IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS AND IN THE ARRANGEMENT OF SAME FOR PUMPING FLUIDS TO SUPPLY VARIABLE PRESSURES TO HYDRAULIC PRESSES FOR COMPRESSING AND BALING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS AND GOODS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Ashcroft, of Alexandria, Egypt, but at
present of 15, Water Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS AND IN
THE ARRANGEMENT OF SAME FOR PUMPING FLUIDS TO SUPPLY VARIABLE
PRESSURES TO HYDRAULIC PRESSES FOR COMPRESSING AND BALING COTTON AND
OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS AND GOODS."
Sealed the 8th July 1878, and dated the 14th May 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Ashcroft at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th May 1873.
I, GEORGE ASHOROFT, of Alexandria, Egypt, but at present of 15,
Water Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS AND IN THE ARRANGEMENT OF SAME FOR PUMPING FLUIDS TO SUPPLY
VARIABLE PRESSURES TO HYDRAULIC PRESSES FOR COMPRESSING AND BALING COTTON
AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS AND GOODS," to be as follows:-
.
This Invention relates to improvements in hydraulic pumping or
forcing apparatus, and to a novel arrangement of the different parts of

page_text: such apparatus, so that hydraulic power can be supplied at variable
pressures.
The apparatus is particularly applicable to supplying pressure to the
rams of hydraulic presses for compressing cotton and other fibrous
substances, fuel, hay, peat, and other vegetable matters and substances,
and pressing mineral substances.
In compressing and baling cotton and other fibrous materials and
goods for the first three-fourths or thereabouts of the stroke of the ram
of hydraulic presses, it is required only to exert a comparatively small
amount of force, the whole weight or force required being reserved for
the last portion of the stroke. To accomplish this object the presses are
arranged with two, three, four, or more hydraulic cylinders. Theso
cylinders are so arranged that they exert pressure at different parts of
the stroke required for compressing the bale, namely, by causing the
early part of the pressure to be performed by one cylinder independently,
and the final pressure to be performed by the cylinders collectively.
The object of this Invention is to construct an apparatus for pumping
or forcing fluids in such a manner as to enable hydraulic power to be
supplied at variable pressures to the cylinder and cylinders of hydraulic
presses, as before mentioned.
This Invention consists in constructing pumping or forcing machinery
of a combination of three or more vertical steam cylinders carried on a
suitable bed plate, which bed plate has upright columns, which columns
support or carry an entablature. Spaced between the cylinders and
carried by the bed plate are four vertical pumps, and supported by the
entablature are four other vertical inverted pumps. The steam cylinders
are arranged so that their piston rods take into and actuate one common
cross head. This cross head also works the rams of the force pumps
carried by the bed plate and the inverted force pumps carried by the
entablature, so that the pumps are worked on the up-and-down stroke
of the piston rods of the cylinders.
In applying hydraulic power by this arrangement of cylinders and
pumps a variable pressure can be obtained. For example, in the case
of three steam cylinders, firstly, the steam being given to the centre
cylinder only that cylinder will exert force sufficient for the early part
of the pressure required to be performed by the ram of the hydraulic
press; secondly, steam being given to the two outside cylinders and

page_text: withheld from the centre cylinder, a greater force is obtained for the
purpose described; thirdly, steam being given to all the cylinders
sufficient force is exerted to supply pressure to complete the compressing
operation of the hydraulic press. It will thus be seen that by this
arrangement variable pressures can be obtained. Also by the use of
three or more cylinders and the pumps a better proportioned apparatus
can be obtained as the cylinders are enabled to be of smaller diameter
than those used in the present system of pumping and forcing fluids for
supplying hydraulic presses.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Ashcroft in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 12th November 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
ASHCROFT, of Alexandria, Egypt, but at present of 15, Water Street,
Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand oight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said George Ashcroft, Her special licence,
that I, the said George Ashcroft, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said George Ashcroft, 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, 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 APPARATUS AND IN THE ARRANGEMENT OF SAME FOR PUMPING FLUIDS TO SUPPLY
VARIABLE PRESSURES TO HYDRAULIC PRESSES FOR COMPRESSING AND BALING COTTON
AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS AND GOODS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said George Ashcroft, 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,

page_text: 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 George Ashcroft, 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 following statement :-
This Invention relates to improvements in hydraulic pumping or
forcing apparatus, and to a novel arrangement of the different parts of
such apparatus, so that hydraulic power can be supplied at variable
pressures.
The apparatus is particularly applicable to supplying pressure to the
rams of hydraulic presses for compressing cotton and other fibrous
substances, fuel, hay, peat, and other vegetable matters, and for pressing
mineral substances.
In compressing and baling cotton and other fibrous materials and
goods for the first three-fourths or thereabouts of the stroke of the ram
of hydraulic presses it is required only to exert a comparatively small
amount of force, the whole weight or force required being reserved for
the last portion of the stroke. To accomplish this object the presses are
arranged with two, three, four, or more hydraulic cylinders. Those
cylinders are so arranged that they exert pressure at different parts of
the stroke required for compressing the balc, namely, by causing the
carly part of the pressure to be performed by one cylinder independently,
and the final pressure to be performed by the cylinders collectively.
The object of this Invention is to construct an apparatus for pumping
or forcing fluids in such a manner as to enable hydraulic power to be
supplied at variable pressures to the cylinder and cylinders of hydraulic
presses, as before mentioned.
This Invention consists in constructing pumping or forcing machinery
of a combination of three or more vertical steam cylinders carried on a
suitable bed plate, which bed plate has upright columns, which columns
support or carry an entablature. Spaced between the cylinders and
carried by the bed plate are four vertical pumps, and supported by the
entablature are four other vertical inverted pumps. The steam cylinders
are arranged so that their piston rods take into and actuate one common
cross head. This cross head also works the rams of the force pumps

page_text: carried by the bed plate and the inverted force pumps carried by the
entablature, so that the pumps are worked on the up-and-down stroke
of the piston rods of the cylinders.
In applying hydraulic power by this arrangement of cylinders and
pumps a variable pressure can be obtained, for example, in the case of
three steam cylinders; firstly, the steam being given to the centre
cylinder only, that cylinder will exert force sufficient for the early part
of the pressure required to be performed by the ram of the hydraulic
press; secondly, steam being given to the two outside cylinders and
withheld from the centre cylinder a greater force is obtained for the
purpose described; thirdly, steam being given to all the cylinders
sufficient force is exerted to supply pressure to complete the compressing
operation of the hydraulic press. It will thus be seen that by this
arrangement variable pressures can be obtained. Also by the use of
three or more cylinders and the pumps a better proportioned apparatus
can be obtained, as the cylinders are enabled to be of smaller diameter
than those used in the present system of pumping and forcing fluids for
supplying hydraulic presses.
The before-going being the nature, object, and purpose of this my
Invention, I will now proceed to describe more in detail how the same
may be carried into practical effect, and for that purpose I have hereunto
attached two Sheets of Drawings, showing an example of an hydraulic
pumping apparatus constructed according to this Invention, marked
with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in the
following explanation :-
Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a side elevation of an hydraulic pumping or
forcing apparatus constructed according to this Invention; Figure 2,
Sheet 2, is a sectional end elevation of Figure 1; and Figure 3, Sheet 2,
is a plan of the apparatus showing the valves in section.
Upon reference to the Drawings it will be seen that this Invention
consists in constructing hydraulic pumping or forcing machinery of a
combination of three or more vertical steam cylinders A, A¹, A², carried
on a suitable bed plate B, which bed plate has upright columns C,
which support or carry an entablature or top frame D. Spaced between
the cylinders A and carried by the bed plate B are four vertical hydraulic
pumps E, E¹, E², E³, and supported by the top frame D are four other
vertical inverted hydraulic pumps F, F1, F2, F³. The steam cylinders A,

page_text: A¹, A², are arranged so that their piston rods G, G¹, G³, take into and
actuate one common cross head H. This cross head H also works the
rams I of the force pumps E, and the rams J of the force pumps F, so
that the pumps are worked on the up-and-down stroke of the piston
rods G of the cylinders A. K is a lever apparatus for working the valves
of the cylinders A.
In applying hydraulic power by this arrangement of cylinders and
pumps, a variable pressure can be obtained, for example, in the case of
three steam cylinders A, A', A', as shown; firstly, steam being given to
the centre cylinder A¹ only, that cylinder will exert sufficient force for
the pumps E and F to supply power for the early part of the pressure
required to be performed by the ram of the hydraulic press; secondly,
steam being given to the two outside cylinders A, A³, and withheld
from the centre cylinder A¹ greater force is obtained for the pumps E
and F to supply power for the middle part of the pressure required to be
performed by the rams of the hydraulic press; thirdly, steam being
given to all three cylinders A, A1, A2, sufficient force is supplied for the
pumps E and F to supply power for the completion and latter part of
the pressure required to be performed by the rams of the hydraulic press.
It will thus be seen that by this arrangement variable pressures can be 1
obtained. Also by the use of three or more cylinders and the pumps a
better proportioned apparatus can be obtained, as the cylinders are
enabled to be of smaller diameter than those used in the present system
of pumping and forcing fluids for supplying hydraulic presses.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature, object, and
purposes of this my Invention, and shown how the same may be carried
out into practical effect, I wish it to be clearly understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details and dimensions of the hydraulic
pumping or forcing apparatus, as shown in the Drawings, but what I
claim as my Invention and secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid
is, the combination and arrangement of three or more steam cylinders A,
A1, A2, carried by the bed plate B, and working by means of the cros
head H, the hydraulic pumps E and F, so that variable pressures
can be applied to the said pumps as one, two, or three cylinders are
exerting their power, the whole forming an hydraulic pumping or forcing
apparatus for pumping fluids to supply variable pressures to hydraulic
presses for compressing and baling cotton and other fibrous materials

page_text: and goods, substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein-
before described and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Ashcroft, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
GEORGE (L.S.) ASHCROFT.
Witness,
FREDERICK JOHN CHEESBROUGH,
of 15, Water Street,
Liverpool.