IMPROVEMENTS IN HOOPING OR BINDING BALES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Riddle, of 10, Guildford Road, South
Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN HOOPING OR BINDING BALES."
Sealed the 1st September 1865, and dated the 6th March 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Riddle at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th
March 1865.
I, WILLIAM RIDDLE, of 10, Guildford Road, South Lambeth, in the County
of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN HOOPING OR BINDING BALES," to be as follows:-
The bar with the
I pass the hoops already bent at the ends through a rod or presenting bar
with holes or slots corresponding in positions with the grooves of the press
before introducing them into the grooves of the press. The rod or bar is
made with suitable holes or eyes in it for this purpose.
hoops projecting from it is then raised by a man at each end of the bar, and
thus one of the ends of each hoop is brought up to one set of the lashing
grooves of the press or follower. A number of hooks or loops (as many as
there are hoops), attached to what I may term a fetching bar, are passed from
the opposite side of the press through the same set of grooves, and the persons
holding the presenting bar immediately hook on all the hoops simultaneously
o. the hooks or loops as soon as the ends project through the grooves. The

page_text: fetching bar being now drawn backwards, draws with it the hooks or loops,
and with them all the hoops through the grooves simultaneously. They are
drawn through beyond the bale on the other or opposite side of the press to
that at which the ends of the hoops are presented; a door or plate on this
side of the press is then shut down to retain the ends of the hoops against the
side of the bale. As soon as this is done the slotted bar by which the ends of
the hoops were presented to the grooves of the press is moved to near the
other end of the hoops, when the bar is caused to make a half turn on its own
axis, and is brought back to the press, so as to present the other ends of the
hoops to the other set of grooves in the press; these ends are then moved
through the grooves by what I have called the "fetching" bar in a manner
similar to that in which the first mentioned ends were brought through the
other set of grooves in the press. The ends of the hoops are now brought
side by side, and secured by a metal lath or strip of metal, as described in the
Specification of Letters Patent granted to me, and dated May the 8th 1862
(No. 1376). Instead of pulling the hoops through the grooves by a "fetching
bar," they may be pushed through the grooves by à suitable instrument,
actuated from the same side of the press as the presenting bar. By like
apparatus lashing cords or other binders may be introduced.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said 'William Riddle in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 6th September 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
RIDDLE, of 10, Guildford Road, South Lambeth, in the County of Surrey,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Riddle, Her special licence, that I, the said William Riddle, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Riddle, 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 HOOPING

page_text: OR BINDING BALES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Riddle, 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 William Riddle, 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 follow-
ing statement thereof, that is to say:-
I
pass the hoops, already bent at the ends, through a rod or presenting bar
with holes or slots corresponding in positions with the grooves of the press
before introducing them into the grooves of the press. The rod or bar is
made with suitable holes or eyes in it for this purpose. The bar with the
hoops projecting from it is then raised by a man at each end of the bar, and
thus one of the ends of each hoop is brought up to one set of the lashing
grooves of the press or follower. A number of hooks or loops (as many as
there are hoops), attached to what I may term a fetching bar, are passed
from the opposite side of the press through the same set of grooves, and the
persons holding the presenting bar immediately hook on all the hoops
simultaneously to the hooks or loops as soon as the ends project through the
grooves. The fetching bar being now drawn backwards, draws with it the
hooks or loops, and with them all the hoops, through the grooves simul-
taneously. They are drawn through beyond the bale on the other or opposite
side of the press to that at which the ends of the hoops are presented; a door
or plate on this side of the press is then shut down to retain the ends of the
hoops against the side of the bale. As soon as this is done the slotted bar by
which the ends of the hoops were presented to the grooves of the press is
moved to near the other end of the hoops, when the bar is caused to make a
half turn on its own axis, and is brought back to the press, so as to present
the other ends of the hoops to the other set of grooves in the press; these
ends are then moved through the grooves by what I have called the
"fetching" bar in a manner similar to that in which the first mentioned ends
were brought through the other set of grooves in the press: The ends of the
hoops are now brought side by side, and secured by a metal lath or strip of
metal as described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me, and
dated May the 8th 1862 (No. 1376). Instead of pulling the hoops through
the grooves by a "fetching bar," they may be pushed through the grooves by

page_text: readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS..
Sheet 1, Figure 1, is a front elevation of a cotton press, and Figure 2 is an
end elevation. b, c, are the upper and lower grooves. As many hooks d as
there are grooves in a row of grooves are connected together by angle iron d¹,
and this instrument I term a "simple fetching bar." Before the bale is fully
pressed all these hooks are simultaneously passed into the lower grooves by a
man who lifts all the hooks together by the angle iron. A number of hoops
bent at the extremities and inserted in the presenting bar B, an end view
of which is in Figure 1, are all together lifted by a man at each end taking
hold of the presenting bar; one set of ends of the hoops are by this means all
simultaneously hooked on to the hooks of the "simple fetching bar," as they
project beyond the bale on the opposite side of the press to which they were
inserted. The angle iron d' is now grasped by two men, and the hoops a are
all simultaneously drawn through by means of the angle iron d', which is then
raised and hooked upon the hooks e, the bent ends of the hoops still remaining
on the hooks d. The books e are on a shaft in bearings attached to the press.
The lever is now pulled down about half way, the simple fetching bar is thus
shifted towards the position shown in Figure 3, Sheet 2, by the movement of
the hooks and shaft or rod to which the lever i is attached.
A number of levers h, Sheet 2, each of which has a hinged hook h¹ to it are
connected together by a cross angle iron, an end view of which is shewn by h³.
This instrument which I term a "compound fetching bar," is now raised, and
all the hooks h¹ and levers h, to which they are attached, are all at once
inserted into the upper grooves of the press and (as indicated by the red lines
in Figure 1, Sheet 1) the levers and hooks of the compound fetching bar pass
between the suspended limbs of the simple fetching bar. As soon as this is
done, the two men holding the presenting bar B, one at each end of it, by the
handles y jointed on to it, move the presenting bar to the other set of ends of
the hoops, and then a half turn of the presenting bar is made, and the other
bent ends of the hoops are hooked on to the projecting hooks h', see Figure 3,
Sheet 2. A blade is now withdrawn from the presenting bar, which I will de-
scribe more in detail presently; this liberates the presenting bar, and enables the

page_text: men on the other side of the press to draw the hoops between the limbs of
the suspended "simple fetching bar." The ends of the levers h are now
inserted in the spaces g, above or in the ram of the press; the lever i is now
pulled fully down, and the compound fetching bar is strained down to the
dotted line h*, Figure 5, Sheet 2, or as far as it will come. This tightens the
hoops round the bale. The upper and lower grooves of the press are not
parallel to each other, but oblique, and the ends of one row of grooves range
This
between the ends of the other row, as shewn by Figure 1, Sheet 1.
causes the hoop ends to range side by side, one bent end of every hoop lying
inwards by the side of the other bent end of the hoop. A mesh or skewer is
now inserted behind the hooks of the fetching bars, which are bevelled to allow
of this being done, as will be hereafter described.
Figure 6, Sheet 3, w shows where the mesh is inserted. The fetching bars
are now liberated, as will be described, and the bale turned out appears as at
Figure 7, Sheet 4. When lashed below the centre the bales fit more com-
pactly in ship or warehouse. A nail may be knocked into the bale through the
hole at each end of the mesh.
.
:
Figure 8, Sheet 4, is a transverse section of the presenting bar, and Figure 9
is an elevation of a portion of it, similar to the rest of the bar. The parts k
are staples affixed to an oak beam or bar strengthened with iron plates l;
these plates are not shewn in Figure 9. The spaces between the staples on
the bar are equal to the width of the hoops. To place them in this bar the
hoops are taken one at a time, and a bent end being laid upwards on the bar
in the end aperture as at a, Figure 8, a steel busk or blade m is thrust through
the end staple over the hoop into the next staple. The staples are slightly
bevelled to allow an easy entry of the blade; then a second hoop is fastened
on the bar in like manner, and so on, the blade m being thrust in farther and
farther until all the hoops are held down on the bar with enough play to slide
on it. When this bar with 10 hoops thus on it held down, as shown in
Figures 8 and 9, is held up to the hooks of the fetching bars when they pro-
trude from the press in a line on the opposite side to that at which they were
introduced, the hooks of the fetching bars are all pressed against simultaneously
by the surface of the several staples of the presenting bar, and this registers or
guides them into line, so that on moving the presenting bar laterally, all, the
books of the fetching bar pass into the bent ends of the hoops ranged at the
suitable distances along the presenting bar. The presenting bar is held by the
handles y, one, of which is at each end.
Figure 10, Sheet 2, is a plan Diagram of one end of presenting bar, showing
by the dotted line how the binged handle ranges itself by its hinge joint to

page_text: the opposite position, as shown by dotted lines, when the presenting bar is
brought from one set of grooves of the press, and a half turn is made to the
other set of grooves, or in other words from the position of B, Figure 2, Sheet 1
to the position of B in Figure 3, Sheet 2.
Drawing out the steel blade or busk by any suitable handle attached to it
releases all the hoops from the presenting bar. The bar passes freely from
one set of bent ends of the hoops to the other set of bent ends, by drawing the
presenting bar away from and parallel with the press after hooking on the hoop
ends to the simple fetching bar in the lower grooves.
Figure 11, Sheet 3, is a side view of one of the levers and books of the
compound fetching bar on a reduced scale.
Figure 12 shows four out of ten of these hooks, and a portion of the
angle iron to which they are all connected.
Figure 13 shows one of the hooks of the "simple fetching bar;" Figure 14
shows in section the bevel of the hooks h¹ when inserted in the bent hoops a.
These bevels are downwards when the compound fetching bar is introduced,
and upwards when the simple fetching bar is introduced into the grooves of
the press; consequently the bevels are inwards when the fetchers are in the
positions shown in Figure 4, Sheet 2, and Figure 6, Sheet 3.
The fetching bars are released by pushing one set of the fetching hooks
upwards, and the other set downwards. The bevels of the hooks which cause
the mesh or skewer to pass behind the hooks in fastening the bale, as shown
-in Figure 6, pass over the mesh crossing it, and the peculiar shape of the stem
of the hooks, Figures 12 and 13, Sheet 3, causes them to be readily freed or
forced from the bale when fastened. The lever i is raised before attempting
to lower and take off the simple fetching bar after packing a bale.
I do not always use this lever arrangement in connection with my Invention,
but sometimes hang the simple fetching bar when the hoops are flexible to
studs n, Figures 15 and 16, Sheet 3, and strain them round the bale by the
compound fetching bar only.
Figure 16 is a transverse section of a press showing another sort of
presenting bar p; its principle of construction is shown on a larger scale in
plan at Figure 17, and end view at Figure 17*. At q is an angle iron frame,
a, the hoops across it in guide apertures, and held down on the frame by
pieces r, fixed in a bar r sliding in the frame longitudinally, and turning rights
or left to grip or release the hoops, by the handle s, or by a screw and wheel.
If two angle iron frames, the length of the bale, with guide studs in them,
are used to compress the hoops, sandwich fashion, between them, of which
Figures 26 are an end view, a tolerable presenting bar is obtained. A better

page_text: one by far is got by holding down the hoops in a frame by a rod of section,
and in position 2, Figure 27. When turned to position 1, and then drawn
out, the hoops are free. This can be understood by Figures 28 and 29, which
are respectively a section and a plan.
Figure 18 shows a bale lashed on my system with a cord or wire binder all
in one piece. The binder is first put into a zig-zag form, as shown in
Figure 19, which may be conveniently done by winding it upon a form or
frame of iron as wide as the circumference of the bale, and then sliding the
cord or wire so wound off the form. It is then held by suitable presenting
bars, one at each end of the entire series of turns or bends of the single piece
of wire or binder, which presented to the grooves of a press may be got through
the grooves by suitable fetching bars, strained down and fastened as shown in
Figure 18.
One form of presenting bar for wire is shewn in transverse section at
Figure 20, Sheet 4, and in plan at Figure 21. r is an iron rod with a groove
ploughed in it from one end to the other; a number of gun metal guides s are
screwed to this, and the wire F is disposed in the zig-zag form, with each loop
of one series of the loops passing between two of the gun metal guides. There
are in this case two presenting bars used, one for each series of loops of the
folded wire. On presenting to the grooves of the press the gun metal guides s
are pressed down on the hooks of the fetching bar, one of which is shown at t;
on moving the bar sideways, the hooks traverse the groove in the bar r, and
take into the several wire loops lying round the bar between the guides s, s.
Another form of presenting bar for wire consists of angle iron, in which are
fixed a number of curved double pronged hooks.
Figure 22 is an elevation, and Figure 23 a section of such angle iron and
hook, with a wire loop F on the hook for presentation. The fetching bar
hooks pass at N between the curved prongs of the hooks attached to the
angle iron; when this bar is presented the flat part u lies on the fetching bar
hook. The presenting bar is moved laterally, and this causes the wire to be
hooked on to the fetching bar hook. The wire is then drawn through, and
the bar released. The mesh I use for wired bales is of oval section D (near
Figure 18) Sheet 3.
Figures 24 and 25, Sheet 4, show one form of bend which I use for hoops.
Tho iron is made red hot at the bend or lap, and lapped over flat, as shown in
edge view, Figure 24. Before baling it is again folded into form Figure 25;
this gives additional strength to the hoop for a tensile strain when on the bale.
Below Figure 19, Sheet 3, are some pusher rods or forks, a number of
which attached to a strip of angle iron with suitable handles may be used to

page_text: introduce binders, and push them through the grooves of a press. There is a
space in the fork for fetching bar hooks to take into, on the other side of the
press to draw the cord or binder away from such pushing rods.
Bending plates or flaps may be used hinged to the press where convenient
to bend and hold hoops up against a bale under pressure, in conjunction with a
the fetching bar apparatus before fastening with the mesh.
I do not confine myself to the details described in the foregoing Specification.
For example, the hoops may be drawn through the top grooves, first the
fetching instrument, then removed, and a flap shut down to hold them against
the bale. Loops of iron instead of hooks may be used to draw the hoops 1
through. By working through the top grooves first, whilst the ram is rising
there would in some presses be a slight gain in expedition. The details may
be greatly varied.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Riddle, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
WILLIAM RIDDLE. (L.S.)