Historical Overview of Press Development

 

In simple configurations, presses have been used since antiquity to extract or Press oil and other substances from vegetable matter.  A simple primitive form of lever press is illustrated in Figure 1.  A pole or timber is placed under a rock ledge, which serves as a fixed pivot.  The material to be pressed is placed on a suitable hollowed out stone, which also acts to gather the liquid pressed from the material.  The liquid is collected in a simple container.  Pressure is supplied by stones placed on the end of the timber.  This type of press is still used by primitive cultures.  [1]


[1] R. Ellen, A Vertical Wedge Press from the Banda Islands , Technology and Culture, January 1992, Volume 33, Number 1, © The University of Chicago Press.  In this article a photograph of a level beam press together with a drawing of the wedge press principle are shown.  The evolution of the design of the wedge press shown in figure 2 is considered to have originated in ancient  China , and the design used elsewhere.

 


Download the Copyrighted PDF document 1582 KB

HOME PAGE