An Improved Press for Pressing Hay, Straw, and the like.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 6th June, 1893-Accepted, 19th Aug., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Press for Pressing Hay, Straw, and the like.
I, SAMUEL WILLIAM BLYTH, of Ingatestone, in the County of Essex
Agricultural 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 :-
In my improved press there is a table upon which the material to be pressed is
placed and standing up from the table are standards with guides along which a
platten can move.
Counterweights are connected with the platten which tend to raise it to the
upper end of the guides.
In order to draw the platten down and apply the required pressure to the hay or
material upon the table I provide two chains and two pulleys upon the platten, one
near either end of it. Each chain is made fast to the table frame at one end, it
passes up over one of the pulleys upon the platten and descends again. Beneath
the table surface there is an horizontal axis and on the axis are drums to receive
the chains. The ends of the chains are made fast' to arms projecting from the
drums and the drum can be rotated as is afterwards described. As the drums turn
the chains are wound up and the platten is drawn down. The axis of the drums
has at one end a toothed wheel upon it and with this wheel a pinion engages; there
is also a ratchet upon the axis of the pinion. Two lever handles are provided to
work the press, one of them is loose upon the pinion axis, and is provided with a
claw which engages with the teeth of the ratchet. Also upon the axis of the drums
at the other end there is a large ratchet wheel which receives a locking pawl and
also a driving pawl.
The driving pawl is upon the other hand lever which is longer than the first and
is mounted upon and is free to turn around the axis. The locking pawl retains the
platten after the pressure has been applied and whilst the truss is being bound
which is done in the usual way.
In order to release the platten when the truss has been bound a lever with two
pinion like teeth is provided to engage with the toothed wheel at the other end of
the axis. The axis can thus be turned sufficiently to take the pressure off the
retaining pawl. I so arrange that the hand lever when out of use is supported by
the retaining pawl and the weight of the lever takes the pawl out as soon as it
is free.
The platten of the press is able to rock or tip in its guides and it can be raised in
front for the purpose of giving more room for conveniently placing the hay or
material upon the table. There is a hook attached to the table and this hook
engages with the back of the platten. So the back of the platten is retained whilst
the counterweights raise the other parts thereof higher.
Upon the table of the press there is a weighing platform.
The action of this press is very powerful in consequence of the arrangement of
the chains which draw down the platten.
In order that my invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect 1 will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.

page_text: a a is the table of the press and b is a weighing platform, part of an ordinary
lever weighing machine, other parts of which are seen at b¹. cc are standards
rising from the table, they serve to guide the platten d, the spindles d' d' projecting
from the ends of the platten enter into guide grooves formed in the standards.
d² d² are two bow irons upon the ends of the platten, by these it hangs upon the
rollers ee which are suspended from pulleys ff. gg are counterpoises and chains
attached to the counterpoises pass over pulleys c¹ c' at the top of the standards,
then down and around the pulleys ff and finally are made fast to one of the cross
bars c² which connect the standards.
The platten of the press has at each end a chain pulley h, it is mounted on the
spindle d'. The chains ii which pass over these pulleys are made fast to brackets
bolted to the table frame near one end at a¹ and at the other end each chain is
secured to the arm k¹ of a chain drum k. The back of the arm on which the chain
lies is suitably curved and it is grooved and flanged to retain the chain securely.
The two chain drums are fixed upon the horizontal shaft which at one end also
carries the toothed wheel m. The toothed wheel is engaged with a pinion and on
the axis of the pinion is a ratchet wheel n. o is a hand lever free to turn on the
axis of the pinion and ratchet; it is provided with a claw o' which engages the
teeth of the ratchet. At the other end of the axis a large ratchet wheel p is fixed
and the locking or retaining pawl 7 (which in the drawing is shown raised) drops in
between the teeth of the wheel p. The long hand lever r is also free to turn upon
this end of the axis l, it is armed with a weighted driving pawl which when the
lever is in working position also engages with the teeth of the ratchet P:
releasing lever, it has its fulcrum upon the frame and has two teeth which can be
made to engage with the teeth of the wheel m. By the powerful action of this
lever the wheel m can be turned through a small arc and the platten drawn down
to a corresponding extent, even after the truss has been pressed and bound.
s' is the
In working the press the hay or material to form a truss is placed upon the
weighing platform 6 whilst the parts of the press are in the positions in which they
are shown in the drawing; the platten being tilted by the operation of the hook t
which retains it at the back. As soon as the weighing machine indicates the
proper weight to be in the press, the long lever handler is brought down into
action, the pawl is made to engage and the lever is worked for a few strokes up
and down. At first whilst the pressure on the truss is light and whilst the
arms pass down the platten descends rapidly but the motion becomes slower as
the chains come to be wound upon the drums k. After a time the hand lever o is
also brought into use and this by its slower gear is mainly instrumental in bringing
the pressure to the required maximum. The truss is then bound.
The release of the truss is effected by the levers which is used to turn the
wheel m.
At this time the long hand lever r is standing resting against the
retaining pawl q and so this pawl immediately it is free from pressure is caused to
fall back as seen in Figure 4. The counterpoises g g then raise the platten and as it
rises it is caught at the back by the hook 't and caused to tilt. All is then ready
for the removal of the bound truss and for recharging the press. The distance to
which the platten rises is readily adjusted by shifting from link to link the bolts
at a' which secure the chains i and by altering at the same time the position of the
hook t upon the frame, or a longer or a shorter hook may be employed.
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. My improved press substantially as described for pressing hay straw and
the like.
2. The counterpoised platten and the mechanism for drawing the same downwards
to apply the pressure substantially as described.
3. The releasing mechanism substantially as described for disengaging the
retaining pawl when the truss has been bound.

page_text: 4. The arrangement of the platten substantially as described so that when lifted
by the counterpoises and retained at the back, it tips in such manner as to give
more room for the material to be placed in and removed from the press.
Dated this 6th day of June 1893.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.