AN IMPROVEMENT IN PRESSES CONSTRUCTED TO OPERATE BY A COMBINATION OF IRON LEVERS, WHICH PRESSES ARE EMPLOYED TO COMPRESS BALES OF COTTON, HEMP, WOOL, AND OTHER ARTICLES OF MERCHANDIZE
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Daniel West, of No. 17, Egremont Place, New
Road, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, Esquire, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN PRESSES CONSTRUCTED TO OPERATE BY A
COMBINATION OF IRON LEVERS, WHICH PRESSES ARE EMPLOYED TO COMPRESS
BALES OF COTTON, HEMP, WOOL, AND OTHER ARTICLES OF MERCHANDIZE."
Sealed the 6th February 1857, and dated the 22nd December 1856.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Daniel West at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Declaration, on
the 22nd December 1856, pursuant to the 9th section of the Patent Law
Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DANIEL
WEST, of No. 17, Egremont Place, New Road, in the County of Middlesex;
Civil Engineer, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN
PRESSES CONSTRUCTED TO OPERATE BY A COMBINATION OF IRON LEVERS, WHICH
PRESSES ARE EMPLOYED TO COMPRESS BALES OF COTTON, HEMP, WOOL, AND OTHER
ARTICLES OF MERCHANDIZE," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the
same, and have made solemn declaration that I verily believe myself to be the
first and true Inventor-thereof.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Daniel West, do hereby declare that
the following Completo Specification under my hand and seal fully describes
and ascertains the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in which the
Eame is to be performed, that is to say:-
My Invention consists of an improvement in presses, acting by a combination
of iron levers worked by a capstan and other machinery by manual labour,
which improvement removes the capstan and other machinery, and substitutes
hydraulic apparatus with chains, pulleys, and other appurtenances to work tho
levers of the presses by steam power.
For the better understanding of the present improvement, it may be ex-
plained that there are presses made of iron constructed to operate by a
combination of levers; that such levers are actuated by a capstan giving
motion to an arbor, friction wheels, hooks, toothed circular rack, and other
pieces of machinery, and that such presses are worked by manual labor
applied to the bars of the capstan.
The arrangement of the combination of levers and the proportion and
position of the other pieces of machinery used to actuate the levers is different
in various presses, but the same effect is produced in all of thom, namely, the
compression of bales of cotton, hemp, wool, and other articles of mechandizo
by manual labor.
As the capstan and train of other machinery at present employed gives
motion to the combination of levers in these presses, so on the removal of
them or a portion of them, and on substituting the hydraulic apparatus with
its appurtenances, it will be seen by reference to tho Drawings that motion is
obtained through the hydraulic ram or forcer, and conveyed by chains and
pullies to the levers of the presses.
The hydraulic ram or forcer may be made a solid cylinder or plunger,
working through collars or a stuffing box; or it might be otherwise con-
structed as a piston, with packing adapted to work water-tight throughout the
whole length of the hollow cylinder, which in that case should be accurately
bored inside. Force pumps of the ordinary construction worked by a steam
engine would suffice to supply the hydraulic ram or forcer with water or oil at
any requisite pressure, according to the resistance afforded or opposed by the
article, such as cotton, hemp, wool, or other substance under compression.
The annexed Drawings exhibit one mode of applying the hydraulic ram or
forcer with chains and pulleys to actuate the levers of one form of press; but
such hydraulic apparatus and appurtenances would be varied in their pro-
portion and position, according to the different arrangement of the levers and
machinery of other presses, but to the same cad and
The
purpose.
present

page_text: instance would, therefore, illustrate the application of this hydraulic apparatus
to all other ordinary constructions of presses working by a combination of
levers.
The Drawings shew three Figures, Figure 1, Figure 2, and Figure 3.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, Figure 2 is an end view, and Figure 3 is a
ground plan of the improvement alluded to above.
In Figures 1 and 2 the ram and cylinder are shewn in section.
In Figure 3 the top part of the framework F is not shewn, being cut off at
the line a, b, Figures 1 and 2, to shew the ram R more distinctly. In all the
Figures the same letters refer to similar parts.
In Figures 1 and 3 several parts of the presses to which this improvement
is to be applied are marked P, and one of the combination of levers marked
C, L, P, has a large chain attached to it by a pin or axle at X. The dotted
circular lines indicate the track when in motion of the axle X, and also the
position of a toothed rack removed from the press. So likewise in the line of
the level portion of chain, long hooks used to work the rack are removed, as
well as the arbor friction wheels, capstan, and other machinery, in order to
admit of the application of the improved apparatus.
The improvement consists of an hydraulic ram or forcer R (in the several
Figures) which in this instance is placed upright. A pipe S conveys water or
oil into the cylinder G. By the action of force pumps of the ordinary kind, to
which motion is given by a steam engine at some distance, the steam power is
brought to work the press through the medium of the new apparatus, by elevating
the ram or forcer R from the lowest to the highest position as shown by the
vertical dotted lines from R to R. Attached to the head of the ram or forcer
are two chains marked C, C, C, C, which are pulled upward and run upon
wheels W, W, W, W. The level line of the two chains extends to the cross
bar B (in Figure 3), to the middle of which a larger single chain C is secured,
and passing underneath the wheel W, it rises upward to its connection with
the pin or axle X.
The upward motion of the ram or forcer R pulling upon the chains C, C,
C, C, and C, causes the lever C, L, P, to move downwards through the track
of the dotted circular lines, and other levers combined with C, L, P, not needful
to be shewn, aro set in motion in the same manner as they are at present by
the operation of the existing machinery. The upright framework (in the
several Figures) F, to guide the ram or forcer R, and outer hollow cylinder G,
are supported upon the column H. All the parts are made of cast or wrought
iron, as their several uses require.
When the downward movement of the press has been accomplished, and it

page_text: is desired to return the lever C, L, P, to its highest position again, it will be
necessary to allow the water or oil in the cylinder G to be run off, when the
press will rise upward to the highest position by the action of its own counter-
weight, which is part of the present machinery of the press.
Having thus described the nature and particulars of my said improvement,
I desire it to be distinctly understood that I do not confine inyself to the exact
details herein described, as such may be varied or modified without departing
from the principle thereof; but I claim as new and of my Invention, the
application of the hydraulic ram or forcer in joint action with chains, pulleys,
and other appurtenances, as described and shewn, and the use of such appa-
ratus or modifications thereof, to give motion to the levers of the press above
mentioned instead of the capstan and other machinery at present in use,
whereby the press can be worked by steam power instead of manual labor.
In witness whereof, I, the said Daniel West, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-second day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
DANIEL WEST.
(L.S.)