Im- PROVEMENTS IN HYDROSTATIC PRESSES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Weems, of Johnstone, in the County
of Renfrew, North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN HYDROSTATIC PRESSES."
Sealed the 19th February 1875, and dated the 30th December 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Weems at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th December 1874.
I, WILLIAM WEEMS, of Johnstone, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDROSTATIC PRESSES," to be as follows, that is to say:―
This Invention firstly relates to a new or improved method of con-
structing hydraulic presses, whereby the press can be locked or set at
any given point, and the pressure maintained on the press for any length
of time while the hydraulic cylinder and ram may be relieved from the
water or other fluid pressure.

page_text: Secondly. An improved method of introducing the steam and water
into the plates of steam plate hydraulic presses, whereby a uniform
temperature and pressure is maintained.
According to the first part of this Invention the ordinary plain turned
ram of hydraulic press cylinders is formed with a screw and fitted with a
screw knut, so that when the ram has risen to the desired height the
scrow knut is run down tight on to the face of the cylinder, & by this
means the press is locked or set, the desired pressure maintained on the
material in the press, while at the same time the water or fluid pressure
may be entirely removed from the hydraulic cylinder. In this modifi-
cation, wherein a screwed ram is employed, the ordinary neck or collar
leather fixed at the top of the cylinder is substituted by a hydraulic
cup leather or other suitable packing, fixed at or near the bottom of
the ram and travelling with it, so as to form a tight joint between the
ram and the cylinder.
Another modification consists in having a plain or ordinary ram with
one or more screwed bolts or rods attached to or travelling with the ram,
or they may be stationary, the rods being provided with screw knuts for
the purpose of fixing the press pllatta, press plate, or ram, so that the
cylinder may be relieved from the water or fluid pressure.
Another modification consists in having the column or binding
columns of the hydraulic press screwed and fitted with screwed knuts,
so that the press plate or ram can be locked in any desirable position for
the maintenance of the pressure.
Another modification consists in forming the ram with annular,
longitudinal, or otherwise shaped grooves or recesses, and fitted with a
gland or knut in two halves, so constructed as to clasp firmly the ram at
any desired position for maintaining the pressure imparted by the cylinder
and ram. Or the ram may be of the plain or ordinary description, and
clasped or held at any point by a friction strap or gland.
In steam plate hydraulic presses, which forms the second part of this
Invention, the heating and cooling spaces of the press plates are formed
so that the centre of the plate is first heated or cooled and gradually
extended to the outside edges, thus giving a more uniform temperature
to the material under pressure than has hitherto been obtained.
2

page_text: I am aware that hydraulic presses of various shapes and forms for
various purposes, acted on by water or fluid pressure, have heretofore
been constructed, but the distinguishing feature of my Invention
consists in locking, setting, or maintaining the pressure imparted by the
cylinder and ram, while the cylinder & ram themselves may be entirely
relieved from the fluid or water pressure, thus protecting the cylinders
from bursting, and so far as regards the steam plate press the con-
struction of the plate secures a uniform temperaturc.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Weems in the Great Scal Patent Office on
the 29th June 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WEEMS, of Johnstone, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Lettors Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of December, 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 suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Weems, Her special
licence that I, the said William Weems, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Weems, 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
HYDROSTATIC PRESSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said William Weems, my oxecutors or administrators, by an in-
strument 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

page_text: calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Wooms, 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 Sheet
of Drawings and to the figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention firstly relates to a new or improved method of con-
structing hydraulic presses whereby the press can be locked or set at any
given point and the pressure maintained on the press for any length of
time, while the hydraulic cylinder and ram may be relieved from the
water or other fluid pressure.
Secondly. An improved method of introducing tho steam and water
into the plates of steam plate hydraulic presses whereby a uniform tem-
perature and pressure is maintained.
According to the first part of this Invention Fig. 1 of the accompanying
Drawings represents an elevation partly in section of one of the modifi-
cations, wherein the ordinary plain turned ram of hydraulic press
cylinders is formed with a screw 2 and fitted with a screw knot 3, so that
when the ram 2 has risen to the desired height or the desired pressure is
exerted on the material operated upon the screw nut 3 is run down
tight on to the face of the cylinder 4, and by this means the press is
locked or set, the desired pressure maintained on the material in tho
press, whilo at the same time the water or fluid pressure may be entirely
removed from the hydraulic cylinder 4. In this modification, wherein a
screwed ram is employed, the ordinary neck or collar leather fixed at the
top of the cylinder is substituted by a hydraulic cup leather 5 or other
suitable packing fixed at or near the bottom of the ram 2 and travelling
with it, so as to form a tight joint between the ram 2 and the cylinder 4.
The other parts of this modification are of the ordinary description, tho
cross leads 6 and 7 and the columns 8.
Another modification of this Invention is shown at Fig. 2, and con-
sists in having an ordinary or plain ram 9 with screwed bolts or rods 10
fixed to the platta 11 attached to and travelling with the ram 9 or they
may be stationary, the rods being provided with screw nuts 12 for the

page_text: purpose of fixing the platta, press plate, or ram so that the cylinder 18.
and ram 9 may be relieved from the water pressure and the pressure on
the material maintained.
Another modification of this Invention is shown at Figs. 3 and 4,
and consists in having the binding columns 14 or pillars of the hydraulic
press screwed and fitted with screw nuts 15, so that the press plato 16
or ram 17 can be locked or set in any desired position for the main-
tenance of the pressure. In this case the cylinder 18 is fitted with an
ordinary collar leather 19 and an ordinary or plain ram 20.
Another modification of this Invention is shown in Figure 5, and
consists in forming the ram 19 with grooves or recesses, and fitted with a
gland or nut in two halves so constructed as to clasp firmly the ram at
any desired position for maintaining the pressure imparted by the
cylinder and ram. The grooves or recesses in the ram 19 may be annular,
longitudinal, or otherwise shaped; or the ram may be of the plain or
ordinary description, and clasped or held at any point by a friction strap
or gland.
Another modification of this Invention is shown at Fig. 6, and
consists in having a screwed ram 21 and screwed nut 22 similar to that
shown in Fig. 1. On the top of platta 23 is a press box 24, and
passing through the cross head 25 is a screwed rod or bolt 26 with two
screw nuts 27 or lever and weight 30. When the ram 21 is actuated
by the fluid pressure, and the material contained in the press box 24 is
sufficiently compressed against the upper or resisting platta 28, the
screw nut 22 is run down tight against the face of the hydraulic
cylinder 29, and so retains the pressure on the material for any length
of time.
When it becomes necessary to remove the material from the press box
the ram is slightly relieved by the fluid pressure and the nut 22 run up
against the under side of the platta 23, the water is then taken off the
cylinder 29 and ram 21, and the ram returns to the bottom of the
cammina with it the press hav
Fluid pressure is then

page_text: The screw 26 with the nuts 27 or the lever 30 are arranged for raising or
lowering the upper platta 28 to suit the requirements of the press.
Under the second part of this Invention the improvement in steam
plate hydraulic presses provides for the treating and cooling spaces of
the press plates being so formed that the centre of the plate is first
heated or cooled and gradually extended to the outside edges, thus
giving a more uniform temperature to the material under pressure than
has hitherto been obtained.
The improved press plate is shewn at Fig. 7, and consists of a
series of channels or courses through which the steam or water passes 1
and circulates. The inlet is shown by the arrow at 34, and the
outlet at 35.
Fig. S shows a hydraulic press with the steam plates arranged
therein, the press being fitted with a screwed ram and nut.
I am aware that hydraulic presses of various shapes and forms for 1
various purposes, acted on by water or fluid pressure, have heretoforc
been constructed, but the distinguishing feature of my Invention con-
sists in locking, setting, or maintaining the pressure imparted by the
cylinder and ram, while the cylinder and ram themselves may be en-
tirely relieved from the fluid or water pressure, thus keeping a constant 2
pressure on the materials while protecting the cylinders from the
frequency of bursting, and so far as regards the steam plate press the
construction of the plates secures a uniform temperature.
It is obvious to any practical man that various plans may be adopted
for maintaining the pressure in hydraulic presses without departing 2
from the main feature of my Invention, the illustrations which I havo
shown being sufficient to indicate the multiplicity of plans that may
be resorted to.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and tho
manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I would 3
observe in conclusion that what I consider novel and original and there-
foro claim as the Invention secured to me by the heroin-before recited
Lotters Patent arc,—

page_text: pressure exerted on materials by hydrostatic cylinders and rams actuated
by fluid pressure, while the cylinders and rams themselves are relieved
from the fluid pressure, all substantially in the new or improved manner
(or any mere modification thereof) herein described and shown in the
accompanying Drawings.
Second. The steam plate for hydraulic presses, herein described and
shown at Figure 7.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Weems, have hereunto
set my hand and soal, this Twenty-fourth day of June, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.