IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PRESSES FOR FORMING BALES OF COTTON AND OTHER IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN SECURING BANDS TOUCH
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Jennings McComb, of Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PRESSES FOR FORMING BALES OF COTTON AND OTHER
Sealed the 22nd November 1864, and dated the 2nd June 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Jennings McComb
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd June 1864.
I, JAMES JENNINGS MCCOMB, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PRESSES FOR FORMING BALES OF COTTON AND OTHER
MATERIALS, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN SECURING BANDS TO SUCH
BALES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, firstly, to a novel construction of press for effecting
the compression of cotton bales with economy and dispatch.
And, secondly, to a novel construction of grapple for bringing to tension the
bands used for securing the bales.
In order to produce a cheap and efficient press, I make the press self-
sustaining, by using four vertical rods, which are secured together at top and
bottom by cast-iron cross ties on the framing. The lower cross ties carry strain-
ing beams, on which the bottom of the press box rests, and which therefore

page_text: receives the strain of the press. The box stands up between the vertical rods,
and is firmly secured thereto by cross tie rods, or otherwise. The area of the
box is at its lower end enlarged for a height somewhat greater than the
thickness intended for the compressed bale, and on all sides of the box at
this part doors are provided for releasing the compressed bale.
The object of the enlargement of the box is to remove the friction of the
bale against the sides of the box, while the greatest strain is being put upon
the bale. The follower block of the press is carried by inclined rods, which
are jointed to radius rods, whose bearings are on the upper cross ties of the
press. This follower block when in the box is guided by the sides of the box,
but it is fitted with guide rods which work in fixed guides for the purpose of
steadying its motion and keeping it in position when it has risen above the
box. Over the follower block is mounted a capstan, which stands up above a
platform carried by the press frame, and is used by the attendants for working
the press after the manner described in the Specification of my Patent, bearing
date June 3rd, 1863 (No. 1390). A portion of the upper part of the box is
hinged to permit of its being thrown back, and thus providing an opening for
filling the press box with cotton. To facilitate this operation a filling platform
should be provided at the proper level, and sustained by supports independent
of the press. Besides grooving the face of the follower block, and the bottom
of the box to receive the bands for banding the bale as usual, I propose to
make these surfaces conform somewhat to the permanent rounded shape that
the top and bottom of the bale would naturally take when released from the
*press, but firmly secured by bands, as by the use of this form of pressing
surfaces an economy of power will result. To return the follower block
to its raised position when it is released from the strain of the capstan I
employ a counterweight, the descent of which will raise the block out of the
.press box.
The improved grapple, which is used for drawing together and securing the
ends of the bands that surround the pressed bale, is a modification of that
described in the Specification of the above-mentioned Patent. Jointed to the
forked lever, by which the straining power is applied, is a grapple iron which
has a hooked fork at its upper end for catching on to the top edge of the
fastening that is intended to couple the ends of the band together. This
fastening being attached to the pendent end of the band is drawn down by the
grapple, and the free end of the band is then inserted in the fastening, which
so soon as the strain of the grapple is removed will hold the band securely.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Jennings McComb in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 2nd December 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
JENNINGS MCCOMB, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
James Jennings McComb, Her special license that I, the said James Jennings
McComb, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Jennings McComb, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, froin time to time and at all times there-
after 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 THE
CONSTRUCTION OF PRESSES FOR FORMING BALES OF COTTON AND OTHER MATERIALS,
AND IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN SECURING BANDS TO SUCH BALES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Jennings McComb,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 I, the said James Jennings McComb, 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 fol-
lowing statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates, firstly, to a novel construction of press for effecting
the compression of cotton bales with economy and dispatch.
And, secondly, to a novel construction of grapple for bringing to tension the
bands used for securing the bales.
These improvements are shewn in several views in the accompanying
Drawing.
In order to produce a cheap and efficient press, I make the press self-
sustaining, for which purpose I prefer to construct the framing of four vertical

page_text: rods, which are secured together at top and bottom by cast-iron cross ties as
shewn at Figures 1 and 2, the former of which shews the press in front elevation
and the latter in side elevation. The lower casting A carries straining
beams a, a, en which the bottom of the press box B rests, and which therefore
receive the strain of the press. The press box B stands up between the
vertical rods C, C, and is firmly secured thereto by means of lugs b, rivetted to
the sides of the box. The area of the box is at its lower end enlarged for a
height somewhat greater than the thickness intended for the compressed bale,
as shewn at B, and on all sides of the box at this part doors are provided for
releasing the compressed bale.
The object of the enlargement of the box is to remove the friction hitherto
produced by the pressure of the bale against the sides of the box at the time
the greatest strain is being put upon the bale. The follower block of the
press is shewn at D. It is carried by two coupled inclined rods E, E, which
are jointed to radius rods E', E', which rock on fulcrum pins whose bearings
are on the casting A' forming the upper cross tie of the press. This follower
block when in the box is guided by the sides of the box, but it is fitted with
guide rods, which work in fixed guides for the purpose of steadying its motion
and keeping it in position when it has risen above the box. Immediately
above the follower block is mounted a capstan F, which stands upon a plat-
form above the range of the follower block, and is carried by the press frame
or other convenient supports. This capstan F is used by the attendants for
working the press, after the manner described in the Specification of my
Patent bearing date June Third, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three
(No. 1390). A portion of the upper part of the box is hinged as at a to
permit of its being thrown back, and thereby providing an opening for filling
the press box with cotton. To facilitate this operation, a filling platform
should be provided at the proper level, as at G, the same being sustained by
supports independent of the press. Besides grooving the face of the follower
block and the bottom of the box to receive the bands for banding the bale as
usual, I propose to make these surfaces conform somewhat to the permanent
rounded shape that the top and bottom of the bale would naturally take when
released from the press, but firmly secured by bands, as by the use of this form
of pressing surfaces an economy of power will result. To this end I adopt, by
preference, the configuration shewn at Figs. 3, which represent on an enlarged
scale the bottom of the box and the follower block in end view. This form
may be slightly modified as shewn at Figs. 5, without the advantage which I
contemplate attaining being lost. The doors of the enlarged part B of the
press
I secure, before commencing to fill the box, by a latch arrangement,

page_text: which will allow of being instantly disengaged when the pressure is completed
by means of a slight automatic motion, in place of applying the blows of a
hammer to effect the disengagement of the latches as heretofore. The front
and back doors (see the sectional plan, Fig. 4) are hinged to two of the four
vertical rods. C, C, and the end doors, which require but a slight motion, are
hinged to the press bottom. Pivotted to the ends of the front and back doors
(see Fig. 2) are catches c, c, which take into the catches d, d, pivotted to the
end door. These catches d are caused to retain a vertical position by means
of latches e into notches in which the lower ends of the catches d take. These
latches are jointed to a vertical slide bar f, which works in guides formed for
it on the hinged end door. At its lower end this bar has a slot into which
the end of a rock lever g takes. The rock lever is mounted on an axle carried
by a bracket bearing on the casting A, and to the outer end of the rock lever
is connected a metal rod h, which is connected at its upper end to a crank
lever i, carried by a stud projecting from one of the vertical rods C. The upper
arm of this crank lever carries a bowl, which is so disposed as to come in con-
tact with the joint pin of one of the radius rods at the time it has arrived at its
lowest position. By the joint striking this bowl the crank lever will be
rocked, which motion through the rod i will be communicated to the rock
Jever 9, and cause that lever to depress the slide bar f, and release the latches.
The internal pressure will then cause the catches c to trip the catches d, and
release the side doors. The end doors are secured by a swivel bolt or button
which they carry operating in the slotted socket of a transverse bar k
secured to the rods C, C. In order to return the follower block to its raised
position when it is released from the strain of the capstan, I employ a counter-
weight, the descent of which will raise the block out of the press box.
The improved grapple which is used for drawing together and securing the
ends of the bands that surround the pressed bale is a modification of that
described in the Specification of the above-mentioned Patent, and is shewn in
plan view at Fig. 6, and in side view (in action) at Fig. 7. Jointed to the
forked lever 1, by which the straining power is applied, is a grapple iron m,
which has a hooked fork at its upper end for catching on to the top edge of
the fastening that is intended to couple the ends of the band together. This
fastening being attached to the pendent end of the band is drawn down by the
grapple, and the free end of the band is then inserted in the fastening, which
so soon as the strain of the grapple is removed will hold the band securely, as
shewn in Fig. 8, which represents a compressed bale partially banded.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of improvements in the
construction of presses for forming bales of cotton and other materials, and

page_text: in apparatus to be employed in securing bands to such bales, I wish it to be
understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent, I claim,-
First, the novel arrangement of press above described, whereby I am
enabled to economize power and expedite the pressing operation.
Secondly, the improved construction of grapple above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Jennings McComb, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the First day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
J. J. M°COMB. (L.S.)