IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES FOR COMPRESSING COTTON AND OTHER SIMILAR SUBSTANCES INTO BALES.
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hodgart, of Millikenpark, in the County
of Renfrew, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PRESSES FOR COMPRESSING COTTON AND OTHER SIMILAR SUBSTANCES INTO
BALES.-Partly a communication from abroad by Charles Jones, of
Bombay, in the Empire of British India."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hodgart at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th January 1872.
I, JOHN HODGART, of Millikenpark, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of “IM-
PROVEMENTS IN PRESSES FOR COMPRESSING COTTON AND OTHER SIMILAR SUBSTANCES
INTO BALES," partly my own Invention and partly communicated to me
from abroad by Charles Jones, of Bombay, in the Empire of British
India, to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention, which relates to improvements in that class of
hydraulic presses which are employed for compressing cotton and other
fibrous substances into bales for shipment or transport, has for its object

page_text: to enable a greater amount of the fibrous material to be charged into
the trunk or well of the press previous to bringing the follower into
operation than is capable of being effected under the arrangements of
such presses as have hitherto been used, and it consists in constructing
the top member of the press in the form of a hollow box similar in
horizontal section to that of the trunk, but not necessarily of the same
width or breadth as that of the well or trunk. At the lower part of this
box a strong plate is situated and is made to slide inwards and outwards
horizontally, and to this plate the lashing plate is fastened. Above the
hollow or bow-shaped top member a hopper is situated in which the
cotton or other fibrous material is placed, and when the plate with the
lashing plate is drawn out from the position it occupies whilst a bale is
being compressed or lashed a continuous passage or communication
between the hopper and the trunk or well of the press becomes
established, so that the cotton or other fibrous material may be charged
into the well or trunk from the hopper, and the result of this arrango-
ment is that the attendants about the press are enabled by having free
access to the hopper to tread or force a greater amount of cotton
or other fibrous material into the well before commencing to compress it
by the hydraulic mechanism, thus effecting economy in time.
It is to be understood that the arrangement herein-before described is
applicable to all presses wherein the follower moves upwards so as to
compress the fibrous material between itself and the top lashing plate
herein-before referred to.
And it is further to be understood that after as much cotton or other
fibrous material as it is capable to compress by the labour of the
attendants in the manner herein-before described is thereby forced into
the trunk or well the top lashing plate is drawn or forced inwards in
position to resist the upward pressure of the follower.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Hodgart, Her special license that
I, the said John Hodgart, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said John Hodgart, my executors, adminis-
trators, or 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
FOR COMPRESSING COTTON AND OTHER SIMILAR SUBSTANCES INTO BALES," the same
being partly my own Invention and partly a communication to me from
abroad by Charles Jones, of Bombay, in the Empire of British India,
upon the condition (amongst others) that. I, the said John Hodgart,
my exccutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 John Hodgart, 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 accompanying Drawings
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :—
The said Invention, which relates to improvements in that class of
hydraulic presses which are employed for compressing cotton and other
fibrous substances into bales for shipment or transport, has for its object
to enable a greater amount of the fibrous material to be charged into the
trunk or well of the press previous to bringing the follower into
operation than is capable of being effected under the arrangement of
such presses as have hitherto been used, and it consists in constructing
the top member of the press in the form of a hollow box similar in
horizontal section to that of the trunk, but not necessarily of the same:
width or breadth as that of the well or trunk. At the lower part of this
box a strong plate is situated and is made to slide inwards and outwards.

page_text: horizontally, and to this plate the lashing plate is fastened. Above the
hollow or bow-shaped top member a hopper is situated in which the
cotton or other fibrous material is placed, and when the plate with the
lashing plate is drawn out from the position it occupics whilst a bale is
being compressed or lashed, a continuous passage or communication
between the hopper and the trunk or well of the press becomes
established so that the cotton or other fibrous material may be charged
into the well or trunk from the hopper, and the result of this arrange-
ment is that the attendants about the press are enabled by having free
access to the hopper to tread or force a greater amount of cotton or
other fibrous material into the well before commencing to compress it
by the hydraulic mechanism, thus effecting economy in time.
It is to be understood that the arrangement herein-before described is
applicable to all presses wherein the follower moves upwards so as to
compress the fibrous material between itself and the top lashing plate
herein-before referred to.
And it is further to be understood that after as much cotton or other
fibrous material as it is capable to compress by the labour of the
attendant in the manner hercin-before described is thereby forced into
the trunk or well the top lashing plate is drawn or forced inwards in
position to resist the upward pressure of the follower.
And in order that the said Invention may be properly understood, I
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, inode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, that is to say.—
On the Sheet of Drawings hereunto appended, Figure 1 is in part a
vertical section and in part a front elevation, shewing the upper part of
a hydraulic press with my improvements applied thereto for compressing
cotton or other similar substances into bales. Figure 2, is a transverse
section of the same on the line x, x, Figure 1. As shewn by these
Figures the top member of the press is constructed in the form of a
hollow box A, similar or nearly so in horizontal section to that of the
trunk or well. The inside surfaces of the ends of the hollow box A may
be tapered (as shewn at Figure 1), gradually narrowing downwards
towards the well or trunk of the press; the sides of the hollow box A
may be vertical as shewn at Figure 2 of the Drawings. Situated at the
lower part of the hollow box A is a strong plate B, which carries on its

page_text: upper side two racks C, these gear with spur pinions D, which are fixed
on a horizontal shaft E supported in bearings F attached to the hollow
box A as shewn. The plate B is supported at each side by rollers G,
which revolve on studs attached to the sides of the plate B. The rollers
3G rest on ledges a, constructed in the framing at the top of the trunk or
well. By means of the racks C and pinions D the plate B is actuated
to slide horizontally either inwards or outwards as may be required. To
the lower side. of the plate B the top lashing plate H is fastened, or the
plate B may itself constitute the lashing plate. Above the hollow box
) A, a hopper (not shewn on the Drawings), may be situated in which the
cotton or other fibrous material is placed, and when the plate B is drawn
out by means of the racks O and pinions D from the position it
occupies when a bale is being compressed or lashed, a continuous
passage or communication between the hopper and the trunk or well of
the press becomes established, so that the cotton or other fibrous
material may be charged into the well or trunk from the hopper, and
the result of this arrangement is that the attendants about the press are
enabled by having free access to the hopper to tread or force down a
greater amount of cotton or other fibrous material into the well before
commencing to compress it by the hydraulic mechanism, thus effecting
economy in time and admitting of a greater quantity of the fibrous
material being compressed into a bale.
It is to be understood that the arrangement herein-before described is
applicable to all presses wherein the follower moves upwards so as to
compress the fibrous material between itself and the top lashing plate
herein-before referred to.
And it is further to be understood that after as much cotton or other
fibrous material as it is capable to compress by the labour of the
attendants in the manner herein-before described is thereby forced into
'the trunk or well, the top lashing plate H is drawn or forced inward
by the rack and pinions C and D respectively into position to resist.the
upward pressure of the follower, in which position the said plate remains
until the bale is lashed and withdrawn from the press, after which the
plate H is again withdrawn, the follower lowered, when the press is
ready for being refilled with fibrous material for another operation..
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the

page_text: same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, I would observe
in conclusion that what I consider novel and original, and therefore
claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is, constructing the top member of presses used
in compressing cotton or other fibrous substances, hollow, so as to admit 5
of the cotton or other fibrous material being charged into the trunk or
well of the press there through, and at the lower part of which member
a sliding plate is situated for the purposes and operated in the manner
herein-before described and shewn upon the annexed Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Hodgart, have to this my 1
Specification set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of July,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
JOHN HODGART. (L.S.)