IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM AND HYDRAULIC PRESSES
Year: 1873

page_text: Flled 12th April 1077.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN FISHER
TAYLOR, of Charleston, State of South Carolina, United States of America, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Royal Letters
Patent bearing date the Third day of April, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-three, and numbered 1241, did for Herself, Her heirs, and successors, give
and grant unto Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, Her special license, that he, the said Alexander Melville
Clark, his executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as he the said
Alexander Melville Clark, his 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 of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM AND
HYDRAULIC PRESSES," a communication to him from abroad by me, the said John
Fisher Taylor, upon the condition (amongst others) that he, the said Alexander
Melville Clark, by an instrument in writing under his hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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 :
And whereas the said Alexander Melville Clark, by an instrument in writing
under his hand and seal, did declare the nature of the said Invention and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and caused the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the Seventeenth day of July, One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-three;
And whereas by an Indenture of Assignment, bearing date the Twelfth day of
July, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, made between the said
Alexander Melville Clark of the one part, and myself, the said John Fisher Taylor,
of the other part, the said Letters Patent and Invention, and all and singular
the rights and privileges thereby granted, became and are now absolutely vested in
me the, said John Fisher Taylor:

page_text: And whereas since the filing of the said Specification I have been advised that
the second claiming clause of my said Specification may be capable of such a con-
struction as would render the claim too general and extensive, and that the subject
matter of the third claim of the said Specification is of doubtful novelty:
And whereas doubts have also arisen as to whether the device covered by the
fifth claim forms proper subject matter for Letters Patent: I am therefore desirous
of altering the said second claim, and disclaining the said third and fifth claims of
my said Specification, and in order that the numbers of the claims may follow con-
secutively, of altering the number of the fourth claim, so that it shall read as the
third claim, as herein-after more fully appearing.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Fisher Taylor, by and with the leave of
Her Majesty's Attorney-General, and for the reasons aforesaid, do disclaim and
alter parts of the claims of the Invention as contained in the said Specification in
manner following:-
I strike out the word "The" which occurs on line seven of page 11 of the
Queen's Printers' copy of the said Specification, published in One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-three, and substitute therefor the words "In applying hy-
draulic pressure in the manner before mentioned the." I also strike out the words
and letter commencing "3rdly. The external chamber y," and the following words
down to and including the words "against the cylinder, heads," which occur on
lines 11, 12 and 13 of the same page 11 of the said Queen's Printers' copy. I also
strike out the word "4thly" which occurs on line 14 of the same page 11 of the
said Queen's Printers' copy and substitute therefore the word 3rdly." I also.
strike out the words and letters commencing "5thly. The valve and the fol
lowing words and letters down to and including the words "for the purpose set
forth which occurs on lines 17, 18 and 19 of the same page 11 of the said Queen's'
Printers' copy.
.
"
And in order that the effect of the said Disclaimer and Memorandum of Alter-
ation may be better understood, I annex hereto a copy of the said Specification as
it will appear when so altered and amended, the preamble and testing clause being :
omitted.
This Invention relates to a press for cotton or any other material in which the
platen is operated by the introduction beneath the rams of oil or some other liquid
under pressure communicated to said liquid by the pistons of steam cylinders, and
in which the platen is lowered by its own weight and the expansion of the material
compressed, both acting through the medium of the liquid upon the pistons which
are permitted to yield by the opening of valves in the ends of the cylinders in rear
of the pistons through which steam escapes before the returning pistons, the pistons
acting upon the platen alternately, one to impart the initial pressure and the other
the finishing pressure, the piston that imparts the initial pressure being operated, by
the exhaust steam of the other cylinder or with live steam, which steam having
then done all that is required of it is discharged into the atmosphere, and the piston
that imparts the finishing pressure being operated by live steam from the boiler,
which steam is subsequently discharged into the other cylinder, there to com-
municate another initial pressure to the platen.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the press and liquid connecting pipe with an end
elevation of the liquid chambers.
Figure 2 is an end elevation of the press.
Figure 3 is a plan view of the steam cylinders, liquid chambers, and liquid
connecting pipes, with a transverse horizontal section of the rams.
Tint in a sida
Ր
1
1 i

page_text: which admit steam to and exhaust it from the cylinder with a side elevation of the
rock shafts and wipers by which said valves are operated; Figure 7 is a transverse
sectional elevation of the end of the liquid chamber f and of the check valve.
therein.
same; Figure 8 is a sectional elevation of the
Figure 9 is a sectional elevation of the end of liquid chamber e, and of the safety
valve therein, and Figure 10 is a sectional elevation of either of the steam cylinders
and of the rock shaft, together with a side elevation of one of the toes in the valve
stem, and of certain of the wipers on the rock shaft, and of the hand lever and of
the rod that passes through the cylinder head, and is caused by the piston to operate
the hand lever.
A is a press of ordinary construction, except as herein-after specified, having a
lower platen B which operates by moving upward. To the lower side of the
platen B are attached in any suitable manner the upper ends of two vertical solid
cylinders or rams a, Figures 1 and 3, which are inclosed in cases b secured in the
press frame, each case having a cylindrical bore which the ram fits closely.. Into the
bottoms of said bores pipes c open (one pipe to each bore), which pipes are branches
extending from the lower end of an inclined tube d, the upper extremity of which
is connected by branches e¹, f¹, with the nearest ends. of horizontal chambers e, f,
that contain oil or other suitable liquid. At their other ends the chambers e, f, are
connected with horizontal steam cylinders g, h. From the pistons g, h, of said
cylinders, rams i, j, extend passing through stuffing boxes in the ends of the
cylinders, and entering respectively the chambers e, f, the interiors of which said
rams fit closely. The chamber e and rami are of less diameter than the rams a
for a purpose herein-after explained; Cis a pipe leading from the boiler and serving
to conduct live steam direct to the valve chamber n.
Prior to any pressing operation the pistons are both at the rear ends of the
cylinders. On raising the valve 1, the valve m meantime remaining closed, live
steam flows through the induction pipe o directly to the rear of the piston gland
starts it toward the front end of the cylinder g. When the piston has reached the
front end of the cylinder, the valve is made to close by means set forth at the end
of this description, and the valve m is opened. The closing of the valve 7 shuts off
the supply of live steam that propelled the piston g¹ forward against the pressure of
the liquid in the chamber e, and the opening of the valve m enables the pressure
of the liquid to force the piston back again to the rear end of the cylinder, driving
the steam out through said valve into the pipe p that connects the valve chamber
of the two cylinders. As the inlet valve of the second chamber has thus far
remained closed, the steam ejected from the cylinder g having no other outlet passes
into the pipe q which opens into the connecting pipe and is thereby conducted into
the cylinder again, the pipe q passing along the outside of the cylinder to its front
end, where it enters the cylinder and discharges the steam which fills the whole
space in front of the piston. This is done before the pressing operation begins and
for the purpose of thoroughly warming the interior of the cylinder, so that it may
the less condense the live steam that is subsequently in the course of the pressing
operation poured into it. This having been done, the next operation is to impart
the initial pressure to the platen by starting the piston h¹ in the cylinder h, to
effect which the valve of the chamber s is opened and the steam in the cylinder g
thereby drawn back through the pipe q into the connecting pipe p, and from the
latter through the valve and induction pipe t conducted directly against 'the rear
of the piston h¹ setting the same in motion. The exhaust steam of the cylinder g
0 thus becomes the motive steam of the piston h¹, and continues to flow from one
cylinder to the other until the pressure on the two pistons is equalized; then the
valve is closed by its own weight, and if any steam still remains in front of the
piston git must be disposed of by opening a puppet valve in a pipe that leads
from the front end of the cylinder g around outside of the cylinder h to the exhaust
5 pipe u, Figure 3, and thus allow the surplus steam to escape.
As the piston moves forward it pushes the ram j through the chamber f, and

page_text: the ram consequently displaces the fluid in the chamber and forces it through the
pipe f¹, tube d, and branches c, into the bores of the cases b beneath the rams a,
which are thereby raised and lift the platen B. This movement of the platen con-
tinues until the piston h¹ either reaches the front end of the cylinder h or is stopped
by the resistance which it meets. As soon as the piston h¹ stops a check valve b
placed at the end of the chamber f and across the mouth of the pipe f¹, and which
is lifted by the flow of liquid through the latter, falls automatically. and prevents
the return of the liquid; the steam in the cylinder h remains shut up therein. To
complete the pressing operation the valve is again opened and live steam admitted
against the rear of the piston g', which is thereby forced forward in the cylinder g,
and by means of its ram i drives a second current of liquid out of the chamber e,
through the pipe c¹, tube d,, and branches c, into the bores of the cases b, from
- which current the platen B receives a fresh impulse and powerfully compresses the
material between itself and the upper platen. To relieve the pipe e¹, tube d,
branches c, if at any time the stain upon them becomes too great for their powers
of resistance, a safety valve w is placed in the upper side. of the end of the
chamber e,
which valve when raised admits the liquid into a pipe x that connects
the chamber e with the chamber f, and allows the surplus liquid to flow into the
latter.
To provide against the concussion of the pistons against the front heads of the
cylinders external chambers y are cast to the latter near their front extremities, said
chambers communicating with the interiors of the cylinders at the extreme front
ends of the latter, and also at points which are further from the front ends of the
cylinders than the pistons are wide, so that as soon as the pistons pass these points
steam flows into the chamber and passes around to the space in front of the pistons,
forming cushions between them and the cylinder heads before the pistons can come
into collision with the latter.
and
A
The initial pressure upon, the platen does not need to be as powerful as the
finishing pressure, and the ram i which applies the finishing pressure is therefore
worked by live steam, while the ram j which applies the initial pressure may be
·worked by either exhaust or live steam, as may be preferred. In addition to this
provision the ram i is made of considerably less diameter than the rams a, in order
that the pressure exerted upon the latter may be in proportion as their diameters
are greater than the diameter of the ram i. The compression of the material having
been completed it is properly tied, then the valve is closed, the valve m opened,
and the weight of the platen, together with the expansion of the material once
more causes the piston g¹ to return to the rear end of the cylinder g and the steam
in rear of the piston to pass around and fill the space in front of it, the platen
meanwhile effecting a partial descent, then the check valve and the exhaust
valve z are opened, whereupon the platen completes its descent, the liquid forcing
the ram j back through the chamber f, the piston 1, to the rear of the cylinder k,
and the steam in the latter into the atinosphere through the exhaust valve 2. The
next operation is to impart the initial pressure anew to the lower platen by
discharging the steam in the cylinder g against the rear of the piston h¹, which
'operation, together with its attendant consequences, has already been fully
described.
cnd
A
.
All the valves herein enumerated except the safety valve are operated in the
usual manner by means of rock shafts bearing wipers, which impinge upon toes on
the valve stems as the shafts are rocked to and fro by the hand levers attached to
them. The rock shaft which operates the check valve has a connecting rod which
may be hooked to the lever of either of the rock shafts A4, B; the rock shaft A*
operates the valves l, m, and 2, simultaneously; the rock shaft B operates the
valves m and r simultaneously. The diagram in Figure 4 shows the various
positions of the rock shafts; at A¹ the valves l, m, z, and the check valve are
closed;
at A the same valves are open; at A³ the valve is closed, and the valves
mand and the check valve are open; at B¹ the valves and are closed, and at

page_text: The
B2 they are open. The shaft A has three wipers which operate respectively the
valves l, m, and; the shaft B has one wiper which operates the valve 1.
cylinders g, h, are provided with rods passing through stuffing boxes in their rear
heads and jointed to the hand levers. As the pistons strike the front ends of said
rods the latter are thrown back so as to cause the hand levers to turn the rock
shafts far enough to close the exhaust valves m and successively, and thus stop
the escape of steam at a time when enough is left to form cushions, which prevent
the pistons from coming forcibly into collision with the cylinder heads.
Having described the nature of the Invention and the manner in which the same
is to be performed; I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The method herein described of raising the platen by hydraulic pressure,.
when the latter is applied directly from the pistons of steam engines through the
medium of their piston rods of unequal diameter, substantially as described.
Secondly. In applying hydraulic pressure in the manner before mentioned; the
method herein described of passing live steam that has been used for one propulsion
of the piston of a steam cylinder around from the rear to the front of the piston,
and 'then passing it to another cylinder to operate the piston therein.
Thirdly. The method herein described of raising the platen by an initial hydraulic
pressure applied with exhaust or live steam, and a completing hydraulic pressure
applied with live steam.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jolin Fisher Taylor, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of March, in the year. of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
I hereby grant my fiat giving leave to the above-named John Fisher Taylor,
the Assignee of the above in part recited Letters Patent which were granted to the
herein-before named Alexander Melville Clark, to file in the Great Seal Patent
Office, with the Specification to which the same relates, the above-written Disclaimer
and Memorandum of Alteration.

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM AND HYDRAULIC PRESSES."-A communi-
cation from abroad by John Fisher Taylor, of Charleston, State of
South Carolina. United States of America.¨¨
;
Sealed the 8th July 1873, and dated the 3rd April 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville
. Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 3rd April 1873.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
5 of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM AND HYDRAULIC PRESSES," to be as
: follows:-
This Invention relates to a press for cotton or any other material
in which the platen is operated by the introduction beneath the rams
o of oil or some other liquid under pressure, communicated to said liquid

page_text: by the pistons of steam cylinders, and in which the platen is lowered
by its own weight and the expansion of the material compressed, both
acting through the medium of the liquid upon the pistons, which are
permitted to yield by the opening of valves in the ends of the cylinders
in rear of the pistons through which the steam escapes before the
returning pistons; the pistons acting upon the platen alternately (one
to impart the initial pressure, and the other the finishing pressure);
the piston which imparts the initial pressure being operated by the
exhaust steam of the other cylinder, or with live steam, which steam
having then done all that is required of it is discharged into the atmo-
sphere, and the piston that imparts the finishing pressure being operated
by live steam from the boiler, which steam is subsequently discharged
into the other cylinder, there to communicate another initial pressure
to the platen.
The accompanying Drawing represents a plan view of the steam
cylinders, liquid chambers, and liquid connecting pipes, with a trans-
verse horizontal section of the rams.
The press, which is of ordinary construction, except as herein-after
specified, has a lower platen, which operates by moving upward, and
to the lower side of this platen are attached in any suitable manner
the upper ends of two vertical solid cylinders or rams a, which are
inclosed in cases 6 secured in the press frame, each case having a
cylindrical bore which the ram fits closely. Into the bottoms of the
said bores pipes c open (one pipe to each bore), which pipes are
branches extending from the lower end of an inclined tube d; the
upper extremity of which is connected by branches e¹, f¹, with the
nearest ends of horizontal chambers e, f, that contain oil or other
suitable liquid. At their other ends the chambers e, f, are connected
with horizontal steam cylinders g, h. From the pistons g², ', of said
cylinders, rams i, j, extend passing through stuffing boxes in the ends
of the cylinders, and entering respectively the chambers e, f, the interior
of which said rams fit closely. The chamber e and ram i are of less
diameter than the rams a, for the purpose herein-after explained; C is a
pipe leading from the boiler and serving to conduct live steam direct
to the valve chamber n.
Prior to any pressing operation the pistons are both at the rear ends
of the cylinders. On raising the valve 1, the valve m meantime
remaining closed, live steam flows through induction pipe a directly

page_text: to the rear of the piston 9', and starts it towards the front end of the
cylinder g. When the piston has reached the front end of the cylinder,
the valve is made to close by means set forth at the end of this
description, and the valve m is opened. The closing of the valve
shuts off the supply of live steam that propelled the piston g¹ forward
against the pressure of the liquid in the chamber e, and the opening
of the valve m enables the pressure of the liquid to force the piston
back again to the rear end of the cylinder, driving the steam out
through said valve into the pipe p that connects the valve chamber
of the two cylinders. As the inlet valve of the second chamber has
thus far remained closed, the steam ejected from the cylinder g having
no other outlet passes into the pipe q which opens into the connecting
pipe, and is thereby conducted into the cylinder again, the pipe q
passing along the outside of the cylinder to its front end, where it
enters the cylinder and discharges. the steam which fills the whole
space in front of the piston. This is done before the pressing operation
begins, and for the purpose of thoroughly warming the interior of the
cylinder, so that it may the less condense the live steam that is sub-
sequently in the course of the pressing operation poured into it. This
having been done the next operation is to impart the initial pressure
to the platen by starting the piston ¹ in the cylinder 7, to effect which
the valver of the chambers is opened, and the steam in the cylinder g
thereby drawn back through the pipe q into the connecting pipe p,
and from the latter through the valve r and induction pipet conducted
directly against the rear of the piston ¹, setting the same in motion.
The exhaust steam of the cylinder g thus becomes the motive steam
of the piston ¹ and continues to flow from one cylinder to the other
until the pressure on the two pistons is equalized. Then the valve r
is closed by its own weight, and if any steam still remains in front
of the piston g¹ it must be disposed of by opening a puppet valve
in a pipe that leads from the front end of the cylinder g around outside
of the cylinder h to the exhaust pipe u, and thus allows the surplus
steam to escape. As the piston ³ moves forward it pushes the ram j
through the chamber f, and the ram j consequently displaces the fluid
in the chamber and forces it through the pipe f¹, tube d, and branches c,
into the bores of the cases b beneath the rams a, which are thereby
raised and lift the platen. This movement of the platen continues
until the piston h¹ either reaches the front end of the cylinder h, or is
stopped by the resistance which it meets. As soon as the piston !

page_text: stops a check valve v placed at the end of the chamber f and across
the mouth of the pipe f¹, and which is lifted by the flow of liquid
through the latter, falls automatically and prevents the return of the
liquid. The steam in the cylinder / remains shut up therein. To
complete the pressing operation the valve is again opened and live
steam admitted against the rear of the piston g', which is thereby
forced forward in the cylinder g, and by means of its ram i drives
a second current of liquid out of the chamber e through the pipe c¹,
tube d, and branches c, into the bores of the cases b, from which
current the platen receives a fresh impulse and powerfully compresses
the material between itself and the upper platen. To relieve the
pipe e¹, tube d, and branches c, if at any time the strain upon them
becomes too great for their powers of resistance, a safety valve w is
placed in the upper side of the end of the chamber e, which valve
when raised admits the liquid into a pipe x that connects the chamber e
with the chamfer f, and allows the surplus liquid to flow into the
latter.
To provide against the concussion of the pistons against the front
heads of the cylinders, external chambers. y are cast to the latter near
their front extremities, said chambers communicating with the interiors
of the cylinders at the extreme front ends of the latter, and also at
points which are further from the front ends of the cylinders than
the pistons are wide, so that as soon as the pistons pass these points
steam flows into the chamber and passes around to the space in front
of the pistons, forming cushions between them and the cylinder heads
'before the pistons can come in collision with the latter.
The initial pressure upon the platen does not need to be as powerful
as the finishing pressure, and the ram i which applies the finishing
pressure is therefore worked by live steam, while the ram j which
applies the initial pressure may be worked by either exhaust or live
steam, as may be preferred. In addition to this provision the ram i
is made of considerably less diameter than the rams a, in order that
the pressure exerted upon the latter may be in proportion as their
.diameters are greater than the diameter of the ram i. The compression
of the material having been completed it is properly tied, and then the
valve is closed, the valve m opened, and the weight of the platen,
together with the expansion of the material, once more causes the
piston g¹ to return to the rear end of the cylinder g, and the steam
•

page_text: in rear of the piston to pass around and fill the space in front of it,
the platen meanwhile effecting a partial descent; then the check valve o
and the exhaust valve z are opened, whereupon the platen completes
its descent, the liquid forcing the ram j back through the chamber f,
the piston to the rear end of the cylinder h, and the steam in the
latter into the atmosphere through the exhaust valve z. The next
operation is to impart the initial pressure anew to the lower platen by
discharging the steam in the cylinder 9 against the rear of the piston h¹;
which operation together with its attendant consequences has already
been fully described.
All the valves herein enumerated except the safety valve are operated
in the usual manner by means of rock shafts bearing wipers which
impinge upon toes on the valve stems as the shafts are rocked to and
fro by the hand levers attached to them. The rock shaft which operates
the check valve has a connecting rod which may be hooked to the lever
of either of the rock shafts which operates the valves l, m, and z simul-
taneously, or the shaft which operates the valves m and r simultaneously..
The cylinders g, h, are provided with rods passing through stuffing boxes
in their rear heads, and jointed to the hand levers. As the pistons strike
the front ends of said rods the latter are thrown back so as to cause the
hand levers to turn the rock shafts far enough to close the exhaust
valves m and z successively, and thus stop the escape of steam at a time
when enough is left to form cushions, which prevent the pistons from
coming forcibly in collision with the cylinder heads.
25 SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 17th July 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
30 Patent Agent, 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 seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the press and liquid connecting pipe.
with an end elevation of the liquid chambers; Figure 2 is an end.
elevation of the press; Figure 3 is a plan view of the steam cylinders,
liquid chambers, and liquid connecting pipes, with a transverse hori-
zontal section of the rams; Figure 4 is a side elevation of one of the
steam cylinders with a sectional elevation of its liquid chamber;
Figure 5 is an end elevation of the steam cylinder; Figure 6 is a
longitudinal sectional elevation of the chest that contains the valves
which admit steam to and exhaust it from the cylinder with a side
elevation of the rock shafts and wipers by which said valves are.
operated; Figure 7 is a transverse sectional elevation of the same;
Figure 8 is a sectional elevation of the end of the liquid chamber f, and
of the check valve therein. Figure 9 is a sectional elevation of the end
of liquid chamber e, and of the safety valve therein; and Figure 10 is a
sectional elevation of either of the steam cylinders and of the rock
shaft, together with a side elevation of one.of the toes in the valve stem,
and of certain of the wipers on the rock shaft and of the hand lever,
and of the rod that passes through the cylinder head, and is caused by
the piston to operate the hand lever.
A is a press of ordinary construction except as herein-after specified,
having a lower platen B which operates by moving upward. To the
lower side of the platen B are attached in any suitable manner the upper
ends of two vertical solid cylinders or rams a, Figures 1 and 3, which
are inclosed in cases. 6 secured in the press frame, each case having a
cylindrical bore which the ram fits closely. Into the bottoms of said
bores pipes c open (one pipe to each bore), which pipes are branches
extending from the lower end of an inclined tube d, the upper extremity.
of which is connected by branches e¹, f¹, with the nearest ends of hori-
zontal chambers e, f, that contain oil or other suitable liquid. At their
other ends the chambers e, f, are connected with horizontal steam
cylinders g, h. From the pistons g¹, h¹ of said cylinders, rams i, j,
extend, passing through stuffing boxes in the ends of the cylinders, and
entering respectively the chambers e, f, the interiors of which said rams
=

page_text: the boiler, and serving to conduct live steam direct to the valve
chamber n.
enables the
Prior to any pressing operation the pistons are both at the rear ends
of the cylinders. On raising the valve 7, the valve m meantime remaining
closed, live steam flows through the induction pipe o directly to the rear
of the piston g¹, and starts it toward the front end of the cylinder g.
When the piston has reached the front end of the cylinder the valve / is
made to close by means set forth at the end of this description, and the
valve m is opened. The closing of the valve 7 shuts off the supply of
live steam that propelled the piston g¹ forward against the pressure of
the liquid in the chamber e, and the opening of the valve m
pressure of the liquid to force the piston back again to the rear end of
the cylinder, driving the steam out through said valve into the pipe p
that connects the valve chamber of the two cylinders. As the inlet
valve of the second chamber has thus far remained closed the steam
ejected from the cylinder 5 having no other outlet passes into the pipe q
which opens into the connecting pipe, and is thereby conducted into the
cylinder again; the pipe 9 passing along the outside of the cylinder to
its front end where it enters the cylinder and discharges the steam which
fills the whole space in front of the piston. This is done before. the
pressing operation begins, and for the purpose of thoroughly warming
the interior of the cylinder so that it may the less condense the live
steam that is subsequently in the course of the pressing operation poured
into it. This having been done, the next operation is to impart the
initial pressure to the platen by starting the piston in the cylinder h,
to effect which the valve r of the chamber s is opened, and the steam in
the cylinder g thereby drawn back through the pipe 7 into the con-
necting pipe p, and from the latter through the valve r and induction
pipe conducted directly against the rear of the piston h¹, setting the
same in motion. The exhaust steam of the cylinder g thus becomes the
motive steam of the piston h³, and continues to flow from one cylinder
to the other until the pressure on the two pistons is equalized. Then
the valve r is closed by its own weight, and if any steam still remains in
front of the piston g¹ it must be disposed of by opening a puppet valve
in a pipe that leads from the front end of the cylinder 9, around outside
of the cylinder / to the exhaust pipe u, Figure 3, and thus allow the

page_text: surplus steam to escape. As the piston ¹ moves forward it pushes the
ram j through the chamber f, and the ram j consequently displaces the
fluid in the chamber, and forces it through the pipe f¹, tube d, and
branches c, into the bores of the cases b, beneath the rams a, which are
thereby raised, and lift the platen B. This movement of the platen
continues until the piston h¹ either reaches the front end of the cylinder /
or is stopped by the resistance which it meets. As soon as the piston /¹
stops a check valve v placed at the end of the chamber fand across the
mouth of the pipe f¹, and which is lifted by the flow of liquid through
the latter, falls automatically, and prevents the return of the liquid.
The steam in the cylinder h remains shut up therein. To complete the
pressing operation the valve is again opened and live steam admitted
against the rear of the piston 9¹ which is thereby forced forward in the
cylinder g, and by means of its ram i drives a second current of liquid
out of the chamber e through the pipe e¹, tube d, and branches c, into
the bores of the cases. b, from which current the platen B receives a
fresh impulse, and powerfully compresses the material between itself and
the upper platen. To relieve the pipe e¹, tube d, branches c, if at
any time the strain upon them becomes too great for their powers of
resistance, a safety valve w is placed in the upper side of the end of the
chamber e, which valve when raised admits the liquid into a pipe x that
connects the chamber e with the chamber f, and allows the surplus liquid
to flow into the latter.
To provide against the concussion of the pistons against the front
heads of the cylinders, external chambers y are cast to the latter near
their front extremities, said chambers communicating with the interiors
of the cylinders at the extreme front ends of the latter, and also at
points which are further from the front ends of the cylinders than the
pistons are wide, so that as soon as the pistons pass these points steam
flows into the chamber and passes around to the space in front of the
pistons, forming cushions between them, and the cylinder heads before
the pistons can come into collision with the latter.
The initial pressure upon the platen does not need to be as powerful
as the finishing pressure, and the ram i which applics the finishing
pressure is therefore worked by live steam, while the ram ; which applies
the initial pressure may be worked by either exhaust or live steam as
may be preferred. In addition to this provision the ram i is made of
considerably less diameter than the rams a, in order that the pressure

page_text: exerted upon the latter may be in proportion, as their diameters are
greater than the diameter of the ram i. The compression of the material
having been completed, it is properly tied, and then the valve / is closed,
the valve m opened, and the weight of the platen, together with the
expansion of the material once more causes the piston g¹ to return to
the rear end of the cylinder 9, and the steam in rear of the piston to
pass around and fill the space in front of it; the platen meanwhile
effecting a partial descent; then the check valve and the exhaust
valve are opened, whereupon the platen completes its descent, the
liquid forcing the ram j back through the chamber f, the piston h¹ to
the rear end of the cylinder h, and the steam in the latter into the
atmosphere through the exhaust valve z. The next operation is to impart
the initial pressure anew to the lower platen by discharging the steam
in the cylinder g against the rear of the piston h³, which operation
ther with its attendant consequences has already been fully described.
All the valves herein enumerated except the safety valve are operated
in the usual manner by means of rock shafts bearing wipers, which
impinge upon toes on the valve stems as the shafts are rocked to and fro
by the hand levers attached to them. The rock shaft which operates
the check valve has a connecting rod which may be hooked to the
lever of either of the rock shafts A*, B*. The rock shaft A4 operates
the valves l, m, and z simultaneously. The rock shaft B* operates the
valves m and simultaneously. The diagram in Figure 4 shows the
various positions of the rock shafts. At A' the valves l, m, z, and
the check valve are closed. At A² the same valves are open. At A³
the valve is closed, and the valves m and z and the check valve are
open. At B¹ the valves and z are closed; and at B2 they are open.
The shaft A has three wipers which operate respectively the valves l, m,
and z.
The shaft B has one wiper which operates the valver. The
cylinders g, h, are provided with rods passing through stuffing boxes in
their rear heads, and jointed to the hand levers. As the pistons strike
the front ends of said rods the latter are thrown back so as to cause the
hand levers to turn the rock shafts far enough to close the exhaust
valves m and z successively, and thus stop the escape of steam at a time
when enough is left to form cushions which prevent the pistons from
coming forcibly into collision with the cylinder heads.
Having described the nature of the Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim as the

page_text: Invention to be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,
1st. The method herein described of raising the platen by hydraulic
pressure when the latter is applied directly from the pistons of steam
engines, through the medium of their piston rods of unequal diameter,
substantially as described.
2ndly. The method herein described of passing live steam that has
been used for one propulsion of the piston of a steam cylinder around
from the rear to the front of the piston, and then passing it to another
cylinder to operate the piston therein.
3rdly. The external chamber y in combination with a steam cylinder
in the manner described, and for the purpose of forming a cushion to
prevent the concussion of the piston against the cylinder heads.
4thly. The method herein described of raising the platen by an initial
hydraulic pressure applied with exhaust or live steam, and a completing
hydraulic pressure applied with live steam.
5thly. The valve v or its equivalent arranged between the upper or
discharge end of the chamber fand pipe f¹, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have.
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of July,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
thnon
Witness,
HENRY W. DEWEY,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)