Improvements in Presses suitable for Moulding Plastic Materials and subsequently Dividing the same into Blocks.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Jan., 1895-Accepted, 21st Feb., 1896
DI FULL
Improvements in Presses suitable for Moulding Plastic Materials and
subsequently Dividing the same into Blocks.
I, CHARLES PRATTEN, of Harris Street, Sydney, in the Colony of New South
Wales, Australia, Company Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of cylinder,
box, and chamber presses used to express plastic material, such as clay, dough,
soap, butter, or the like.
Such presses usually consist of round, octagonal, or
square chambers, in which is a moving piston or ram-head attached to and operated
by either a screw and nut, or rack and pinion, driven either by manual, or other
power. Such presses may be operated either in a horizontal or vertical position,
and are provided with an outlet orifice at the one end for the expressed material,
which if it be clay, may be required to form either pipes or bricks, or, if the
plastic material be dough it is cut into lengths suitable for loaves, briar, or other
fancy biscuits. The means employed either with the clay or with the dough to
perform the cutting operation, is either one or more wire cutters operated by the
attendant. When such presses are used to express soap or butter it is first ejected
in the form of rectangular or other shaped bars. The cutting of such bars into
blocks is also accomplished by the use of wire cutters in the same manner as for
clay or dough, there being no apparent difference between the use of a movable frame
operated by the attendant, such frame having wires secured thereto by which the
butter, soap, or the like, is cut into lengths of certain weight, and in the same class
of frame attached to brick-making machinery.
My improvements consist in so constructing the driving and operating mechanism
of such presses, that the work of cutting or dividing the expressed plastic material
into suitable lengths is performed simultaneously with the pressing movement of the
operating screw. I also impart a return motion to the screw with the same gearing
used for operating it, but while such return motion is being imparted the cutting off
mechanism is rendered stationary and therefore inoperative. The aforesaid cutting
off mechanism may also be rendered inoperative during the advancing movement of
the screw, by mechanism under the control of the operator, and it may further be
either increased or diminished in the speed of the cutting operation during the time
the press is being worked.
A further improvement consists in the combination of a travelling band with the
cutting off mechanism such band being timed to run at a greater speed than the
expressed plastic material, and is driven by either pulleys, friction, or bevel gearing,
which is under the control of the attendant.
I am able to perform the cutting off operation in a variety of ways by the use of
friction or other gearing. In one form the motion is transmitted by means of
gearing to a counter shaft having on one end a friction pulley which is adjustable
by means of a hand screw and clip. The aforesaid friction pulley is used for
driving a friction face plate secured to a spindle placed at right angles to the
aforesaid counter shaft. The face plate is kept in position against the friction
pulley by means of an adjustable screw or screws, and being of larger diameter than
the friction pulley, may be driven at a greater or less speed than the friction pulley
by changing the position of such pulley. The spindle carrying the friction face
plate has also attached to it radial arms carrying one or more cutters or knives,,

page_text: with which the cutting operation is performed, these cutters or knives being so
adjusted that the expressed material may be divided in any desired lengths.
Another form of cutting off mechanism cousists in the aforesaid counter shaft,
driven it may be, by the same gearing, but instead of placing the other spindle at
right angles, and using the face plate, and instead of making the friction pulley
adjustable, I place the spindle in the same line as the counter shaft, and attach
thereto a friction cone which is made adjustable by means of a clutch lever having
a toothed quadrant on one end, operated by a worm driven by bevel or other gearing
which is under the control of the attendant.
The before mentioned friction cone is made taper, and is set truly parallel with
the counter-shaft. By placing it thus the spindle carrying it will necessarily be at
an angle equivalent to the taper of the cone. With the spindle in such a position
and by means of the beforementioned clutch having the toothed quadrant the cone
may be made to change its position, so that any desired portion of its surface may
be brought in contact with the friction pulley. The spindle carrying this cone is
supported in adjustable bearings which are retained in their position by means of
weighted levers or by adjustable screws, or eccentrics may be substituted. When
the first named are used such levers are attached to one end of a connecting rod or
rods, the end of which is fastened to a treadle which the attendant may operate with
his foot, the pressure of which will release the cone from contact with the friction
pulley. The cutter or knife holder attached to this form of mechanism may consist
of a face-plate having the cutters or knives secured to the periphery such knives
being adjustable, that is to say their position may be changed according to the
required length of the expressed material.
Instead of a face plate radial arms carrying cutters or knives may be
substituted.
In carrying out the operation of reversing the motion of the screw used for
actuating the piston or ram-head I make provision for constructing the presses in
pairs and I place them tandem fashion, so that the reversing motion is obtained
automatically by means of the advancing or receding movements of the ram heads
setting in motion an impulse rod and its attendant or associated levers which are
made to move a double faced friction clutch, such clutch being brought in contact
alternately with the forward driving pulley and the backward driving pulley. This
improvement I regard as giving a great saving of time because the backward
motion of the screw is utilized for pressing purposes, consequently one press may
be charged while the piston or ram head is receding and at the same time the other
press will be doing its work of expressing the plastic material and dividing it into
blocks or lengths.
A further improvement consists in the use of packing in the piston or ram-heads
such packing may be cup shaped and is inserted in a groove provided for it, it may
be either asbestos, whalebone, or other flexible material which will not deleteriously
affect the plastic material within the chamber.
A further improvement consists in the use of a telescopic tube in combination.
with the operating screw to prevent the fouling of the chamber with the lubricants
used upon the screw.
A worm is secured to the spindle carrying these pulleys. Gearing with a worm
wheel which may be geared direct with the spur-wheel having the nut for operating
the screw in its boss or the aforesaid worm-wheel may be used as the spur-wheel,
and the nut placed therein. The gearing operating the counter shaft or shafts as
the case may be, may consist of a train of wheels, or a pair of wheels, but the one
attached to the counter shaft which is used to operate the cutting off mechanism is
provided with either an internal or external pawl and ratchet or a series of pawls
and ratchets working only in one direction. The pawl or pawls by failing to operate
when the reversing motion is imparted to the screw, the cutters are rendered
stationary. So that in the case of a double press the cutters of the press to be
re-charged will be stationary, while the re-charging is taking place, while those of
the operating press will be performing their proper function.

page_text: I consider my invention is applicable with some slight modifications to the
manufacture of coal briquettes. The modifications would consist in the use of a
jacketed chamber which may be heated by any known methods so that the pulverised
coal mixed with tar placed therein, could then be expressed in the same manner as
clay would be, or other plastic material in the previously described presses, and the
cutting off process would be performed in the same manner as described. The
briquettes formed in this manner might be afterwards placed in suitable moulds and
subjected to pressure.
My invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which the same
letters are used in the different views to indicate similar parts, and in which-
Figure 1 is a part plan and part sectional plan of a double chambered press,
provided with my special driving gear, automatic reversing gear, cutting off
mechanism and delivery band.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure 1, shewing the various gearing used for
driving, cutting off and delivering.
Figure 3 is a section and part elevation of Figures 1 and 2, shewing driving
pulleys, double faced friction clutch, worm and screw gearing.
Figure 4 is an end view of Figures 1 and 2, looking towards outlet orifice.
Figure 5, shews two views of the external pawls and ratchet combined with spur
wheel.
Figure 6 is a detail of the telescopic tube or casing for covering operating
screw.
Figure 7 is a detail of ram-head shewing cup shaped packing inserted therein.
Figure 8 is a plan of a single chamber press with cutting off mechanism placed
at right angles to operating shaft.
The chambers A. A. are the receptacles for the plastic material having the
sides B suitably held together, the table portion C serving to support the driving
gear. The outlet ends D are pierced with orifices E, from which the expressed
inaterial passes on to the guide table F. Through the back end G, the operating
rod and screw H passes, and is attached to the ram heads I, by means of the plate J.
The movable covers K are provided with the hinges L, which are secured with key
bolts M. At the screw end of H, where the lubricant is used, is placed the
telescopic tube or casing N which is so constructed that the movement of the screw
will cause the parts to slide within each other, the flange O Fig. 6. being secured
the standard P, which is attached to C: the flauge is likewise securel to the
back side of the ram head I. The telescope tube is omitted from the right side of
Fig. 1 for the sake of clearness. This telescopic tube or casing acts as a receiver
of the lubricant, which may drop from the operating screw spindle H. The cup
shaped asbestos, or whalebone packing R, is inserted in the face of 1, as shewn in
Figure 7, and during the advancing movement of I will by reason of the
pressure of the plastic material within the chamber cause a close joint to be
formed, which will have the effect of preventing any of the material passing
behind the piston.
The actuating nut for the screw portion of H is placed in the boss of the spur
wheel S, which is held in position by the standard P. S receives its motion from
the pinion T attached to a spindle running in the bearings U and V. Upon the
sime spindle is keyed the worm wheel W, and the spur wheel X. Upon the outer
end is a spur wheel Y, similar to X, but instead of being keyed is provided with a
ratchet and pawls, both X and Y gearing with Z and A' respectively the former
being a ratchet wheel, and the latter keyed.
The worm wheel W is driven by the worm B₁ attached to the driving spindle C'
running in the bearings V and D¹. Upon C¹ is placed the outer loose pulley E',
and the double faced friction clutch F¹ which is provided with a sleeve G' having
a clutch bearing H¹ for the clutch lever I', which is also attached to the operating
lever J, which in its turn is secured to the impulse rod K', the ends L' of the
said rod passing through the back ends G so that they may be operated by
the receding movements of the pistons I. The bearing M serves to support the

page_text: sleeve G¹, and also acts as a stop to the loose pulley N¹ when the friction clutch F¹
is being operated.
To the impulse rod K¹ are attached the levers O' which may be operated by the
attendant when it is desired to operate the press in either direction or stop the
machine.
If the friction clutch F¹ is operated by means of I¹ so as to press against E¹ the
press will be made to operate in one direction, but if it is brought in contact with
the pulley N', it will operate in the reverse direction. This change of motion is
accomplished by using a straight driving belt for one pulley, and a crossed driving
belt for the other pulley.
The counter shafts P¹ for operating the cutting off mechanism are supported in
the bearings Q'.
The wheels Z and A¹ before mentioned are placed on the inner ends as shewn, so
as to gear with X and Y. On the other ends are secured the friction pulleys R',
which drive the taper friction cones S¹ on the spindles T¹ the said cones being
provided with clutch journals U₁ for the fork ends of the clutch levers V', the
said levers being pivoted to the side of the chambers on pins W. The aforesaid
spindles T are provided with feathers for the cones $¹ to slide upon. T¹ is
supported in the hinged bearings Y¹.
On the extreme ends of T¹ are the face plates Z' in the periphery of which are
secured by means of the ordinary bolt or nut, the knives or cutters A2, more than
one such knife or cutter may, if it be thought desirable, be attached to these face
plates, and the position of the knives or cutters may be changed by taking them
out of one part of the face plate, and inserting them in any other desired part.
The bearings Y₁ are kept in position by means of the hinged levers B2 having
on their outer ends the weights C3, B2 are held together by means of the tie
rods D, to which are attached the connecting rods E2, which in turn are attached
to the treadles F2, which are poised in the bearing plates G2, one end of F2 being
supplied with foot plates H2.
The guide tables F, before mentioned, are provided with slits or apertures 1' for
the passage of A2 during the cutting operation.
The aforesaid clutch levers for operating S₁ are provided with toothed
quadrants J which, are operated by the worms K' attached to spindles running in
the bearings L² secured to the under side of the chambers.
The spindles carrying K2 have upon the opposite end the beveled pinions M²
gearing with similar beveled pinions N2 attached to the spindles 02, which are
supported with bearings P2. Upon the extreme end of O2 and convenient to the
attendant are the hand wheels Q³.
The travelling bands R2 for removing the expressed material are kept in tension
by the top flanged rollers S supported in the usual way with bearings, and the
bottom rollers T2 running in the trough U2 which for some purposes would be filled
with water.
The spindles carrying T2 are provided with the pulleys V2 and are driven by the
pulleys W2 upon the spindles X2 supported in the bearings Y². On the other end
of X2 are the pulleys Z2, which are driven by the pulleys A3 attached to P.
In Figure 5 the external pawl and ratchet is shewn, which is the class of gearing
employed both for X and Y.
P is the counter shaft. B3 is the ratchet keyed to Pl. C3 are the external
pawls. D are the springs for C³.
In Figure 8 the cutting off mechanism is shewn at right angles to P¹, the
friction face plate E3 being attached to the spindle F3 and is driven by R'. F³ is
supported in the bearings G³, the outer one being provided with the adjustable set
screw H3 which is used for setting Es up against R. The inner end of F3 carries
the face plate Z' provided with the knife or cutter A2, for the passage of which the
slit 12 is provided.
The position of R¹ may be changed by operating the adjustable nut, I³, which
will have the effect of drawing the rod J³ in the desired direction, J³ being secured

page_text: to the clip K³ which clasps the boss of R¹. F³ may be prolonged in the manner
shewn, and the circular printing pad L³ placed thereon. M³ is the delivering
trough.
The presses constructed in accordance with my invention, if applied in the
manner proposed would necessarily vary in the constructional details.
The essential modifications would be restricted according to the special use to
which the press or presses are to be put, for instance.-If clay were the plastic
material to be operated upon, and a pipe were required to be made, while the same
form of cutting mechanism would be used, the form of the chamber and its outlet
orifice would necessarily be adaptable to the formation of pipes.
If plastic bricks were to be made another form of outlet orifice would be
required. In the latter case the travelling band would be serviceable for the
delivery of the bricks, but in the case of the pipes, such band might perhaps be
dispensed with.
When using my press for expressing butter, the travelling band and cutting off
mechanism may be used in the manner shewn, and it would be preferable to have
such band running through a trough of water, which would prevent the expressed
material clinging to the band.
I do not therefore confine myself to the exact form of chamber shewn in the
drawings as being applicable to all the kinds of plastic material referred to in this
Specification.
Having now particularly 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. A box or chamber press for expressing plastic material having alternate
advancing and receding movements imparted to the piston or ram head combined
with an operating screw, such movements being accomplished by the combined
action of a double faced friction clutch operated by an impulse rod in the manner
described and shewn.
2. In mechanism used for operating presses of the class described, the
combination of the driving spindle, C¹, carrying the worm, B', gearing with the
worm wheel, W, and the pinion, T, gearing with the operating spur wheel, S, with
the actuating out therein, the screw, H, combined with a piston or pistons, I, and
the pulleys E', and N', the former running upon the aforesaid spindle C¹, and the
latter running upon the sleeve G¹, having the clutch bearing H¹ for the clutch
lever I', which is also attached to the operating lever J, and is operated by the
impulse rod K', the said sleeve, G', forming a part of the double faced friction
clutch F¹, as described and shewn, and for the purposes set forth.
3. In mechanism used for operating presses of the class described, the
combination of the operating gear as claimed in Claim 2, with spur wheels, or a
train of such wheels, for operating cutting off mechanism, which is rendered
operative by the use of such gearing the advancing movement of the ran head or
piston but shall be inoperative during the return movement of such ram head or
piston, as described and shewn, and for the purposes set forth.
4. In a double press for expressing plastic material, the combination of the
counter shafts, P₁, with the main driving gear claimed in Claim 2, which is also
used for operating the rod and screw H, and the gearing provided with either
internal or external pawls and ratchets so arranged that one of such counter shafts
be in active work during the expressing operation of one press, while the other
counter shaft remains inactive, as described and shewn and for the purposes set
forth.
5. In presses, which may consist of any of the kinds named herein, for expressing
plastic materials, the combination of the parts forming the cutting off mechanism
for dividing the expressed material into desired lengths, with, a counter shaft or
shafts, which shall be both operative and inoperative when desired, as described and
shewn, and for the purposes set forth.

page_text: 6. An adjustable tapered cone such as S' and its attendant operating clutch
having a toothed quadrant operated in the manner described and shewn, the said
tapered cone being set at a diverging angle so as to admit of any portion of its
surface being brought in contact with a friction pulley operating the said cone
for the purpose of accelerating or reducing the speed of the said cone and the
combined cutting off mechanism, as described and shewn, and for the purposes set
forth.
7. The combination of the adjustable bearings Y₁ carrying the spindle T₁ of the
tapered cone as claimed in Claim 6, and the weighted levers B³, C2, the tie
rods D, and the connecting rod E' combined with the operating treadle F³, by
which the said weighted levers and adjustable bearings are operated so as to render
the aforesaid spindle stationary at the will of the attendant as described and shewn,
and for the purposes set forth.
8. In presses of the class described, for expressing plastic materials, the
combination of the impulse rod K', (which may also be operated by levers O¹)
with the ram heads I, such impulse rod and its attendant levers working in
combination in the manner described and shewn, for rendering one pulley
operative while another is inoperative, or vice versa, as described and shewn, and
for the purposes set forth.
9. In presses having an operating screw either double or single acting, the
combination of the telescopic tube, N, with such operating screw, to prevent the
fouling of the press or presses with the lubricant used upon the operating screw,
as described and shewn.
;
10. In the pistons of presses used for the purposes herein set forth, the
combination therewith of flexible packing inserted preferably in the face thereof
for the purpose of sealing the joints and preventing the escape into the back
portion of the chamber, of the material under treatment, as described and shewn.
11. In single or double acting presses of the class herein described, the
combination of an endless delivery band, or bands, placed at the outlet ends of
such presses with the associated driving gear, operated in the manner described,
and for the purposes set forth.
12. The general combination and arrangement of the mechanical parts
constituting either a single or double press for expressing various classes of plastic
material, such presses being operated through the medium of the driving
mechanism so as to produce alternately advancing and receding movements, and
associating therewith both active and inactive cutting off mechanism, and delivery
mechanism as described and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 7 of the drawings.
13. The general arrangement and combination of the parts adaptable to a single
press for expressing various classes of plastic material, as herein described and as
illustrated in Figure 8 of the drawings.
Dated the 21st day of January 1805
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.