IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES FOR PRESSING COTTON AND OTHER SIMILAR SUBSTANCES INTO BALES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hodgart, of Millikenpark, in the County
of Renfrew, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PRESSES FOR PRESSING COTTON AND OTHER SIMILAR SUBSTANCES INTO BALES."
-Partly a communication from abroad by Charles Jones, of Cal-
cutta, in the Empire of British India.
Sealed the 5th January 1872, and dated the 7th July 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hodgart at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th July 1871. .
I, JOHN HODGART, of Millikenpark, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN PRESSES FOR PRESSING COTTON AND OTHER SIMILAR SUBSTANCES
INTO BALES," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention, which relates to certain improvements in the arrange-
ment or construction of hydraulic presses used for pressing cotton and
other similar substances into bales, consists under the first arrangement
of a framing composed of upper and lower members tied together by
columns and between which the box or well of the press is situated.

page_text: The press is by preference placed in a vertical position, and the fol-
lower is attached to a long ram working in a central hydraulic cylinder.
At either side of the central cylinder and ram a short hydraulic cylinder
and ram are situated, and these short cylinders with their rams are
moveable inwards and outwards to and from the central cylinder. After
the material to be compressed is placed in the box or well it is first of
all compressed by the action of the ram of the long central cylinder;
but to produce the final or complete compression the short cylinders at
the sides of the central cylinder are brought into action by being moved
inwards so that their rams become situated below long side rods
suspended from the under side of the follower, in which position the
rams of all the cylinders are brought into action for the final com-
pression of the bale, which being completed is lashed and removed from
the press through the doorway. In order to lower the follower for the
succeeding compression the short cylinders are withdrawn from under-
neath the suspended rods, which when the water is allowed to flow
off from the long central cylinder descend with the cross head and
central ram, holes being provided in the lower part of the press to allow
the rods to descend through. The side cylinders are moved inwards
and outwards by racks and pinions, screws, levers, or other mechanical
equivalent, and the pipe through which the water enters them is passed
through a stuffing box joint. which slides correspondingly with the
cylinders.
Under the second arrangement the short side cylinders are constructed
with moveable bottoms which ascend and descend as the central ram
ascends and descends, in such manner that the side rods pass through
the side cylinders when the follower is lowered, the moveable bottoms
being also lowered to allow the rods to pass through the side cylinders.
When the compression is not quite completed the side rods have become
raised to such a height that the lower end of each is situated within the
short cylinder, in which position the moveable bottom thereof becomes
raised so as to close the lower part of the short cylinder, after which
the water or other fluid is admitted and the final compression effected
by the conjoint action of all the cylinders. The moveable bottoms of
the short cylinders are raised and lowered by chains with counterweights
attached.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Hodgart in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 6th January 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HODGART, of Millikenpark, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
36th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John, Hodgart, Her special licence
that I, the said John Hodgart, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said John Hodgart, my executors, adminis-
trators, or 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 vond,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES
FOR PRESSING COTTON AND OTHER SIMILAR SUBSTANCES INTO BALES," partly his
own Invention and partly a communication to him from abroad by
Charles Jones, of Calcutta, in the Empire of British India, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Hodgart, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand or seal, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Hodgart, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say -
My said Invention, which relates to certain improvements in the
arrangement or construction of hydraulic presses used for pressing
cotton and other similar substances into bales, consists under the first
arrangement of a framing composed of upper and lower members tied

page_text: together by columns, and between which the box or well of the press is
situated.
The press is by preference placed in a vertical position, and the
follower is attached to a long ram working in a central hydraulic
cylinder. At either side of the central cylinder and ram a short
hydraulic cylinder and ram are situated, and these short cylinders with
their rams are moveable inwards and outwards to and from the central
cylinder. After the material to be compressed is placed in the box or
well it is first of all compressed by the action of the ram of the long
central cylinder; but to produce the final or complete compression the
short cylinders at the sides of the central cylinder are brought into
action by being moved inwards, so that their rams become situated
below long side rods suspended from the under side of the follower, in
which position the rams of all the cylinders are brought into action for
the final compression of the bale, which being completed is lashed and
removed from the press through the doorway. In order to lower the
follower for the succeeding compression the short cylinders are with-
drawn from underneath the suspended rods, which when the water is
allowed to flow off from the long central cylinder descend with the
cross head and central ram, holes being provided in the lower part of
the press to allow the rods to descend through. The side cylinders are
moved inwards and outwards by racks and pinions, screws, levers, or
other mechanical equivalent, and the pipe through which the water
enters them is passed through a stuffing box joint, which slides corre-
spondingly with the cylinders.
Under the second arrangement the short side cylinders are con-
structed with moveable bottoms, which ascend and descend as the central
ram ascends and descends in such manner that the side rods pass
through the side cylinders when the follower is lowered, the moveable
bottoms being also lowered to allow the rods to pass through the side
cylinders. When the compression is not quite completed the side rods
have become raised to such a height that the lower end of each is
situated within the short cylinder, in which position the moveable
bottom thereof becomes raised so as to close the lower part of the short
cylinders, after which the water or other fluid is admitted, and the final
compression effected by the conjoint action of all the cylinders. The
moveable bottoms of the short cylinders are raised and lowered by
chains with counterweights attached.

page_text: And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, that is to say:-
Upon Sheet 1 of the Drawings hereunto appended, Figure 1 is in part
a vertical section and in part a front elevation; Figure 2 is a vertical
section upon the line A, B, Figure 1, and transverse to that Figure;
Figure 3 is a horizontal section upon the line C, D, Figures 1 and 2,
and in Figure 4 that side marked A is a horizontal section upon the
line E, F, Figure 1, the other and opposite side marked B being a
horizontal section upon the line G, H, Figure 1, shewing one arrange-
ment and construction of my improved hydraulic press, whilst Figure 5
is a detached transverse section of one of the short cylinders K. and the
bed plate A taken upon the line I, K, Figure 1, for the purpose of more
particularly shewing the arrangement whereby the said short cylinders
K are moved outwards and inwards as required. The same letters of
reference mark the same or corresponding parts upon the different
Figures on which they occur.
Under this arrangement my improved hydraulic press consists of a
strong bed or sole A, and corresponding top member B rigidly tied to
each other by means of columns C. Between the bed or sole A and
top member B the supporters D which carry the well or trunk of the
press are situated, these being by preference of the form shewn at
Figures 1, 3, and 4, to the sides of which a series of removable plates a
are secured by means of bolts passed through bosses c formed in the
said columns D and side plates a, thus a rectangular box or well E is
constituted. The follower F, which is situated at the interior of the said
box or well E is attached to a long central rain G contained in a central
hydraulic cylinder H, rigidly fixed to the bed or sole A, having its
lower part extending downwards into a pit I formed beneath the bed
or sole A, as shewn at Figure 1. At cither side of the central cylinder
Hand ram G a short hydraulic cylinder K and ram L are situated, the
upper part of the said rams L, when in a position for action, as shewn at
Figures 1 and 2, being in contact with the lower extremities of long
side rods M depending from the follower F. To the bottom of both of
the short hydraulic cylinders K a guide plate d is fixed acting upon and
between metal guide strips e fixed upon the upper side of the bed or
sole A, as more particularly shewn at Figures 1, 2, and 4. To the under

page_text: side of each of the said guide plates da rack fis secured, into which is
geared a pinion g carried upon a shaft / supported in bearings i formed
on brackets attached to or forming part of the sole or bed A, as more
particularly shewn at Figure 5. The pipes through which the water
is forced into the short hydraulic cylinders K are fitted with a gland and
stuffing box, so as to constitute a water-tight telescopic joint, as shewn
at Figure 5, thus enabling the said cylinders K to be moved outwards or
inwards when required, as herein-after more particularly set forth. At
the upper end of the well E doors N arc situated, as shewn at Figures 1,
2, and 3, hinged at one end to the framing D and capable of being
locked or released as desired in the usual manner by means of the
well-known arrangement of bolts m and levers n and n¹, shewn in plan
at Figure 3, whilst at a corresponding height with the said side doors N
an end door O is situated hinged at its lower end to the frame D,
opposite to that upon which the side doors N are hinged. This said
end door O is retained in its closed position or released as desired by
means of the punching screw o¹ and wheel p, as clearly shewn at
Figure 1.
I have here described the arrangement of the upper part of the press
in order that the Drawings hereunto appended may be fully understood,
but the arrangement of the upper part of the press is old, and therefore
forms no part of my present Invention.
Having now described one construction and arrangement of my
improved hydraulic press, as illustrated upon Sheet 1 of the Drawings
hereunto appended, its action will be more clearly understood as
follows: When the follower F is at its lowest position the cotton or
other similar substance which it is desired to have pressed into bales
is put into the trunk or well E in the loose state, the side doors N at
the upper part of the press having been opened to allow of its admission.
When the trunk or well E is filled with the loose cotton the side doors N
are thereafter closed and securely locked by means of the bolts m and
levers n, and after this has been effected the cotton or other material is
first of all compressed by the action of the central ram G moving
upwards and carrying with it the follower F, but to produce the final.
or complete compression the short cylinders K are, when the side rods M
are lifted clear of them, moved inwards by means of the racks fand
pinions to the position shewn at Figures 1 and 4, when their rams L
are pressed upwards against the extremities of the side rods M, and the

page_text: Sheet 2, of the Drawings. The fixing keys k are then moved inwards
by operating the rack and pinion m connected thereto, so as to support
the moveable bottoms a in the position shewn at Figure 4, after which
the water or other liquid is pressed into the short cylinders K between
the said moveable bottoms a and the ends of the side rods M, which
latter now constitute the rams of the cylinders K, and thus by the
conjoint action of all the cylinders the final compression is effected,
after which the keys are drawn outwards from beneath the moveable
bottoms a by the reverse operations of the racks and pinions & and m,
and the water or other liquid is withdrawn from the central cylinder H
and side cylinders K, thus allowing the follower F to descend to its
lowest position, the side rods M passing down through the side
cylinders K carrying with them the moveable bottoms a.
Heads n
slightly conical are formed upon the upper faces of the moveable
bottoms a, which enter similarly formed recesses in the lower faces of
the side rods M, and thereby the moveable bottoms a are retained in a
position always co-axial with the borc of the side cylinders K. As the
pump by which the water is forced into the several hydraulic cylinders
constitutes no part of this Invention, I have omitted them in the Sheets
of Drawings herein referred to.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the mode of carrying the same into practical effect,
I would observe in conclusion that I am aware presses for compressing
into bales cotton, and other fibrous substances have been previously
made with side or pendant rods acted upon by the rams of short 2
hydraulic cylinders for producing the final pressure on the bale after
that it had been previously compressed to a considerable extent by
means of a single hydraulic cylinder, and the employment of these
parts generally I do not claim as any part of my present Invention,
what however I do consider novel and original, and therefore claim as a
the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,-
First. The arrangement or combination of parts constituting the
improved presses herein-before described and shewn upon the two
annexed Sheets of Drawings.
Second. Arranging the short side cylinders on slides for being brought
underneath and withdrawn from below the side rods as herein-before
described and shewn at Sheet 1 of the Drawings.
3

page_text: Third. Constructing the short side cylinders with moveable bottoms,
thus allowing the side rods attached to the follower to pass through
them, and to constitute the rams whereby the final pressure on the bale
is produced as herein-before described and shewn upon Sheet 2 of the
Duowing
In witness whereof, I, the said John Hodgart, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Second day of January One thousand
cight hundred and seventy-two.