1 PROVEMENTS IN PRESSES FOR PRESSING COTTON AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hodgart, of Paisley, for the Invention of "1
PROVEMENTS IN PRESSES FOR PRESSING COTTON AND OTHER SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 27th December 1864, and dated the 13th August 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hodgart at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 13th
August 1864.
I, JOHN HODGART, of Paisley, do hereby declare the nature of the Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES POR PRESSING COTTON AND OTHER SUBSTANCES,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in presses for pressing
cotton and other substances, and is applicable to that class of press for
pressing cotton or other substances where the box or trunk in which the
cotton or other substance is placed, in order to its being pressed and formed
into a bale, is double, having the doors where the bale is delivered intermediate
of the length of the box or trunk, and where the box or trunk has two
followers, which when at work are caused to approach each other, and press
the cotton or other substance between them. The box or trunk it is preferred.
should be fixed in a vertical position, and filled from the top, but this is not
essential. My Invention consists in combining, as hereafter explained, with
such a press levers actuated by a hydraulic or steam cylinder, in order
simultaneously to act on the two followers of a press. It is preferred that
the end of the piston rod or ram of the hydraulic or steam cylinder should.

page_text: be connected directly to the pin which connects the ends of the two or more
levers which actuate the two followers, but this is not essential, as the power
of the ram or piston may be communicated to the pin joint of the two or more
levers by connecting rods or otherwise. The pin joint of the levers is con-
strained to move in a straight line by suitable guides. The other ends of the
two or more levers which are respectively connected to the two followers have
radius rods, by which the pins (which connect them with the cross heads or
instruments to which the two followers are respectively fixed) are constrained to
move through slightly curved lines depending on the length of such radius
rods, by reason of the other ends of the radius rods being pin-jointed to the
fixed framing of the press which carries the hydraulic or steam cylinder. The
two followers of the press are respectively connected to the outer ends of the
two or more levers before mentioned, which are at their other or inner ends
connected together by a pin joint, as above explained, hence the two or more
levers will be caused to come more and more into a straight line as the two
followers of a press come more and more nearly together. I would state that
it is not new to employ the poer of a steam or bydraulic cylinder to the pin
joint which connects the end of two or more levers which work a single
follower of a press; the peculiarity of the present Invention consists in
applying this system in combination with a press wherein two followers. are
employed, and are. caused to approach each other when pressing cotton or
other substance between them.
11
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Hodgart in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th
February 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN'
HODGART, of Paisley, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord'
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the'
said John Hodgart, Her special licence that I, the said John Hodgart, my.
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John'
Hodgart, 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
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, uso, exercise, and

page_text: vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES FOR
PRESSING COTTON AND OTHER SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Hodgart, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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 calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Hodgart, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be 'per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in presses for pressing
cotton and other substances, and is applicable to that class of press for
pressing cotton or other substances where the box or trunk in which the
cotton or other substance is placed, in order to its being pressed and formed
into a a bale, is double, having the doors where the bale is delivered intermediate
of the length of the box or trunk, and where the box or trunk has two
followers, which when at work are caused to approach each other and press
the cotton or other substance between them. The box or trunk it is preferred
should be fixed in a vertical position, and filled from the top, but this is not
essential. My Invention consists in combining, as hereafter explained, with
such a press levers actuated by a hydraulic or steam cylinder, in order
simultaneously to act on the two followers of a press. It is preferred that the
end of the piston rod or ram of the hydraulic or steam cylinder should be
connected directly to the pin which connects the ends of the two or more
levers which actuate the two followers, but this is not essential, as the power of
the ram or piston may be communicated to the pin joint of the two or more
levers by connecting rods or otherwise. The pin joint of the levers is con-
strained to move in a straight line by suitable guides. The other ends of the
two or more levers which are respectively connected to the two followers have
radius rods, by which the pins (which connect them with the cross heads or
instruments to which the two followers are respectively fixed) are constrained
to move through slightly curved lines depending on the length of such-radius
rods, by reason of the other ends of the radius rods being pin-jointed to the
fixed framing of the press which carries the hydraulic or steam cylinder. The
two followers of the press are respectively connected to the outer ends of the
two or more levers before mentioned, which are at their other or inner ends

page_text: connected together by a pin joint, as above explained, hence the two or more
levers will be caused to come more and more into a straight line as the two
followers of a press come more and more nearly together. I would state that
it is not-new to employ the power of a steam or hydraulic cylinder to the
pin joint which connects the ends of two or more levers which work a single
follower of a press; the peculiarity of the present Invention, consists: in
applying this system in combination with a press wherein two, followers are
employed, and. are. caused to..approach each other when pressing. cotton or
other substance between them..
.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
داع
..
Figure 1 of the Drawings is a plan of the improved press; Figure 2 is a
side elevation; Figure 3 is a front elevation; and Figure 4 is a side elevation
in section.
-44
In this modification the principal parts of the framework of the press
consists of an iron box A, the ends of which support the front ends of the
upper frame or cheeks; B, B, the back and front of the box, which is made
up of plates C, C, C, C, and doors D, D, and E, and the upper cheeks of
the, frame B, which rest upon the box, and the pillars F, F, At the upper,
end of the box there is a door E, by which the box is filled with cotton or
other goods to be pressed, and at the middle of the box there are doors D, D,
at which the bales are lashed and removed from the press. In each end of
the box on a level with the folding, doors D, D, there is a plate fitted, which
is hinged by its upper end, and the, bottom ends of these plates are kept in
the e proper positions by screws or wedges. There are strong flanges cast on
the insides of the upper cheeks of the press frame B, upon which a hydraulic
cylinder G is placed, as shewn on Figure 1, and to connect the cylinder, to the
working parts of the press there is a clutch or cross head H fitted to the end
of the hydraulic pistons I, and the pin which passes through the clutch
connects to the middle joint of the broad levers J and K, and extends through
the guides L, L; there is also a pin M fitted to the upper end of the lever J,
and this pin is connected to the beam N under the bottom of the box by the
side rods O, O; there are vertical rods P, P, fitted to the beam N, which
stand up inside of the box, upon which is fitted a follower, which presses
upon the cotton in the box, and rods Q, Q, Q, are suspended from the pin in
the lower end of the lever K, to which a follower is also attached. There
are two radius rods R, R, the inner ends of which are fitted to the fixed pin S,
which passes through the frame above. the pillars, and the outer ends are
connected to the pin at the lower. end..of the lever K, and there are radius

page_text: rods T, T, which connect the upper end of the lever J to the pin U in the
upper part of the frame.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to
any of the mechanical parts separately; but what I claim is, the combined
arrangements herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Hodgart, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
JOHN HODGART. (L.S.)