IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC PRESSES, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR RAISING OR FORCING_ FLUIDS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Wilson, of Patricroft, near the City of Man-
chester, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC
PRESSES, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR RAISING OR FORCING_
FLUIDS.
Sealed the 29th August 1862, and dated the 19th March 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Wilson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th
March 1862.
I, ROBERT WILSON, of Patricroft, near the City of Manchester, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
HYDRAULIC PRESSES, AND IN MACHINERY, OR APPARATUS FOR RAISING OR FORCING
FLUIDS," to be as follows:-
My Invention is particularly applicable to presses for baling cotton and.
other similar substances, and in consists, first, in applying three or more.
cylinders and rams to the same hydraulic press, whereby the pressure can be
regulated according to the resistance to be overcome. In applying this part
of my Invention to a press with three cylinders, they are placed in a line with;
each other, and the rams which are all connected to the same follower, are or..
may be worked by a single pump.. When the press is ready for starting, the,
pump acts only on the centre ram, and continues in operation until the:
resistance to be overcome exceeds the force of the pump; the regulating

page_text: valves are then turned so as to admit water to the two outside rams, and to
shut it off from the centre ram, those two rams then continue to act on the
press until the resistance again exceeds the power, and the final compression
is given by the united action of the three rams. By this means a great saving
in time is effected, and the power is more advantageously applied than in
presses of the present construction; the parts of the press are also lighter,
and, consequently less expensive both in construction and for transport.
More than three cylinders and rams may also be worked in the same manner.
The second part of my Invention consists in the application of the above
described improvements in hydraulic presses to the machinery or apparatus
for raising or forcing fluids, for which former Letters Patent were granted to
me on the Eleventh day of May One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven,
No. 1317.
Now, my present Invention consists in applying three or more cylinders and
rams to the machinery or apparatus for raising or forcing fluids described in
the Specification of the said Patent.
According to my present Invention the fluid is first admitted to all the
cylinders by the rising of the rams, and the number of cylinders which are
brought into action is gradually reduced in proportion as the resistance to be
overcome increases.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th
September 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
WILSON, of Patricroft, near the City of Manchester, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters.
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of March, 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 me,
the said Robert Wilson, Her special license that I, the said Robert Wilson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others. as I the said
Robert Wilson, my 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
HYDRAULIC PRESSES, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR RAISING OR FORCING

page_text: ".
FLUIDS; upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert
Wilson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 I, the said Robert Wilson, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
My Invention is particularly applicable to presses for baling cotton and other
similar substances, and it consists, first, in applying three or more cylinders
and rams to the same hydraulic press, whereby the pressure can be regulated
according to the resistance to be overcome. In applying this part` of my
Invention to a press with three cylinders, they are. placed in a line with cach
other, and the rams which are all connected to the same follower, are or may
be worked by a single pump. When the press is ready for starting, the pump
acts only on the centre ram, and continues in operation until the resistance
to be overcome equals the force of the pump, the regulating valves are then
turned so to admit water to the two outside rams, and to shut it off from
the centre ram, those two rams then continue to act on the press until the
resistance again is equal to the power; and the final compression is given by:
the united action of the three rams. By this means a great saving in time is'
effected, and the power is more advantageously applied than in presses of the
present construction, the parts of the press are also lighter, and consequently
less expensive both in construction and for transport. More than three
cylinders and rams may also be worked'in the same manner.
The second part of my Invention consists in the application of the abovo
described improvements in hydraulic presses to the machinery or apparatus
for raising or forcing fluids, for which former Letters Patent were granted to
me on the Eleventh day of May One thousand cight hundred and fifty-
seven, No. 1817
Now my present Invention consists in applying three or more cylinders and
rams to the machinery or apparatus for raising or forcing fluids described in
the Specification of the said Patent. According to my present Invention the
fluid is first admitted to all the cylinders by the rising of the rams, and the
number of cylinders which are brought into action is gradually reduced in
proportion as the resistance to be overcome increases...
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page_text: And in order that my Invention may be fully understood, and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the two accompanying Sheets
of Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters marked thereon..
On Sheet 1, Figure 1 is an edge view; Figure 2; a front view; Figure 3 a
plan in section; and Figure 4 a plan of the top of a press suitable for com-
pressing or packing cotton constructed according to my improvements. a, b, c,
are three cylinders, and a, b, c, are the three rams working in the same.
These rams are all connected to the follower d, which works up and down in
the case e, containing the cotton or other substance to be compressed. The
rams may be raised by the action of one or more force pumps of the ordinary
construction, or by the hydraulic apparatus for which Letters Patent were
granted to me on the Eleventh of May One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
seven, Number 1317. The top plate and all the upper portion of the press is
clearly shewn in the Drawing, and as it forms no part of the present Inven
tion it is not necessary to describe it in detail.
When the press is ready for starting, the water from the force pump or
pumps is admitted to the centre cylinder b, thereby raising the centre ram,
and with it the two outer rams, the cylinders of which, being open to a water
supply cistern, are supplied with water by the pressure of the atmosphere or
otherwise, as the rams ascend. When the resistance of the cotton, or other
similar substance equals the pressure on the centre ram, the regulating. valve
or valves is or are turned to admit water to the two outside cylinders a and c,
and to shut it off from the centre cylinder b, or to admit water to the two
outside cylinders without shutting it off from the centre one, and this latter
mode of operation I prefer, as it simplifies the arrangement of the distribution
box and connections. The final compression is given by the united action of
the three rams, whereby the power is augmented, and of course the speed is
reduced in proportion to the augmented power. I have shewn the three
rams of equal diameters, but the two outer rams may be either of greater or
less diameter than the centre ram.
On Sheet 2, Figure 5 is a front elevation of a press constructed according
to a modification of my Invention. In this view the follower d is acted upon
by one ram f¹ working in the cylinder f, and it is employed for, giving, the
preliminary compression to the cotton or other substance to be pressed. When
the follower d has arrived at the end of its stroke, it is locked' fast by the
catches g forming part of the trunk e; the final compression is given by the
three cylinders a, b, c, and rams a¹, b, c, which are connected to the top
follower h; the centre ram b¹ is made with a piston, and by admitting water
under this piston the top follower is raised after the compressed cotton or other

page_text: substance has been baled. The cylinders a, b, and c, may be formed in the
head of the press, or made separate to facilitate repairs. The levers i and
links are for locking and unlocking the follower d. When the bale has been
lashed or corded, the handle is moved to unlock the follower d, which then
descends by its own gravity, the water is at the same time admitted to the
under side of the piston on the ram 6 to raise the top follower h, thus bringing
the parts into the proper positions for recommencing operations.
Figure 6 is an elevation in section, and Figure 7 a plan of the machinery
or apparatus for raising. or forcing fluids, for which Letters Patent were
granted to me on the Eleventh day of May One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-seven, Number 1317, to which my present improvements are applied...
In this instance I have shewn five cylinders, a, b, c, a, and y, provided with
the rams a, b, c, a³, and y¹; these rams are all connected to the follower or
plate w, to which is fixed the lower end of the piston rod. z, the upper end of
which is connected to the piston z!, working in the steam cylinder z.. The
fluid from all the cylinders a, b, c, a, and y is connected. by suitable pipes to
the cylinder of the press or other, hydraulic apparatus to be worked.. When
the pressure to be overcome is small, the fluid from all the five cylinders is
forced into the cylinder of 'the press or other apparatus, thereby raising the
follower rapidly, but when the resistance to be overcome equals the pressure
on the fluid, the centre cylinder may be disconnected, thus leaving the four
to act; or the two cylinders a and c, or x and y, are shut off, and the follower
of the press is then raised at a reduced speed, but with increased power
until the resistance again equals the pressure, after which the fluid from two
of the cylinders, or from the centre cylinder 6 is conveyed alone to the
cylinder of the press to give the final compression. From this description it
will be seen that the number of cylinders which are brought into action is
gradually reduced in proportion to the increasing resistance to be overcome.
Although five cylinders and rams are referred to in Figures 6 and 7, it is
evident that three or other greater number may be worked in the same
manner.
As it is of the greatest importance in hydraulic presses generally, and
particularly in those constructed according to my improvements, that rust
should be avoided, I propose as a preventative to rust to force oil into the
cylinder, which will float on the water as shewn in Figure 8, which repre-
sents part of a hydraulic cylinder and ram. a is the cylinder, a³, the ram,
and a², the space for the water, which enters and escapes through the
opening a. The oil is forced into the upper end of the cylinder by a small
hand force pump introduced at a'. By this means the rams and the cupped

page_text: leathers are lubricated, thus preventing the rust on the ram, preserving the
cup leathers, and reducing the friction.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, I wish to remark that hydraulic presses have been
made with two or more cylinders and rams before the date of this Patent,
I therefore limit my first claim to the mode described of working hydraulic
presses having three or more cylinders and rams, whereby the power may be
increased in proportion to the increasing resistance.
Secondly, I claim the application of three or more cylinders and rams to
the machinery or apparatus for raising or forcing fluids, for which Letters
Patent were granted to me on the Eleventh day of May One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-seven, No. 1317.
And, lastly, I claim injecting oil into the cylinders of hydraulic presses
for the purposes described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Róbert Wilson, have hereto set my
hand and seal, the Eighteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
ROBERT WILSON Gol
ROBERT WILSON (10)