Produce or Manufactures into Bales or Trusses.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Oct., 1887
Specification Accepted, 15th Nov., 1887
Produce or Manufactures into Bales or Trusses.
I, JOHN SELBY COLLITT Engineer, of the firm of Collitt and Co. of the Boston
and Skirbeck Ironworks, Boston, in the County of Lincoln, 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, reference
being had to the accompanying drawings and to the Figures and letters marked
thereon:-
My invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus for compressing
light produce or manufactures into bales or trusses and consists of a novel arrange-
ment of parts whereby I obtain simplicity, efficiency, and compactness.
My invention is represented in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a
sectional side elevation and Figure 2 an end elevation.
a is the main frame which may be supported by four wheels b, to facilitate the
transportation of the machine from place to place as may be required.
The main frame a carries the compression chamber or box which is formed of a
rectangular frame c and two platens or followers, e. f.
The material to be compressed is placed in the compression box or chamber either
through doors in the sides or through the upper platen f which is made to open in
any convenient manner.
g.g. are right and left handed screws fitted in suitable bearings under the press,
h.h. are nuts fitting the screws g. g. and provided with lugs or ears h¹ h¹ to which the
inner ends of compression struts, i. i.j.j. are pin jointed.
The lower struts i. i. are jointed at their outer ends to the lower ends of tension
rods, k. k. which at their upper ends are fixed to the frames of the upper platen or
follower f. and the upper struts j.j. are jointed at their outer ends to the frame of the
lower platen or follower e.
1.1. are shafts which connect the outer ends of the struts i. i. together in pairs,
m. m. are rods which hold the outer or lower ends of the struts i. i. in correct position
and ensure the tension rods k., k. working in true vertical lines.
On one end of each of the screws g. g. is fixed a toothed wheel or pinion g' which

page_text: toothed wheels g¹ are driven by a toothed pinion or wheel n', fixed on a shaft n to
which motion is given by any suitable power which may if desired be mounted on the
main frame a.
The working of the machine is as follows:-
The platens or followers e. f. being at their greatest distance apart and the nuts h. h.
being near together as shown in the drawing the compression box or chamber is then
filled with the produce to be compressed, the doors are then closed and the screws g. g.
set in motion in the required direction. The nuts h. h. are thereby caused to move
away from each other till they arrive at the positions marked x. x. and in doing so
extend the compression struts or toggles i. i. j.j. to the positions marked
y.y. by
which means the upper struts or toggles j.j. lift the lower platen or follower e. and
the struts or toggles i. i. through the tension rods k. k. draw down the upper platen
or follower f. thereby causing the platens e. f. to move towards each other some-
what quickly at first and then slowly and most powerfully towards the end of their
traverse.
The side doors are then opened and the compressed produce is tied and withdrawn.
The motion of the screws g. g. is reversed for the purpose of causing the platens, e. f.
to return to the position shown in the drawing.
I would here remark that I make no claim separately considered to the employ-
ment of two platens or followers, moving towards and from each other, this mutual
reciprocal motion being old and well known, nor, do I claim the employment of
toggles and screws for operating such platens or followers, when arranged differently
from that herein shown and described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The peculiar arrangement and combination of parts substantially as herein shown
and described and for the purpose stated.
2. The arrangement and combination of platens or followers, e. f. screws g. 9.
nuts h. h. connected to the inner ends of struts or toggles i. i. j.j. which are connected
to and operate the platens or followers, e. f. substantially as herein shown and described
and for the purpose stated.