Improvements in Machinery for Pressing and Weighing Hay and other Materials.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Dec., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 11th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 9th Nov., 1888
Improvements in Machinery for Pressing and Weighing Hay and
other Materials.
I, JOHN EDWARD SHARMAN PERKINS of Peterborough, in the County of
Northampton Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
According to this invention I construct machinery for pressing hay and other
materials and in which a ram or platform is raised to compress a bale in such a
manner that the ram when lowered to receive the bale, rests on links attached to a
scale beam so that the hay or material placed thereon to be compressed may be first
weighed and that all bales may be made of uniform weight, or in a press in which the
ram is drawn down by chains I attach the platform of the machine on which the bale
is placed by links to a scale beam or spring balance.
Or in a machine for compressing bales I fix brackets in the frame of the machine.
To these brackets I fix a scale beam or spring balance and from this I suspend a
cradle. The cradle carries a platform on which the bale to be compressed is placed.
After the bale has been weighed in the cradle the platform carrying the bale is pushed
forward into the part of the machine in which the pressure is applied.
I prefer to form the frame of the press of two channel irons attached to a bottom
frame or foundation. The two channel irons form the end of the frame, and the ram
is kept in a horizontal position by two rollers at each end, placed one above the other,
which travel up the hollow side of the channel iron. At the top of the channel iron
are two brackets which carry a shaft, on which chain is wound, (preferably on spiral
barrels). The channel irons are also connected to each other near the top by two
beams to which boards are attached which form the top of the press.
In place of the channel irons two uprights of iron or wood at each end may be used,
between which the rollers may work.
The press may be carried by a pair or pairs of wheels on axles.
The press may be similarly constructed with the ram made to wind down instead
of u

page_text: Or the press may be formed in such manner that the head is drawn down by chains
which pass down from the head beneath pulleys mounted on the under side of the
horizontal frame. The chains are then connected to the peripheries of two snail
rollers, and these rollers are mounted on an axis upon which a spur wheel is also fixed.
This wheel gears with a pinion on an intermediate axis, which also gears with a spur
wheel gearing in turn with a pinion fixed upon a third horizontal axis, which latter is
turned by means of crank handles provided at its ends. Or in place of spur gear,
worm and worm wheel gear may be used. The axis, on which are the crank handles
is carried at one end of the press in bearings upon the upright frame, the other axes
are carried in bearings upon the horizontal frame. Or I replace the spur gearing by
a ratchet wheel on the same spindle which carries the winding drums-a lever
carrying a pawl has forked ends which pass over the spindle and by moving the lever
backwards and forwards the shaft is rotated.
The arrangement is such that at the commencement of pressing the chains which
draw down the press head are wound upon the snail rollers at the parts furthest
removed from the centre, and as the pressure increases the chains are wound upon
parts of the snail rollers which are progressively nearer and nearer to the centre ; so
that if the axis, on which are the crank bandles is turned continuously at an uniform
speed, the descent of the press head, which is at first rapid, becomes slower and slower
as the operation progresses and the pressure becomes more and more intense.
In order to raise the press head after the completion of the operation and when the
truss or bale has been bound, chains are provided; these are attached to the head
at either end, and they pass upwards from it over pulleys at the top of the upright
frame; thence they descend to a barrel on which they are wound. The barrel is
turned when required by means of a crank handle.
Where presses such as herein before described are intended to compress a loose
material the space between the uprights is boarded in sufficiently to form a box or
case to contain the material, but when the material has already been formed into loose
trusses or bales, then the space between the uprights is left open, except that on one
side I provide a row of bars parallel to the uprights; these are suitably held each by
one end in the part of the press which forms the abutment or supporting surface, and
the other ends of the rods pass freely through holes provided for them in the movable
head of the press.
These rods facilitate the placing the trusses or bales in the press accurately in
position one over the other when two are pressed at a time.
In place of threading the string, with which the bale is secured, round the bale
while under pressure, which requires a man on each side of the press, as is now
commonly done, I place the string in position round the top bottom and back of press
before the bale is placed in the press, securing it with weighted levers or spring clips
which hold the string while the bale is being placed in the press, but, after the bale is
compressed, release it on the string being pulled tight to tie the bale.
Dated this 21st day of December 1887.

page_text: other Materials.
1, JOHN EDWARD SHARMAN PERKINS, of Peterborough, in the County of
Northampton, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
According to this invention I construct machinery for pressing and weighing hay
and other materials and in which a ram or platform is raised to compress a bale. The
ram rests on links attached to a scale beam so that the hay or material placed thereon
to be compressed may be first weighed and all bales made of uniform weight. Or in
a press in which the ram is drawn down by chains I attach the platform of the
machine on which the bale is placed by links to a scale heain.
Or in a machine for compressing bales I fix brackets in the frame of the machine to
carry a scale beam and from this I suspend a platform on which the bale to be
compressed is placed. After the bale has been weighed the platform carrying the bale
is pushed forward into the part of the machine in which the pressure is applied.
I sometimes form the frame of the press of two channel irons attached to a bottom
frame or foundation. The two channel irons form the end of the frame, and the ram
is kept in a horizontal position by two rollers at each end placed one above the
other, which travel up the hollow side of the channel iron. At the top of the channel
iron are two brackets which carry a shaft, on which chains are wound, (preferably
on spiral barrels). The channel irons are also connected to each other near the top
by two beams, to which boards are attached which form the top of the press.
In place of the channel irons two uprights of iron or wood at each end may be
used, between which the rollers may work.
The press may be similarly constructed with the ram made to wind down instead
of up.
Or the press may be formed in such manner that the head is drawn down by
chains which at the commencement of pressing are wound upon snail rollers at the
parts furthest removed from the centre, and as the pressure increases are wound upon
parts of the snail rollers which are progressively nearer and nearer to the centre ;
so that the descent of the press head, which is at first rapid, becomes slower
and slower as the operation progresses and the pressure becomes more and more
intense.
To turn the axis which carries the drums I fix a ratchet wheel upon it, and I
provide a lever with a pawl upon it. This lever has forked ends which pass over the
axis. By moving the lever backwards and forwards the axis is rotated. A locking
pawl also engages with the axis.
In order that my said invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
21

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a front view, and
Figure 2 is a side view of a machine constructed in accordance with my invention.
In this machine the ram is wound downwards.
Figure 3 is a front view, and
Figure 4 is a side view of a machine presenting my invention in another form.
In this arrangement the ram is wound upwards.
Figure 5 is a detail of this machine.
Figure 6 is a front view, and
Figure 7 is a side view of another machine made in accordance with my invention
and in this again the ram is wound down.
Figure is a front view, and
Figure 9 is a side view of a machine generally similar to that shown by the
Figures 6 and 7 but differing in the form of some of the parts.
In Figures 1 and 2 the platform A on which the material to be pressed is placed
is connected by links B B to the scale beam C. The weight D may be fixed at
different points of the scale beam according as different weights of truss are required.
The material is put in the press till the scale bean rises; the platform A then rests
in the frames E E of the machine which support it while the pressure is applied.
Small links F may be provided under the platform to control its motion. If desired
a sliding table may be placed upon the platform A and it may be drawn out of the
machine to receive the truss.
In the press Figures 3 and 4 in which the ram moves upwards the platform A
rests upon a scale beam the fulcrum of which is fixed in the ram at H the weighing
platform and scale beam move up with the ram-Figure 5 is a plan of the scale
beam in this case. In this case also a sliding table may be arranged on the weighing
platform.
In Figures 6 and 7; and 8 and 9 a sliding table A forms the weighing platform
and is atttached to the scale beam by chains B B and hooks which may be dis-
connected when the sliding table is pushed into the machine for the truss to be
pressed. In this case the fulcrum of the scale beam is raised by a lever K when it
is desired to weigh the truss and lowered on to the frame of the machine for the
chains to be disconnected. Brackets L L attached to the frame of the machine
carry the scale beam and the arrangements for raising and lowering the fulcrum
thereof.
In Figures 3 and 4 two channel irons M. M form the ends of the press and the ram
is kept in a horizontal position by two rollers N N one above the other which travel
up the hollow side of the channel iron. At the top of the channel iron are two
brackets O which carry a shaft on which chains attached to the ram are wound on
the spiral barrels P. P. The channel irons are also connected to each other near the
top by two beams QQ to which the boards are attached which form the top of the
press.
The press may be similarly constructed to press downwards as shown in Figures 6, 7,
in which case the ram is drawn back by chains R R which are carried over pulleys
at the top of the machine and may either be wound on a winch or attached to
balance weights S S.
In this case the pressure is obtained by chains attached to the ram and wound
upon a shaft preferably on a spiral barrel. The shaft can be actuated by spur
gearing as shown in Figures 3, 4, or the spur gearing is replaced by a ratchet
wheel T upon the same spindle as the winding druins, a lever U having forked ends
carries a pawl W and by moving the lever backwards and forwards the shaft is
rotated.
Sometimes the lever instead of turning on the shaft turns on a separate centre as
in Figures 10, 11, 12. In Figures 10 the lever is connected by links to arms
turning on the shaft and carrying the pawl which works in the ratchet wheel on the
shaft. In Figure 11 the ratchet wheel is on a spindle and turns the shaft carrying

page_text: the drums by gearing as before described.
both to the arms carrying the pawl and to
machine.
In Figure 12 the lever is hinged
links attached to the frame of the
The pawl may be provided with a self acting trip for disengaging it from the
ratchet wheel and a catch for retaining it in that position as shown at Y Y
Figure 7.
X is a retaining pawl, there is a lever handle on its axis by which it may be
lifted out.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A machine substantially as described for pressing and weighing hay and other
materials in which the ram or platform is raised to compress the bale and in which
the said ram or platform is carried by a scale beam.
2. A machine substantially as described for pressing and weighing hay and other
materials in which the ram is drawn down by chains and in which the platform on
which the bale is pressed is carried by a scale beam.
3. A machine substantially as described for pressing and weighing hay and other
materials in which a scale beam is carried by brackets fixed to the frame of the
machine and supports a moveable platform which receives the material to be com-
pressed and which (when the load has been weighed) is transferred with the material
upon it to the part of the machine where the pressure is applied.
4. A machine substantially as described for pressing hay and other materials in
which the side frames consist of channel irons or uprights and the ram has rollers at
each end travelling in the channel iron or between the uprights and is raised or
drawn down by chains which are wound upon a shaft or upon snail barrels or other
barrels carried by the shaft.
5. A machine substantially as described for pressing hay and other materials, in
which the rum is drawn down by chains wound upon a shaft or upon snail barrels
or other barrels carried by a shaft which is turned by a lever and pawl engaging with
a ratchet wheel.
6. A machine substantially as described for pressing hay and other materials in
which the ram is drawn down by chains wound upon snail barrels upon a shaft which
is turned by a pawl and lever moveable about the shaft and engaging with a ratchet
wheel upon it.
7. Machines substantially as described and represented by the annexed drawings.
Dated this 11th day of September 1888