AN IMPROVED BALING PRESS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Olark, of 58, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED BALING PRESS."-A communication from abroad by
Peter Kells Dederick, of the City and County of Albany, State of
New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 8th April 1873, and dated the 14th November 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville
Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 14th November 1872.
זי
-17
L ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 58, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED BALING PRESS," to be as follows :—
This Invention consists of a horizontal press in which the hay,
cotton, or other substance to be pressed is continuously supplied in
batches to a hopper at the side and near one end of the press case, in

page_text: front of a continuously moving follower or plunger which condenses each
batch in the case against that previously condensed therein, the friction
of which against the sides of the case furnishes the necessary resistance
to the follower to effect the condensing. The whole mass is forced along
a short stage at each operation of the follower toward the other end of
the case from which the completed bales are discharged in succession.
The condensed mass is separated into suitable lengths for bales by false
heads with grooves for the tying cords, introduced through openings
in the side of the case in front of the follower, the cords being introduced
at same time for tying the bales, which is done while they are being
discharged.
The Invention also consists of a beater in the hopper for beating the
loose batches of hay or cotton down in front of the follower; the said
beater is arranged on an axis which has a short arm attached thereto,
and connected by a strap or chain with the follower which is brought up
taut just before the follower arrives at the end of its outward movement,
and forces the beater down quickly on the loose hay in the hopper to
pack it down in advance of the follower while it is withdrawn. Another
arm is fixed on the axis of the beater and connected by a cord to a
spring, which raises the beater again as soon as the follower moves
forward.
To prevent the follower from binding under the end of the top of the
case by the hay which extends over the upper corner to some extent in
consequence of not being completely pressed down by the beater, and
wedges in between it and the case top, the follower has several
horizontal slots to allow it to spring down at the corner and yield suffi-
ciently to avoid binding to any considerable extent, and in order to
prevent these slots from packing full of hay a short metal apron is
suspended in front of the slots. As a further means of relieving the
press in this respect a spring board at the top of the case is arranged to
spring upward, and the end of this piece next to the hopper carries
a cross piece or folding bar extending across the whole breadth and
downward a little below said board and the other parts of the cover,
and rounded on the lower front corner to constitute a folding bar to
press the hay overlapping the top of the follower down when it draws
back, and loop or fold it in regular folds in front of the follower which
packs each successive fold into the mass, so that the upper side of the

page_text: bale is formed by these folds. Behind the folding bar and a little
in advance of the point where the face of the follower stops in the com-
pressing chamber, there are two or more shoulders formed all around the
chamber in the four walls behind which the hay is secured against
springing back with the follower by expanding in front of the said
shoulders. They are preferably formed by grooving the sides of the
chamber, but they may be made by nailing on cleats or otherwise. I
also propose to arrange in these grooves plates of metal in conjunction
with the shoulders to spring out after the follower withdraws, and thus
secure the hay more effectually, the said plates being sprung back into
the grooves by the follower when it goes forward. In case the friction
of the condensed hay on the sides of the condensing case is not sufficient
to ensure the requisite density of the compression, when arranged
parallel with each other, they may be arranged to converge slightly
towards the mouth from which the bales are discharged, and in case it
may be desirable to have them converge more or less for different
qualities of hay or other substances to be baled, the sides may be adjus-
table towards and from each other.
A-horse-power sweep is employed for turning a crank for working the
follower, and eccentric gears are introduced for imparting a slow and
powerful motion while the follower is acting on the hay, and a quick
motion while returning for the next operation, so that I get the powerful
effect of a slower motion than that I actually have.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Melville Olark in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 12th May 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 58, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of November, in the 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

page_text: grant unto me, the said Alexander Melville Olark, Her special licence
that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander Melville Clark,
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 5
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 "AN IMPROVED
BALING PRESS," a communication to me from abroad by Peter Kells
Dederick, of the City and County of Albany, State of New York, United 1
States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument 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 1
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 I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner 2
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Sheet
of Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention consists of a press in which the hay, cotton, or other 2
substance to be pressed is continuously supplied in batches to a
hopper at the side, and near one end of the press case in front of a
continuously moving follower or plunger, which condenses each batch
in the case against that previously condensed therein, the friction
of which against the sides of the case furnishes the necessary resistance &
to the follower to effect the condensing. The whole mass is forced along
a short stage at each operation of the follower toward the other end of
the case from which the completed bales are discharged in succession.
The condensed mass is separated into suitable lengths for bales by false
heads, with grooves for the tying cords introduced through openings in
the side of the case in front of the follower, also the cords for tying
the bales which is done while they are being discharged.

page_text: The Invention also consists of a beater in the hopper for beating the
loose batches of hay or cotton down in front of the follower, the said
beater being arranged on an axis so as to swing up to admit the
substance to be pressed below it and down to beat it down in front of
the follower, and it is provided with devices whereby it is automatically
actuated by the follower and a spring.
:
The Invention also consists of a construction on the side of the
follower which works under the top of the condensing chamber, from
the opening at the hopper where the substance to be pressed is admitted,
so as to spring downward and yield to the hay that may overhang
the upper corner, and be caught between it and the end of the side of
the compressing chamber.
:
The Invention also consists of a shield or guard in combination with
the follower, to prevent the slots formed in it for allowing it to spring as
above described from being clogged with the hay.
The Invention also consists of an arrangement of a folding bar at the
top of the compressing chamber to spring upward as a further means of
relieving the machine, when the hay is caught between the follower and
the case, at the bottom of the hopper.
The Invention also consists of an arrangement of shoulders or pro-
jections, upon the insides of the compressing chamber at the end where
the hay is forced in behind which it expands so as to be prevented from
springing back with the follower.
The Invention also consists of a combination of eccentric gears with
the crank for working the follower, and the sweep for working the crank
to give a slow powerful motion while pressing, and quick motion when
the follower withdraws.

page_text: driving gear which may be employed if preferred. Similar letters of
reference indicate corresponding parts.
A is a long horizontal compressing case with a follower B working
forward and backward in one end for compressing the hay and being
open at the other end for the discharge of the bales as indicated in
dotted lines at C; it also has an opening D in the upper side at the end
in which the follower works with a hopper E above, into which the hay
to be pressed is pitched to be received in front of the follower, and be
forced into the case A in successive batches to be compressed against the
mass therein, and force out the completed bale at the same time. F
represents the beater in the hopper E for beating or pressing the hay
down in front of the follower, it is pivoted at G, and has a short arm H
attached to its axis and connected by a strap or chain I with the follower
which is brought up taut just before the follower arrives at the end of its
outward movement and forces the beater down quickly on the loose hay
in the hopper, to pack it down in advance of the follower while it is
withdrawn. Another arm K is fixed on the axis of the beater, and-con-
nected by a cord L to a spring M which raises the beater again as soon
as the follower moves forward.
To prevent the follower from binding under the end of the top of the
case A by the hay which extends over the upper corner to some extent
in consequence of not being completely pressed down by the beater, and
wedges in between it and the case top, the follower has several hori-
zontal slots N to allow it to spring down at the corner and yield
sufficiently to avoid binding to any considerable extent, and in order to
prevent these slots from packing full of hay a short metal apron O is
suspended in front of the slots. As a further means of relieving the
press in this respect, a spring board P at the top of the case A is
arranded to spring upward, and the end of this piece next to the hopper
carries a cross piece or folding bar Q extending across the whole
breadth, and downward a little below the part P and the other parts of
the cover, and rounded on the lower front corner to constitute a folding
bar to press the hay overlapping the top of the follower down where it
draws back, and loop or fold it in regular folds in front of the fol-
lower, which packs each successive fold into the mass, so that the
upper side of the bale is formed by these folds. Behind the scraper Q,
and a little in advance of the point where the face of the follower stops

page_text: in the compressing chamber, there are two or more shoulders R formed
all around the chamber in the four walls behind which the hay is secured
against springing back with the follower by expanding in front of the
said shoulders. They are preferably formed by grooving the sides of the
chamber as shown, but they may be made by nailing on cleats or other-
wise. I also propose to arrange in these grooves plates 8 of metal in
conjunction with the shoulders to spring out after the follower with-
draws, and thus secure the hay more effectually, the said plates being
sprung back into the grooves by the follower when it goes forward.
The sides of the case have slots V for introducing the cords for tying
up the bales. The separating sticks U and the cords are introduced at
the same time.
In case the friction of the condensed hay on the sides of the con-
densing case is not sufficient to ensure the requisite density of the
compression when arranged parallel with each other, they may be
arranged to converge slightly toward the mouth from which the bales
are discharged, and in case it may be desirable to have them converge
more or less for different qualities of bay or other substances to be baled
the sides may be adjustable toward and from each other.
A horse power sweep W is employed for turning the crank X for
working the follower, and eccentric gears Y are introduced for imparting
a slow and powerful motion while the follower is acting on the hay, and
a quick motion while returning for the next operation, so that I get the
powerful effect of a slower motion than the motion which I actually
have. In this example the condensing case and the follower are of the
requisite size for the cross section of the bale, and the compression is in
the direction of the longest diameter of the bale, but it is obvious that
by changing their size and shape the same form of bale may be made
by compressing the hay in the direction of the short diameter of the
bale, but I consider this arrangement preferable.
Having described the nature of the Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim as the
Invention to be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,―

page_text: 14th. The arrangement with the crank for working the follower, and
the sweep W of the eccentric wheels Y, substantially as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Olark, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of May, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.