IMPROVE- MENTS IN PRESSES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Archibald Brooman, of 166, Fleet Street,
in the City of London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PRESSES."-A communication from abroad by Pierre Samain,
of Blois, France.
Sealed the 3rd January 1865, and dated the 9th July 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Archibald
Brooman at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 9th July 1864.
I, RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES," to be as follows:-
This Invention mainly consists in the employment of elbowed levers actuated
by another lever or by an excentric, and combined with a screw or screwed
shaft and two movable blocks threaded internally, and free to move up and
down the screw. The press is composed of a bed or platform supporting
columns or pillars to which the press head is bolted. A central screw or
screwed shaft is fixed below the pressing plate to a nut or head with a circular
groove on its upper face, in which small spheres or balls are free to roll; the
pressing plate rests on these spheres, and is guided in its up-and-down move-
ment by the columns on which it slides. The pressing plate is caused to rise
by means of a lever threaded at one end to engage into a fork, the middle of

page_text: which forms a nut, so that the length of the arm of the lever in relation to
the joint of the fork may be increased or diminished, and the action or effect
of the hand or other power applied to the lever regulated as required. The
joint or fulcrum of the lever or fork is formed by two lateral supports fixed to
the bed of the press. This end of the lever is connected to a crank or rod,
which is itself connected to a forked lever, the two arms of which are formed
with a projection pivoted on a plate fixed to the bed; two perforations or
apertures are formed in each arm, in which rest elbowed levers which support
two concentric annular plates; these plates themselves support two blocks
threaded internally to embrace the central screwed shaft, and fitted concen-
trically one within the other. The annular plates are only capable of being
moved vertically, and for this purpose each is furnished on its upper periphery
with two projections diametrically opposed to each other; the projections of
the outer plate take into vertical grooves in brackets or supports fixed to the
bed, and the projections of the inner plate into grooves on each side of a.
socket also fixed to the bed. This socket which is not threaded in the
interior, also acts as a guide to the lower part of the screwed shaft. The
elbowed levers placed at each side are arranged obliquely to each other.
The action of the press is as follows:-By raising the lever which is before
described as being connected to a crank, great adhesion is produced through
the intermediation of the elbowed levers between the outer block and its
annular supporting plate, whereby they can only move vertically, and conse-
quently cause the screw to rise up to the end of this course of the lever; then
on lowering the lever the outer block and its plate descend of their own
weight to their original position, and the inner block and its plate by their
adhesion between themselves cause the screw to rise up to the end of this
second course of the lever; the inner block and plate in their turn descend
to their normal position, and the outer block and plate again act on the
screw, and so on until the material on the pressing plate has been sufficiently
pressed. The thread of the screw should be very inclined in order that the
blocks may descend easily. The lever has thus a double action, as it produces
a pressing effect both in being raised and in being lowered. In order to
discharge the material which has been submitted to the action of the press,
I fit a spring catch on the lower side of the pressing plate; this catch is
pivoted at one end, while its other end takes hold of a projection formed on
the nut or head of the screw, and furnished with a small roller; by pulling a
rod slightly excentric at its point of rotation, the extremity of the catch is
disengaged from the projection; the pressing plate is then free to descend to
receive a fresh charge of the material to be pressed. To lessen the shock

page_text: produced by the sudden descent of the pressing plate coiled springs or india-
rubber washers may be fitted on the supporting columns.
Presses constructed as before described are applicable to various purposes
when modified to adapt them to the particular use for which they are intended.
I proceed to describe, by way of example, a press applicable to pressing bales
of cotton or similar material. The cotton is placed on a plate on which cords
for tying up the bales are arranged; this plate moves between vertical
supports, strengthened by cross pieces forming a frame, to which wheels are
fitted to run on rails. The head of the press is connected to the bed by
columns or pillars and nuts. A central screw or screwed shaft is worked in
manner before described, except the following modified arrangements. The
lever to which the power is applied is connected to a crank which transmits
the movement to another lever resting on lateral supports fixed to the bed;
the last-named lever is furnished with elbowed levers, two of which support
an outer and two an inner annular plate, each of which plates supports a
block through the intermediation of other annular plates. Between the
upper and lower annular plates are spheres or balls free to run in grooves.
formed on the surfaces of the plates; the object of this arrangement is to
facilitate the descent of the central screw. When the cotton has been suffi-
ciently pressed, a lever pivoted near the bottom of one of the columns is acted
on; a prolongation or second arm of this lever extends into the bed of the
press, and is fitted with a counterweight; by this action on the lever a hook
carried by the lever is disengaged from a small roller on which it pressed,
and a small carriage is released and allowed to slide in a groove, the upper
annular plates are thus disengaged, and the central screw is free to descend.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Archibald Brooman in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 9th January 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Richard Archibald Brooman, Her special licence that I, the said,

page_text: Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors, admi-
nistrators, 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 PRESSES," (communicated to me from
abroad by Pierre Samain, of Blois, France,) upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors or admi-
nistrators, 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 Richard Archibald Brooman, do
hereby declare the nature of the said 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 Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
This Invention mainly consists in the employment of elbowed levers actuated
by another lever or by an excentric, and combined with a screw or screwed
shaft and two moveable blocks threaded internally and free to move up and
down the screw.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a front elevation, and Figure 2
a side elevation, both partly in section, of a press construction according to
this Invention; Figure 3 is a plan taken above the pressing plate; and
Figure 4, a transverse section of the pressing plate.
The press is composed of a bed or platform a, supporting columns or
pillars b, b', to which the press head c is bolted. A central screw or screwed
shaft d is fixed below the pressing plate e to a nut or head f, with a circular
groove on its upper face in which small spheres or balls 9 are free to roll; the
pressing plate e rests on these spheres, and is guided in its up-and-down move-
ment by the columns b, b', on which it slides. The pressing plate e is caused
to rise by means of a lever h threaded at one end to engage into a fork i,
the middle of which forms a nut, so that the length of the arm of the lever
in relation to the joint j of the fork may be increased or diminished, and the
action or effect of the hand or other power applied to the lever regulated as
required. The joint or fulcrumj of the lever h or fork is formed by two

page_text: lateral supports k, k', fixed to the bed a of the press. This end of the lever h
is connected to a crank or rod 1, which is itself connected to a forked lever m,
the two arms of which are formed with a projection pivoted on a plate fixed
to the bed; two perforations or apertures n, n¹, (see Figure 6) are formed in
each arm, in which rest elbowed levers o, o¹, which support two concentric
annular plates p, p¹; these plates themselves support two blocks q, 9',
threaded internally to embrace the central screwed shaft and fitted con-
centrically one within the other. The annular plates p, p, are only capable
of being moved vertically, and for this purpose each is furnished on its upper
periphery with two projections r, r³, diametrically opposed to each other; the
projections of the outer plate p take into vertical grooves in brackets or sup-
ports fixed to the bed a, and the projections of the inner plate p¹ into
grooves on each side of a socket t also fixed to the bed. This socket which
is not threaded in the interior, also acts as a guide to the lower part of the
screwed shaft d. The elbowed levers o, o¹, placed at each side, are arranged
obliquely to each other.
The action of the press is as follows:-By raising the lever h great adhe-
sion is produced through the intermediation of the elbowed levers between the
outer block q and its annular supporting plate p, whereby they can only move
vertically, and consequently cause the screw to rise up to the end of this
course of the lever; then on lowering the lever h, the outer block q and its
plate p descend of their own weight to their original position, and the inner
block q' and its plate pi by their adhesion between themselves cause the
screw d to rise up to the end of this second course of the lever h; the inner
block and plate p¹ in their turn descend to their normal position, and the
outer block q and plate p again act on the screw, and so on until the material
on the pressing plate e has been sufficiently pressed. The thread of the screw d
should be very inclined in order that the blocks q, q', may descend easily.
The lever has thus a double action, as it produces a pressing effect both in
being raised and in being lowered. In order to discharge the material which
has been submitted to the action of the press, I fit a catch v with a spring o
on the lower side of the pressing plate e; this catch is pivoted at one end at v¹,
while its other end takes hold of a projection y formed on the nut or head f
of the screw, and furnished with a small roller y¹; by pulling a rod = slightly
excentric at its point of rotation the extremity of the catch vis disengaged
from the projection y; the pressing plate e is then free to descend to receive
a fresh charge of the material to be pressed. To lessen the shock produced
by the sudden descent of the pressing plate e, coiled springs or india-rubber
washers may be fitted on the supporting columns b, b¹.

page_text: Presses constructed as before described are applicable to various purposes
when modified to adapt them to the particular use for which they are in-
tended. I shew in Figure 5, by way of example, a press applicable to
pressing bales of cotton or similar material. The cotton is placed on a
plate A, on which cords B for tying up the bales are arranged; this plate
moves between vertical supports C, C, strengthened by cross pieces D forming
a frame, to which wheels F are fitted to run on rails E. The head G of the
press is connected to the bed H by columns or pillars I and nuts. A central
screw or screwed shaft J is worked in manner before described, except the
following modified arrangements. The lever K to which the power is applied
is connected to a crank L, which transmits the movement to another lever M,
resting on lateral supports Z, Z, fixed to the bed H; the lever M is furnished
with elbowed levers N, N¹, two of which N support an outer annular plate O,
and two N an inner annular plate O¹, each of which plates supports a block P
and P¹, through the intermediation of other annular plates Q, Q. Between the
upper plates P, P¹, and the lower plates Q, Q', are spheres or balls free to
run in grooves formed on the surfaces of the plates; the object of this
arrangement is to facilitate the descent of the central screw. When the
cotton has been sufficiently pressed, a lever R pivoted at S is acted on; a
prolongation or second arm of this lever extends into the bed H of the press,
and is fitted with a counterweight U; by this action on the lever a hook S¹
carried by the lever is disengaged from a small roller V on which it pressed,
and a small carriage X is released, and allowed to slide in a groove; the
upper annular plates Q, Q, are thus disengaged, and the central screw is free
to descend.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim, constructing
presses with elbowed levers and moveable blocks, all arranged and actuated
substantially in manner herein-before described and represented in the accom-
panying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of January, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-five.