16 



BULLETIN 867, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Figure 7 shows a filling press, the object of its use being to fill a 

 cage, tanip the contents, and thus conserve pressing space in the 

 operations which follow. Otherwise, the initial shrinkage of the batch 

 due to the application of high pressure would result in much loss of 

 valuable pressing space. Figure 8 shows a discharging apparatus 

 used in removing the cakes from the press, a comparatively slow 

 operation, the object of its use being to avoid diverting heavy pres- 

 sures from their intended use. Figure 9 shows a finishing press for 

 the heavy pressure for the production of oil. Figure 10 shows a 

 filling, finishing, and discharging press, where all operations are 



Fig. 6.— A cot.tons.eed plate press converted into a cage press. Cage under ram, ready to receive pressure, 

 at left; press, showing cage out ready to be charged, at right. 



performed in the same press. Figure 11 shows a carriage with the 

 cage used in transporting a cage between the various presses. 



After pressing, the cakes are removed from the retaining cages by 

 rolling back the overhead plungers and applying the pressure. The 

 cages are bolted in a stationary position to the press pan and the 

 press ram works up through the cage, forcing the pressed cakes out 

 at the top, from which point they are removed by the operator. 



Castor-bean cake is very different from that of other oilseeds. 

 In the latter, the cakes are as firm and low in oil as any produced 

 in plate presses. In fact, the newer developments of cage presses 

 are producing cakes lower in oil than those obtained by any other 

 pressing operation. In the case of castor beans, however, .the cakes 

 are not cohesive and dry, .but readily crumble and fall to pieces. 



