of carrying out this Invention it is proposed to
combine a steam cylinder with a bydraulic press, the ram of which press is
fixed, whilst the cylinder is moveable and connected by means of side rods with
The interior of the
a cross head on the piston rod of the steam cylinder.
hydraulic cylinder is connected by suitable pipes or passages with a cistern
containing liquid and with a set of force pumps, the communication between
the hydraulic cylinder and the cistern being opened or closed by a cock or
valve, whilst the pumps will always remain in communication with the
cylinder. In commencing to use this combined press the cock or valve above
referred to is opened, and the hydraulic cylinder is then lifted by the action of
the steam cylinder, the liquid in the hydraulic cylinder escaping into the

page_text: cistern. When the article has been adjusted for receiving pressure the
hydraulic cylinder is made to descend, either by its own gravity or by the action
of the steam cylinder combined therewith, the liquid filling the hydraulic
cylinder as it descends; the cock or valve is then closed, and the pumps com-
plete the pressure.
According to another arrangement of press it is proposed to combine with
the steam and hydraulic cylinders, herein-before referred to, toggle or knee
joints worked by a separate and independent steam cylinder or cylinders in
substitution for the force pumps of the hydraulic press referred to in the
arrangement first described. These toggle joints are connected at one end to
the hydraulic cylinder or to a frame attached thereto, and at the other end to
a sliding block, which imparts the desired pressure. The steam cylinder or
cylinders which work the toggle joints are carried upon a moveable frame, so
as to rise and fall with the hydraulic cylinder and pressing block. In this press
the whole of the pressure is given by means of the toggle joints, the hydraulic
cylinder serving as a moveable or self-adjusting resisting bearing; the liquid
from the cistern entering the hydraulic cylinder and keeping the same filled
in proportion as the compression of the article proceeds. A safety valve is
adapted to the hydraulic cylinder to prevent the escape of the liquid therefrom
during the application of the pressure, except when such pressure exceeds that
under which the toggle joints are capable of acting. To facilitate the introduc-
tion of heavy articles into these presses trucks or carriages may be employed
running on rails or trams on the bed of the press. Or, if preferred, a re-
volving bed or turntable may be adapted to the press, upon which the articles
can be adjusted carefully and then turned under the press. The presses,
herein-before described, may be worked either vertically, horizontally, or at
any convenient angle, and may be provided with two or more sets of steam
and hydraulic cylinders if desired.
And in order that our said Invention may be fully understood, we shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose we
shall refer to the several Figures on the two Sheets of Drawings hereunto
annexed, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout
all the Figures.
Figure 1 on Sheet 1. of our Drawings represents a vertical section of a
press constructed according to our Invention.
a is a fixed lower frame or bed supporting a block, anvil, or lower mould a¹;
b is a fixed upper framing, hollowed internally to form a cistern, and sup-
porting a steam cylinder c; the piston rod of this cylinder has a cross head
and two side rods d, d, suspending a hydraulic cylinder e, to the bottom of

page_text: which is attached a vertically sliding frame fitted with a striker block or
upper mould f. The ram e of the hydraulic cylinder is fixed to the upper
framing b, and is tubular; g is a valve box, having a passage g¹ conununi-
cating with the interior of the ram e', and a passage communicating with
the cistern in b; a valve b' is interposed between these passages, and kept
down by a weighted lever or other suitable means, like a safety valve.
Another passage forms a communication between the valve box g and the
discharge pipe from a set of force pumps situated in any convenient place, and
worked by any suitable power; g' is a passage of communication from the
cistern in b to the suction pipe of the same pumps. Although the side rods
d, d, are represented in the Drawing as broken off they are not really so, but
pass directly down, the valve box and passages being arranged so as to clear
them laterally. The force pumps being put in action draw water or other
liquid by the passage g' from the cistern b, and force it through the passage g
into the valve box g, and thence when the valve is kept down by the passage
g' into the hydraulic cylinder e; or if the valve be raised the liquid passes by
the channel into the cistern b; the pressure produced in the cylinder e
being regulated by the load on the valve in g. In working the apparatus the
valve is lifted, so that the liquid is free to pass into the cistern without
increasing the pressure in the cylinder e; steam is admitted by a suitable
cock, valve, or slide under the piston of the steam cylinder c, and the piston.
cross head, and side rods d, d, being thus caused to rise lift the frame and
its mould f, and also the hydraulic cylinder e, the liquid contained in it
passing through the valve box g into the cistern b.
frame and mould space is afforded for placing any object to be pressed
upon the block a¹. The steam is then cut off and allowed to escape from the
under side of the piston in the cylinder c, and if required admitted to the
upper side, so that the hydraulic cylinder descends and brings the mould or
upper block f to bear on the object to be pressed, the liquid flowing freely
through the valve box from the cistern into the hydraulic cylinder e. The
valve in g is then to be loaded down, and the force pumps continuing in
action the hydraulic cylinder and mould fare caused to press upon the
object laid on a¹ for such time as may be desirable, after which, the valve in' g
being again raised, the operation is repeated. As the whole strain of the
pressure is thus exerted between the bottom frame a and the upper frame b.
those two parts are tied firmly together by side framing or bars, which are
not indicated on the Drawing, in order to avoid confusion of parts, and which
serve also to guide the vertical ascent and descent of the hydraulic cylinder e
and the frame f attached thereto.
By the lifting of the

page_text: Figure 2 (Sheet II.) represents a vertical section, and Figure 3 (Sheet II.)
an elevation of a press arranged so as to dispense with the force pump.
a is the bed, and b is the top frame tied together by the bars b', b', or by
any other suitable framing. a' is the lower block, anvil, or mould mounted on
the bed a. The upper frame bis hollowed internally to form a cistern, as already
described; c is a steam cylinder, with piston, cross head, and side rods d, d.
attached to a hydraulic cylinder e fitted with a tubular ram e', the interior of
which communicates with the cistern in b by a valve box g fitted with two
valves v, v¹, the lower one of which is free to open, so as to give passage to
against its passage downwards. The upper
liquid upwards, but closes
valve opens in the same way. but is connected to a lever by which it
can either be pressed down or raised. is a sliding frame attached to the
bottom of the hydraulic cylinder e, and h, h, are two horizontal steam cylinders
fixed thereto, or there might be only one, but two are represented as a more
symmetrical arrangement. The piston rods of the cylinders are rigidly con-
nected together, and at their junction are jointed to the end of a lever or
levers, the lower end of which is jointed to a sliding frame 1, working
on suitable guides, to which frame is attached an upper mould or block 1':
m, m, are two levers or links jointed to the frame and to the centre of
the levers k, and n, n, are two other links jointed to the frame and to
the centre of the levers k. The levers and the links m and n may be
increased in number side by side according as greater strength is required,
forming a system of toggle joint put in action by the steam cylinders h, h,
which being fitted with suitable cocks, slides, or valves, may be worked by
hand or rendered self-acting by apparatus such as is usually employed in
steam hammers. As these steam cylinders h, h, are also intended to rise or
descend vertically, the steam pipes communicating with them are fitted with
trunion or telescopic joints or have flexible parts to permit of their movement
without escape of steam. For working the apparatus the upper valve in g
being unloaded and steam admitted under the piston of c, the hydraulic
cylinder e, with its bottom frame f. steam cylinders h, toggle joints k, m, n,
and lower sliding frame 1, and block 1'. are all raised so as to give space for
placing the object to be pressed upon the lower block a', the liquid in the
meanwhile escaping from the hydraulic cylinder e through the middle passage
of the valve box g, into the cistern in b. When the object to be pressed has
been placed on a', the steam is cut off and allowed to escape from the lower
side of the piston in c, and if required steam is admitted above the piston.
At the same time the upper valve in g is loaded, and the pistons of the steam
cylinders h, h, are put in reciprocating motion by the admission of steam.

page_text: The cylinder e and parts attached to it then descend so as to bring the upper
block or mould to bear on the object to be pressed, and liquid flows from the
cistern b through the outer passage p of the valve hose g, and past the lower
valve to supply the cylinder e during its descent. The reciprocating movements
of the pistons in h, h, causing the toggle joints to vibrate from side to side
alternately shorten and lengthen the distance between the frames and I.
When this distance is shortened the frame, with the hydraulic cylinder c.
descends, and liquid flowing into the latter from the cistern, and being
prevented from returning by the valves in g, acts as a ratchet to prevent the
subsequent ascent of the cylinder. when the distance between f and I is again
increased by the toggle joints coming to their central position. Such increase
of distance is therefore attained only by the downward movements of the
frame 1, and the mold or block 1'. bearing on the object to be pressed. The
upper valve in g is loaded to the pressure required to be exerted, but such
pressure should never be so great as to prevent the toggle joints passing their
central position, which they are permitted to do when the object between 1
and is incapable of further compression by a portion of the liquid passing
out of the cylinder 1. and past the loaded valve into the cistern b. and thus
permitting the cylinder to rise proportionally to the escape.
In this, as well as in the apparatus represented in Figure 1 (Sheet I.), we
prefer to make the ram fixed and the hydraulic cylinder moveable, and to form
the top of the cylinder like a cup or basin, as shewn in the Drawings, because
we thus obtain the advantage of the weight of the cylinder in downward
pressure, we avoid the running down of liquid, which might occur from
leakage at the collar of the ram if the cylinder were inverted, and in the event
of any leakage actually taking place, the liquid that escapes is retained in the
basin, and on the subsequent descent of the cylinder is forced back into it by
the atmospheric pressure. Although in both cases we have for the sake of
simplicity represented and described only a single hydraulic cylinder and ram,
yet when great pressures are required several of these may be arranged side
by side, and in connection, and other parts can be repeated, as may be readily
understood. When the objects to be pressed are large and heavy we mount.
them on trucks and lay suitable rails or trans on either side of the bottom
frame a, and wheel them into their position for receiving the pressure. Or
when numerous objects of the same kind have to be brought successively
under the pressure, we find it convenient to mount a turntable marked by
dotted lines o in Figure 3 (Sheet II.), on one of the side bars of the apparatus
as on a vertical axis, and putting thereon the required moulds or dies along
with the objects to be pressed, turn them successively under the pressing

page_text: frame by the rotation of the turntable.
In cases where only moderate
pressure is required, as in rivetting, forging small pieces, or similar operations.
we find it convenient to apply the system of toggle joints worked by steam
cylinders as above described without the hydraulic press.
Figure 4 (Sheet I.) represents a section of a rivetting apparatus arranged
in this manner; p is a steam cylinder fitted with suitable cock. valves, or
slide for alternately admitting steam above and below the piston; is a system
of toggle joints worked as above described by the piston rod; r is a slide, and
s a fixed die. A gap is formed in the framing, so that plates to be rivetted
can be suspended with the rivet between the faces of r and s. By this arrange-
ment the upward stroke of the piston gradually causes r to approach & until
the toggle joints attain their central position, and thus presses the rivet; the
remaining half of the stroke, which by suitable arrangement of the steam valve
may be effected by the expansion of the steam in the cylinder, causes
recede from s. and thus gives room for moving the plates and introducing
a fresh rivet. The down stroke of the piston performs the same operation, and
so on repeatedly.
to
is
is
Figure 5 (Sheet I.) represents a section of an apparatus in which the toggle
joints worked by steam are applied for small forgings or like purposes;
the steam cylinder: u. the toggle joints; v, a sliding frame, mould, die, or
bottom tool: 16, a mould, die, or top tool, also made to slide, and connected
with a screw r, working in a nut fixed in the framing which has a wheel or
handle, so that it can be turned by hand. The object to be forged or pressed
being introduced between and we, and the steam piston and toggle joints
being put in reciprocating motion by the admission of steam, the screw
gradually turned by hand, so as to depress the top mould, tool, or die we, as
the object between 1 and gradually yields to the successive pressures
brought upon it. It will be observed that the mode of acting directly on the
toggle joints described with reference to Figures 2 and 3 (Sheet II.), and
Figures 4 and 5 (Sheet I.) by the piston rod of a steam cylinder. avoids the
necessity for any guide or connecting rod to the piston, the system of joints
constituting in itself a species of parallel motion and guiding the piston rod in
a right line.
1
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, we would observe in conclusion that what we consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general arrangement and combination of apparatus for pressing

page_text: metals and other substances, as herein-before described and illustrated by our
Drawings.
Second, the application and use to and in the pressing of metals and other
substances of a steam cylinder and piston combined with a hydraulic ram
and cylinder, cistern, force pumps and valves, substantially as herein-before
described and illustrated by our Drawings.
Third, the application and use to and in the pressing of metals and other
substances of a steam cylinder and piston combined with a hydraulic ram and
cylinder, cistern valve, and toggle joints, such toggle joints being worked by
direct steam pressure, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated
by our Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Brown Wilson, on behalf of
myself and the said John Imray, have hereunto set my hand and seal,
the Twentieth day of May, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
four.
EDWP. B. WILSON. (L.S.)