IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES."
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Olpherts, of Ardee, in the County of Louth,
Ireland, Esquire, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Olpherts at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th June 1879.
RICHARD OLPHERTS, of Ardeo, in the County of Louth, Ireland, Esquire. "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN PRESSES."
My Invention consists of improvements in presses.
When it is required to construct a press suitable for pressing things of very
different bulk, such for example as hay on the one hand and oil seeds on the other,
which requires very different degrees of pressure to the square inch, I make the
head, the base, the cradle or frame, and the platen or follower adjustable, and this
may be done by forming two or more sets of holes in the said lead, base, cradle or
frame, and platen or follower, so as to allow of adjusting their dimensions or size as
required. If the press be worked by worms on a tangent shaft gearing with worm
wheels on screw shafts of the press, I make the worms adjustable on the tangent
shaft, so that I can adjust them to any reduction or expansion in the capacity or
area of the press; the strength of the press may thus be concentrated as desired.
The distance between the head and base of the press is adjusted as required by
bodily raising or lowering by any suitable means the head or base (or false base),
or both, on the columns, which are marked and graduated to ensure the true
setting of the movable shoulders which support the head; these shoulders are made
in the form of rings, and fastened by screws or otherwise against the columns. Or
the head, the base, or other parts connected with the press, such as the frame and
the follower, can be worked by compensating or balance weights set from the
columns or otherwise, the weight of the substance under pressure can therefore be
Been at any time when the base or false base is moved by the compensating weight;
thus I have a combined weighing machine and press.
Distance pieces, countersunk or otherwise, will be placed on the columns between
the head of the press and the bolding down nuts, and a like arrangement is applied
to the base when this is moved. When a false base or platen is raised packing will
be necessary between it and the base.

page_text: 4
When one or more ratchet wheels and ratchet levers are employed to give the
final pressure in a press I increase the power of the ratchet or ratchets by using
multiplying blocks set from the ratchet lever ropes, which are worked on a drum
or wheel, which is also worked by a ratchet. Or I use a combination of two (or
more) levers, in which the acting point of the second lever acts upon the tail of
the first.
When I use the press for pressing fluid or semi-fluid substances, indigo for
instance, I prefer to load the frame or box which is to contain the indigo through
an opening in its side. For this purpose I make the frame deep enough to allow
of raising the follower sufficiently high in the frame to admit of passing the indigo
into the frame below the face of the follower without exposing the packing; and
in order to keep the packing in its place, while the follower is drawn up and
lowered past the opening, I close the opening with a side door which fits flush with
the inside of the frame.
When a close joint is required between the frame and the follower I employ a
a sort of junk ring together with a tightening ring. The bolts which hold tho
tightening ring are held to the back of the follower in bosses or in a rim, and are
passed through brackets which form part of the tightening ring; the nuts of these
tightening bolts may have extended shoulders, which underlic covering plates made
fast to the brackets. The heads of the nuts passing through and projecting above
the plates, the turning down of these nuts forces the tightening ring down on the
junk ring or packing, driving it out against the frame. When it is desired to take
the pressure off the packing the unscrewing of these nuts causes the shoulders to
press up against the covering plates, which raises the ring from the packing, under
which springs can be set; the packing thus released and loosened by the springs
is freed, and therefore the friction from the packing ceases. The ring thus secured
to the back of the follower acts as its guide and prevents its oscillating.
In a toggle press I prefer to make the double right and left handed screw in
pieces, and to face-couple these pieces by dovetailing or otherwise.
The adjustment, as herein before described, of the space between the head and
base of the press and of the size of the press, and the combining of a press and
means of weighing its contents as described, are applicable to screw, toggle, lever,
hydraulic, and other presses.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Richard Olpherts in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd
December 1879.
RICHARD OLPHERTS, of Ardee, in the County of Louth, Ireland, Esquire. "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN PRESSES."
My Invention consists of improvements in presses.
When it is required to construct a press suitable for pressing things of very
different bulk, such for example as hay on the one hand and oil seeds on the other,
which require very different degrees of pressure to the square inch, I make the
head, the base, and the cradle or frame (when such is employed) adjustable, and
this may bo done by forming two or more sets of holes for the press pillars or columns
in the said head, base, and cradle or frame, so as to allow of adjusting the size or
area of the press as required. If the press be worked by worms on a tangent shaft
gearing with worm wheels on screw shafts which form the press columns I make
the worms adjustable on the tangent shaft, so that I can adjust them to any
reduction or expansion in the size or area of the press; the strength of the press
may thus be concentrated as desired.
The manner in which I adjust the size or area of the press, as herein before
described, is represented in the annexed Drawings of a press, Figure 1 being a front
elevation, partly in section; Figure 2, a side elevation; Figure 3, a plan; and
Figure 4, a plan, with the head and the parts above it removed.
a, a, are the press
columns; b, the press head with two sets of holes c, c¹, for the columns; d is the
base with two corresponding sets of holes c, c'; and e, the cradle or frame for the
toggle nuts and right and left screw shaft, which cradle has also two corresponding
sets of holes c, c¹; this cradle is that described in the Specification of my Letters
Patent dated 19th April 1879, No. 1551. The columns are shown as passing
through the outer sets of holes c, and it will be readily understood that by shifting
them into the inner set of holes c', and by substituting a smaller platen and box
the strength or power of the press may be concentrated on the smaller arca.
press may be made with more than two sets of holes if desired.
The
When the press is worked as shown by worms f, f, on a tangent shaft g gearing
with worm wheels h, h, on screw threaded portions of the columns a, a, the worms f, †,
must be made adjustable on their shaft, so that they may be shifted to correspond
with the altered position of the columns a and worm wheels h, h; the worms after
having been shifted can be secured in any suitable manner.
The distance between the head and base of the press can be adjusted as required
in any of the modes described in the Specification of my Letters Patent dated 3rd
April 1879, No. 1326.
In some cases I raise and lower or assist in raising and lowering the head, the
base, or false base, or other parts connected with the press, such as the frame or
cradle, by compensating or balance weights set from the columns or otherwise. By
thus counterweighting the base or false base the weight of the substance under
pressure can be ascertained at any time by means of additional loose weights or
otherwise; a combined weighing machine and press is therefore obtained. In the
Figures I show chains or cords i, i, attached at one end to eyes k on the head b
and carried over pulleys l, l, their other ends carrying weights m, m, to balance or
partly balance the head, the cradle c, the toggle arms and nuts, the right and left
hand screw shaft and the platen. The pulleys are carried on shafts n, n, supported
by the columns a. The Figures also show other chains or cords o, o, attached at
one end to oyes p, p, on the box t and carried over pulleys 7, 7, on the shafts n, n,
their other ends being attached to weights 8, 8, to balance the false base q and the
box t, the false base q being secured to the box t by bolts or otherwise. Or the
chains o, o, may be attached directly to the false base q.

page_text: I have for convenience shown these counterweighting arrangements applied to
a press having the worm wheels h on screw portions of the columns; but it will
readily be understood that the press head cannot be lifted by the counterweights
until the worm wheels are moved clear of the screws; therefore when the counter-
weights are applied to a press of the construction shown the worm wheels may be
made in halves or otherwise, so as to be readily removable from the screws.
When one or more ratchet wheels, such as that shown at u, are employed to give
the final pressure in a press, the power may be increased by using a combination
of two or more lovers such as those shown at v, v', (Figure 2), in which the acting
point of the second lever v acts upon the tail of tho first v.
In constructing presses for pressing fluid or semi-fluid substances, indigo for
instance, I prefer to load the box t which is to contain the indigo through an
opening in its side, as seen at w. For this purpose I make the box deep enough
to allow of raising the follower sufficiently high therein to admit of passing the
indigo into the box below the face of the follower without exposing the packing
around the follower; and in order to keep the packing in place while the follower
is drawn up and lowered past the opening I close the opening with a sliding door y,
which fits flush with the inside of the box.
In a toggle press I prefer to make the right and left hand screw shaft in pieces,
and to face couple these pieces by dovetailing or otherwise.
The adjustment, as herein before described, of the area or size of the press and the
means of weighing its contents, as described, are applicable to screw, toggle, lever,
hydraulic, or other presses.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my improvements in
presses,
First. Constructing presses in such manner that their area can be adjusted sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described and shown in the annexed Drawings.
Second. The particular arrangement, hereinbefore-described and shown in the
annexed Drawings, for raising and lowering the press head and other parts, and
the press base or false base by means of balance or counterweights.
Third. Constructing presses in such manner that they form a combined weighing
machine and press, as herein before described and shown in the annexed Drawings.
Fourth. Constructing press boxes with an opening in their side, through which
to admit the indigo or other fluid or semi-fluid substance to be pressed, the said
opening being provided with a door and the box being sufficiently deep to allow
the follower to be raised to the required height therein, substantially as herein-
before described and shown in the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Olpherts, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixteenth day of December, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy nine.