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Aggieland | This is a very old Webb steam cotton bale press that was once the main press for Valley Compress Co. Back in the day cotton bales from the gins came in different sizes due to variations in press manufactures design. So the railroad commissions set a standard density that the wanted the bales in to haul by rail and therefore the compress was built and used these huge machines to repack the bales to a standard density. In the 1970s the national cotton council created a standard (still used today) and gin equipment manufactures began making "uniform density" bale presses at the gin allowing the bales to no longer need to be repressed. You would have thought the compresses would have gone away at that time but most survived and are now just cotton warehouses that hold cotton until it's sold and shipped overseas. It's not uncommon to hear gunners or farmers to refer to the warehouse as the compress and many compresses still have compress in their name. This particular compress is out of business and the entire property in disrepair. So the next time you're driving around in cotton country and see a bunch of warehouses near train tracks you may find yourself a old sleepy Webb bale press.
Yes I wouldn't want to work on that bad boy. Here I was thinking the presses I work on now with 18"diameter rams that have a 14' stroke are big! This guy was huge.
Thanks for playing along.
http://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/pages/US706618-0.png
http://www.google.com/patents/US4391186
Caleb
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A what is it picture. I know what it is but do you?
