US1659865A

US1659865A - Steel-bound press for baling cotton

Info

Publication number: US1659865A
Application number: US189389A
Authority: US
Inventors: Elliott Thomas
Original assignee: Continental Gin Co
Current assignee: Continental Gin Co
Priority date: 1927-05-06
Filing date: 1927-05-06
Publication date: 1928-02-21
Anticipated expiration: 1945-02-21

Description

Feb. 21, 1928.

T. ELLIOTT STEEL BOUND PRESS FOR BALING COTTON Filed May a, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet l rwanloz Thamas E'JZ4LOZZ nome Feb. 21, 1928. 1,659,865

T. ELLIOTT STEEL BOUND PRESS FOR BALING COTTON Filed May 6, 1927 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Thomas E'llwtt Gnome Patented Feb. 21, 1928.

UNITED STATES I v I A 1,659,865 PATENT 'oFFI'ca.

'rr-r'oMAs union, or BIRMINGH M, ALA AMA. Assrenon 'ro CONTINENTAL GIN COMPANY, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE.

STEEL-BOUND PRESS Application filed May 6,

My invention relates to a press for baling cotton, and comprises improvements in construction and arrangements of parts which are applicable both for single and double box presses.

One important object of my inventionis todevise a press, the frame-work of which shall be formed of structural steel in such manner that it is simple of construction, of

very great and rugged strength, and is inherently braced against the strains and stresses which have heretofore required constant adjustment of parts of the present presses in order to hold the frame in align- ]5 ment.

More particularly, my invention contemplates the connecting of the pairs of channel irons forming the upper and-lower platens at their corresponding ends with a vertical channel iron adapted to both space the channels of each platen and to rigidly connect the platens against vertical and angular transverse stresses thus permitting a structural steel bound press frame to be provided of unusual strength and rigidity and yet capable of economical manufacture.

A further, object of my invention, as ap-. plied to double box presses, relates to the manner in which the strain member upon which the press revolves is connected to the top and bottom platen channels. According to my invention I use a square bar rigidly bolted bet-ween cross channels interposedbetween the channel units of each top and bottom channel and I mount onthe' square bar on suitable supporting plates antifriotion bearings for the rotating double press boxes. V

'My invention is further. concerned with simplifying and perfecting the counterbalancing of the press box doors, which are so heavy that they must becounter-balanced to enable one man to handle them. Here tofore, they have been counter-balanced by a counterweight supported by a, rope or cable passing over a pulley mounted on a superstructure above the press. According .to my present invention the doors are mounted on pivot crank shafts'with counterweights suspended from the crank below the platform where they arefree to rise and fall without interfering with the operation of the press. 7

Another feature of my invention relates to the manner in which the side and end Eon BALING common.

1927. Serial rm 129,229.

'doors are wedgedly engaged and clamped in operating position, and to this end I pro vide the press box doors near their upper free corners with co -acting wedges so disposed and designedas to stop any uplift of the end doors and to permit the side doors to-open out easily notwithstanding the doors are subjected to great internal pressure. By

My inventionalso comprises certain details for the design of the pivot crank shaft for the side doors and the manner of mounting same in structural supports extending Eransversely across the ends of the press OK. I

My invention also comprises the novel details of construction and arrangements of parts, which, in their preferred embodiment only are illustrated in the accompanying drawings Which form part of this specification, and in which Fig. 1 is front elevation of a double box press with structural strain members connecting the platens.

Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig. 1 with the side doors shown opened out in dotted p0- sition. 1

F 8 is a c ross sectional view taken through the door wedge lock members of a single box'p'ress with the channel strain members at both ends of the box.

Fig. 45 is a detail cross-sectional view taken on the line IVIV of Fig. 1. T

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. l with the door shown in openposition.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view partly broken away of the pivotal crank shaft for the doors.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view on a reduced scale taken on the line VII.VII of Fig. 6.v 7 v i I Fig. 8 is detail view of the main bearing for supporting the rotating press boxes. a

Fig; 9 is a detail end view broken away illustrating a channel strain and spreader connection between both ends of the top and bottom platens of the'press.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, Ihave shown the double box type of press, but it is to be understood that for single box presses the strain members connecting both ends of the upper and lower platens will be alike, as indicated in Fig. 3. In the drawings, the revolvingboxes and 11 are of any standard structure and are adapted to rotate on antifriction bearings 12 that are mounted on a square center strain bar 13 which connects one end of the upper and lower platens preferably by being bolted to the centers of cross channel members 14 (see Fig. 1), which serve as spreaders and have their flanges 15 connected by bolts 16 to the channels 17 forming the lower platen and to the channels 18 forming the upper platen. The strain bar is preferably square to facilitate its bolting between the channel members 14 at each end, and in order to support the antifriction bearing 12 thereon I bolt supporting plates or lugs 19 to opposite sides of the strain bar by cross bolts, thus providing cheap and simple mounting for the antifriction or ball bearing support for the revolving boxes.

The plunger element 20 is suitably mounted between the lower platen channels 17, and the tapered bottom platens at their other ends are spaced, cross braced and rigidly connected by a single strain member formed by the channel 21 (see Fig. 9), having a width suitable to space the platen members and to have its side flanges directly bolted thereto at each side. A web plate 22 can also be provided at each joint to brace this spacer channel which affords. an extremely simple and sturdy connection which will prevent displacement of the platens. This construction will be provided at both ends of the platens in the case of single box presses, as shown by the

channels

21, 21 in Fig. 3.

The upper boxes comprise side doors 23 and end doors 24 which may be of any standard design, the end doors engaging a fixed bottom rail formed by a channel 25 which extends beyond the sides of the press box. The side doors are each provided with top and bottom side door rails, each bottom rail being made up of spaced angles 26 which are bolted to the side door and receive between them and are bolted to a square bar 27' which serves as pivot and projects beyond the ends of the box and passes through suitable openings provided in the end door rails 25 (see Fig. 6). The opening for this shaft 27 in one rail 25 is made large enough to receive a cylindrical bearing end 28 on a casting 29 which has a horizontal groove extending part way through one face to snugly receive the adjacent square end of the shaft 27. This casting is adapted to receive the tie bolts 30 which pass therethrough on each side of the shaft 27 and engage the loop end of a crank bar 31, and hold it rigidly clamped'to the shaft 27 so as to turn therewith. Each crank bar 31 at its lower end is pivotally connected by a pair of links 32 to the center of an elongated counterweight 33 which hangs between the platform 34 and the lower structural members 35 connecting the bottom of the boxeslO and 11. These weights are also preferably arranged between the boxes in the double box press and therefore, as seen in Fig. 1, the castings 29 are arranged for each side door adjacent to the center strain bar 13. The crank bars are sufficiently bent to offset the several weights so that each will move independently of the other and'in order that the weights may-take up but' little space vertically they are substantially elongated as shown more clearly in Fig. 2. In order to increase the bearing surface for the bearings 28 of the square ends of the shafts 27, I may weld a bearing collar 36 to each adjacent channel rail 25. The other ends 37 of the shafts 27 are turned and mounted bearings 38 suitably bolted or otherwise.

attached thereto. 'These form the inner bearings for the upper end of the lock bars 39 which extend beyond the ends of these rails and are provided with cam ends 40 adapted to enagage the eye 41 at the free end of each stirrup 42, these stirrups being adjustably connected at their other ends to spacer wedge blocks43 mounted between the overhung ends of the angles 38 forming the top rail of the other side doorof the same box. r y

The channels38 project beyond the ends of the press box and there receive spacing wedge blocks 44 which are grooved to serve as outer bearings for the lock bar 39. The

blocks

43 and 44 are adapted to co-act with the shouldered wedge plates 45 that are bolted to the channels 46 which form the upper rail for each end door, the

blocks

43 and 44 on each side door being arranged to engage between them'the adjacent wedge pares" 45 at each end of the press box.

The shoulder 45" on each wedge plate will engage the

co-acting block

43 or 44 and hold theend- The lock bars 39 carry latches 47 adapted to engage detents 48 on the lower cross rail of the side doors and the under channels 38 of the upper rails on the side doors have blocks 49 attached thereto which will serve as legs to support the side doors when fully opened out. p

The press boxes have brackets 50 attached to their rails and the brackets carry an up per bearing 51 on the strain bar 13.

Having constructed the press in the manner described, it will be obvious that the side doors can be readily opened out without being jammed to the end doors because of the internal pressure, and that one man can easily handle them, due to the efiective manner in which they are counter-balanced by the weights 33. Due to the almost complete employment of structural metal in the binding of the press boxes and in the bracing of the platens, I obtain what I term a steel bound press which requires no adjustment of its strain members, which will rigidly holdthe platens in correct alignment and in fixed relative position, notwithstanding the excessive strains to which the press is subjected in service, and which will possess an exceed ingly durable and rugged press structure.

Though I have described with great particularity the details of the embodiment of the invention herein shown, it is not to be construed that I am limited thereto, as

changes in arrangement and substitution of equivalents may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

mounted to project beyond the side doors at each end near the top, and co-acting wedge members mounted at each side near the top of the end doors, said wedge members being disposed when engaged to interlock in planes divergent from the side doors towards the transverse center line of the press box.

2. A press according to claim 1, in which the side doors having hinge mountings, and the wedge member on the end doors is shouldered to engage under the co-acting side door wedge and adapted/to hold the end door against rising.

3. A press of the character described, comprising side doors, means for pivotally mounting the side doors having a crank connected to-each pivot means, and a counterweight suspended from the crank.

4. A press according to claim 3, in which the pivotal mounting means for each side door embodies a square bar having a cast bearing fast on one end, a crank rigidly connected to said casting, and a weight pivotally suspended by links from said crank.

5. A press of the character described,com-

risin side and end doors a bottom rail for each end door formed by a channel projecting beyond the side doors, the side doors having bottom rails comprising a square bar bolted between angles attached to the door and journaled in said channels, bearings mounted on one end of each square bar and adapted to turn in said channels, each of said bearings having a square recess to receive the square bar, means to clamp a crank to each hearing so as to underhang from the bar, and a counter-weight pivotally connected by links to eachcrank.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. 1

THOMAS ELLIOTT.