Improvements in or relating to Apparatus applicable for Squeezing or Expelling Water from Mops, Cloths, and other Articles, for Pressing and Macerating Fruits and Straining the Juices there- from, or the like.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 4th Oct., 1390
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus applicable for Squeezing
or Expelling Water from Mops, Cloths, and other Articles, for
Pressing and Macerating Fruits and Straining the Juices there-
from, or the like.
A communication from abroad by GEORGE GAMLEN, of the Village of Scipioville, in
the County of Cayuga, in the State of New York, United States of America,
Farmer.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S. M.I.M.E. of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors 6, Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both
in the County of Lancaster & 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex Civil
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:-
The object of the invention is to produce a squeezer or press and strainer combined,
adapted to squeeze or expel water or other fluids from mops, cloths, etcetera, or press
and macerate fruits of different kinds and straining the juices therefrom, carrying
same to one common channel for precipitation into a suitable receptacle, and furnishing
a straining and squeezing device particularly applicable and useful for household and
other domestic, or private, or family service or use, reference being made to the
accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the combined squeezer and strainer.
Figure 2 a top plan view thereof, and
Figure 3 a fragmentary vertical section, taken on line xx, Figure 1.
Similar letters and figures of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the
various views.
The invention consists in the several novel features of construction and operation
hereinafter described, and which are specifically enumerated in the claims hereto
annexed.
The apparatus is constructed as follows:-
A is the stationary body portion thereof, supported at a desired height by vertical
front legs or supports 1, and vertical rear legs or supports 1', said forward legs or
standards extending upwardly a greater height than the rear legs or standards.
The body portion A, that is of rectangular form horizontally, is rigidly secured at
the respective corners or angles to a supporting leg or standard 1 or 1.
This pody portion (open at its top) is provided with a slightly inclined bottom
plate a, whose direction of inclination is downward toward and to the front of the
machine, said bottom plate piece rearwardly being bent upwardly vertical a brief
distance and thereat creating a rear wall a', whose upper portion abuts against, and
partially encompasses by a bend a horizontal cross piece b, which extends from one
rear leg or standard 1' to the opposite one, and thus bracingly securing them in place,
as well as serving for a support for the integral plate a a' at the rear, while the bottom
plate a, at its forward portion, is secured in place by its side edges entering slightly
into the front standards or legs 1 1 or other satisfactory manner.
The body portion A comprises, at either side, a segmental side strip or plate of
wood or metal c, the rising forward portion of said segmental plate being secured to
the front leg or standard 1, at its upper extremity, and the lower descending portion
secured to the shorter leg or standard 1' at its upper extremity.
Said plates care provided with a slot d lineally therewith, and of corresponding arc
shape longitudinally.
From or near the lower curved edge of the segmental side strips c, and secured

page_text: thereto, extemis vertically downward the metallic side plates ee that are integral with
the bottom plate a, or else extend to, and are connected therewith.
At the forward portion of the body is erected transversely a vertically disposed
plate, abutting against and secured to a transverse horizontal cross piece g, which
extends from side to side, and at its upper termination (about in line with forward
end of curved slots d) passing around a horizontal transverse supporting rod h, which
extends from side to side of the body, or standards.
These aforenamed parts constitute, in conjunction, the operating chamber 2 of the
machine.
The lower portion of the plate f terminates in a series of fingers or projections i
(separated by slots or openings ) that bear against the transverse cylindrical axle or
rod K, extending horizontally from side to side and secured (preferably rigidly) in the
opposite legs or standards 11.
To the inner face of the vertical plate (that substantially extends from one post 1
to the opposite post) is secured, by riveting or otherwise, a corrugated metallic plate 7,
suitably perforated and the back supporting plate fis similarly perforated.
The corrugated plate extends upwardly to about the top of the supporting or
stiffening plate, and downwardly to about where the slotted portion or finger
projections start."
Forwardly of the plate is created a passage 3, formed by the aforesaid plate fin
conjunction with a vertical metallic plate m, disposed a suitable distance therefrom, at
the front of the machine, and secured edgewise to the standards by any suitable
means, the said plate at its top portion overlapping and being thereby secured to a
horizontal transverse barn; while, at its bottoin portion, it is curved in such manner
as to extend horizontally inward to the operating chamber a brief distance, and thereby
forming a shelf portion m³, as shown. This portion is out of contact with the
adjacent parts, and is, moreover, a brief distance above the bottom plate a of the
apparatus.
Upon said bottom plate a, at either side of its forward portion, are low vertical
guide strips o o converging toward each other forwardly, and leaving between their
extremities a narrow central opening or guide way p.
B represents the compressor, pivotally mounted, and facing the greater portion of
its length the stationary perforated corrugated plate l, and comprising a flat metallic
plate of rectangular form, its upper end being curved and surrounding loosely a
cylindrical horizontally disposed carrying rod 4 arranged transversely the chamber 2,
whose extremities W W extending a distance beyond the lateral edges of the plate,
protrude through and lie movably within its encompassing slot d of the curved side
plate e at either chamber side, and at its lower portion the said plater curvilinearly
extends to and semi-circularly surrounds in loose contact the axle or rod K by means
of its curved fingers or projections & separated one from the other by slots s¹.
с
To the front face of the plate r, of the compressor B, there is secured, by riveting
or otherwise, a corrugated plate t, suitably perforated, while the reinforcing or
retaining plate r is similarly perforated, and in line therewith.
55 are travelling boxes in which the free extremities W W of the carrying rod 4
are journal led or otherwise inserted, the said boxes having ears at their circumferential
sides to which is pivotally secured a chain or link belt C which respectively extends
continuously to and around the sprocket wheels 6 7 journalled at the external sides of
the apparatus upon the legs or standards 11 and 11 11, respectively, as shown.
Dis a manipulating handle for operating the sprocket wheels 6 6, and thereby
through the link belt connection with the rear sprockets 7 7 imparting motion to the
compressor B, either forward or rearward according to the direction the sprockets 6
are rotated.
It will be perceived that the sprockets 66 are keyed to the respective ends of a
rotating axle E, mounted in proper bearings and extending horizontally from side to
side of the apparatus. Also that the sprockets 77 are similarly secured upon a like
at the rear end of the machine,
axle

page_text: tare side horizontal tie bars, arranged longitudinally, designed for bracingly
strengthening the body portion A of the device, and u u are also tie bars or stays.
As is apparent, the semi-circularly curved fingers s of the plate r pass freely
between the fingers of the stationary plate f, and thence pass partly around, in loose
pivotal contact, the preferably rigid bar or axle K, on which they are adapted
to turn.
The operation of the device is substantially as follows:-
The article or articles to be squeezed, as for instance, wet mop-cloths, clothing or
other saturated textile fabrics or apples, grapes, currants or other fruits, enclosed in
loosely woven bags or otherwise, are disposed upon or in front of the perforated
corrugated plate t of the compressor B, whereupon the handle D is turned by the
operator in such direction as to impel forwardly the compressor pivotally connected
to the stationary axle K, by reason of the indirect link belt connection with the upper
part of the compressor B and the article or articles thereby being thoroughly pressed
or macerated between the corrugated plate t of the compressor B and the stationary
corrugated plate 7 of the front wall of the operating chamber, the moisture, water or
juices contained in the article or articles undergoing pressure is expelled therefrom,
and flows or percolates through the coincident perforations in the plates tr of the
compressor B and downward upon the bottom plate a and also through the coincident
perforations in the stationary plates f, and thence down the vertical passage 3 onto
the shelf portion m', and thence precipitated over its edge onto the bottom plate a at
a point just beyond the commencement of the guide way p thereon; and also to a
slight degree perhaps directly downward through the narrow slots s¹ of the lower
portion of the plate r of the compressor and onto the bottom plate a of the chamber;
all the water, juices or other liquids passing through the convergent guide way p
whence it drops into any suitable utensil placed upon the floor beneath the forward
discharge end of the said guide way p.
To release the pressure upon the article or articles that have been squeezed, the
turning of the handle D in an opposite direction to that first given, carries the
compressor B rearwards and in position for further usage.
It is obvious that by the manner or means employed in the construction, pivoting
and moving of the compressor, a powerful, direct and even pressure thereof is assured,
and that the device for usage as a combined squeezer and strainer for the numerous and
varied uses it is applicable to in a household renders it of immeasurable value for
general family use.
The back plate r, to which the corrugated plate t of the compressor is secured, and
the plate, behind the corrugated plate of the stationary wall, serve to brace, stay
and stiffen the attached corrugated plates, and ensure greater effectiveness.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a combined squeezer and strainer, a body portion mounted upon suitable
supporting legs, and comprising an inclined bottom, segmental side pieces provided
with a segmental longitudinal slot, side plates extending therefrom to the inclined
bottom, a rear vertical wall connected to said inclined bottom, a front chamber wall
comprising a transversely disposed perforated vertical plate having a perforated
corrugated plate attached thereto rearwardly, a vertical passage forwardly thereof
created by a transversely disposed vertical plate secured a distance from the afore-
named chamber wall, the said plate being curved horizontally at its lower portion and
creating a shelf extension therent, a compressor mounted within the operating chamber
proper of the apparatus, and comprising a main supporting plate, suitably perforated,
with a perforated corrugated plate secured to its front face, said main or supporting
plate being pivotally secured at its lower extremity to a horizontal rod or axle, and
at its upper extremity to a horizontal carrying rod having protruding extremities
lying movably within the slot of the respective segmental side pieces of the body, and
thence outwardly journalled in travelling boxes adapted to movement longitudinally

page_text: with the body by means of link. belts connected thereto and passing to and around
sprockets journalled at both the front and rear portions of the body of the machine,
and an operating handle for imparting motion to a sprocket or sprockets, in com-
bination, substantially as described and for the purposes specified.
2. The herein described apparatus applicable for squeezing or expelling water from
mops, cloths or other articles, or for pressing and macerating fruits and straining
the juices therefrom, the whole combined and arranged substantially as set forth.
Dated this 13th day of August 1890.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.