hydraulic press - special purpose - I'd like to get your ideas please

I am interested in finding or fabricating an apple cider press using a hydraulic cylinder. An important criteria includes having the cylinder positioned below the working table. This configuration avoids complications with contamination from leaking or dripping hydraulic fluid. Here is a PAINT sketch of the configuration I have in mind.

The rectangular frame slides vertically relative to the table base. The table base has a working surface supported some distance above the ground on a set of legs. The cylinder piston expands against the underside of the table base and against the lower cross-member of the rectangular frame. The threaded rod at the top engages the work piece and compresses against the top surface of the table base. A spring system (not shown in the figure) can raise the rectangular frame and collapse the hydraulic cylinder after compressing the work piece.

Surely others have seen or built a similar arrangement. Is there a particular name for this sort of configuration?

For cider pressing, the work piece can be a wood slat cylinder or a rack-and-frame apple mash.

This could be made of TIG welded box channel (in aluminum or stainless) or mild steel (painted or powder coated). For the cylinder, I would like something that has about a 16" stroke. Suggestions? I may be able to get a hydraulic output from my old Ford tractor (640).

Ideas? Complications? Feedback? Thanks for thinking about this.

What kind of through-put are you hoping to achieve? The main issue I see is the lack of continuous capacity, you're going batch by batch and cleaning out the chamber.

I'd be looking for some type of extusion press, basically a heavy duty screw auger press, operating horizontally, and producing an almost dry cake of pressed pulp out the front, while the juice oozes out through the chamber wall. Such things already exist. I've even seen models adapted to seperating bees wax from honey (as a crude initial process to treat cappings from honey comb).

Sounds like an interesting project! It is by far the most cost effective to buy a cheap hydraulic cylinder from your local harbor freight or similar. In my experience the only reasons to make your own cylinder is for custom sizes or to handle high pressures. Also it is a good thing to consider the tonnage the cylinder will exert with the tractors hydraulic system to ensure the press will handle it.
J. T.

It might be easier and cleaner to do this horizontally. And make the end opposite the cylinder hinged so the pulp only moves one way.
I would look at garbage trucks to get some design ideas, obviously scaled down. Ever seen one unload?
Bill D.

Batch processing is fine. For years we have used a vintage screw press switching between two wood cylinders full of pulp. The screw is turned by a wooden cheater bar. Maybe run about 30-50 crates of apples at a pressing. I am interested in shifting to a rack-and-frame set-up because the yield is better. We thinking that hydraulic power would go a bit faster and provide a bit more force. Not interested in spending thousands of dollars. What did you have in mind for a horizontal press - are you saying 'extrusion'? Do you have a picture, sketch or website to consider?

Turn your rectangle into a diamond and it can be a small fraction of the weight as all the members will be in tension or compression rather than bending.

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Why not use a air cylinder, simple air switch to control press and retract. Even with a smaller diameter air cylinder you will get more then enough pressure to crush apples. Wont be a problem for food production as your air vent that bleeds air during the stroke cycle could be piped out of the food prep area.
We use all kinds of air cylinders in the shop.

Diamond shape will not provide clearance for the work piece. The upper portions needs to have wide span, the lower portion can have angled legs. See the attachment for the origins for this idea. The threaded screw will need lubrication when under a load and on a similar machine, I've seen greasy gook fall into the pressed cider - unpleasant. That is why I am interested in having no moving parts above the apple mash.

I wonder if a pug mill could be adapted? The ones I have seen at school e stainless or maybe aluminum.
Bil lD.

CERAMIC CLAY PUGMILL EXTRUDER

air cylinder idea is intriguing. Where can an average guy find these? What size would be suitable? What is a fair price? I have an air compressor - anything special needed?

Bill D said:

I wonder if a pug mill could be adapted? The ones I have seen at school e stainless or maybe aluminum.
Bil lD.

CERAMIC CLAY PUGMILL EXTRUDER

Click to expand...

yeah, probably. the whole point of using a press rather than a centrifuge or other methods is you get less fines. fines meaning particles of a certain size distribution. i could care less as long as its fermented.

anyhow.

its diminishing returns. pressing a cubic foot of apples can be done in just a moment with a 1.5 inch diameter, 4 tpi acme thread acting on a 10-12 inch diameter press, about a foot to foot and a half tall, so you only have to turn the screw on the order of 24 to 36 times round and round and most of those turns are without any effort, and it gives the kids something to do.. feeding apples into the shredder takes as long as pressing it does, which is why they give you two or three baskets.

if you really want to speed up the process, drive the lead screw with an air hammer. replace the cast iron nut with delrin, use food based oil or other food grade lubricant for the screw, replace the acme thread with stainless steel instead of (in some cases) cast iron or more likely cast steel . most people rent apple presses and don't question what the leadscrew is lubricated with.

Apple cider ranks up there with laws and sausage as something people should not see being made.

Having operated an antique cider press, I have to agree with Johansen as to the easiest improvements.

When I took a tour of the Hershey's chocolate plant I was told the pumps etc are lubed with coconut oil and coconut butter in case any leaks into the food.
Bil lD.

machinist's kid: Before you re-invent the wheel, check out a Victorio food strainers. They use screens of various sizes (whatever size is require)and the dry pulp comes out the end of the strainer into a waste receptacle and the juices and the good part of the pulp go into a different receptacle. This is an ongoing process as long as you keep cranking. They work great.

JH

I helped build a wine press using this drive. It has an 8:1 worm gear that was driven by a hand crank. The box was a horizontal angle iron affair with course screen. Everything dumped into a trough made from cutting a plastic food grade barrel lengthwise. The nut is bronze so no lube was used. This was a spare I got out of the deal. I was going to make a beastly trash masher out of it but never got around to it.

I also think an air cylinder is much better suited. No fear of oil contamination and most of all faster acting. A properly regulated air cylinder is going to be better suited to the pressures and other demands of this service. You're just squeezing apples, not bearings.

I use my Hydraulic shop press for my cider press. I put a 4 x 16 inch block of wood on the frame to create a larger surface area. On top of that is a SS tray with a spigot at one end. In the tray is a wooden grate that the "cheese" sits on. A form is used to add the pulp to the cheese then removed, and another stout block of maple put on top.

My press uses a 12 ton jack and it takes all I can give it to press the juice. It doesn't leak oil so that is not an issue.I recover 2 gallons per bushel as compared to the commercial press who recovers 3 gallons with a 60 ton press.
A great advantage is I don't have a piece of machinery sitting around the shop only being used a couple of days each year.

Tensile testing frames are made exactly as you have drawn - Balwin, Satac, and others. Instron's have double side screws. Old frames without instrumentation aren't too expensive. 30 ton frames are common.