Improvements in Presses for Cotton or the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Oct., 1899-Accepted, 4th Nov., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Presses for Cotton or the like.
I, JEROME CARLTON TAFT, of 266, Dudley Street, Providence, Rhode Island,
United States of America, Manufacturer, 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:-
This invention relates to that class of presses used for compressing cotton and
the like, into bales or receptacles for the market.
It is fully explained and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which
Figure 1, shows a vertical section of the press taken on the line 1, 1 in
Figure 3.
Figure 2 represents an elevation of the greater part of the press showing the
hydraulic compressing plunger in a raised position.
Figure 3 is a cross section of the upper part of the press, taken on line 3, 3,
Figure 1, looking upward.
Figure 4 is a cross section of the lower part of the press taken on line 4, 4, in
Figure 1.
Figure 5, represents a part of the piston with its shield, and a part of the
sleeve on the presser rod and a part of the guide box.
Figure 6 is a perspective view of part of the piston of the hydraulic press,
the case on one side being open.
The object of this invention is to produce a press which will combine the rapidity
of steam packing, and the enormous pressure available in the hydraulic press
to compress the cotton when packed and thus combine the quickness of steam
with the more powerful though slower action of the hydraulic press, and accom-
plish what neither will do without the other.
The construction and operation of the invention is as follows:
In Figure 1, is shown the whole press as it stands occupying three stories of a
warehouse.
Four heavy metal upright bars C, are secured at their upper ends in a square
cap plate D, one at each corner of the plate, by collars on the bars on the under
side and heavy screw nuts on the top of the plate. The lower ends of the bars C,
are held in a foot plate B, which serves as the head of the cylinder H, of the
hydraulic press, in like manner as the upper ends, only the relative position of the
collars and screw nuts are reversed. The press stands on the upper end of the
hydraulic cylinder. On the top of the cap plate D, is erected a vertical steam
cylinder G, having a piston A, of the usual form, the piston rod R, of which
extends down through the plate D, and its stuffing box a, and has a head P, on
its lower end which serves to pack the cotton in the case as it is fed in on
the 2nd floor F. The steam cylinder G, is furnished with the usual well known
valves which give the piston an intermittent reciprocating motion. A sleeve L,
surrounds the extension of the piston rod R, below the plate D), and is fastened
to that plate by bolts through a flange on the upper end of the said sleeve. The

page_text: object of this sleeve is to transfer the pressure on the piston head P, to the cap
plate D, when the hydraulic piston is operated. The plunger J, in the hydraulic
cylinder H, is provided with a head K, on which is a receptacle N, which holds
the sheet metal case T, in which the cotton is packed.
Above the receptacle N, is an open ended metal box O, of the same dimensions
laterally as the receptacle, but only extending from the top of the receptacle N,
to the top of 2d. floor F. The box O, has ear guides c, c, on each side fitted to
slide up and down on the small rods d, d, the upper end of which are made fast
to the cap plate D. This box O, is to conduct the cotton as it is fed in on the
2d. floor F, down into the receptacle, and the box is carried up over the sleeve L,
out of the way by the receptacle N when it is raised up by the hydraulic press
see Figure 2. Plates M, are attached by their lower end to the presser head P,
on two opposite sides, see Figure 5. These plates extend some way up and are
connected together at the top for support by bars V.
The plates slide up and down freely on the sleeve L, as the presser rises and
descends to pack the cotton, and their use is to shut up the opening on the back
and front just above the 2d. floor F, and prevent any of the material from
getting in above the presser head when it is down, as shown in dotted lines in
Figure 1. The sleeve is provided with flanges e, e, to support the upper end of the
shield plates M.
The operation is as follows:-
A case T, is placed in the receptacle N, and the doors j, j, on the front and back
are fastened.
The cotton is then put in from the 2d. floor F, under the presser head P, and it
passes down through the box O, into the case until it is filled, then the presser P,
is pushed down quickly, by the steam in the cylinder G, to pack the cotton X,
see dotted lines in Figure 1. Then the presser P, is as quickly drawn up again
and the case is again filled with cotton when the presser again descends and rises
and these motions continue, until the case or receptacle is full and the steam
presser will not condense the cotton any more. Then the hydraulic press is
brought into action, and the receptacle is carried up with great force over the
presser head P, and the sleeve L, as in Figure 2, and the cotton X, is compressed
into a comparatively small compass.
Then the hydraulic press sinks down with the case in the position seen in
Figure 1, when the cotton is again filled in and the presser packs it as before
until the case or receptacle is full.
Then the action of the hydraulic press is repeated. A succession of 3 or 4
pressure packings, and compressions of the hydraulic press, will fill the case
solid. The plunger J, is then let down with the receptacle until the head K,
rests on the plate B, then the head of the case is put in and pressure put on it by
the presser or the hydraulic press, and made fast. The doors of the receptacle are
then opened and the packed material is taken out ready for storage or shipment,
wire in the shape of netting may be used to secure the pressed material or it
may be enclosed in it either before or after it is taken from the press.
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. In a press for cotton or other like material, the combination of a steam
cylinder, a piston for said cylinder having a piston rod elongated to serve as a
presser a stationary sleeve over said rod to support it and take the final pressure,
a receptacle to receive the packing case, and an hydraulic press to raise said
receptacle over said piston rod and sleeve to compress the material in said
case, substantially as described.
2. In a press for cotton or other like material the combination of a steam
actuated presser to pack the material in a packing case, a receptacle to hold
the cotton, an open box held over said receptacle to conduct the material into

page_text: the receptacle and arranged to slide up over said presser out of the way of the
receptacle when raised, a hydraulic press to raise said receptacle over the steam
pressure to compress the material in the case, substantially as described.
3. In a press for cotton or other like material, the combination of a steam
cylinder, a piston for said cylinder having a piston rod elongated
to serve as a presser, a stationary sleeve over said piston rod to
support it and receive the final pressure a receptacle to receive
the packing case, shield plates secured to the side of said presser to close the
feeding opening, and prevent the cotton or other material from getting in over the
presser, substantially as described.
Dated this 3rd day of October 1899.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.
Agents for the Applicant.