AN IMPROVE- MENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF HYDRAULIC PRESSES.
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Westwood, of the London Yard, Poplar, in the
County of Middlesex, Ship Builder, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVE-
MENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF HYDRAULIC PRESSES.
Sealed the 8th April 1862, and dated the 20th December 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Westwood at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
December 1861..
I, JOSEPH WESTWOOD, of the London Yard, Poplar, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Ship Builder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF HYDRAULIC PRESSES," to be as
follows:-
My Invention has for its object the construction of hydraulic presses in such
a manner that the cylinder and ram are capable of being moved to one side
or the other of the press by means of traversing gear fitted to the same.
For this purpose the cylinder containing the ram has a loose cast-iron bottom
fitted with a traversing motion consisting of a wrought-iron ring into which
the bottom end of the cylinder is fixed. This ring has flat sides which work
in V guides, and on the upper side of the ring are formed two bosses one
on each side of the cylinder through which are passed two wrought-iron
screws mounted in suitable bearings on each side of the lower crossbead
of the press. These screws have each a spur wheel at one end gearing into

page_text: a pinion mounted in the centre of the width of the lower crosshead, and
worked by a winch handle. By this means the cylinder and ram are capable
of being moved from one side of the press to the other on the lower crosshead
as may be required; but the traversing gear above described may be varied.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Westwood in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th June 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
WESTWOOD, of the London Yard, Poplar, in the County of Middlesex, Ship
Builder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Joseph Westwood, Her special license. that I, the said Joseph Westwood, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph
Westwood, 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 "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF HYDRAULIC PRESSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Joseph Westwood, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 Joseph Westwood, 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 state-
ment, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
My Invention of "An Improvement in the Construction of Hydraulic
Presses," has for its object the construction of the same in such a manner
that the cylinder and ram are capable of being moved to one side or the
other of the press by means of traversing gear fitted to such cylinder.

page_text: the
For this purpose the cylinder containing the ram is fitted with a traversing
motion, consisting of a wrought-iron ring, into which the bottom end of the
cylinder is fixed. The ring has straight sides, which work in V guides, and on
upper side of the ring are formed two bosses, one on each side of the
cylinder, such bosses having internal screws, through which are passed two
wrought-iron screws mounted in suitable bearings on each side of the lower
crosshead of the press. These screws have each a spur wheel at one end
gearing into a pinion mounted in the centre of the width of the lower cross-
head, and worked by a winch handle. By this means the cylinder and ram
are capable of being moved from one side of the press to the other on the
lower crosshead, as may be required; but the traversing gear above described
may be varied.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention, I will now proceed to
describe more particularly in what manner the same is to be performed, by
reference to the accompanying Drawings, in which are represented the parts
of a hydraulic press above referred to.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is an elevation, and Fig. 2 a plan or horizontal view of the press
with the traversing gear applied thereto.
A is the top crosshead, supported by four columns B, B, which are secured
in the bottom crosshead C. The upper ends of the columns have screw
threads formed on them for a considerable length, in order to admit of
variation and adjustment in the height of the crosshead A above the press.
Dis the cylinder containing the ram, it consists of an inner cylinder strengthened
by external rings, and has a loose or moveable bottom, and can be moved along
the face of the bottom crosshead by means of traversing gear. This gear
consists of a ring E, into which the bottom of the cylinder D is fixed, such
ring having flat sides, which work in the V guides F, F, and on the upper
side of the ring are formed two bosses or nuts G, G, through which the
screws H, H, pass, such screws being worked by the wheels I, I, from the
pinion K, set in motion by the winch handle L. It will thus be evident that
by turning the winch handle L, and setting the pinion K in motion in either
direction, the wheels I, I, will be turned simultaneously, thereby turning the
screws H, H, and moving the cylinder D along the bottom crosshead C in
the direction required. The mode of moving the cylinder may, however,
be varied.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that what I claim as

page_text: of my Invention is, the construction of hydraulic presses, in such a manner
that the cylinder and ram are capable of being moved to one side or the
other of the press by means of suitable gearing connected to the cylinder.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Westwood, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-eighth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
G. W. R. WAINWRIGHT,
Staple Inn, Sol*.
JOSEPH WESTWOOD. (L.S.)