IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PRESSES FOR HAY, COTTON, HEMP, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents, 66,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PRESSES FOR
HAY, COTTON, HEMP, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES." -A communication from
abroad by Thomas Gannon and Thomas Bolton Webster, both of the
City of New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 20th February 1866, and dated the 25th September 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th September 1865.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PRESSES
FOR HAY, COTTON, HEMP, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
The first part of this Invention relates to that class of double presses in
which the two followers, arranged to work toward and from each other, have
the power by which the pressure is produced applied between the two. In
such presses as heretofore constructed there has been a fixed bearing for the
screw and nuts, or other mechanism for producing the pressure, and the result

page_text: has been that in their operation, if both press boxes did not contain an equal
quantity of material, not only would the material in one box be subjected to a
greater degree of compression than that in the other, but there would be
much strain on the mechanism or upon the fixed bearing.
One important object of this Invention is to remedy this defect and insure
an equal degree of compression in both boxes, whatever may be the relative
quantities of material contained in them, and relieve the mechanism from
undue strain, and to this and the right and left handed screw which gives
motion to the followers is mounted in bearings which are capable of yielding
to any unequal lateral pressure put on the screw. Divided nuts are used to
work on the opposite ends of the screw, and these nuts are mounted in boxes
which are connected at their opposite ends by means of pairs of toggle arms
to the followers of the press.
The object of dividing the nuts is to disengage them from the screw threads,
and allow of the speedy return motion of the followers. The sliding jaws
forming the nuts may be brought together and held in gear with the screw
by the pressure of excentrics, the shafts of which are geared together, or by a
disc with excentric slots acting upon pins projecting from the sides of the
sliding jaws. Keyed to the screw at about the middle of its length is a bevil
wheel into which a pair of bevil pinions gear, and the shafts of these pinions
carry crank bandles, by means of which rotary motion is imparted to the screw.
The press boxes may be made with hinged sides and top, to facilitate the.
filling in of the material to be pressed and the release of the bales.
The second part of the Invention relates to a press in which the follower is
actuated by two sets of lever pawls and excentrics, in combination with ratchet
wheels and chains (or instead of the chains, racks and pinions, or worms, or
worm wheels might be substituted), in such a manner that by the continuous
revolution of the driving shaft an intermittent rectilinear motion is imparted
to the follower, and the most powerful pressure can be effected. The follower
carries at its opposite ends chain pullies, round which are passed chains fixed
at one end to eye bolts. These chains are severally led over and around guide
.pullies, and thence to a pulley mounted loosely on the hub of a ratchet wheel.
Between this and a second ratchet wheel the pulley is gripped by means of a
screw and hand wheel; these ratchet wheels are actuated by means of ratchets
or pawls which are set in motion by levers which have excentrics for their
fulcrums so arranged as to act alternately. As the chains pass over the chain
pullies gripped by the ratchet wheels, they will draw up the follower and cause
it. to compress the material in the box of the press. By simply slackening the
grip, of the ratchet wheels and leaving the chain wheel loose, the follower will

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 24th March 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special licence that I, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF PRESSES FOR HAY, COTTON, HEMP,
AND OTHER SUBSTANCES," being a communication from abroad, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors 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 Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby declaro
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per+
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
The first part of this Invention, as communicated to me from abroad, relates
to that class of double presses in which the two followers, arranged to work
toward and from each other, have the power by which the pressure is pro-

page_text: duced applied between the two. In such presses as heretofore constructed
there has been a fixed bearing for the screw, or other mechanical appliance
for producing the pressure, and the result has been that in their operation, if
both press boxes did not contain an equal quantity of material, not only would
the material in one.box be subjected to a greater degree of compression than
that in the other, but there would be much strain on the mechanism or upon
the fixed bearing.
One important object of the present Invention is to remedy this defect, and
insure an equal degree of compression in both boxes, whatever may be the
relative quantities of material contained in them, and thereby to relieve the
mechanism from undue strain.
To this end a leading feature of this part of the Invention consists in making
the bearing or bearings for the screw, or other mechanical device or devices
by which the pressure is produced, self-adjusting, or in other words so arranging
the said bearing or bearings as to permit them to move freely to such an
extent between the two followers of the press as always to have a central
position between the two, and to make each follower an abutment to the other
one in the operation of the press, so that all the power applied comes directly
against and between the two followers, without being uselessly and injuriously
exerted upon any part of the press.
This part of the Invention further consists in certain devices for operating
in connection with a double or right and left hand screw in a double press of
the class herein above-mentioned.
The second part of the Invention relates to a press in which the follower is
actuated by two sets of lever pawls and excentrics in combination with ratchet
wheels and chains (or instead of the chains, racks and pinions, or worms, or
worm wheels might be substituted), in such a manner that by the continuous
revolution of the driving shaft an intermittent rectilinear motion is imparted
to the follower and the most powerful pressure can be effected. The driving
excentrics are placed at right angles to each other, so that as one of the pawls
draw back to take a new tooth the other pushes, and the motion of the follower is
made as steady and continuous as possible. The excentrics are, however,
arranged in such a position that the lever pawls on one end of the press take
hold at different times from those on the opposite end, and the follower travels up
alternately, first on one end and then on the other; whereby the operation of
the press is greatly facilitated, and a much more powerful pressure on the
material in the press can be effected than in ordinary presses, where both
ends of the follower move simultaneously.
-
The chain wheels are so constructed and arranged in relation to the ratchet

page_text: wheels and to a hand wheel on each end of the press that by turning the
hand wheels in one direction the chain wheels are tightened and rendered.
rigid with the ratchet wheels; and furthermore the follower can be moved up
by hand until the material in the press is compressed to such a state that more:
than hand power is requisite to complete the pressing, and when the pressing
operation is completed and the bale tied, the follower can be released by:
simply turning the hand wheels, whereby the chain wheels are rendered loose.
and allowed to turn back independent of the other mechanism. The follower
is thus made to descend instantaneously by its own gravity, and no time is.
lost in working the press back.
The first part of the Invention is illustrated in Sheet 1: of the accompanying
Drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents a plan or top view of a double baling
press constructed according to this Invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal
elevation, partly in section, the line x, x, Fig. 1, indicating the plane of section;
Fig. 3 is a detached horizontal section of the device for releasing and closing
the nuts of the screw by which the pressure is obtained; Fig. 4 is a detached
elevation of one of the self-adjusting boxes of the driving shaft; Fig. 5 is a
side view of a modification of the device for opening and closing the nuts; and
Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of the same. Similar letters of reference indicate
corresponding parts in these figures.
A represents a box or frame made of wood or any other suitable material.
Each end of this framé forms a press box B, which is provided with a follower
C moving towards and from the stationary heads D, D. These followers are
operated by means of a screw spindle E, which extends in a vertical direction
through the centre of the frame A. The spindle E has its bearing in a
suitable box a, and it is provided with a right and left hand screw thread, one
half of its length being right and the other left handed. At the middle of the
screw spindle between the two threads is firmly secured a bevil wheel F which
gears in two other bevil wheels G, G, keyed to the inner ends of horizontal
shafts H, H. These shafts extend beyond the sides of the frame A, and
they are provided with eränks I; 1 (see Fig. 1), or pulleys, so that they can
be turned freely in either direction, either by hand or by a belt driven by
suitable power. By these means a rotary niotion can be imparted to the
screw spindle E in either direction, and the nuts J, J, which are fitted on the
spindle can be made to approach each other or to move further apart, accord-
ing to the direction in which the spindle is turned. These nuts J are each
composed of two jaws b, b, which are fitted into a head c (see Fig. 3), so
that they can be made to close up and grasp the screw..thread. The closing
up of the jaws of each nut is effected by means of two shafts d, d, which pass

page_text: through the jaws b, b, (see Fig. 3), and each of which is provided with an
excentric e situated in the interior of the jaw. These shafts d have their
bearings in the side plates of the head c, and they are geared together by
small cog wheels f, f. A hand wheel 9 secured firmly on the end of one of
the shafts & serves to turn the same in either direction, and the excentrics
are so arranged that turning the hand wheel both jaws recede or close up
simultaneously. By these means the nut can be thrown out of gear with the
screw spindle instantaneously, and much time is thereby saved in working the
press back.
In Figures 5 and 6 the two jaws of a nut are shown with pins t, t, on
their sides projecting through the head c, and entering excentric slots v, v, in
a disc V, which is fitted to turn on a fixed pin u outside of the head c. The
disc is furnished with a lever handle w, by which to turn it in one direction
for opening the jaws of the nut, and in the other direction for closing the jaws
of the same. The heads c, c, which enclose the nuts connect by arms K, K,
with the followers C, C, as clearly shown in Fig. 2; these arins act as toggle
arms with a progressive power, which constantly increases as the nuts close
up and the arms straighten out.
By having the toggle arms extend from both sides of the heads C, the power
on the screw spindle is exactly balanced, and no lateral strain is exerted on
the same, which would have a tendency to cause the nuts to bind or to bend the
spindle; and furthermore all the power exerted by the persons turning the
eranks is employed in imparting motion to the followers, so that two bales of
cotton or other material are turned out simultaneously and the operation of
pressing is effected with comparatively little exertion and with great dispatch.
In order to prevent an unequal strain on the screw spindle, and to compress
equally the material in both of the press boxes B, B, if more material should
be in one of the boxes than in the other, the box a, which forms the bearings
for the screw spindle, and also the bearing boxes of the driving shafts H, are
yielding or self-adjusting in a horizontal direction, so that all of the said boxes
or bearings can accommodate themselves to the quantity of material in each
of the press boxes B, B, and permit the screw and driving shafts always to come
to a central position between the followers. This makes each follower serve as
an abutment to the other in the pressing operation, and all lateral strain upon
and tendency to bend the screw spindle is avoided, and the contents of both
the boxes B, B, are brought to the same density.
The press is very simple in its construction, it is light and requires little
machinery. The working parts are relieved from friction as much as possible,
and the power is exerted to the best advantage. The material to be pressed

page_text: is readily introduced into the boxes, which are provided with doors on the top
and sides as shown in the Drawing; and through these doors the bales when
completed can be readily removed, and finally by throwing the nuts out of
gear with the spindle the followers can be worked back instantaneously, and
no time is lost in performing this operation.
The second part of the Invention is illustrated in Sheet II. of the Drawings ;
Fig. I represents a plan or top view of a single baling press; Fig. 2 is an
end elevation, and Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the same. Similar
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in these Figures.
A represents a box which is covered by a moveable top B. This top is
held down by straps a which are hinged to the end pieces of the box, and
which when turned up catch over the ends of the longitudinal top bar b; said
top is hung on gudgeons c, and a hand lever d extending from the top bar 6:
serves to turn the same open after the straps a have been thrown off from the
ends of the top bar b. The upper parts C of the sides of the box A are made
to fold down, so that free access can be had to the interior of the box, and
when closed the ends of their top bars e pass between forked brackets f, and.
are held there by pins g. These side pieces C are hung on gudgeons h, which
have their bearings in plates D that are secured to the ends of the box A, and
which form the supports or bars of the straps a, the gudgeons c, and the forked
brackets f, so that all the working parts of the box are rigidly connected to
them. In the lower part of the box A moves the follower F, which is
supported by a longitudinal beam E, the ends of which extend through slots i
in the ends of the box, and form the bearings for pulleys j, j, two on either end..
Round these pulleys winds a chain k, one end of which is secured to an eye
bolt that projects from the end of the box. From this eye bolt the chain
passes down under the pulley j, thence up over a pulley m, and down again
under the pulley, and thence up over the chain wheel n, as shewn par-
ticularly in Fig. 2. This chain wheel revolves loosely on the hub o of a
ratchet wheel, which has its bearings on a stationary axle p, as shewn in
Fig. 3. The hub o passes through the chain wheel n, and a second ratchet
wheel r¹ is fitted on it by means of a feather key s, which compels the same
to revolve with the hub o, but allows it to move thereon in a longitudinal
direction. By forcing the ratchet wheel r towards the ratchet wheel r the
5 chain wheel n is firmly clamped between them, so that by turning either of the
ratchet wheels a rotary motion is imparted to the chain wheel. The two
ratchet wheels are made to clip the chain wheel by means of a hand wheel H,
which screws on the outer end of the axle p, and the hub of which bears on
the outer end of the hub of the ratchet wheel r; whereas the inner end of

page_text: said axle is provided with a head which bears against the inner end of the
bub of the ratchet wheel r, as clearly shown in Fig. 8. When the hand wheel
is drawn up tight the whole system of wheels turn together, and they can be
turned by hand or by power. When the band wheel is unscrewed the chaint
wheel is released and allowed to turn independently of the ratchet wheels, and
in this case the follower descends by its own gravity. Power is applied to
the ratchet wheels r, r', by means of pawls t, t'; carried by levers L, L', which
are strapped round the hubs of the ratchet wheels r, r, and connect by
pivots u, u', with arms M, 'M', extending from straps fitted round excentric
díses N, N¹, mounted on the driving shaft P. The excentric discs N, N¹, are
set at right angles to each other, so that they can cause the lever pawls to
take alternate action on the ratchet wheels r, r, and that while one pawl
moves back to take a fresh hold the other moves forward and turns the system
of wheels, causing the follower to rise. It will be noticed by reference to
Figures 1 and 3 that both ends of the press are provided with the like system
of ratchet and chain wheels, lever pawls, and excentrics, so that both ends of
the follower are moved up by turning the driving shaft P; but it must be
remarked that the longest radii of the excentrics on one end of the shaft are
in a line at right angles to those on the other end (that is to say) if the lines
drawn through the centre and highest parts of one pair of excentrics coincide
with the direction of the cranks shewn in Fig. 2, the corresponding line of the
other set of excentrics will be at right angles with said cranks, or vice versa.
By this arrangement the lever pawls on both ends of the press take action at
different periods, and the follower moves up alternately on one side and then
on the other, whereby the strain on the press is considerably reduced, and a
much greater pressure can be effected than with an ordinary press where both
ends of the follower are brought up simultaneously. It will be readily under-
stood that by suitable gearing the power of this press can be increased to any
required extent, and if desired the chains and chain wheels can be replaced by
racks and pinions, or even worms and worm wheels might be applied.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements in the
Construction of Presses," and explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters
Patent I claim,-
First, arranging the bearing or bearings of the screw or other means of
producing the pressure on the followers of double presses, so that the said
bearing or bearings will be self-adjusting to or free to assume a central position
between the followers, and that each follower serves as the abutment to the
other in the pressing operation, substantially as herein described...

page_text: Second, in a press provided with a right and left hand screw spindle E,
I claim the gear wheels F, G, and cranks I, I, or their equivalents, in com-
bination with heads C, detachable nuts J, J, toggle arms K, K, and
followers C, C, situated on opposite sides of the spindle, all as herein shewn,
and described with reference to Sheet I. of the Drawings.
Third, the means above described for connecting the toggle arms with the
screw spindle, and detaching them therefrom.
Fourth, the arrangement of the excentrics N, N', on the driving shaft P in
combination with the lever pawls t, t, ratchet wheels r, r', and with the chain
wheels and chains or their equivalents, constructed and operating substantially
as described with reference to Sheet II. of the Drawing, and for the purpose
set forth.
Fifth, the means above described for throwing the chain wheels in and out
of action.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-fourth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
0
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane,
A. V. NEWTON. (L.S.)