AN HYDRAULIC PRESS, WHICH HE TERMS HIS IMPROVED INVERTED HYDRAULIC PRESS FOR PRESSING OF HAY, STRAW, HOPS, HEMP, OR FLAX, COTTON OR ANIMAL WOOL, ANIMAL OR VEGETABLE OILS, OR ANY OTHER MATERIALS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Paul Rapsey Hodge, of 36, Blessington Road,
in the Parish of Lee, in the County of Kent, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "AN HYDRAULIC PRESS, WHICH HE TERMS HIS IMPROVED
INVERTED HYDRAULIC PRESS FOR PRESSING OF HAY, STRAW, HOPS, HEMP, OR
FLAX, COTTON OR ANIMAL WOOL, ANIMAL OR VEGETABLE OILS, OR ANY OTHER
MATERIALS."
Sealed the 19th September 1861, and dated the 25th March 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Paul Rapsey Hodge at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th March 1861.
I, PAUL RAPSEY. HODGE, of 36, Blessington Road, in the Parish of Lee,
in the County of Kent, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention of "AN HYDRAULIC PRESS, WHICH I TERM MY IMPROVED INVERTED
HYDRAULIC PRESS FOR PRESSING OF HAY, STRAW, HOPS, HEMP, OR FLAX, COTTON
OR ANIMAL WOOL, ANIMAL OR VEGETABLE OILS, OR ANY OTHER MATERIALS," to be
as follows, that is to say:-
My Invention consists in a new modification of an hydraulic press, having
a ram or plunger working downwards from the bydraulic cylinder "A," which

page_text: is suspended from the top of the press "B." At the bottom end of the
plunger "C" is attached a follower D, which works up and down in the press-
ing box "E," through the action of the water entering the two passages "F"
and "G" above and below the plunger piston "H," which has a packing of
leather to keep it perfectly water-tight, so that when the water is let in at the
passage F, a valve is open to let the water out at the passage "G," which
raises the plunger, and "(vise versa)," when the plunger moves downward,
letting the water out at the passage "F"; thus an upward and downward
motion is given to the plunger and follower. E, E, is a pressing box into
which the material is put to be pressed; this box is on a railway carriage J, J,
which travels on four wheels K, K, on the rails L, L, the rails resting on
springs M, M, so that when the carriage is rolled into its place the bottom of
the box passes clear with the bottom of the press N, N, but when the pressure
is put on the box the springs M, M, deflect, the bottom of the box comes into
contact with the bottom of the press, and rests there until the material is fully
pressed. The box E, E, is lifted from the carriage J, J, by admitting water
from the pumps under the piston. The suspension rods 0, 0, which pass.
through the cross head P, are hooked on to the eyes Q;Q; the box is then
lifted clear of the carriage, as shewn in Figure 2, and held there by the
cotters R, R, when the water is again reversed; the plunger or ram with its
follower forces the pressed material out of the box, which is rolled away on the
carriage, when the carriage again is returned, the box is again fitted to the
carriage by the bolts and nuts S, S, the cotters are released, and the press is
ready for another charge.
The great novelty in the press being to press and release materials in a much
better manner than has yet been attained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Paul Rapsey Hodge in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 25th September 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PAUL 30
RAPSEY HODGE, of No. 36; Blessington Road, in the Parish of Lee, in the
County of Kent, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria,. by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of March, in the year of our Lord

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year. of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Paul Rapsey Hodge, Her special licence that I, the said
Paul Rapsey Hodge,. my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Paul Rapsey Hodge, 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
Jawfully 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 "AN IMPROVED INVERTED HYDRAULIC PRESS FOR PRESSING OF
HAY, STRAW, HOPS, HEMP, OR FLAX, COTTON OR ANIMAL WOOL, ANIMAL OR.
VEGETABLE OILS, OR ANY OTHER MATERIALS," upon the condition. (amongst
others) that I, the said Paul Rapsey Hodge, 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 Paul Rapsey Hodge, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is.
to say:-
My Invention consists of an hydraulic cylinder suspended to the head of the
press, into which works a piston packed on the top and bottom with leather
rings; this piston is attached to a plunger or piston rod working through suit-
able stuffing boxes on to the top and bottom ends of the cylinder.
The piston
is so situated in the cylinder as to receive water from the pumps above, and:
below, so that by reversing the water from the top to the bottom and vice
versa), the plunger and follower reciprocates, pressing the material by the-
downward motion, and. when the water is reversed below the piston and the
side rods attached to the pressing, box, the whole is raised to a given height
and held there by cotters in the side rods, until the water is again reversed.
above the piston, when the piston and plunger with its follower descends and
forces the material previously pressed out of the pressing box; the whole of
the operations of pressing and discharging being accomplished by the same.
power the novelty consisting of a series of contrivances to effect the objects..

page_text: above described, and which will be more fully described in detail, reference
being had to the Drawings.
A, A, the head and foot of the press; B, the hydraulic cylinder; C, C, the
top and bottom covers through which the plunger D works, on to which is
fastened the piston E. The piston is packed with collars or cups of leather,
top and bottom, and are cut to a feather edge all around the upper edge of
the leather, so that when the water is forced into the cylinder, the feather
edges impinges on the inner surface of the cylinder B'and the outer surface of
the plunger D..
The inside of the top and bottom covers are packed in the same manner.
F and G are the two ingress and egress pipes leading the water from the
pumps to and from the top and bottom of the piston; H, the follower, which
works into the pressing box I. This pressing box holds the material
to be pressed, and is made in sections either of cast or wrought iron, the
inside surface being serated or grooved, to allow the liquid to run to the
bottom freely. The sides of the pressing box rest on the carriage J, J, which
rolls on the rails K, K, on the four wheels L, L, L, L. These rails K rest on
spiral springs M, which are sufficiently strong to bear the weight of the press-
ing box and its carriage, as also the material it contains, until the pressure
from the follower II comes into contact with the material to be pressed, when
the springs M deflect, and the bottom of the pressing box impinges and rests
on the bottom of the press until the material is pressed, when the pressure is
released by reversing the pumps; the water is admitted into the cylinder on
the under side of the piston E. The sido rods N, N, N, N, are hooked on the
pressing box at the eyes 0, 0, 0, 0. The nuts on the bolts P, P, P, P, are
released, when the plunger, follower, pressing box, and the material it con-
tains (previously pressed) are lifted by the side rods N and cross head Q.
When at the height required, the cotters R, R, are passed through the cotter
holes R' in the side rods, when the whole weight of the pressing box and
material it contains is suspended on the head of the press. The water from the
pumps is admitted above the piston at F, at the samo time the water is let off
from below the piston at G, when the plunger and follower descends and presses
the material out of the pressing box on to the carriage J, J; the carriage with
its contents is rolled away to decant or discharge the pressed material, when it
is again returned under the pressing box I; I, the cotters R, R, are released,
the box descends on to the carriage J, the hooks O', 0', O', O', of the side rods
are released from the pressing box, when all is ready for another charge of
material to be pressed.

page_text: What I claim as of my Invention is, the combination of the various con-
trivances and arrangements herein referred to, to effect the objects of pressing
and releasing by the same hydraulic power, as fully set forth in this Specifi-
cation and shewn in the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Paul Rapsey Hodge, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witnessed by me,
T. P. HODGE.
PAUL R. HODGE. (L.S.)