IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC COTTON PRESSES WORKED BY STEAM
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Stewart, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, in the County
of Northumberland, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
HYDRAULIC COTTON PRESSES WORKED BY STEAM."
Sealed the 13th May 1862, and dated the 16th November 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Stewart at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th November
1861.
I, DAVID STEWART, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, in the County of Northum-.
berland, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC COTTON PRESSES WORKED BY STEAM," to be as
follows:-
My improvements in presses used for packing cotton consist, first, in the
combination and arrangement of a small steam engine and set of pumps in one
with the press, which steam engine and pumps are adapted alone for the
individual press with which they are combined, each press being so furnished
and fitted in contradistinction to the ordinary mode of working all the pumps
for several presses by one large separate and independent steam engine. For this
purpose I extend the sole or ground plate of the press which is usually near
the upper part of the hydraulic cylinder, and on such extension of the sole
plate I erect a steam engine, & set of pumps, the same framing answering for
both. I use a separate shaft to actuate the pumps which is driven from the
crank shaft of the engine by suitable spur gear; the pump rods are driven from

page_text: such intermediate shaft by eccentrics thereon or cranks, and are all in work at
same time. That part of the press in which the cotton is pressed is arranged
much in the usual manner, and of which no description will be required. The
pumps are of course placed in suitable communication with the hydraulic cylin-
der, & are all kept continuously in motion at one and the same time; but in
order to throw one or more of these pumps out of action, a lever is applied
below the tail of the suction valve of each pump, which is simply lifted & held
up; this lifting of the valve suspends the operation of pumping. I further place
the levers of all the pumps in communication with another lever, whereby they
may be all actuated at once by one operation, and so throwing all the pumps
out or into action the same time if desired. This additional lever, although
acting on all the other levers, these are at same time all free to be acted on
separately as may be required. Thus the pumps are all perfectly under
command, while the engine continues in motion..
A further improvement consists in the application of a receiver or accumu-
lating vessel, into which the pumps throw the water, and retain it under a
pressure, while the bale of cotton is being lashed or secured & removed from
the press. The water so accumulated, is allowed to pass into the hydraulic
cylinder so soon as another quantity of cotton is ready to be pressed; the water
so accumulated rapidly compresses the cotton in its loose state, and saves
much time that would otherwise be occupied by the pumps in effecting a
similar lift and compression. I apply an air vessel (and suitable safety valve)
to the water accumulator or receiver in order to keep it under an elastic
pressure. I prefer to drive the several engines by steam from one boiler,
a separate boiler may be used for each if desired. By this arrangement, of
hydraulic press, the work of pressing & packing cotton can be performed
speedily and with regularity.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said David Stewart in the Great Seal-Patent Office on the
16th May 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
STEWART, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, in the County of Northumberland, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her

page_text: reign; did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said David Stewart, Her special licence that I, the said David Stewart,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
David Stewart, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS
IN HYDRAULIC COTTON PRESSES WORKED BY STEAM," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said David Stewart, 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.
1
NOW, KNOW YE, that I, the said David Stewart, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings: hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My improvements in presses used for packing cotton consist, first, in tho
combination and arrangement' of a small: steam engine and set of pumps in
one
with the press, which steam engine and pumps are adapted alone for
the individual press with which they are combined, each press being so furnished
and fitted in contradistinction to the ordinary mode of working all the pumps
for several presses by one large, separated, and independent steam engine. For
this purpose I extend the sole or ground plate of the press; which is usually near
the upper part of the hydraulic cylinder, and on such extension of the sole
plate I erect a steam engine and set of pumps, the same framing answering for
both. I use a separate shaft to actuate the pumps which is driven from the
crank shaft of the engine by suitable spur gear; the pump rods are driven'
from such intermediate shaft by eccentrics thereon or cranks, all in work at
same time. The part of the press in which the cotton is pressed is arranged in
the usual manner, and of which no description will be necessary. The pumps
are of course placed in suitable connection with the hydraulic cylinder, & are!
all kept continuously in motion at one and same time; -but in order toi
throw one or more of the pumps out of action a lever is applied below the ball
of the suction: valve of each pump, which is simply lifted and held up, and
thus suspends the operation of pumping. I further place these levers of all-

page_text: the pumps in communication with another lever, whereby they may be all
. actuated at once by one operation, and so throwing all the pumps out of action
at same time if desired. This additional lever although acting on all the
others, leaves them all at same time free to be acted on separately by their
individual levers as may be required. Thus the pumps, and therefore the press,
are all perfectly under command while the engine continues in motion.
A further improvement consists in the application of a receiver or accumu-
lating vessel into which the pumps throw the water and retain it under a
pressure while the bale of cotton is being lashed or secured & removed from
the press. The water so accumulated is allowed to pass into the hydraulic
'cylinder so soon as another quantity of cotton is ready to be pressed; the water
so accumulated rapidly compresses the cotton in its loose state, and saves much
time that would otherwise be occupied by the pumps in effecting a similar lift
and compression. I apply an air vessel and suitable safety valve to the water
accumulator or receiver, in order to keep it under an elastic pressure. I prefer
to drive the several engines by steam from one boiler, but a separate boiler
may be used for each engine and press if desired. By this arrangement of
bydraulic press the work of pressing and packing cotton may be performed
speedily and with regularity.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 of the annexed Drawings represents in end elevation a cotton press
with pumps and engine complete, arranged and constructed according to my
Invention; Fig. 2 represents a separate side elevation of the pumps & steam
engine; while Fig. 3 is a plan of Fig. 2. The hydraulic cotton press A, A, in itself
is similar to ordinary presses for packing cotton and other fibrous materials,
and therefore requires no description. Extending from the bed plate of the press I
cast or form an extension B suitable as a bed plate; for the pumps & steam engine
on the bed B, I raise standards C, C, carrying a shaft D, forming the main shaft
of the steam engine; E is the steam cylinder; F, piston rod; G, connecting rod;
and H, crank; I, valve rod; K, rocking shaft, and L, rod communicating motion
thereto from the eccentric on the shaft D, as usual, and will require no other
description. M is a fly wheel on shaft D. On same shaft I fix a pinion N, gear-
ing with a spur wheel O fixed on the shaft P, fitted in suitable bearings, carried
by the standards C, C; on this shaft I fix four eccentrics R, more or less accord-
ing to the number of pumps to be worked, disposing them so that the different
pumps are at different points of their stroke at same time; S, S, S, are the pumps
fixed in the bed plates B, and T, T, T, the plunges, which are of different sizes,
according to the pressure to be exerted, as well understood, and may all act

page_text: simultaneously or individually, or in any combination, as will be berein-after
explained. They are actuated by the eccentrics, as will be readily understood
by slings U, U, connecting the plungers T,T, with the straps of the eccentrics; V
is a suction main in connection with the cistern, and W, the pressure main
leading to the hydraulic cylinder; X, X (one of which only is seen), are weighted
levers placed in connection with rods Y disposed under the tail end of the
suction valves. These levers when in the position shown in line in Fig. 1
allow the suction valves and pumps to act, and force the water, but when
thrown into the position shown dotted, the suction valve is raised and held up,
therefore the water is simply drawn in by the suction of the pump and dis-
charged again at same orifice into the suction main V; the weight on the top
of lever holds the valve up until it is again raised by the attendant. The rods
Y, Y, communicating between the levers, pass through stuffing boxes as seen to
render them water-tight. By means of these levers any or all of the pumps
can be thrown out of action at same time, and as required, according as the
pressure increases in the hydraulic cylinder, as well understood.
In order to throw the whole of the pumps out of action quickly and simulta-
neously, I mount another lever Z on a shaft b, which extends across all the other
levers, and has on it a cam c, one for each lever, and opposite thereto, so that
when the lever is thrown over to the dotted position the whole of the cams c
act on all the levers, and so left the several suction valves of the pumps and
throw them all out of gear simultaneously.
When the bale of cotton is compressed and being bound, I turn off the pres-
sure main from the hydraulic cylinder, and place it in "communication with a
reservoir into which the pumps throw the water, if kept in action while the bale
is being bound. This accumulation of water under pressure is made available
by opening a communication between such pressure reservoir and the hydraulic
cylinder so soon as a fresh quantity of cotton is ready to be pressed in the press
as will be readily understood, and which very speedily compresses the cotton,
when first commencing and to a considerable extent, and thereby economizing
time, while at same time the engine and pumps may be for the most part
constantly kept at work; steam is supplied to the cylinder E from a suitable
steam boiler as before explained.
Having described the nature of my Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is-
First, combining a steam engine and hydraulic cotton press and the pumps
thereof in one and the same machine as and for the purposes herein described..
Secondly, I claim the arrangement and construction of pumps herein-before

page_text: described and represented in the Drawings annexed applied to an bydraulic
cotton press worked by steam, and also the arrangement of parts whereby the
pumps are thrown in or out of gear as herein-before described.
Thirdly, I claim the application of a pressure reservoir or accumulator of
water pressure as and, for the purposes herein before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Stewart, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord.
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
W. CLARK, Patent Agent,
53, Chancery Lane, London.
D. STEWART. (L.S.)