IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPRESSING AND PACKING HAY, WOOL, COTTON, AND OTHER VOLUMINOUS FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Maxime Lahaussois, of Paris, Boulevard de Strasbourg, 59,
Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPRESSING AND
PACKING HAY, WOOL, COTTON, AND OTHER VOLUMINOUS FIBROUS SUBSTANCES.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Maxime Lahaussois at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th August 1877.
MAXIME LAHAUSSOIS, of Paris, Boulevard de Strasbourg, 59, Gentleman.." IM-
PROVEMENTS IN COMPRESSING AND PACKING HAY, WOOL, COTTON, AND OTHER
VOLUMINOUS FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
The methods hitherto employed for compressing hay, wool, cotton, and other
voluminous or bulky substances, comprise, first, the introduction into a case of the
weight or quantity of material which is to form a compressed bale; second, an
energetic compression of the material.
Whilst the portions situated at the surface are greatly compressed, those in the
middle are scarcely so, or not at all, and the compressed bale has not a sufficient
density, and this work, although imperfect, requires a considerable force.
My process differs in method and mode of working from the present processes.
My new method consists in compressing the material in small bulks in order to
forin small compressed layers, which I afterwards unite together so as to form a
complète bale. By thus operating upon small quantities a much less energetic
power is required to compress and reduce a material, however bulky, to the greatest
density; besides, I thus realise theoretically a uniform compression throughout the
entire bale of material. Thus, whilst in ordinary methods the final operation con-
sists in compressing by a very energetic force a heaped up mass of material, in my
process, on the contrary, the final operation is reduced to joining together by a
simple fastening, small layers of material which have been compressed separately.
The result is a bale compressed to the greatest density in the smallest bulk.
My mode of operation consists in the new application of cylinders or rollers to
the fractional compression of the small layers to be superposed. The many experi-
ments which I have made enable me to state that pressure exerted on large surfaces

page_text: acts imperfectly, whilst a good result is obtained by employing rolling to produce
successive pressures.
Having thus stated the two essential and fundamental points of my Invention, I
will proceed to describe how I carry the same into effect.
My machine for compressing bulky materials necessarily admits of two principal
parts, the presser and the collector.
The presser is composed of two steel cylinders having circumferential grooves,
which serve to receive endless steel bands, which pass round rollers. These bands
maintained by the rollers form the upper and lower parts of a sort of box; they
conduct the compressed material into the compartment presented, as herein after
described, by the collector at the opening of the box. Plates of polished iron form
the sides of the box; they are prolonged a little in front of the cylinders, where they
widen so as to form a funnel. These plates are in two parts; the fronts are
immovably fixed to the framework, the hind parts constitute the rectilinear faces of
two excentrics, which at the proper moment cause them to execute two consecutive
movements, the first is a downward movement into the interior of the box; the
second is a movement from front to back. These two movements are necessitated
by the following fact, the two sets of bands conduct (as before described) the com-
pressed material into the compartment destined to receive it; but this movement
by the bands is not theoretically carried further than the vertical axis of the rollers;
in fact the drawing action of the bands ceases a little beyond the axis of the
cylinders; this becomes very obvious in the last portions of an armful of bay, which
do not acquire in their passage (however sinall) through the cylinders sufficient
density to serve as a bearing to the bands. These layers, refusing to be pressed,
move loosely between the two horizontal surfaces of the bands, and do not reach the
vertical axis of the rollers.
The annexed apparatus, which is formed by the movable hind parts of the sides of
the box, finishes the conveyance of the compressed layer and its introduction into
the compartment of the collector; this work is effected by the double movement men-
tioned above of the side plates.
The material to be compressed is placed upon an open work table in front of the
funnel of the presser.
The collector in which the layers of material successively compressed between the
pressing rollers are superposed, consists of a case in which compartments are arranged
which present themselves successively at each opening of the box of the presser. Tho
number of these compartments varies according to the number of compressed layers
which should form the bale, that is to say, according to the volume and weight
which it is wished to give it. These compartments are formed between the cover
and the bottom of the collector of plates of sheet iron separated at the sides by means
of wooden blocks held together by bolts; these blocks form the side walls of the
compartments by varying the thickness; the height of the compartment can be
varied and made to correspond with the distance between the pressing cylinders; by
varying the length of the blocks and of the plates the depth of the compartments is
varied, and consequently the corresponding size of the bale.
A lifting apparatus gives to the collector an intermittent up stroke. As each
compartment is filled, the collector is raised between fixed vertical walls or partitions,
the compartment is thus enclosed on its four sides, and the material is held
compressed.
A movable bed is successively introduced into each compartment; as it comes
before the box of the presser it passes from the back to the front of the collector.
The working of the apparatus is as follows:-The cylinders press the material,
which is presented to them by the attendant at the mouth or opening. The material
on its first pressure should have the form of a prism, in length equal to that of the
cylinders, in depth equal to the radius of the cylinders, and in height equal to that
of the mouth or opening. This pressing, which only requires a small power, can
be effected by hand in a box or chest of determined dimensions, or mechanically
in a squeezer with movable sides.

page_text: The movable bed, which at the beginning of the operation is at the front of the
collector, recedes to an intermediate position; the excentrics then lower, their cheeks
into the interior of the box perpendicularly to their first position. The movable béd
withdraws from the intermediate position to the back of the collector whilst the
5 excentrics advance beyond the rollers until the faces of their cheeks come against
the opening of the compartment of the collector upon the prolongation of the inner
face of the front vertical wall; the compressed layer is thus always supported on
each of its four sides.
The lifting apparatus then raises the collector, the compartment is engaged between
the two vertical walls; the next compartment is thus brought opposite the box of
the presser ready to receive a compressed layer; the movable bed engages in this
next compartment, and takes the position at the front of the collector, and the
excentrics return to their first position; all the compartments are thus filled: When
the operation is completed, the lower face of the bottom of the collector is on a
level with the upper face of the box of the presser; the movable bed then moves
back a short distance behind the back of the collector. During this operation of
filling the collector the attendant whose duty it is to tie up the layers has taken
two pieces of wire cut to the proper length, provided with a ring or buckle at one
end, and at the other a hook of sheet iron.
The walls, as well as the cover and bottom of the collector, are made of three
plates of sheet or cast iron, having a space between them of about an inch; the plates
which constitute the panels are bound together by metal bands, forming tubes
through which the binder can pass the wires. The tubular bands quite cover the
gaps along the front wall, the wires introduced at the top of this wall will come
out at the bottom, and be laid hold of by the binder. The latter afterwards passes
the wires down the tubes, the hook being foremost; he unites the two ends of the
wires at the upper corner, opposite the presser; the tying is finished by lifting by
the machine a hook-drawing pulley. The bale being fastened is ready to be
extracted from the collector. This extraction comprises three successive
operations,
1st. To unscrew the nuts which fasten the blocks and the plates of sheet iron.
2nd. To separate one from the other the two blocks which draw the said plates,
the collector being supported during this taking to pieces by part of the lifting
apparatus. The different compressed layers are then in contact, and form one mass
bound with the hoops of wire, the right and left sides of the bale are free; the
bottom of the collector losing its support at one of its extremities falls, turning on
the hinge which fixes it to the opposite block; the cover also becomes disengaged
at the other end, but on the contrary remains horizontal, held by its hinge.
3rd. To separate back the wall by unwedging it at the bottom; the bale being no
longer fixed falls on the platform:
The play of the excentrics is easily observed by the attendant at the mouth or
opening; it is by their movement that he knows when to put the material between
the cylinders.
It sometimes happens that the attendant misses an operation; in this case he finds
within his reach a lever for throwing the cylinders out of gear; and the lifting
apparatus is provided with an arrangement which allows of releasing the collector,
and of replacing in position the compartment which has become engaged too soon
between the two vertical walls.
My apparatus can be stationary or movable, or can be mounted on a wagon, and
transported to the field, thus diminishing the costs of transport of the hay or other
produce..
Instead of employing two cylinders for the presser, I can employ an upper
cylinder and a table in place of the lower cylinder.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Maxime Lahaussois in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th
. February 1878.
"IM-
MAXIME LAHAUSSOIs, of Paris, Boulevard de Strasbourg, 59, Gentleman.
PROVEMENTS IN COMPRESSING AND PACKING HAY, WOOL, COTTON, AND OTHER
VOLUMINOUS FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
The methods hitherto, employed for compressing hay, wool, cotton and other
voluminous or bulky substances comprise, first, the introduction into a case of
the weight or quantity of material which is to form a compressed bale; second, an
]
energetic compression of the material.
Whilst the portions situated at the surface are greatly compressed, those in the
middle are scarcely so or not at all, and the compressed bale has not a sufficient
density;
and this work, although, imperfect, requires a considerabie force.
☐ My process differs in method and mode of working from the present processes.
My new method consists in compressing the material in small bulks, in order to
form small compressed layers, which I afterwards unite together so as to form a
complete bale. By thus operating upon small quantities, a much less energetic
power is required to compress and reduce a material, however bulky, to the greatest
density; besides, I thus realise theoretically a uniform compression throughout the
entire bale of material. Thus whilst in ordinary methods the final operation consists
in compressing by a very energetic force a heaped up mass of material, in my
process, on the contrary, the final operation is reduced to joining together by a
simple fastening small layers of material which have been compressed separately,
The result is a bale compressed to the greatest density in the smallest bulk.
My mode of operation consists in the new application of cylinders or rollers to
the fractional compression of the small layers to be superposed. The many experi
ments which I have made enable me to state that pressure exerted on large surfaces
acts imperfectly, whilst a good result is obtained by employing rolling to produce
successive pressures.
Having thus stated the two essential and fundamental points of my Invention,
I will proceed to describe how I carry the same into effect.
My machine for compressing bulky materials necessarily admits of two principal
parts, the presser and the collector. It is represented in longitudinal section in
Figure 1; Figure 2 is a transverse section of the presser through the line X, Y;
Figure 3 is a transverse section of the collector through the line Z, V; Figure 4 is
a horizontal section through the line K, M.
The presser is composed of two steel cylinders C, C¹, having circumferential
grooves which serve to receive endless steel bands 1, 1, which pass round rollers
R, R', T, T. The rollers T, T¹, serve as tightening rollers. These bands, maintained
by the rollers R, R', form the upper and lower parts of a sort of box; they conduct
the compressed material into the compartment presented as herein-after described
by the collector at the opening of the box. Plates F, of polished iron, form the sides
of the box; they are prolonged a little in front of the cylinders, where they widen
so as to form a funnel. These plates are in two parts; the front parts F are
immovably fixed to the framework; the hind parts F¹ constitute the rectilinear
faces of two excentrics which at the proper moment cause them to execute two
consecutive movements; the first is a movement into the interior of the box, the
second is a movement from front to back. These two movements are necessitated
by the following fact:-The two sets of bands conduct (as before described) the
compressed material into the compartment destined to receive it; but this move-
ment by the bands l, l', is not theoretically carried farther than the vertical axis of
the rollers R and R'; in fact, the drawing action of the bands ceases a little beyond
the axis of the cylinders; this becomes very obvious in the last portions of an
armful of hay, which do not acquire in their passage (however small) through the
cylinders sufficient density to serve as a bearing to the bands. These layers, refusing

page_text: to be pressed, move loosely between the two horizontal surfaces of the bands ɩ, l',
and do not reach the vertical axis of the rollers R, R'.
The annexed apparatus, which is formed by the movable hind parts F¹ of the
sides of the box, finishes the conveyance of the compressed layer and its introduction
into the compartment of the collector; this work is effected by the double movement
mentioned above of the side plates F'.
The material to be compressed is placed upon a tablet in front of the funnel
of the presser.
The collector in which the layers of material successively compressed between
the pressing rollers are superposed consists of a case in which compartments are
arranged which present themselves successively at each opening of the box of the
presser. The number of these compartments varies according to the number of
compressed layers which should form the bale, that is to say, according to the
volume and weight which it is wished to give it. These compartments are formed
between the cover and the bottom of the collector of plates of sheet iron p,
separated at the sides by means of wooden blocks c held together by bolts d; these
blocks form the side walls of the compartments; by varying the thickness the
height of the compartments can be varied and made to correspond with the distance
between the pressing cylinders; by varying the length of the blocks c, and of the
plates p, the depth of the compartments is varied and consequently the corresponding
size of the bale..
A lifting apparatus gives to the collector an intermittent up stroke. As each
compartment is filled the collector is raised between the fixed vertical walls or par-
titions A and D; the compartment is thus enclosed on its 4 sides and the material
is held compressed.
A movable bed K is successively introduced into each compartment; as it comes
before the box of the presser it passes from the position K to K¹.
The working of the apparatus is as follows:-The cylinders C and C¹ press the
material which is presented to them by the attendant at the mouth or opening.
The material on its first pressure should have the form of a prism, in. length
equal to that of the cylinders, in depth equal to the radius of the cylinders, and in
height equal to that of the mouth or opening. This pressing, which only requires
a small power, can be effected by hand in a box or chest of determined dimensions,
or mechanically in a squeezer with movable sides.
The movable bed, which at the beginning of the operation is at K¹, recedes to the
position K. The excentrics F then lower their cheeks into the interior of the box
perpendicularly to their first position. The movable bed withdraws from K" to K;
whilst the excentrics F1 advance beyond R, R¹, until the faces of their cheeks come
against the opening of the compartment a' upon the prolongation of the inner face
of the vertical wall. The compressed layer is thus always supported on each of its
four sides.
The lifting apparatus then raises the collector. The compartment a¹ is engaged
between the two vertical walls A and D.. The next compartment a is thus
brought opposite the box of the presser ready to receive a compressed layer. The
movable bed engages in this next compartment a³ and takes the position K', and
the excentrics F return to their first position. All the compartments are thus
filled. When the operation is completed the lower face of the bottom of the col-
lector is on a level with the upper face of the box of the presser. The movable bed
then moves back a short distance behind the position K. During this operation of
filling the collector the attendant whose duty it is to tie up the layers has taken two
pieces of wire cut to the proper length, provided with a ring or buckle at one end,
and at the other with a hook of sheet iron.
The walls A and D, as well as the cover and bottom of the collector, are made of
three plates of sheet or cast iron, having a space between them of about an inch.
The plates which constitute these panels are bound together by metal bands H,
Figures 1 and 3, forming tubes through which the binder can pass the wires. The
tubular bands quite cover the gaps along the wall A, The wires, introduced at,

page_text: -
the top of this wall will come out at the bottom and be laid hold of by the binder.
The latter afterwards passes the wires down the tubes, the hook being foremost;
he unites the two ends of the wires at the upper corner opposite the presser. The
tying is finished by lifting by the machine a hook-drawing pulley P (Figure 1).
The bale being fastened is ready to be extracted from the collector; this extraction
comprises three successive operations,―
First. To unscrew the nuts which fasten the blocks c and the plates of sheet
iron p.
Second. To separate one from the other the two blocks which draw the said
plates, the collector being supported during this taking to pieces by part of the
lifting apparatus. The different compressed layers are then in contact, and form
one mass bound with the hoops of wire. The right and left sides of the bale are
free. The bottom of the collector losing its support at one of its extremities E¹ falls,
turning on the hinge, which fixes it to the opposite block. The cover also becomes
disengaged at E, but on the contrary remains horizontal, held by its hinge.
Third. To separate the wall by unwedging it at the bottom, the bale being no
longer held, falls on the platform.
The play of the excentrics F' is easily observed by the attendant at the mouth
or opening; it is by their movement that he knows when to put the material
between the cylinders.
It sometimes happens that the attendant misses an operation; in this case he
finds within his reach a lever for throwing the cylinders out of gear, and the lifting
apparatus is provided with an arrangement which allows of releasing the collector,
and of replacing in position the compartment which has become engaged too soon
between the two vertical walls A and D.
My apparatus can be stationary or movable, or can be mounted on a wagon and
transported to the field, thus diminishing the cost of transport of the hay or other
produce.
Instead of employing two cylinders for the presser I can employ an upper cylinder
and a table in place of the lower cylinder.
The movement of the plates F' and of the movable bed K will be understood by
Figures 1 and 5, which latter is a plan of the apparatus. The shaft of the lower
cylinder C carries two toothed wheels S, each of which gears with a pinion I keyed
on a vertical shaft J; this shaft is held at bottom in a bearing in the support L, and
at top by a collar N. Each shaft J carries a cam U of suitable form, presenting a
groove in which works the pin of a rod q jointed to one of the plates F. The
two cams being symmetrically placed, the two plates F¹ act simultaneously. On
each of the two shafts J is also keyed a crank Q jointed to a rod 8, which latter is
connected to a bar V; this bar carries the movable bed K, which supports the hay
during its compression.
The working is effected as follows:-At the commencement the plates F¹ are
open, and the bed K occupies the position K¹; the hay is compressed by the rollers,
and begins to engage in the collector; the bed K recedes as the hay advances; it
passes from K' to K", then recedes to K at the end of its stroke. When at a given
moment of the stroke the plates F¹ are pressed by their cams they hold in the hay
at its four sides, so that it remains compressed.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,―.
.
First. The tieing or joining together of small layers of materials compressed sepa-
rately, and afterwards superposed one on the other, in order to obtain a bale or
truss uniformly compressed throughout its mass to a great density in a small space,
substantially as herein-before described.
Second. The employment, substantially as herein-before described, of cylinders or
rollers for compressing layers successively and separately before they are superposed
or joined together.
Third. The combined arrangement of the machine, as herein-before described
with reference to the annexed Drawings, for effecting the bottling or baling of hay

page_text: or other material at great density, in small layers compressed separately, and after-
wards superposed.
Fourth. The arrangement of the pressing apparatus with two cylinders (or one
cylinder and a table) combined with a drawing box having side pieces movable by
excentrics to effect the drawing away of the compressed layer, substantially as
herein-before described.
Fifth. The arrangement of the collector with its compartments, which become pre-
sented in turn by an ascending movement in front of the box which conveys the
small compressed layer, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Maxime Lahaussois, have hereunto set my
. hand and seal, this Fourth day of January, One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-eight.
Witness,
CH. ARMENGAUD,
Civil Engineer,
Bd. de Strasbourg, 23,
Paris.
M. LAHAUSSOIS. (L.S.)