IMPROVEMENTS IN COTTON-PRESSES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake of the firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co Patent Agents Southampton Buildings London, for an invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN COTTON-PRESSES A communication to him from abroad
by Schuyler Bliss Steers, of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America,
Gentleman
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th May 1882.
"
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London "IMPROVEMENTS IN COTTON-PRESSES [A com-
munication to him from abroad by Schuyler Bliss Steers, of New Orleans,
Louisiana, United States of America, Gentleman]
This invention relates to improvements in presses for compressing cotton into
bales or packages, by means of which the cotton can be compressed into packages
of small compass or volume to permit of a large quantity being stored within
small areas and its transportation from place to place greatly facilitated
In carrying the said invention into practice I provide a frame which may be of
iron or timber or it may be composed of wooden posts surmounted by an iron
frame connecting such posts together at the top and supporting a cylinder. A
central frame attached to said posts supports an upper and fixed platen and cog
sectors. These sectors are connected by rods to a lower or moving platen which
is formed in two separate pieces, each piece composed of two ribs having a very
wide flange at the bottom and a small flange at the top, the width of said ribs
gradually increasing from top to bottom. The channel plate of the lower platen
is formed separately therefrom. The fulcrumn wrists of the cog sectors are sup-
ported in pillow blocks on the central frame. Passing transversely through each
cog sector is a bar whose ends form wrist pins which pass through eye bars or rods
for lifting the lower platen. The working cogs of the sectors are in cycloidal
arcs one end being more distant from the fulcrum than the other so that as the
sector rises it acts with increased power upon the lower platen. There is a rack-
blade formed in one piece with the piston-rod and it has the last tooth formed
מ

page_text: A
solid therewith, all by forging, while the cog-racks with their cogs are each formed
of a single casting. The last four cogs in each rack are formed with a gradual
increase of pitch of tooth while the last tooth on the rack-blade is fifty per cent
larger than the largest tooth or cog. This enlargement of the lower teeth is found
to greatly increase the strength of the rack and render it much safer in use.
wedge and the upper platen are dove-tailed together so that on the movement
outward of the wedge the upper platen will slide upward thereon and be raised to
that extent. Both are formed with a steep incline to ensure the upper platen
being forced down or raised up the extent necessary to adjust the size of the
opening of the press to the size of the bale to be pressed with the least possible
amount of movement of the wedge. The wedge is forced in or retracted as desired,
by a screw operated by a wedge engine. The cog racks are secured to the rack
bar on either side by T-pieces which are of wrought iron heated red hot and
shrunk into the rack bar castings. A U-shaped pipe communicates at its ends
with the inside of the cylinder at two different elevations. The distance of the
pipe-openings apart is at least as great as the thickness of the piston so that when
the piston has reached such an altitude as to pass the lower opening and expose it
for the entrance of steam from the part of the cylinder beneath the piston, the
steam passes through said pipe into that part of the cylinder above the piston thus
preventing the further ascent of the piston. In the said pipe is a ball or other
valve which prevents retrograde movement of steam or air. In the head of the
cylinder is an inwardly-opening valve and a spring tending to close the valve and
prevent the escape of steam or air when the piston is near its upper position.
Attached to this valve is a chain and weight to counteract the operation of the
spring. When the piston is in its upper position the weight rests on the piston
and the spring closes the valve but when the piston descends to a certain point
the weight is left suspended on the valve and draws it down, giving the outer
air entrance into the top of the cylinder and allowing the piston free descent.

page_text: by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th November 1882.
"
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, "IMPROVEMENTS IN COTTON-PRESSES A com-
munication to me from abroad by Schuyler Bliss Steers, of New Orleans,
Louisiana, United States of America, Gentleman
This invention relates to improvements in cotton-presses and consists essentially
in a novel construction and arrangement of parts as hereinafter described.
In the accompanying Drawing:-
Figure 1 shows the press partly in front elevation and partly in vertical section,
the piston being down.
Figure 2 is an elevation, partly in section, of the upper portion of the same,
drawn to au enlarged scale.
Figure 3 is a front elevation of the piston-rod and rack-bar.
Figure 4 is a central vertical transverse section of the same.
Figure 5 is an elevation of the lower platen.
Figure 6 is a transverse section thereof on the line 5, 5. Figure 5.
Figure 7 is a transverse section of the wedge and upper platen, showing the
method of connecting the same together.
Figure 8 represents the track-frames and wedge-engine with their supporting-
brackets and the wedge-screw attached to the casing.
Figure 9 is an end elevation, showing the wedge-engine.
Figure 10 is an end view of the housing between the posts before the bracket is
attached.
According to the said invention the frame may be of iron or timber. In the
drawing it is shown with wooden posts A surmounted by an iron frame B con-
necting the posts together at the top and supporting the cylinder. C is a central
iron frame attached to the posts or uprights A and supporting the upper and
fixed platen D and the cog-sectors E. The cog-sectors are connected by four
rods F to the lower or moving platen G. It is customary to form the lower platen
in cotton-presses in one piece. According to my present improvements, I construct
this platen in two separate pieces, each piece being composed of two ribs a a
having a very wide flange b at the bottom, and a small flange c at the top, the
said ribs gradually increasing in thickness from top to bottom, and thus ensuring
the maximum strength with the minimum amount of metal.
The channelled plate d of the lower platen G is formed separately therefrom, in
order that it may be readily removed and plates of different thickness inserted so
as to increase or diminish the distance between the two platens as desired, without
necessitating the construction of a new platen or changing the length of the eye-
bars. The plate d rests within a recess e formed in the upper face of the platen G
and extends across the two sections.
A¹ is the foundation of the press and has a cavity f to receive the lower platen G
when in its lower position. The four vertical posts A are connected together at the
top by cross-beams A2 and the iron frame B. The pivots I of the cog-sectors E are
supported in bearings H on the central frame C. Passing transversely through
each cog-sector is a bar J whose ends form pivots ; which pass through the upper
ends of the eye-bars or rods F for lifting the lower platen G which latter has
guide-lugs g working on slides a¹. There are four eye-bars or lifting-rods F, two
to each sector. Pins g connect the said bars at their lower ends to the four corners
of the platen G. The cogs of the sectors are arranged in cycloidal curves e* the
end being more distant from the fulcrum I than the upper end e' of the said

page_text: sector so that as the sector rises it acts with increased power upon the lower platen.
These sectors have at the ends e² greater spaces between the cogs than at the other
ends e¹ to adapt them to correspond with the construction of the rack K k¹.
B' represents the rack-blade which is formed in one piece with the piston-rod L
and has the last tooth k on each side of the said rack-blade formed solid therewith.
The rack-blade B¹, the piston-rod L, and the teeth k are formed in one piece, while
the cogs k and the cog-racks K K are formed, each in a single casting. The last
four cogs are formed with a gradual increase of pitch, while the tooth k on each
side of the blade B¹ is fifty per cent larger than the remaining teeth. This
enlargement of the lower teeth is found to greatly increase the strength of the rack
and render it much safer in use.
B represents the wedge and D the upper platen which are dovetailed together,
so that on the movement outwards of the wedge, the platen will slide upward on.
the said wedge and be raised. Both are formed with a steep incline, as shown, to
ensure the upper platen being forced down, or raised, the necessary extent to adjust
the size of the opening of the press to the size of the bale to be pressed, with the
least possible amount of movement of the wedge. The wedge is forced inwards
into action or retracted, as desired, by means of a screw B³ operated by the
engine B
The cog-racks K. K are secured to the rack-bar on either side by T pieces t as
shown, the said pieces being of wrought-iron, which are made red-hot and shrunk
into the rack-bar casting on each side.
The two sections of the lower platen G are secured together in the following
manner; that is to say, a lug m is cast upon the under side of each section near
each end. A wrought-iron link or bar n is made red hot, and dropped within the
adjacent lugs m at each end, so as to extend across the centre of the two sections
and thereby hold the said sections securely together.
The screw B³ has secured to its outer end a crank-arm o which is operated by
the engine B, and at its inner end the said screw works in a stationary nut p
secured within the outer end of the wedge B². On the wedge-engine being set in
motion the crank-arm o will cause the screw B³ to operate within the stationary
nut P and either propel the wedge B* forward or retract it, as it is desired to either
press the bale or release it from pressure.
The cog-racks are inclined or wedge-shaped so as to approach each other as they
extend downwardly to suit themselves to the cog-sectors whose cogged faces approach
each other as they turn upward. The lower end of the piston-rod L works between
suitable guides.
M is the piston working in the cylinder N. In ordinary working the steam is
only admitted beneath the piston to lift it, and the descent of the piston is
accomplished by its own weight and that of the parts attached thereto. O is the
steam-port through which steam is admitted to, and exhausted from, the cylinder,
the steam being regulated by any suitable valve or valves. P is a U-shaped pipe
whose ends communicate with the inside of the cylinder at two different elevations
near the upper end of the cylinder. The distance apart of the pipe-openings is at
least as great as the thickness of the piston, so that when the piston has reached
such an altitude as to pass the mouth p¹ and expose it for the entrance of steam
from the part of the cylinder beneath the piston, the steam passes through the
pipe P into the part of the cylinder above the piston, and thus the further ascent
of the piston is prevented.
In the pipe P is a ball or other valve which prevents retrograde or downward
movement of steam or air through the said pipe. In the head n of the cylinder is
an inwardly-opening valve R and a spring S. This spring tends to close the valve R
and prevent the escape of air or steam when the piston is near its upper position.
Attached to this inwardly-opening valve is a chain T to whose lower end is secured
a weight V of such gravity as to contract the spring S. When the piston is in
its upper position (see Figure 2) the weight rests upon it, and the spring S closes
the valve; but when the piston descends to a certain point the weight V is left

page_text: suspended on the valve and draws it down, giving the outer air entrance into the
top of the cylinder and allowing the piston free descent.
I prefer to connect with the upper part of the cylinder a steam-pipe and a valve,
by which steam may be admitted above the piston to force it down, if at any time
it may be found necessary, and it will be seen that at such time the ball-valve Q
would come into action, preventing the escape of steam into the space beneath the
piston when in its upper position.
•
The casing is in two pieces which are bolted together as shown. Each piece has
at its ends wedge-brackets R R¹. The brackets R¹ are provided with a track r
upon which the wedge-rollers 8 run. The brackets R at the other end of the casing
serve to support the wedge-engine B as shown in Figure 8 of the drawing.
Having thus fully described the said invention as communicated to me by my
foreign Correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it
understood that I Claim :-
•
First The rack-blade B', teeth k, and piston-rod L formed in one piece,
substantially as described.
Second: The rack-blade B¹ having the tooth / on each side thereof formed
solid therewith, and the cog-racks K having the last four teeth of gradually-
increasing size as compared with the other teeth the tooth k being considerably
larger than the largest tooth in the said racks, substantially as, and for the purpose
set forth.
Third: The combination of the rack-blade B' formed in one piece with the
piston-rod L and having enlarged lower teeth, the cog-racks K K, and the T-pieces
for securing the said cog-racks together and to the rack-blade, substantially as
described.
Fourth-The combination of the cog-sectors E having greater spaces between
the cogs at the longer than at the shorter ends, rack-blade B₁ having enlarged lower
teeth and piston-rod formed therewith, and the cog-racks K K having enlarged
lower teeth, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Fifth The wrought rack-blade formed in one piece with the piston-rod, and
the cast cog-racks K, the said cog-racks being secured to the said rack-blade by
wrought T-pieces t that are heated and then shrunk into the rack, substantially as
described.
Sixth-The wedge-brackets R', R¹, provided with a track r for the wedge-
rollers 8, and the wedge-brackets R, R, for supporting the wedge-engine B',
substantially as set forth.
Seventh-The lower platen, constructed in two separate pieces as described,
each separate portion being composed of two ribs, having wide flanges at the bottom
and small flanges at the top, and also having a greater width at the bottom than at
the top, as, and for the purpose, described.
Eighth The combination, in a cotton-press, with the lower platen G having a
recess e in its upper face, of a channelled plate d adapted to rest within the said
recess and extend across the two sections of the said platen, and be removable
therefrom to admit of plates of different degrees of thickness being substituted
therefor without changing the platen or altering the length of the eye-bars,
substantially as described.
Ninth A separable channel-plate constructed in one piece to extend clear across
the two sections of the lower platen, as described.
In witness whereof I the said William Robert Lake have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Twenty fourth day of November in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.