IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR THE COMPRESSION OF OIL SEEDS TO EXTRACT OIL THEREFROM AND PRODUCE CAKES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE IN THE COMPRESSION OF OTHER SEEDS OR MATTERS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CAKES, BLOCKS, OR OTHER FORMS
Year: 1873

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to Algernon Sydney Ayre, of Kingston-upon-Hull,
Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS
FOR THE COMPRESSION OF OIL SEEDS TO EXTRACT OIL THEREFROM AND PRODUCE
CAKES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE IN THE COMPRESSION OF
OTHER SEEDS OR MATTERS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CAKES, BLOCKS, OR OTHER
FORMS."
Sealed the 14th April 1874, and dated the 21st October 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Algernon Sydney Ayre
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 21st October 1873.
I, ALGERNON SYDNEY AYRE, of Kingston-upon-Hull, Merchant, do
5 hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR THE COMPRESSION OF OIL SEEDS TO EXTRACT OIL THERE-
PROM AND PRODUCE CAKES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE IN THE
COMPRESSION OF OTHER SEEDS OR MATTERS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CAKES, BLOCKS,
OR OTHER FORMS," to be as follows:-
In the compression of oil seeds for the purpose of extracting oil there.

page_text: customary after first grinding and heating the seed to place it in bags,
which bags when filled are then placed in wrappers or envelopes or other
covers, and between plates or "boxes," and are subjected to pressure in
hydraulic presses, and when pressure of the material has been fully
effected stripping and paring have to be attended to.
The cost of these bags and wrappers or other covers as well as the
stripping or paring is considerable, whilst also a limited number of the
plates or "boxes" can with facility be operated upon at any one time,
so that the process as at present adopted is tedious and expensive.
The object of my Invention is to remedy these evils by simplifying
the process and economizing the labour incurred.
According to my Invention the material to be compressed is placed
between a pair of plates in a ring or part cylinder, and these rings or
part cylinders are capable of being combined into other cylinders by V
or other grooves or forms on the under side of one fitting to corre-
sponding forms on the upper edge of the next of each of these rings or
part cylinders, and when a series of these rings or part cylinders with
the matters to be compressed within them is obtained, the contained
matters are subjected to compression by the action within the cylinder
thus formed of the ram of a hydraulic press.
To facilitate the filling of a series of these rings or part cylinders and
the piling of them to form a continuous cylinder, and the placing them
in position for the compression of the contained material, I employ a
travelling table capable of traversing on V or other guides or rails over
the ram of the press, such table being formed with holes for the passage
of the ram and being correctly adapted to receive such rings. Stops are
provided so that after each movement of the table a series of rings may be
brought correctly over the ram for the compression of the contained
matters.
The rings when employed for the compression of oil seed and other
matters are formed with perforations and grooves to facilitate the escape
of the oil or moisture therefrom, and they are provided with handles to
facilitate their being placed in position one over the other so as to form
a continuous cylinder and their removal therefrom.
The plates between which the matter to be compressed is placed are
each formed thicker at the edge or inclined at that part of their surface

page_text: towards the material, and those surfaces may also be formed with letters
or other devices with inclined sides by which to impress such matters:
with any "brand" or other trade. indication in the act of compression,
and at the same time facilitate such compression; and these wedge-
shaped edges are also formed with apertures or passages to facilitate the
escape of moisture at such parts, and the plates may be perforated and.
grooved at other of the parts to facilitate such escape.
Having described the parts of the apparatus 1 employ, I will indicato
how I proceed with its use.
Having ground a quantity of oil seed or other material to be pressed,
and heated the same to the required temperature, I proceed to place onc
of the rings upon the travelling table exactly over one of the holes, and
into this I drop one of the plates with the raised letters or device and
bevelled rim uppermost on a fillet or stop provided for it in the table;
I then fill the ring with as much of the material to be pressed as it will.
hold without pressure, and strike it off evenly at the top, placing over it.
another of the plates with the raised letters or device and bevelled rim
downwards; I then lay another ring upon the last and drop another
plate into it with the raised letters or device and bevelled rim upwards,
and fill it with the material to be pressed as before, striking it off evenly
at the top, and covering it with another plate having the letters or
device and bevelled rim downwards, and so on. I continue repeating
until a column of rings has been formed nearly equal in height to the '
distance between the travelling table and the under side of the abutment
for the ram. I then propel the travelling table with its column of rings'
and material to be pressed along the rails or guides by means of a rack
and pinion or other suitable means until such column is correctly over
the head of the ram, when it becomes locked by the stop or pawl.
slipping into the notch or catch. The column being thus in position.
I turn the screw ring or nut on the fixed ram or abutment of the press;
causing it to descend, thereby fixing such column firmly in its place. The
pumps being then started the ram is forced up through the travelling
table into the rings, gradually compressing the material between the
plates until the required density is attained.
As most materials are apt after the pressure is removed to expand
again to a certain extent, which would have a tendency to fix the
compressed material firmly between the upper rings and the head of the
fixed ram or abutment of the press, I guard against this by turning tho

page_text: screw ring on the fixed ram or abutment during the time that the lower
or lifting ram is ascending so as to allow of the rings being raised a
certain distance by it.
When the pressure has been continued a sufficient time to allow the
oil or other moisture extracted to drain away, the lower ram is allowed
to descend, the rings accompanying it until they rest on the travelling
table as before, or should they remain suspended I again turn the screw
ring or nut of the abutment, forcing them down and releasing the upper
ones. The pressed material in the rings thus operated upon is now all
contained in the upper rings which may be separately lifted down and
the contents removed, the travelling table having been first moved to
shift this series of rings from and bring another series filled, as stated,
over the ram.
Should pressure be required to remove the compressed material or
cakes out of the rings or part cylinders, this may be applied by means of
a plunger worked by an eccentric or other suitable means.
The plates
are then removed and the cakes stored away in racks to cool as usual.
:
In order that the maximum of work may be got out of the press and
pumps, I construct the travelling table before described with two or.
more holes instead of one for the passage of the ram in order that during
the time that the material in one column of rings is undergoing pressure,
a second column or series of rings and material to be pressed may be
preparing, so that the withdrawal of a finished set and the introduction
of a fresh one may be performed by one and the same operation.
The process as above described is especially adapted to the extraction
of oil from oil seeds and the obtaining of oil cake, but it will be evident
that the process is equally applicable to the compressing of corn or
other matters for cattle food or peat or other matters for fuel, and other
substances into blocks or forms.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Algernon Sydney Ayre, Her.
special license, that I, the said Algernon Sydney Ayre, my executors,,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Algernon.
Sydney Ayre, 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 " IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR THE COM-
PRESSION OF OIL SEEDS TO EXTRACT OIL THEREFROM AND PRODUCE CAKES, WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE IN THE COMPRESSION OF OTHER SEEDS OR
MATTERS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CAKES, BLOCKS, OR OTHER FORMS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Algernon Sydney Ayre, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and scals, 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 the said Algernon Sydney Ayre, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement. thereof, that is to say :-
<
In the compression of oil seeds for the purpose of extracting oil there-
from and the production of what is called oil cake, it is at present
customary after first grinding and heating the seed to place it in bags,,
which bags when filled are then placed in wrappers or envelopes or
other covers, and between plates or boxes," and are subjected to
pressure in hydraulic presses, and when pressure of the material has
been fully effected stripping and paring have to be attended to. The
cost of these bags and wrappers or other covers as well as the stripping.
or paring is considerable, whilst also but a limited number of the plates
" boxes can with facility be operated upon at any one time, so that
the process as at present adopted is tedious and expensive; -
or
"
;

page_text: The object of my Invention is to remedy these evils by simplifying
the process and economizing the labour incurred.
· According to my Invention the material to be compressed is placed
between a pair of plates in a ring or part cylinder, and these rings or
part cylinders are capable of being combined into other cylinders by V
or other grooves or forms on the under side of one fitting to corre-
sponding forms on the upper edge of the next of these rings or part
cylinders, and when a series of these rings or part cylinders with the
matters to be compressed within them is obtained, the contained matters
are subjected to compression by the action within the cylinder of rings
thus formed of the ram of a hydraulic press.
But that the Invention may be better understood, I will by the aid of
the accompanying Drawings proceed to describe more fully means
pursued by me in carrying the same into effect.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews by plan and sectional views one of the rings used by
me separately; Figure 2 shews a section of one of these rings with
material therein, but as it would appear after being compressed;
Figure 3 shews by plan and sectional views one of the divisional plates
separately; Figure 4 shows an end view and Figure 5 a side view of a
press with parts of it arranged to carry out my Invention;, Figure 6.
represents a plan view of the table separately. In each of these views
the same letters indicate corresponding parts.
The object of the travelling table B is to facilitate the filling of a
series of these rings or part cylinders A, and the piling of them to form
a continuous cylinder, and also the placing them in position for the
compression of the contained material. This table is capable of
traversing on V or other suitably formed guides or rails C so as to bring
either of the holes E therein over the ram D of the press for the passage
of the ram therethrough, and into the cylinder of the rings when they
have been placed over one of the holes. Stops are provided to the
table B, so that after each movement of it a series of the rings A may
be brought correctly over the ram for the compression of the contained
matters.

page_text: inner surface to facilitate the escape of the oil or moisture therefrom
during the compression, and they are also provided with handles I to
facilitate their being placed in position one over the other so as to form
a continuous cylinder, as shewn by Figure 5, as well as their removal
therefrom.
The divisional plates K between which the matter to be compressed
is placed are each formed thicker towards their outer edge L, or are
inclined at that part of their surface towards the materials, and those
surfaces may also be formed with letters or other devices with inclined
sides by which to impress such matters with any "brand" or other
trade indication or mark in the act of compression, and also for the
purpose of facilitating such compression. These wedge-shaped edges
are also formed with apertures or passages to facilitate the escape of
moisture at such parts. The plates may be perforated and grooved at
other of the parts to facilitate such escape.
Having described the apparatus I employ, I propose now to indicate:
how I proceed with its use :-
Having ground a quantity of oil seed or other material to be pressed,
and heated the same to the required temperature, I proceed to place one.
of the rings A upon the travelling table B exactly over one of the
holes E. Into this ring I then drop one of the divisional plates K with
the raised letters or device, if any, and levelled rim uppermost on a
fillet or stop M provided for it in the table, I then fill the ring A with
as much of the material to be pressed as it will hold without pressure
and strike it off evenly at the top edge, placing over it another of the
plates K with the raised letters or device, if any, and bevilled rim
downwards, I then lay another ring A upon the last and drop another
plate K into it with the raised letters or device and bevilled rim upwards
and fill that ring with another quantity of the material to be pressed as
before, striking that also off evenly at the top and covering it with
another plate having the letters or device and bevilled rim downwards,
and so on I continue repeating until a column of rings A has been
formed nearly equal in height to the distance between the travelling:
table and the under side of the abutment N for the ram; I then propel
the travelling table B with its column of rings. A and material to be
pressed along the rail or guides C by means of a rack and pinion O or by.
other: suitable means until such column is correctly over the head of

page_text: the ram D, when it becomes locked by one of the stops F. These
rings A and A¹ are retained in their correct relative position in the
column by the grooved part H on the one fitting to the correspondingly
formed part H¹ of the next. The column being thus in position I turn
the screw ring P or nut on the fixed ram or abutment N of the press,
causing it to descend, thereby fixing such column firmly in its place.
The pumps being then started the ram D is forced up through a hole
in the travelling table into the column of rings, gradually compressing
the material between the plates K until the required density to such
material is attained.
As most materials are apt after the pressure is removed to expand
again to a certain extent which would have a tendency to fix the com-
pressed material firmly between the upper rings and the head of the
fixed ram or abutment of the press, I guard against this by turning the
screw ring P on the fixed ram or abutment during the time that the
lower or lifting ram is ascending so as to allow of the rings being raised
a certain distance by it.
When the pressure has been continued a sufficient time to allow the
oil or other moisture extracted to drain away, the lower ram D is allowed
to descend, the rings A accompanying it until they rest on the travelling
table B, as before, or should they remain suspended I again turn the
screw ring or nut P of the abutment, forcing them down and releasing
the upper ones. The pressed material in the rings A thus operated
upon is now all contained in the upper rings which may be separately
lifted down and the contents removed, the travelling table B having
been first moved to shift this series of rings A from and bring another
series A¹ filled as stated over the ram D.
:
Should pressure be required to remove the compressed material or cakes
out of the rings or part cylinder A, this may be applied by means of a
plunger worked by an eccentric or other suitable mean's. The plates K
are then removed and the cakes stored away in racks to cool as usual.
It is in order that the maximum of work may be got out of the press
and pumps that I construct the travelling table before described with
two, or it may be more holes to receive rings A instead of with only one
for the passage of the ram, so that during the time that the material in
one column of rings is undergoing pressure a second column or series of
rings and material to be pressed may be in the course of preparing; thus

page_text: the withdrawal of a finished set and the introduction of a fresh one may
be performed by one and the same operation.
The process as above described is especially adapted to the extraction
of oil from oil seeds and the obtaining of oil cake, but it will be evident
that the process is equally applicable to the compressing of corn or other
matters for cattle food, or peat, or other matters for fuel and other
substances into blocks or forms.
Having thus described my Invention, and means which I adopt in
carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise form or shape of the rings or to other of
the details as shewn and described, as the same may be varied without
departing from the peculiar character of the Invention, but what I claim
is the arranging or combining means or apparatus whereby rings or such
like forms may be employed in the compression of oil or other seeds, or
other matters, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Algernon Sydney Ayre, have
hereunto set my hand and scal, this Sixteenth day of April,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.