IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING MATERIALS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Edward Heath, Colliery Proprietor,
Thomas Evens, Civil and Mining Engineer, and Thomas Edward
Heath, junior, Gentleman, all of Cardiff, in the County of
Glamorganshire, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR COMPRESSING MATERIALS."
Sealed the 30th May 1873, and dated the 3rd December 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Edward
Heath, Thomas Evens, and Thomas Edward Heath, junior, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on
the 3rd December 1872.
We, THOMAS EDWARD HEATH, Colliery Proprietor, THOMAS EVENS,
Civil and Mining Engineer, and THOMAS EDWARD Heath, jun'.,
Gentleman, all of Cardiff, in the County of Glamorganshire, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR COMPRESSING MATERIALS," to be as follows:-

page_text: which may vary in quantity or density, and requiring therefore the
pressure upon them to be exerted through varying distances. For this
purpose we attach to a suitable mechanical press worked by a crank,
eccentric, or other convenient means a liquid cushion or buffer, so
arranged that when the pressure upon the liquid in the cushion or buffer
exceeds that which may be required the liquid lifts a weighted valve
and escapes into a service tank or other suitable receptacle, or if
preferred it may lift a weighted piston or plunger.
By another arrangement the liquid cushion or buffer can be placed in
opposition to the head of the mechanical press and form the resisting ]
surface against which the materials are pressed. In this case also when
the pressure upon
the liquid in the cushion or buffer exceeds that which
may be required the liquid opens a weighted valve or raises a weighted
piston or plunger.
By a third arrangement the press being worked by a lever, or through ;
a combination of levers, or by levers in form of a knuckle joint, the
cushion or buffer may be placed so as to form the fulcrum or resisting
point, the liquid escaping through a weighted valve or raising a weighted
plunger as before.
The Invention may be adapted for pressing a variety of substances a
such as bales of fabrics, but it is particularly advantageous in com-
pressing materials in moulds such as artificial fuel, bricks, and tiles.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Edward Heath, Thomas Evens, and
Thomas Edward Heath, junior, in the Great Seal Patent Office on :
the 31st May 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
EDWARD HEATH, Colliery Proprietor, THOMAS EVENS, Civil and Mining
Engineer, and THOMAS EDWARD HEATH, junior, Gentleman, all of
Cardiff, in the County of Glamorganshire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of December, in the

page_text: year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in
the thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto us, the said Thomas Edward Heath,
Thomas Evens, and Thomas Edward Heath, junior, Her special licence
that we, the said Thomas Edward Heath, Thomas Evens, and Thomas
Edward Heath, junior, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said Thomas Edward Heath, Thomas Evens, and.
Thomas Edward Heath, junior, 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 APPARATUS FOR COM-
PRESSING MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said Thomas Edward Heath, Thomas Evens, and Thomas Edward
Heath, junior, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 Thomas Edward Heath, Thomas
Evens, and Thomas Edward Heath, junior, do hereby declare the nature
of our 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, that is to
say:―
The object of our Invention is to adapt mechanical presses, having a
fixed length of stroke to the purpose of pressing equally materials which
may vary in quantity or density and requiring therefore the pressure
upon them to be exerted through varying distances. For this purpose
we attach to a suitable mechanical press worked by a crank, eccentric,
or other convenient means, a liquid cushion or buffer, so arranged that
when the pressure upon the liquid in the cushion or buffer exceeds that
which may be required the liquid lifts a weighted valve and escapes into
a service tank or other suitable receptacle, or if preferred it may lift a
weighted piston or plunger.

page_text: By another arrangement the liquid cushion or buffer can be placed in
opposition to the head of the mechanical press and form the resisting
. surface against which the materials are pressed. In this case also when
the
pressure upon the liquid in the cushion or buffer exceeds that which
may be required the liquid opens a weighted valve or raises a weighted.
piston or plunger.
By a third arrangement the press being worked by a lever or a com-
bination of levers, or by levers in the form of a knuckle joint, the
cushion or buffer may be placed so as to form the fulcrum or resisting
point, the liquid escaping through a weighted valve or raising a weighted
plunger as before.
The Invention may be adapted for pressing a variety of substances
such as bales of fibres, or fabrics, or metals, but it is particularly
advantageous in compressing materials in moulds such as artificial fuel,
bricks, tiles, and rivet heads.
In order that the said Invention may be clearly understood this
Specification is accompanied by Drawings illustrating modifications of
our Invention, in which the letters of reference refer to similar parts.
[
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a modification of our Invention, in
which the liquid cushion or buffer is attached to a mechanical press, in 2
this case worked by a crank. It shows the application of our Invention
to an apparatus for pressing artificial fuel, which slightly altered in some
of the details of the mould table could also be used for pressing bricks ;
Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same; Figure 3 is a plan of the
same.
Figure 4 shows the liquid cushion or buffer, and also the contrivance
for drawing the piston in and pushing it out when required.
Figure 5 shows the valve of the liquid cushion, kept down in this
case with a spring, and also the contrivance for opening the valve when
'required.
A' is a spur wheel, to which the motive power is applied; A² is a
strong crank shaft worked by A'; A³ and A' are cams upon the shaft A³;
B' is the bed plate; B2, B3, B², are plummer blocks; C, C, are connecting
rods.
2
3

page_text: The liquid cushion is represented as follows: -D' is the cylinder;
Ds the piston or plunger, which is made long enough to form the
pressing head; D' are trunnions supporting the cylinder; D', contrivance,
actuated by the cam A* for drawing the piston and pushing it out when
required; D³, D', adjusting screws in the contrivance D' for regulating
the distance between D³ and H'; D³ is the valve communicating with
the cylinder D' through the trunnion D³, it is pressed down by a spring D³
(though a weight might be used if preferred) contained in the reservoir
De above the valve; D' is a lever actuated by the cam A³ for keeping
the valve D' open during the downward stroke of the. liquid cushion.
-
E is the thrust plate; F is the floor, which is not shown in the plan
Fig. 3, in order that the other parts may be more clearly seen; G, G, G,
are columns for holding the thrust plate F and bed plate B¹ together;
H' is the mould table containing six moulds. It revolves on rollers:
round the centre column G; H³, H³, H³, are the pressing blocks or loose
bottoms to the moulds; I' is a feed box containing revolving arms I*;.
I', shafts and gearing for turning the arms Iº; K¹, shafts and gearing
for turning the mould table H' by means of the pawl and connecting
rod A; L', spur wheel worked by A³, which actuates the gearing I'
and K' by means of the. shaft and bevel wheels L'; M is a column or
ram attached to the trunnion. D² for delivering the blocks of fuel from
the moulds; O, O, are guides in which the cylinder D' works; Z' is a
block of fuel which has just been pressed; and Z³, a block which has
just been delivered from the mould.
The process is as follows:-The loose fuel material to be pressed being
placed in the feed box I' is supplied to the moulds by the revolving
arms I.
A full mould box is then brought over the pressing head D'
by the action of the pawl K³. The crank shaft A' then raises the whole
of the liquid cushion and its connections, videlicit, D', D, D³, D*, Dº,
D', D', D³, M and N by the connecting rods, c, c, and pressing the head
of the piston D³ against the. loose mould bottom H' compresses the
material contained in the mould box between the thrust plate E and
the loose bottom H* into a block of fuel Z'. It also presses the delivery
ram M against another loose mould bottom under a previously com-
pressed block of fuel until it forces the block of fuel Z out of the
mould, when it is taken away by any convenient means.

page_text: Now as it is impossible to fill the mould boxes exactly the same every
time, and as sometimes the material is less compressible or denser than
at others it is obvious that if the stroke of the loose mould bottoms be
always the same, if the moulds are not filled enough, the block of fuel
will not be properly compressed, but if they are filled too much either
the motive power will be stopped or something would give way. The
stroke of the loose mould bottoms then must vary in proportion to the
difference between the maximum and minimum length of a possible
block of fuel. This is effected by making the throw of the crank A³
great enough to properly compress the minimum size block, and con-
fining the liquid in the cylinder D' by the valve D', which is pressed
down by the spring D³, so that it will not open until the pressure on
the piston D³ has attained the maximum to which it is desired to subject
the block of fuel. Some short time therefore before the end of each
upward stroke of the liquid cushion it will nearly always happen that a
portion of the liquid contained in the cylinder D' is forced by the piston
D³ through the valve D' into the tank Dª.
When the crank A2 has passed the dead or top centre it begins to
descend, drawing with it the whole of the liquid cushion D', D³, D³, D',
D³, D, D', D³, and also the delivery ram m, and the incline plane N.
The valve D³ is then opened by the lever D', actuated by the cam A³,
and kept open during the whole of the descent. The cam A* pressing
upon the contrivance D* brings down the piston D³ to its lowest position,
the adjusting screws D³, D', of the contrivance D' then resting upon the
bed plate B¹, before the cylinder D¹ is brought by the crank A² to its
lowest position. By this means a new mould bottom can be brought
over the top of the pressing head D' without coming into collision with
it. As the adjusting screws Dº, D, of the contrivance D' rest upon the
bed plate when in their lowest position, it is obvious that as they reach
that position before the cylinder D¹ while they are stationary; and the
cylinder D¹ still descending they push the piston D³ out of the cylinder,
and thereby draw in liquid from the tank De through the open valve D³,
thus putting the piston D³ in the proper position, and supporting it with
liquid before the beginning of each upward stroke.
During the descent of the liquid cushion and pressing head the

page_text: loose mould bottom over the piston of the liquid cushion, at the same
time making the loose mould bottom under the compressed block of fuel
slide along the descending incline N on to the delivery ram M.
Figure 6. is a side elevation of a modification of our Invention, in
which the liquid cushion or buffer is placed in opposition to the pressing
head or ram of the mechanical press, and forms the resisting surface
against which the material is pressed. The mechanical press in this
Drawing is shewn worked by an eccentric. Figure 7 is an end elevation
of the same; A' is a spur wheel, to which the motive power is applied;
A is a shaft worked by A¹; A³ is a cam upon A²; A* is an eccentric
upon A; B¹ is the bed plate, and B2, B3, plummer blocks; C is the
connecting rod between the eccentric A' and the pressing head or
ram F.
The liquid cushion or buffer is represented as follows:-D¹ is the
5 cylinder; D³, the piston or plunger; D³, the valve; D, the tank above
the valve; D', a lever, which actuated by the cam A' lifts the valve D*;
De is a weight upon the lever D for pressing down the valve D³; 0, 0,
are guides in which F works; G, G, are columns for holding together
the bed plate B' and the cylinder of the liquid cushion D¹; H, H, are
screws for supporting the piston D³, and regulating the distance between
it and the pressing head F.
The mode of action is as follows:-The object to be compressed is
placed between the pressing head F, and the piston of the liquid
cushion D³. The shaft A³ revolving the eccentric A* forces up the
5 pressing head F by the connecting rod C, and the object is compressed
between the pressing head F and the piston of the liquid cushion D³.
When it has been subjected to as much pressure as is desired the piston
Ds is forced into the cylinder D', the liquid in the cylinder escaping
through the valve D³ into the tank D°. The valve D³ is kept closed by
o the weight D³ until the pressure upon the piston has reached the
maximum to which it is desired to subject the object the object.
During the descent of the pressing head F the valve D³ is kept open
by means of the lever D' actuated by the cam A³, and the plunger
consequently descends by its own weight (or if not sufficiently heavy it
5 can be weighted either directly or by a head of liquid being kept in the

page_text: tank D) drawing after it the liquid from the tank De into the cylinder
D'; H, H, are screws which pass through the guide plates O, O, and
support the piston D³ when out to its farthest extent.
It is obvious that by raising or lowering these screws the distance
between the piston D³ and the pressing head F can be altered.
Figure 8 is a modification of our Invention, in which the liquid
cushion or buffer is made the fulcrum to a combination of levers in
the form of a knuckle joint. It shows the application of our Invention
to an apparatus for compressing rivet heads. Figure 9 is a side eleva-
tion of the same; A' is a spur wheel to which the motive power is
applied; A is a crank shaft worked by A¹; A³ is a cam upon the
shaft A; B¹ is a strong cast-iron frame, and B³, B², plummer blocks;
C¹ is the connecting rod, and C², C², C², C³, the levers forming the
knuckle joint.
The liquid cushion or buffer is represented as follows:-D¹ is the
cylinder; D', the piston or plunger which forms the fulcrum of the
knuckle joint; D³ is the valve; D, the tank above the valve; D', a
lever, actuated by the cam A³ for lifting the valve D'; D³ is a weight
upon the lever D' for regulating the pressure upon the valve; D³ is a
conical thrust head fixed to the frame B¹, and bollowed to fit the rivet
head; F is a conical pressing head, which is thrust forward by the
knuckle joint levers C², C³, C², C; it is hollowed out to give the proper
shape to the rivet head, and is forked at the back end to admit of a
guide standard and regulating wedge; O¹ is a guide, through which F
works, and O2, a guide, over which the forked part of F works; H' is a
wedge resting against O2 which is raised or lowered by the adjusting
nut H³ in the fork of the pressing head F.
The mode of action is as follows:-The rivet to be compressed being
placed between the conical thrust head E and the pressing head F, the
crank A raises the levers of the knuckle joint C³, C2, C3, C2, and if the
rivet be sufficiently hot to be properly compressible the levers of the
knuckle joint push forward the pressing head F, and that compresses
the rivet; but should the rivet be a cold one, or should the pressing
head F be restrained by any cause from making the full stroke that the
levers of the knuckle joint would give to it, either the machine would
break or the motive power, which would probably be a rapidly revolving

page_text: engine would be stopped. But as the other end of the levers of the
knuckle joint is attached to the piston D³ of the liquid cushion, when
the pressure upon the piston D³, which is the fulcrum to the levers
exceeds that which may be desired, it forces the liquid contained in the
cylinder D¹ through the valve D³, the pressure on which is regulated by
the weight D³, and escapes into the tank Do.
During the back half revolution of the crank A² the valve D³ is kept
open by the lever D', actuated by the cam A³. The connecting rod C¹
pulls back the levers of the knuckle joint C³, C², C³, C², to the position
they occupied before the upward stroke, and thereby draws back the
pressing head F until the end of the slot or fork therein strikes against
the wedge H¹. The pressing head F can then come back no further,
and the knuckle joint levers then pull out the plunger D³ to the position
it occupied before it was driven into the cylinder D', and thereby draws
back after it liquid from the tank D' through the open valve D³, com-
pletely filling the cylinder D'.
It is obvious that by lowering the wedge H' by the adjusting nut H*
the distance between F and E will be diminished, and by raising the
wedge increased; since the fulcrum of the knuckle joint, that is the
piston D³, will be thereby pulled out or driven in.
Having thus described our Invention, and the way in which the same
can be applied and worked, we claim,—
First. The application to mechanical presses having a fixed length of
stroke of a liquid cushion or buffer, in the manner and for the purpose
substantially as herein described, whereby such presses are enabled to
compress in an equal degree materials which may vary either in quantity
or volume, or be compressible in different degrees, and which therefore
require the pressure to be exerted on them through varying distances.
Secondly. The methods herein described and used for drawing the
piston or plunger of the liquid cushion out so that it always occupies
the proper position, and is properly supported by the liquid in the
cylinder before each act of compression.
.
Thirdly. The methods herein described for regulating the distance
between the pressing head and thrust plate or head.

page_text: Fourthly. The respective combinations of parts forming the several
modifications of pressing apparatus constructed according to our Inven-
tion, substantially as herein described, and as illustrated in Figures 1, 2,
3, 4, 5, and in Figures 6, 7, and in Figures 8, 9, respectively.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Edward Heath, Thomas &
Evens, and Thomas Edward Heath, junior, have hereunto set
our hands and seals, this Ninth day of May One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-three.