AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR COMPRESSING TRUSSES OF HAY, OR STRAW
Year: 1885

page_text: or Straw.
I HENRY HARRIS of 94 Fydell Street, Boston, in the County of Lincoln Hay
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for AN IMPROVED
MACHINE FOR COMPRESSING TRUSSES OF HAY, OR STRAW, to be as follows:--
My improved machine consists of a chamber, box, or frame in which I arrange
two pressing plates, working towards each other, that is to say one plate works
upwards while the other works downwards. These plates travel on vertical screw
threaded rods or shafts, entering tapped nuts fixed at the ends of shafts arranged
lengthwise of the machine. One portion of these vertical rods or shafts is furnished
with a right handed screw thread and the other with a left handed screw thread,
and these vertical rods or shafts are worked through suitable gearing, operated by
hand (by preference) or otherwise, and so operate to bring together the pressing
plates and compress the material between them.
The top or upper pressing plate may be constructed in two portions arranged to
separate or recede the one from the other, through suitable gearing, so that if it be
desired the material to be compressed may be introduced from the top of the
machine. This plate, or these portions forming the same, would then travel in
grooves in the chamber, box or frame and would be prevented from rising upwards,
when the compression of the material is being effected, by the longitudinal bars
or rods carrying the tapped nuts in which the vertical screw threaded rods or
sbafts work.
Instead however of introducing the material from the top of the machine and
allowing it to fall on to the lower pressing plate, it may be introduced between
the pressing plates from the sides of the machine through openings which may be
closed by doors.
In both the upper and the lower pressing plates I form grooves or channels,
along and through which I pass bands or wires for tying the trusses when
compressed.
The machine may be mounted on wheels for the purpose of transport, and a pair
of shafts may be provided for a draught animal.

page_text: to operate a toothed wheel a'; this, in its turn, gives motion to a bevil pinion a²,
keyed on a counter-shaft a*, which works the bevil wheels a³, a, mounted on the
vertical shaft a³, revolving in bearings a, fixed at the back of the machine. The
bevil wheel a, sets in motion bevil wheels a, a, a, mounted on a longitudinal
shaft a¹o, supported and revolving in bearings fixed on the top framing of the
chamber, box or body. The bevil wheels a³, aº, gear into bevil wheels a¹¹, a¹³,
keyed on the shafts D, D¹, and so operate the presser plates simultaneously and
in the manner above described. The ends of the counter shaft extend on each
side of the machine, and are provided with handles h; by turning these handles
the whole series of wheels, which operate the presser plates are set in motion
simultaneously.
Thus, it will be seen that, owing to the right and left handed screw-threads upon
the shafts D, D¹, along which the presser plates travel, the pressure is not all
exerted in one direction, but is equalized, that is to say, half upwards and half
downwards, the truss of hay or straw interposed between these plates receiving
the full benefit of both pressures.
Although I have, by preference, shewn a method of working the machine by
hand, yet I may, by a slight obvious modification, operate the same by means of an
engine, or other prime mover, or by a draught animal.
Neither do I confine myself to the employment of two vertical screw threaded
shafts, as I may use three or more. Also I can work my improved press horizontally
as well as vertically, if desired, by a modified arrangement of the various parts
composing the same.
With obvious modifications the gearing for effecting the movement of the presser
plates may be arranged beneath the machine.
Although I have described and shewn in the drawings the machine as arranged
for the introduction of the hay or straw, at the sides, yet I may, in some instances,
admit the hay or straw from the top of the machine, the upper presser plate being
then constructed in two portions and so arranged as to separate in the centre to
allow of the introduction of the material to be compressed.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of my said invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is
1. In machines for compressing trusses of hay or straw, the employment and
combination of two presser plates (C, C',) adapted to work towards or to recede
from each other, in the manner substantially as herein set forth, whereby the
upward and downward pressures are simultaneously exerted to compress the
material under treatment.
2. The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting my improved
machine for compressing trusses of hay or straw, substantially as herein described
and as shewn in the drawings.