"As an accumulator of power, [the] press surpasses anything that has yet been invented...."
Scientific American (Jan 1864)
Joseph Bramah (1748-1814), an inventor and locksmith born in Yorkshire, England, developed and patented the hydraulic press in 1795. He also invented a beer engine (1797), a papermaking machine (1805), a machine for printing bank notes with sequential serial numbers (1806), and a fountain pen (1809).
Hydraulic presses are widely used in industry for tasks that require a large force. Their capacity can range from 1 ton, or less, to more than 10,000 tons. The machine depends on Pascal's principle, which is that pressure throughout a closed system is constant. Typically it has two cylinders and pistons of differing cross-sectional areas joined by a length of small- diameter tubing. A fluid, such as oil, is displaced when either piston is pushed inward. The small piston displaces a smaller volume of fluid than the large piston, for an equal distance of movement, so any force exerted on the smaller piston is translated into a larger force on the larger piston, because the force is magnified by the increased area of the pistons,
The science of hydraulics deals with the flow of liquids in pipes, rivers, and channels and their confinement by dams and tanks. Its principles may also apply to gases. Nowadays the scope of hydraulics extends to such mechanical devices as fans and gas turbines and to pneumatic control systems, as well as hydraulic disc brakes and hydraulic garage lifts.
Bramah worked with William George Armstrong on the hydraulic press, which found numerous industrial applications. The hydraulic press, which is often named for him as the Bramah Press, was his most important invention.
