IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC PRESSES EMPLOYED IN THE PACKING OF COTTON OR OTHER MATERIALS OR SUBSTANCES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Taylor Bellhouse, of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, and William John Dorning, of the same
Place, Engineers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC
PRESSES EMPLOYED IN THE PACKING OF COTTON OR OTHER MATERIALS OR
SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 1st April 1869, and dated the 6th October 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Taylor
Bellhouse and William John Dorning at the Office of the Com-
missioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 6th October 1868.
We, EDWARD TAYLOR BELLHOUSE, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, and WILLIAM JOHN DORNING, of the same Place, Engineers,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN HYDRAULIC PRESSES EMPLOYED IN THE PACKING OF COTTON OR OTHER MATERIALS
OR SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates more particularily to hydraulic presses designed
to be employed in the compression of cotton, wool, jute, hay, or other
fibrous or similar materials in order to reduce the amount of space
occupied by the said materials, but is also applicable to presses otherwise

page_text: employed wherein the final pressure required to be exerted is greatly
in excess of the pressure required to be exerted during the main portion
of the stroke or lift of the rams of the said presses.
In presses constructed according to our said Invention we employ
in one arrangement three rams with their respective cylinders, the said
rams and cylinders being ranged in line one with the others, the two
outer rams and cylinders being of a length suitable to the entire lift of
the press table. The centre cylinder is by preference made suitable
for a ram of a greater diameter than the two outer rams, the stroke of
the said ram being considerably less than that of the said outer rams,
the said central cylinder being for convenience cast in one portion with
the lower cross piece of the press; or if found to be preferable the said
cylinder may be seperately formed as in the case of the outer cylinders.
When the compression of the cotton or other material is commenced
the two outer rams are forced up by the pumps, the central ram
remaining stationery, the action of the outer rams continuing until
such time as a greater pressure than the said outer rams can communicate
is required, at which said time an intermediate piece is placed between
the upper part of the central ram and the lower part of the press table,
and the three rams are forced up simultaneously to produce the final
compression, the said intermediate piece transmitting the thrust of the
central ram to the table. The said intermediate piece is preferably
formed of metal and of a form similar to an ordinary press ram or is
otherwise suitably formed, and is suspended in or from a crane
swivelling around one of the press columns, or is suspended in or from
a carriage running on rails, or is otherwise arranged in such a manner
as that it may be most readily and expeditiously placed in or moved
into the position as herein-before described.
.
In place of the arrangement herein above described three or more
rams, each having the full stroke or lift of the press table, may be
employed in conjunction with a ram of a large diameter having a short
stroke and fitted or provided with an intermediate piece in manner
as herein described; or the last-mentioned ram and intermediate piece
may be employed in conjunction with other means for effecting the first
portion of the compression than those herein described. It will be
understood that by the employment of the said intermediate piece we
are enabled to use a shorter central cylinder and pumps of a less
capacity than would otherwise be required.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Taylor Bellhouse and William John
Dorning in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th April 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, EDWARD
TAYLOR BELLHOUSE, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, and
WILLIAM JOHN DORNING, of the same Place, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Edward Taylor Bellhouse and William
John Dorning, Her special license that we, the said Edward Taylor
Bellhouse and William John Dorning, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said Edward Taylor Bellhouse
and William John Dorning, our 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 PRESSES EMPLOYED
IN THE PACKING OF COTTON OR OTHER MATERIALS OR SUBSTANCES,
upon the
condition, amongst others, that we, the said Edward Taylor Bellhouse
and William John Dorning, by an instrument in writing under our
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 we, the said Edward Taylor Bellhouse and
William John Dorning, 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 following statement
and accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
Our Invention relates more particularly to hydraulic presses designed
to be employed in the compression of cotton, wool, jute, hay, or other
fibrous or similar materials in order to reduce the amount of space
occupied by the said materials, but is also applicable to presses otherwise

page_text: employed wherein the final pressure required to be exerted is greatly in
excess of the pressure required to be exerted during the main portion of
the stroke or lift of the rams of the said presses.
In presses constructed according to our said Invention we employ in
one arrangement three rams with their respective cylinders, the said rams
and cylinders being ranged in line one with the others, the two outer
rams and cylinders being of a length suitable to the entire lift of the
press table. The centre cylinder is by preference made suitable for a
ram of a greater diameter than the two outer rams, the stroke of the said
ram being considerably less that of the said outer rams, the said central
cylinder being for convenience cast in one portion with the lower cross
piece of the press; or if found to be preferable the said cylinder may be
seperately formed as in the case of the outer cylinders. When the
compression of the cotton or other material is commenced the two outer
rams are forced up by the pumps, the central ram remaining stationery,
the action of the outer rams continuing until such time as a greater
pressure than the said outer rams can communicate is required, at which
said time an intermediate piece is placed between the upper part of the
central ram and the lower part of the press table or follower, and
the three rams are forced up simultaneously to produce the final com-
pression, the said intermediate piece transmitting the thrust of the
central ram to the follower. The said intermediate piece is preferably
formed of metal and of a form similar to an ordinary press ram, or is
otherwise suitably formed, and is suspended in or from a crane swivelling
around one of the press columns, or is suspended in or from a carriage
running on rails, or is otherwise arranged in such a manner as that it
may be most readily and expeditiously placed in or moved into the
position as herein-before described.
In place of the arrangement herein-above described three or more
rams, each having the full stroke or lift of the press table, may be
employed in conjunction with a ram of a larger diameter, having a short
stroke and fitted or provided with an intermediate piece in manner
as herein described; or the last-mentioned ram and intermediate piece
may be employed in conjunction with other means for effecting the first
portion of the compression than those herein described. It will be
understood that by the employment of the said intermediate piece we are
enabled to use a shorter central cylinder and pumps of a less capacity
than would otherwise be required.

page_text: In order that the said Invention may be fully understood we have
supplied to accompany this Specification a Sheet of Drawings made to a
scale of about three-quarters of an inch to one foot, and having similar
letters of reference marked upon corresponding parts in the various
Figures.
Referring in this place to the said Drawings, Fig. 1 is a front elevation
of a hydraulic press constructed in accordance with our Invention ;
Fig. 2 is also a front elevation of the said press; and Fig. 3 is a side
elevation, and Fig. 4 a plan thereof.
The press illustrated as an example is adapted for the packing of
fibrous materials as, for example, cotton, and is fitted with a box to
contain the said cotton, the details of construction of the said box, as
likewise of portions of the press not represented in the Drawings,
presenting no features of novelty requiring to be herein described.
In the aforesaid Figures a, a, are two outside rams, 6 is a central ram,
and c is the afore-mentioned intermediate piece. The two rams a, a,
work in the cylinders d, d, which are fitted into the foundation casting e,
the upper ends of the said rams being connected with the follower f,
and the central ram 6 works in the short cylinder g, which in this
example is cast in one piece with the foundation piece e. The sides
of the box in which the cotton is placed are shewn at h, h, and the
said box is fitted with doors which can be opened when the pressing is
completed as is usual, and also with a door, shewn at in Fig. 4, which
said door can be opened previously to the completion of the pressing
and which when opened admits the intermediate piece c to be moved
into position under the follower as will be herein-after explained. The
said intermediate piece is carried by the crane k, which is fitted to swivel
around one of the columns of the press, being supported by the collar Z.
formed on or attached to the said column. The piece c is sustained in
or on the said crane by the collar 2 which rests upon the boss formed
on the end of the crane, and the said piece is free to slide in the said
boss when a force is applied tending to move the said piece in an
upward direction, the proportions of the said crane being such as that
when the intermediate piece is moved into position under the follower f,
as shewn by the dotted lines in Fig. 4, the longitudinal centre line of
the said piece will coincide with the centre of the ram b or thereabouts.
The action of the press is as follows, namely:-The box having been
filled with cotton the said box is placed in position in the press and

page_text: the water pressure is admitted to the two outer rams a, a, by which
means the follower f is forced upwards from the position indicated
by the dotted lines in Fig. 1 to the position as represented by the full
lines or thereabouts, and the cotton contained in the aforesaid box is
thus compressed into a smaller compass, the force required to effect
the said compression being as great as can be conveniently applied to
or transmitted by the rams a, a. The afore-mentioned door i is now
opened, the said door giving access to the lower portion of the box
only without interfering with the enclosure of the cotton, that is to say,
the said door extends in an upward direction to the under side of the
follower for a little over. The crane is now swivelled into the
position as represented in Fig. 2 and by the dotted lines in Fig. 4,
and the intermediate piece c is thus brought directly over the ram b,
the upper end of the said piece being in contact or nearly in contact
with the under side of the follower. The water pressure is now admitted
to all the three rams simultaneously, and the follower is forced upwards
with the increased pressure due to the action of the ram b for the
remainder of the usual lift of the said follower or until the cotton is
compressed to the required extent, the intermediate piece acting for the
time being as a continuation of the said ram. The compressed cotton
is now formed into a bale in the usual or any suitable manner, and the
piece c is swivelled or moved outwards in order to admit of the follower
being "run down," the succeeding operations being substantially as
herein-before described. Although cotton only has been mentioned
when describing the action of the said press it will be understood that
the said press or a modification thereof may be employed in the packing
of other materials or substances as herein aforesaid. A short cylinder
similar to that marked 6 in the attached Drawings acting in conjunction
with a moveable intermediate piece may be employed in presses having
more than two cylinders and rams of the ordinary construction and
proportions or similar to the rams a, a, and the cylinders d, d, as may
be found to be convenient; or the said short cylinder and intermediate
piece may be employed in presses wherein screws, the direct action
of steam, or other means otherwise than the pressure of water are
employed to effect the first portion of the lift of the follower or of the
compression of the substance or material being packed.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention together
with means for carrying the same into practical effect, we wish it to be
understood that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details as

page_text: herein described and as illustrated in the attached Drawings, but that
we claim the employment of a movable intermediate piece which is
capable of being brought into a position between the upper or outer
end of the hydraulic ram of a packing press and the under side of the
follower of the said press or the side opposite to the said ram, the
said intermediate piece being of any form and material so long as it
is made suitable to transmit the thrust of the said ram to the said
follower.
In witness whereof, we, the said Edward Taylor Bellhouse, and
William John Dorning, have hereunto set our hands and seals,
this Fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-nine.
EDWARD TAYLOR BELLHOUSE. (L.S.)
WILLIAM JOHN DORNING.
(L.S.)
15 Signed and sealed by the said
Edward Taylor Bellhouse and
William John Dorning, in the
EDWARD TAYLOR BELLHOUSE.
WILLIAM JOHN DORNING.
Signed and sealed by the said
Edward Taylor Bellhouse and
William John Dorning, in the
presence of
EDWARD K. DUTTON,
Agent to the Petitioners,
3, Smithy Door,
Manchester.
(L.S.)
(L.S.)