AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR PACKING OR BALING COTTON
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR PACKING OR
BALING COTTON."-A communication from abroad by James A. Drake,
of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America.
Scaled the 1st July 1873, and dated the 10th May 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 10th May 1878.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS
FOR PACKING OR BALING COTTON," a communication, to be as follows:-
My Invention relates, first, to a peculiar mode of packing cotton for
handling, shipment, and transportation. The object of this part of my
Invention is to avoid the use of the canvas bagging, buckles, and bale
ties now so generally employed for cotton baling purposes, and at the

page_text: same time to press more cotton into a given space than can possibly be
accomplished by the most powerful compressing devices or engines
hitherto known and in general use, whereby I am enabled to economize
both in the cost of baling or packing, as well as in that of transportion.
These important results are attained by taking the raw cotton as it comes 5
directly from the ginning mill, and by simple mechanical agencies
twisting it into a continuous cord or rope, which is spirally wound and
at the same time firmly pressed upon a wooden axle, thereby creating a
package resembling in its form and construction a large compactly
wound spool of cord or bale of common rope.
The twisted rope of 1
cotton prepared for winding and pressing may be varied in diameter as
required.
For general purposes and for convenient winding and pressing I
construct a rope of raw cotton moderately twisted of about one inch in
diameter, precaution being taken not to twist the cotton to an extent to
injure the fibre thereof.
My Invention relates, secondly, to mechanism, by means of which I
am enabled to take the raw cotton as it comes directly from the ginning
mill, and thoroughly pack or compress the same into suitable bales or
packages for handling, shipment, and transportation without the necessity
of employing canvas bagging, bale tics, and buckles.
Upon a substantial framework is supported a sheet metal hollow
twirling cylinder, having its forward part conically contracted, and
gradually terminating in a small slotted delivery tube, whilst the
internal diameter of a portion of the said twirling cylinder is diminished
by an interior cylinder. The said external and internal cylinders aro
connected by a base plate. This plate and the external cylinder are
finely perforated. The said external cylinder is supported to rotate freely
in journal bearings upon cross frames.
The cotton as it is forced or blown from the ginning mill is delivered
directly into the said twirling cylinder through the rear open end thereof,
and rapid rotary motion is communicated to the said cylinder. This
rapid rotation of the said cylinder necessarily imparts rotary motion to
that part of the cotton which is being held by and delivered from its
contracted extremity. As the cotton is delivered from the said nozzle or
extremity of the cylinder it is caught between grooved rollers or pulleys,
one of which is stationary upon the axle, whilst the other by means of a

page_text: .
spring is automatically and vertically adjustable to any irregularity of
the rope of twisted cotton passing between them. By these rollers the
further twisting of the cotton is prevented.
Motion is imparted to these pulleys by the friction of the passing
cotton upon a large pulley, which is keyed to the same shaft as the said
adjustable pulley.
The apparatus is provided with a sliding or traversing frame, having
upright standards. In slotted grooves in these standards an axle rotates.
Upon this axle is spirally wound and pressed the twisted cotton as it
comes from the twirling cylinder aforesaid. A corrugated cylinder as it
revolves is brought into contact with the spool or packago of twisted
cotton accumulating upon tho said axle, and imparts rotary motion to
the same. A pivoted frame is provided with a pulley with a grooved
face, which is held down upon the twisted cotton by a weight. As the
cord is being wound upon the accumulating package rotary motion is
imparted to the said corrugated cylinder by suitable gearing. Springs
are provided, against which the sliding frame is pressed, and from which
it receives assistance in starting from its limit of traversing motion.
.
The perforations in the twirling cylinder and in the aforesaid plate
serve the purpose of furnishing free exit for any dirt or dust, for the air
which enters the said cylinder with the cotton. Another peculiar featuro
of the perforated twirling cylinder is that in rotating it has the effect of
straightening out and placing in parallel position the fibres of the cotton,
rendering it less liable to injury when subjected to the twisting and
pressing operations necessary for packing into bales, as herein described.
The said Invention relates, thirdly, to a modification of the aforesaid
apparatus for packing cotton, and is designed to embody certain
mechanical features and changes in those particular parts of the said
apparatus by which the operation of winding and pressing the cotton
when twisted is effected.
In the said apparatus, as above described, it will be understood that in
the process of winding and pressing the bale of cotton is moved alter-
nately backwards and forwards upon a sliding frame, whilst the weighted
grooved roller, which presses the twisted cord of cotton in the act of
being wound, is kept turning in a stationery position. In this modifi-
cation of my Invention the operation is reversed; the bale or package

page_text: which is being made up is kept turning in a stationery position whilst
the grooved roller which presses the twisted cord of cotton upon the
package is made to travel with and upon the said cord from one end of
the package to the other. I use a double V grooved pulley or two pulleys
of different diameter, bolted together; the one of the lesser diameter
receives the cord, which is passed around the said pulley and under and
around another pulley, and finally wound upon an axle. The said axle
instead of being placed in bearings or grooves upon a sliding frame, as in
the apparatus above described, rests on bearings upon a part of the
stationary frame which sustains all the working parts of the apparatus.
The axle of the said double pulley has bearings upon cross frames,
which slide freely in grooves in the upright standards of the main frame,
while the grooved face of the greater diameter of the axle pulley rests
upon the twisted cotton cord, and as it is loosely placed upon its axle it
moves freely from one end of the bale to the other, and vice versa, as
the same is being wound thereupon, and as the said bale increases in
diameter the said pulley is clevated accordingly, being permitted to rise
by the free play of the said cross frames in the grooves.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 8th November 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special
licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake,
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,

page_text: exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR PACKING OR BALING COTTON," a com-
munication to me from abroad by James A. Drake, of New Orleans,
Louisiana, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Robert Lake, 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 Robert Lake, do horeby
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, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings forming part of this Specification:-
My improvements relate, first, to a peculiar mode of packing cotton for
handling, shipment, and transportation. The object of this part of
my improvements is to avoid the use of the canvass bagging buckles
and bale ties now so generally employed for cotton baling purposes,
and at the same time to press more cotton into a given space than
can possibly be accomplished by the most powerful compressing devices
or engines hitherto known and in general use, whereby I am enabled
to economize both in the cost of baling or packing as well as in that
of transportation. These important results are attained by taking the
raw cotton as it comes directly from the ginning mill, and by simple
mechanical agencies twisting it into a continuous cord or rope which is
spirally wound, and at the same time firmly pressed upon a wooden
axle, thereby creating a package resembling in its form and construction
a large compactly wound spool of cord or bale of common rope. The
size of the twisted rope of cotton prepared for winding and pressing may
be varied in diameter as required.
For general purposes and for convenient winding and pressing I
manufacture a rope of raw cotton moderately twisted of about one inch
in diameter, precaution being taken not to twist the cotton to an extent
to injure the fibre thereof,

page_text: Figure 1. illustrates a bale or package of cotton as prepared for
handling or transportation according to this Invention.
A is a wooden axle which may be square, round, octagonal, or of
other cross sectional form. One end of the raw cotton rope as it comes
from the twisting machine is attached to the said wooden axle at a point
near one end thereof, and when the said axle is placed in proper bearings
resting upon a suitable traversing frame and made to revolve the said
cotton is wound and at the same time pressed thereupon in a manner
similar to that employed for spooling threads, cords, or for baling
common rope. B shews the cotton as twisted, wound, and pressed into
à bale.
For sampling purposes a portion of the cord in any part of the bale,
either during the process of winding and pressing or subsequently when
the package is complete, may be cut out, and the two ends thus let
loose may be secured by light iron or wire staples. The samples thus
cut out may be marked and preserved as correct samples of the cotton
existing in the bale or packago when taken.
:
My improvements relate, secondly, to mechanism by means of which
I am enabled to take the raw cotton as it comes directly from the
ginning mill, and thoroughly pack or compress the same into suitable
bales or packages for handling, shipment, and transportation to a
market, without the necessity of employing canvass bagging, bale ties,
and buckles.
This part of my Invention will be more clearly understood by
reference to the following Figures of the Drawings.
Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a machine embodying
my Invention; Figure 3 is a plan or top view of the said machine;
Figure 4 is an end view of the same.
a is a substantial framework constructed of wood, iron, or other
suitable material, which furnishes bearings for the working parts of the
said machine; b, a sheet metal, hollow, twirling cylinder, having its
forward part conically contracted and gradually terminating in a small
Islotted delivery tube; whilst the internal diameter of a portion of the
said twirling cylinder is diminished by an interior cylinder. The said
.external and internal cylinders are connected by a base plate. This
plate and likewise the external cylinder are finely perforated as shown,

page_text: for the purposes herein-after described. The said cylinder 6 is supported
to rotate freely in journal bearings upon the cross frames.
The cotton as it is forced or blown from the ginning mill is delivered
directly into the said twirling cylinder 6 through the rear open end
thereof, and rapid rotary motion is communicated to the said cylinder
through and by means of the pulley c, guide pulleys d, d', belt or rope e,
and driving pulley f. The said pulley f is keyed upon the end of tho
shaft g which may be turned by hand power applied to the crank g', or
the same may be driven by animal, steam, or other motive power, applied
in any convenient manner. The rapid rotation of the said cylinder &
necessarily imparts rotary motion to that part of the cotton which is
being held by and delivered from its contracted extremity 6¹. This
contracted extremity is slotted as shewn to subserve the important
purpose of permitting the contraction and expansion of its internal
diameter to adapt it to any deviation or inequality in the diameter of
the twisted cotton delivered therefrom. As the cottom is delivered
from the said nozzle or extremity of the cylinder bit is caught between
the grooved rollers or pulleys h, h', and kept from further twisting,
thereby the pulley h is camed on the axle h² whilst the latter pulley
h¹ by means of the spring ³ is automatically and vertically adjustable
to any irregularity of the rope of twisted cotton passing between the
said rollers.
Motion is imparted to the pulleys h, h¹, by the friction of the passing
cotton upon the large pulley c which is keyed to the same shaft as the
pulley h. The said pulley c is connected by the band or rope i with the
pulley on the outer extremity of the aforesaid shaft g, to which motion
is imparted as before mentioned. j is a sliding or traversing frame
having upright standards j', j. In slotted grooves in these standards
the axle A. rotates. Upon this axle is spirally wound and pressed thọ
twisted cotton as it comes from the twirling cylinder a.
is a corru-
gated cylinder of wood or other suitable material which as it revolves is
brought into contact with and thereby imparts rotary motion to the
spool or package of twisted cotton accumulating upon the said axle A.
m is a frame pivoted at m², and provided at its other extremity with a
pulley n, the grooved face of which is held down upon the twisted cotton
by the weight n¹ as the cord is being wound upon the said accumulating
package.

page_text: layers as above described, especially when it is weighted, as described
and shewn, will obviously produce the alternate traversing motions
of the said sliding frame j, and consequently that of the bale of
cotton resting thereupon. The rotary motion is imparted to the said
corrugated cylinder by means of the toothed pinion o upon the shaft p,
which is provided with the pulley p', the latter being connected by the
band q with the pulley r placed upon the aforesaid shaft h², to which
motion is communicated as above described. 71, 7³, are springs against
which the sliding frame is pressed, and from which it receives assistance
in starting from its limit of traversing motion.
The perforations in the periphery of the twirling cylinder b, as well as
those in the plate aforesaid, subserve the purpose of furnishing free exit
for any dirt or dust which may, and which usually does, exist to a
greater or less extent in cotton as gathered from the plantation, whilst
likewise admitting the free exit of the air which enters the said cylinder
with the cotton, and the air so entering operates to maintain the cotton
.in a continuous core in the centre thereof, and entirely free from contact
with its sides.
Another peculiar feature of the perforated twirling cylinder which
experience with a working machino has demonstrated is, that in rotating
it has the effect of straightening out and placing in parallel positions the
fibres of the cotton therein placed, rendering it in that condition less
liable to injury when subjected to the twisting and pressing operations
necessary for packing into bales, as herein described.
The said improvements relate, thirdly, to a modification of the afore-
said apparatus for packing cotton, and are designed to embody certain
mechanical features and changes in those particular parts of the said
apparatus by which the operation of winding and pressing the cotton
when twisted is effected.
In the said apparatus, as above described, it will be understood that
in the process of winding and pressing the bale of cotton is moved
alternately backwards and forwards upon a sliding frame, whilst the
weighted grooved roller which presses the twisted cord of cotton in the
act of being wound is kept turning in one position. In this modification
of my
Invention the operation is reversed; the bale or package which is
being made up is kept turning in one position, whilst the grooved
roller, which presses the twisted cord of cotton upon the package,

page_text: is made to travel with and upon the said cord from one end of the
package to the other. This part of my improvements is illustrated in
the following Figures of the Drawing:-
Figuro 5 is a side clovation of a machine constructed according to this
part of my Invention, with portions thereof broken away to expose
certain parts not otherwise casily shown; Figuro 6 is a plan of the said
machinc.
6 is the perforated twirling cylinder into which the cotton is forced or
blown directly from the ginning mill, and at the contracted extremity of
which it is delivered moderately twisted, and thence received by the
grooved faced rollers or pulleys, as above described. 8 shows a double-
faced V grooved pulley, or two pulleys of different diameters bolted
together. The one of the lesser diameter receives the cord, which is
passed around the said pulley upon its grooved face; it is passed under
and around the pulley 8, and finally wound upon the axle. The said
axle A, instead of being placed in bearings or grooves upon a sliding
frame as in the device before mentioned, rests on bearings upon a part
of the stationary frame which sustains all the working parts of the
apparatus. The axle s¹ of the said double pulleys has bearings upon
the cross frame t. These cross frames slide freely in grooves of the
upright standards of the frame t, while the grooved rim of the larger
part of the double pulley s rests upon the twisted cotton cord, and as
it is loosely placed upon its axle A it traverses freely from one end of
tho bale to the other, and vice versa, as the same is being wound there-
upon, and as the said bale increases in diameter the said pulley C is
elevated accordingly, being permitted to do so by the free play of the
said cross frames & working in the grooves, as above described.
It is evident that the cord of twisted cotton instead of being passed to
and around the lesser diameter of the said pulley s, might be passed
directly to the bale from the twirling cylinder, and wound and pressed
thereupon by means similar to those which are employed in the machine
first herein described.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim,―
First. The improved mode of baling cotton, as herein described for
the purposes set forth.

page_text: Second. The apparatus for packing or baling cotton in the manner
above specified, constructed and operating as described with reference
to Figures 2, 3, and 4 of the Drawings forming part of this Speci-
fication.
Third. The modifications of the said apparatus as described with
reference to Figures 5 and 6 of said Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Soventh day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-.
three
Witness,
H. J. NoONE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)