IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN PRESSING COTTON OR OTHER MATERIALS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Chapman, of the Firm of Fawcett, Preston, and
Company, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, and James
Watson, of Kensington, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN PRESSING
COTTON OR OTHER MATERIALS."
d the 1st September 1876, and dated the 3rd July 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Chapman and James
Watson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd July 1876.
ALFRED CHAPMAN, of the Firm of Fawcett, Preston, and Company, of Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, and JAMES WATSON, of Kensington, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer. 'IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED
IN PRESSING COTTON OR OTHER MATERIALS."
Our Invention has reference to the pressing of cotton or other materials by means
of two presses, that is to say, first by a preparing press which presses the material
to a considerable extent, and, secondly, by a finishing press, which completes the
operation.
Our Invention consists, firstly, of a series of pairs of hooks carried by two shafts
attached respectively to the two sides of the lashing plate of the press. When the
pressing in the first or preparing press has been effected these hooks are let down, so
as to enter the spaces or teeth of the press follower. The press follower is then
lowered, when the cotton or bale will be left between the books and the lashing
plate; the bale with the lashing plate and hooks can then be removed to the second
or finishing press, and we prefer to do this by running it along rails, as about to be
described.
Our Invention consists, secondly, in placing rails between the preparing and
finishing presses for the purpose of enabling the bales, whether held between the
lashing plate and hooks, as above described, or otherwise held to be readily moved

page_text: from the preparing to the finishing press, and of allowing the empty lashing plate
and hooks to be returned to the preparing press. We provide the lashing plate
with rollers or wheels to run on the said rails, which are situated at the requisite
height, and are fixed to the press frames. The necessary stops are fitted to the
presses to limit the travel of the lashing plate and to facilitate quick working. The
rails will be straight or curved according to the relative positions of the presses.
The third part of our Invention refers to the apparatus known as "extractors"
for holding the bale while being moved to the finishing press, such extractors being
composed of a series of horizontal bars carried by vertical plates, and which are
inserted in the spaces or teeth of the press follower, as is well understood. This
part of our Invention consists in making these extractors double, that is to say, we
make the horizontal bars extend to the same distance at both sides of the vertical
plates, whereby we avoid the necessity of turning the extractor half round when it
returns to the preparing press, the halves of the extractor receiving bales from the
preparing press alternately.
Our Invention consists, lastly, in mounting the extractor whether double or
single on a vertical swivel to facilitate the half turn which is necessary to enable it
to enter the press.