IMPROVEMENTS IN PLUMBAGO PRESSES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Thomas Hughes, of the Firm of Hughes
and Son, Patent Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PLUMBAGO PRESSES." -A communi-
cation from abroad by Hubert Root Ives, of New Haven, County
Sealed the 20th June 1871, and dated the 6th January 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Thomas Hughes
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 6th January 1871.
I, EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son,
Patent Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PLUMBAGO PRESSES,"
a communication to me from abroad by Hubert Root Ives, of New"
Haven, County of New Haven, State of Connecticut, United States of
America (to be as follows):-
This Invention relates to a machine for compressing plumbago or
similar material into blocks or cakes for market, designed with special
reference to the preparation of stove blacking, the form of the cake to

page_text: be cylindrical, flat upon one end and convex upon the other, and the
Invention consists in the combination of two vertical plungers, to one of
which a revolving movement is given with a die into which the said
plungers play, one from above and the other below, the die constructed
to receive the material, and the plungers operating to compress the
material, the revolving plunger to smooth and polish one end:
be cylindrical, flat upon one end and convex upon the other, and the
Invention consists in the combination of two vertical plungers, to one of
which a revolving movement is given with a die into which the said
plungers play, one from above and the other below, the die constructed
to receive the material, and the plungers operating to compress the
material, the revolving plunger to smooth and polish one end:
Fig. 1 of the Drawings represents a front view.
2 a side view.
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3 a vertical central section, and,
دو
4 a top view of the die.
"
5 & 6 vertical sections of the die for shaping the end of the
block or cake.
.
A is the frame which supports the operative mechanism; B, the driving
shaft to which power is communicated through the pulley B¹ to cause
the revolution of the said shaft, and to which power is communicated to
an upper shaft C and lower shaft C', through a pinion C² on the main
shaft, and gears C³ on the upper and lower shaft. D is the upper
mandrel, supported on a slide D', and so as to revolve in bearings D², the
said slide arranged so as to move vertically in guides E, and the said
slide is thus moved vertically by a crank a on the shaft c attached to the
slide by a connecting rod F, as seen in Fig. 3, so that by each revolution
of the shaft C' a downward movement and return is given to the slide.
represented in Fig. 3, as the extreme down movement, and in Fig. 2 as
the extreme up movement, thus imparting to the mandrel D an upward
movement, and to the said mandrel is given at the same time a constant
rotary movement by the shaft C, receiving its power from the shaft C by a.
gear G', and imparting the same to the mandrel by bevel gears Hand H,
the gear H' being held in a fixed position on a bearing H2. I is the lower
mandrel, see Fig. 3, to which a vertical movement' only is imparted by
means of a cam I on the shaft C₁ working in a slot or frame I² to which
the mandrel is attached or forms a part. L is a die or block pierced so
as to permit the two mandrels to pass in from the top and bottom, as
seen in Fig. 3, at the time when the lever mandrel I is at lowest position
as denoted by broken lines in Fig. 3, the upper mandrel will be up out
of the die, then the material to be compressed is placed in the die and
the mandrels approaching each other compress the material in the die,
the upper mandrel smooths and finishes the upper surface, the lower'
mandrel not revolving may be cut 'to give any desirable impression to

page_text: the lower surface, and when sufficiently compressed the upper mandrel
rises, and the lower mandrel the same by the action of its cam, until the
material which has been pressed is taken therefrom, then the lower
mandrel will drop to permit the refilling of the die.
To facilitate the operation of the machine, 'the die L is of a circular
form and pivoted at L, so as to revolve upon the said pivot, and the
die is perforated at several place around and equidistant from the said
pivot, so that each of the perforations as the dies revolve is successively
presented to the mandrels, and while the material in one die is being
compressed the other perforations or openings in the die may be filled.
This I prefer to do by the arrangement of a hopper over the die, as in
Fig. 2 the mouth of the hopper leading directly to the perforations in
the die, so that as the die revolves each perforation passes beneath the
mouth of the hopper.
To prevent the material from clogging in the hopper I arrange a
vertical shaft through the hopper, the said shaft provided with projecting
fingers and caused to revolve by applying power thereto directly from the
machine or other sources, the revolving fingers constantly agitating the
material in the hopper prevents its clogging or packing the hopper.
The die is rotated to automatically present the filled openings to
the mandrels by means of a frictional band d connected to a lever N
by a rod n operated by a cam N¹ on the shaft C', which at each
revolution strikes the said lever and forces its upper end toward the
die, turning the die and frictional band d the extent of the cam' move-
ment, at which point the die is caught by a pawl P dropping into one of
the notches i, as seen in Fig. 1, the said pawl P being thrown from
the notch at the required time by means of a cam R acting upon a
lever R which is connected to the pawl, the frictional band being
arranged in the usual manner for such revolution, so that on its return
the band is loosened and does not affect or move the die.
To throw the compressed cake or block from the machine after it is
raised from the die by the mandrel I, I arrange a vertical, shaft S, see
Fig. 2, to which at the proper time a partial rotation is given by means
of a cam acting upon an arm » on the said shaft, and another arm T.is
arranged so that when the lower mandrel is at its full height as seen in
Fig. 2 supporting the compressed cake flush with the surface of the
die, the arm T swinging over the die will remove the finished cake from
the machine and then return to its first position.

page_text: In order to give a distinguishing appearance to the products of this
machine I use dies of the form seen in section Fig. 5, or as in Fig. 6.
These it will be understood give to the block or cake the reverse form
upon one end.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Thomas Hughes in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 6th July 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent Agents, 123,
Chancery Lane, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, Her special
licence that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward Thomas
Hughes, 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 PLUMBAGO PRESSES," a communication to me from abroad
by Hubert Root Ives, of New Haven, County of New Haven, State of
Connecticut, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, my exécutors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, 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 I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same

page_text: is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to a machine for compressing plumbago or
similar material into blocks or cakes for market, designed with special
reference to the preparation of stove blacking, the form of the cake to
be cylindrical, flat upon one end and convex upon the other, and the
Invention consists in the combination of two vertical plungers, to one
of which a revolving movement is given, with a die into which the said
plungers play, one from above and the other below, the die constructed
to receive the material and the plungers operating to compress thie
material, the revolving plunger to smooth and polish one end.
Fig. 1 of the Drawings represents a front view; Fig. 2, a side view;
Fig. 3, a vertical central section; and Fig. 4, a top view of the die; '
Figs. 5 and 6, vertical sections of the die for shaping the end of the block
or cake.
A is the frame which supports the operative mechanism; B, the driving.
shaft to which power is communicated through. the pulley B¹ to cause
the revolution of the said shaft, and to which power is communicated
to an upper shaft C and lower shaft C₁ through a pinion C² on the main
shaft and gears C³ on the upper and lower shaft. D is the upper mandril
supported on a slide D¹ and so as to revolve in bearings D2, the said slide
arranged so as to move vertically in guides E, and the said slide is thus
moved vertically by a crank a on the shaft C attached to the slide by a
connecting rod F, as seen in Fig. 3, so that by each revolution of the
shaft C a downward movement and return is given to the slide, repre-
sented in Fig. 3 as the extreme down movement, and in Fig. 2 as the
extreme. up movement, thus imparting to the mandril D an upward
movement, and to the said mandril is given at the same time a constant
rotary movement by the shaft C, receiving its power from the shaft C
by a gear G and imparting the same to the mandrel by bevel gears H
and H', the gear H¹ being held in a fixed position on a bearing H³. I is
the lower mandrel, see Fig. 3, to which a vertical movement only is
imparted by means of a cam I' on the shaft C' working in a slot or frame
12, to which the mandrel is attached or forms a part. L is a die or block
pierced so as to permit the two mandrels to pass in from the top and
'bottom, as seen in Fig. 3. At the time when the lower mandrel I is at
its lowest position, as denoted by broken lines in Fig. 3, the upper
mandril will be up out of the die, then the material to be compressed is
}

page_text: placed in the die, and the mandrils approaching each other compress the
material in the die, the upper mandril revolving smooths and finishes
the upper surface, the lower mandril not revolving may be cut to give
any desirable, impression to the lower surface, and when sufficiently
compressed the upper mandrel rises, and the lower mandrel the same by
action of its cam, until the material which has been pressed is taken
therefrom, then the lower mandrel will drop to permit the refilling of the
die.
-To facilitate the operation of the machine the die L is of circular form
and pivoted at so as to revolve upon the said pivot, and the die is per-
forated at several places around and equidistant from the said pivot, so
that each of the perforations, as the dies revolve, are successively pre-
sented to the mandrils, and while the material in one die is being
compressed the other perforations or openings in the die may be filled.
This I prefer to do by the arrangement of a hopper over the die, as in
Fig. 2, the mouth of the hopper leading directly to the perforations in
the die, so that as the die revolves each perforation passes beneath the
mouth of the hopper.
To prevent the material from clogging in the hopper, I arrange a
vertical shaft through the hopper, the said shaft provided with projecting
fingers and caused to revolve by applying power thereto directly from
the machine or other sources, the revolving fingers constantly agitating
the material in the hopper prevent its clogging or packing the hopper.
.
The die is rotated to automatically present the filled openings to the
mandrils, by means of a frictional band d connected to a lever N by
a rod n operated by a cam N¹ on the shaft C¹, which at each revolution
strikes the said lever and forces its upper end towards the die, turning
the die and frictional band d the extent of the cam movement, at which
point the die is caught by a pawl P dropping into one of the notches i,
as seen in Fig. 1, the said pawl P being thrown from the notch at the
required time by means of a cam R acting upon a lever R¹ which is
connected to the pawl, the frictional band being arranged in the usual
manner for such revolution, so that on its return the band is loosened
and does not affect or move the die.
To throw the compressed cake or block from the machine after it is
raised from the die by the mandrel I, I arrange a vertical shaft S, see
Fig. 2, to which at the proper time a partial rotation is given by means
of a cam t acting upon an arm 2 on the said shaft, and another arm T is

page_text: arranged so that when the lower mandrel is at its full height, as seen in
Fig. 2, supporting the compressed cake flush with the surface of the die,
the arm T swinging over the die will remove the finished cake from the
machine and then return to its first position.
In order to give a distinguishing appearance to the products of this
machine, I use dies of the form seen in section Fig. 5, or as in Fig 6.
These it will be understood give to the block or cake the reverse form
unon one end.