AN IMPROVED THERMO PRESS
Year: 1870

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Ferdinand Tommasi at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th May 1870.
I, FERDINAND TOMMASI, of Paris, Boulevard de Strasbourg, No. 23,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED THERMO PRESS," to be as follows:-.
When a liquid is enclosed in a cylinder and hermetically covered by
a piston closely fitting the cylinder, if the latter be heated the liquid will
dilate, and its volume will be increased; tending thus to rise it will
press the piston upwards with a force in proportion to the increase in
temperature. Similarly if a warm liquid be refrigerated it will contract
and perceptibly diminish its volume, while its level will become lower in
the receptacle containing it.
Taking advantage of this principle I have invented an apparatus
intended for pressing various bodies in a similar manner to the hydraulic
press.
The liquids I have found to be most suitable for my purpose are the
various fixed oils, such as olive oil, the different animal oils, colza, and

page_text: the action of heat gases or vapours injurious to the action of my
apparatus.
My Invention consists in enclosing the oil within a cylinder traversed
longitudinally by tubes, which accelerate the heating or cooling according
as it may be desired to increase or diminish the volume of the liquid.
The oil transmits its pressure to or relieves from pressure a movable
piston supporting a plate or platform upon which the merchandise to be
pressed is placed.
I proceed to describe my apparatus in greater detail:-Upon a base
or pedestal of cast iron two cylinders of metal are vertically fixed.
These two cylinders may be placed horizontally when desirable, as in the
case of pressing matters, in order to extract the juices therefrom, such
as beetroots, oleaginous grains, &c. Each of these cylinders is partly
closed by two discs placed the one at its upper part and the other a little
above the cast-iron base. Both these discs are pierced and united
together by vertical copper tubes, which consequently traverse the closed
partition of each cylinder. The discs at the upper portions of the two
cylinders are in addition pierced at the centre with a round opening, in
which a wooden piston passes, and therefore traverses the closed portions
of the cylinders. A ring or collar of cast iron, with an interior groove
lined with wood, is fixed round this opening, and contains a leather.
The lateral partition of each cylinder is open at the lower part, following
half of the sectional circumference of the cylinder, and the opening thus
made is provided with a door sliding round horizontally from the
exterior part of the cylinder. Upon each upper disc is placed a pipe which
puts the upper part of the cylinder in communication with a cock, and
in the corresponding part of each cylinder at the upper part of the lower
disc another pipe is disposed which puts the lower portion of the
cylinder into communication with an oil pump and another cock. Two
cylinders of sheet iron having a diameter and height greater than the
copper cylinders,, which they entirely cover, are also fixed upon the base
plate. A chimney establishes the drawing desired by the pipes within
the copper cylinders, and at the same time serves for cooling. Three
columns sustain the platform and guide the two plates in their ascent
and descent. Two of these columns are hollow and serve for the passage
of water, which by means of cocks proceeds from a reservoir to jets of
water at the ends of the base plate. A movable hearth of cylindrical form

page_text: provided with fire-bars and the usual accessories pivots by means of a
collar around the middle column. It has an opening at each side, and a
door sliding round the exterior wall of the said hearth can form at will
either one or the other of these openings. This arrangement permits the
hearth to be placed at will under the lower disc of each copper cylinder,
from whence its heat in passing through the copper pipes is absorbed by
the oil contained in these cylinders, whilst the smoke proceeds by the
chimney. At the lower part and at each side of the two plates are fixed
the piston rods, which move in the body of pumps at each side of the
apparatus. These pumps are double acting and play a double part, viz.,
by their top action when the plates descend they draw through a pipe
cold water contained in zinc receptacles at the side of the apparatus or
drawn directly from a well; and when the plates rise they throw the
water by means of pipes into an upper reservoir; secondly, by their
bottom action when the plates rise they draw through pipes the water
contained in a zinc receptacle. Valves placed at the ends of the pipes
just mentioned entirely prevent the pistons of these pumps from causing
any descending movement. It follows from this arrangement that when
causing the dilatation of the oil to cease there is produced by the cooling
a diminution in its volume; the plates cannot lose what they have gained
in height, whatever may be the elastic power of the substance they
compress or the weight of the atmosphere upon the upper section of the
movable cylinder rendered active in consequence of the vacuum pro-
produced in the upper cylinder by the diminution of volume of the oil.
When it is desired that the plates should descend the cock is opened,
the water which had penetrated into the lower part of the body of the
pump being then able to freely escape through the pipe leading to the
zinc receptacle will be no longer opposed to the descent of the pistons,
and consequently of the plates, which will descend with a rapidity
in proportion to their weight and the atmospheric pressure. A
manometer is fitted to each cylinder in order to shew when the pressure
is at its limit. A safety valve and alarm whistle are fitted to the top
reservoir for the same purpose.