IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR COMPRESSING VARIOUS DESCRIPTIONS OF MER- CHANDISE INTO BALES OR PACKAGES, AND ALSO FOR OTHER PURPOSES WHERE PROVISIONAL SPATION
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William McNabb, of Foulden Road, Stoke
Newington, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
66 IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR COMPRESSING VARIOUS DESCRIPTIONS OF MER-
CHANDISE INTO BALES OR PACKAGES, AND ALSO FOR OTHER PURPOSES WHERE
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William McNabb at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th September 1874.
I, WILLIAM MCNABB, of Foulden Road, Stoke Newington, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR COMPRESSING VARIOUS DESCRIPTIONS
OF MERCHANDISE INTO BALES OR PACKAGES, AND ALSO FOR OTHER PURPOSES WHERE
Compressing, Bending, or Lifting IS NECESSARY," to be as follows (that is
to say):-
My Invention has for its object an improved construction and arrange-
ment of machinery for facilitating the mode of giving direct pressure to

page_text: various substances by which a more continuous and uniform action is
exerted superficially upon the substance under operation than by the
employment of machinery hitherto in use, and consists of an arrange-
ment of one or more cams or of two or more eccentrics, the circumference
of each cam or cams being gradually inclined like a wedge or wedges on
its or their peripherial surface or surfaces, so that a block or substance
introduced at the lower part of the inclined surface or surfaces will be
pressed forward to the higher part by the rotary action of said cams and
another block or substance introduced to follow up or take the place of
those preceeding, thus maintaining a continuous supply and pressure
forward of the blocks or substance aforesaid.
A similar result can also be obtained with two or more eccentrics by
introducing alternately a block or substance at the lower parts of their
inclined circumferences, so that said blocks or substance will be pressed
forward and followed up by another block or substance in like manner,
thus producing a continuous feeding medium with the cam or cams or
eccentrics respectively, and applicable to thrusting or lifting purposes,
and by having a fixed head of resistance any intervening substance
between said fixed head and the cam or canis or eccentrics will thereby
receive continuous and increasing pressure so long as the motion is main-
tained and the blocks or substance introduced, which is thus applicable
to compressing various kinds of merchandise into more compact form,
and also for other purposes requiring crushing by pressure, as likewise
for bending and lifting. The feeding can be done by hand or made self-
acting if necessary.
The working of the cam or cams, and likewise the eccentrics, can be
rotary, whilst in some cases the cam or cams or eccentrics can be fixed,
and the substance to be compressed made to revolve round the cam or
cams or eccentrics, but in either case the movement can be effected by
hand, steam, or other equivalent power through means of a lever or
by gearing.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William M'Nabb in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 25th March 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
M°NABB, of Foulden Road, Stoke Newington, in the County of Middle-
sex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in
the thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said William McNabb, Her
special licence that I, the said William McNabb, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
McNabb, 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, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR COMPRESSING VARIOUS DESCRIPTIONS OF
MERCHANDISE INTO BALES OR PACKAGES, AND ALSO FOR OTHER PURPOSES WHERE
COMPRESSING, BENDING, OR LIFTING IS NECESSARY," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William McNabb, my executors or admini-
strators, 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 McNabb, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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 the Drawings herein referred to (that is to
say):-
My Invention consists, —

page_text: substances into bales by employing for the above purpose an arrange-
ment of cams or eccentrics having inclined wedge-shaped peripherys or
surfaces acting directly upon intervening blocks, plates, or frames in
such manner that at every revolution of the cams or eccentrics each of the
said blocks, plates, or frames shall be driven forward upon the substanco
under operation and another block if necessary introduced, so as to take
the place of the preceeding block, and so on in like manner until the
entire set have been pushed through and exerted their combined force
upon the cotton or other substance within the compressing box.

page_text: on this principle could be so arranged that the cam would revolve and
the be box be fixed, and said cam worked by wheel and pinion instead
of radial arms as shewn.
In applying the above principle to spanners as aforesaid the blocks B
clutch the nut or head of a screw by the cam A being moved round by
the levers, or when employed for punching or similar purposes the cutters
or dies are fixed with the blocks B, so that the reacting spring C shall
take the blocks or jaws B back again or return them to their original
position, or the same can be done without the spring similar to that
described of blocks B², B³, at Figs. 5 and 6.
In Figs. 1 and 2, Sheet 2, cams or eccentrics A, A, are put in motion
by the gradual ascent of the hydraulic ram I, and turned round as far as
necessary by means of link arrangement d, d, shewn at Figs. 3 and 4.
The projecting pins d', d', are guided upward and in a sloping direction
when necessary by slots e, e, formed in the sides of pressing machine.
untill each of the cams A, A, maintain an upright position, carrying with
them the intervening blocks or plates B, B, thereby extending the ram
or plunger F beyond the extent of the hydraulic ram I in proportion to the
pitch or rise of the several cams A, A. The plunger F thus gradually
pressed upwards condenses the substance E within the box C, when the
hydraulic ram I being reversed, the plunger, together with the cams,
return to their original position ready for a fresh charge to be pressed in
like manner, said feed or charge being admitted by the side opening D¹.
Thus when the full quantity has been compressed and the bale finished
it will be ready for hooping through the slots / and for removal, as before
described. Although the above arrangement is shewn to press upwards
it could be arranged to press downwards or horizontally.
In Figs. 5 and 6 indentations f,f, and collapsing sides g, g, in box C
prevent the cotton or other substance (when pressed into it) from
returning upon the plunger F when drawn back for a fresh supply to be
added to the box.
In Fig. 7 cams A, A, together with blocks B, B, are actuated by wheel
and pinion Land L' through means of shaft or spindle h, h. Blocks B, B,
revolve and rise or fall with the cams, whilst cams A, A, are free only to
move upwards or downwards, being guided by their radial arms i, i, and
pillars or standards j, j, the whole series of cams and blocks rise simul-
taneously, forcing plunger Fupwards with a similar result to that before.

page_text: described, the hydraulic ram I being applied as a final pressure when
necessary and the bale completed in the same manner as before
described. A machine on this principle could be made to press in either
direction.
In Figs. 8, 9, and 10 cams A, A, with intervening blocks B, B, are
specially applicable for bending, lifting, or cramping purposes, and cither
one or more of the cams or blocks may be made to revolve singly and
individually instead of all at once, or cam A might be fixed down on a
solid bed whilst blocks B revolve.
In conclusion to the foregoing description I would here briefly note
that the blocks and cams as above described may be varied in form and
also employed for other purposes, or worked separately or in connection
with other arrangements for bending, lifting, or compressing various
substances as required, and worked by hand, machinery, or otherwise.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of this my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed
and carried into effect, I would have it clearly understood that I do not
by any means intend to confine myself to the precise details herein-
before set forth and described, as the same may be otherwise varied
without departing from the general principle of this my said Invention,
nor do I claim as new and of my said Invention the exclusive use of the
several parts, combinations, and arrangements hercin-before described
and set forth, except when the same are employed in and for the
purposes of my said Invention, which I hereby declare to consist, —
Firstly. In the employment of cams or eccentrics arranged in con-
nection with feeding blocks, plates, or frames so as to exert a continuous
and uniform pressure upon the various substances to be condensed and
formed into bales as aforesaid.
Secondly. In employing cams or eccentrics acting in combination with
hydraulic or other rams for assisting the travelling plunger by increasing
the travel of the same whilst in operation.
Thirdly. In holding elastic substances aforesaid under pressure within
the compressing box by retaining nitches and collapsing mechanism
before described, whereby the ram can be withdrawn and a fresh supply
put in to be compressed with the former.
Fourthly. In pressing cotton or other substance into bales in separate
feeds driven on in succession instead of at one operation.

page_text: Fifthly. In pressing cotton or other elastic substances into bales of
he form of cubes in preference to oblong shapes as fifthly described.
Sixthly and Lastly. In employing the said cams or eccentrics in a
imilar manner to the above for other purposes, such as for compressing,
ending, and lifting.
In witness whereof, I, the said William McNabb, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
Witness,
B. F. WEATHERDON,
Law Chambers,
Chancery Lane.
WM NABB. (L.S.)