meet the
necessities of these countries, Mr. Watson has devised several forms
of press in which not only is the table made to rise rapidly through
the greater part of its stroke, but the rams are kept almost
constantly in motion, so that the time occupied in filling the box
with raw cotton and in placing the ties round the bales is not lost.

[Illustration: COMPOUND HYDRAULIC PRESS. FIGS. 1 and 2.]

We illustrate four forms of Mr. Watson's presses, Fig. 1 being an
earlier construction, which, although very rapid at the date at which
it was brought out, has been far surpassed in celerity by the
arrangements shown in Figs. 3 to 8. It was introduced in 1873, and
forty-three presses according to this design were sent to India by the
makers, Messrs. Fawcett, Preston & Co., of Phoenix Foundry,
Liverpool, between that year and 1880. Four presses of this kind are
worked by one engine, having a cylinder 20 in. by 3 ft. stroke, and
driving eighteen to twenty pumps of varying diameter and short stroke.
The press has two long-stroke rams, LL, of small diameter, to compress
the loose material, and two short-stroke rams, FF, of large diameter,
to give the final squeeze. These two pairs of rams act alternately,
the one pair being idle while the other is in operation. The lashing
of the bale takes place while the larger rams are in action, the bale
being supported on the grid, B, which is pushed under it through
grooves formed in the press-head, S (Fig. 1). When the grid is in
place the press-head can be lowered, and the box be filled, while the
bale is receiving its final squeeze from the inverted rams above.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the press is shown in the position it would occupy if
the bale, M, were just completed and ready to be pushed out, and the
box, N, were full of material. The filling doors, CC, are shown turned
back level with the floor, the main doors, AA, are open, as are also
the end doors, KK, to admit the men to fasten up the bale. If water be
admitted to the subsidiary cylinder, H, the head, G, and two rams, FF,
will be raised, and then the bale, M, can be thrown out finished. All
the doors are now closed and water admitted to the rams, LL. These
immediately rise, pushing the contents of the box, N, before them, and
compressing them until the table, S, reaches the level of the grid, B.
At this moment the tappet rod, D, shuts off the water, and withdraws
the bolt of the doors, AA, which fly open. The grid, B (Fig. 2), is