Hollow-centered compacting device

Claim 1

A PRESS FOR COMPACTING LOOSE PARTICULATE FLAKE MATERIAL INTO A HOGSHEAD, SAID PRESS COMPRISING, A LIFTING PISTON FOR RAISING THE HOGSHEAD, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID HOGSHEAD WHEN SAID HOGSHEAD IS RAISED ON SAID LIFTING PISTON, A TAMPING PISTON FOR COMPACTING FLAKE MATERIAL IN THE HOGSHEAD, MEANS SUPPORTING SAID TAMPING PISTON ABOVE SAID LIFTING PISTON IN VERTICAL ALIGNMENT THEREWITH, SAID TAMPING PISTON HAVING A TAMPER AT THE LOWER END THEREOF, SAID TAMPER COMPRISING AN ANNULAR TAMPING MEMBER, A FUNNEL SHAPED MEMBER JOINING THE INNER RIM OF SAID ANNULAR TAMPING MEMBER, AND ARMS CONNECTING SAID TAMPER TO SAID TAMPING PISTON, MEANS FOR DELIVERING FLAKE MATERIAL INTO THE UPPER END OF SAID HOGSHEAD AND THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE ANNULAR TAMPING MEMBER SUCH THAT SAID FLAKE MATERIAL IS DEPOSITED PRIMARILY ADJACENT THE SIDE OF SAID HOGSHEAD, AND MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING SAID TAMPING PISTON TO COMPACT FLAKE MATERIAL IN SAID HOGSHEAD, SAID TAMPER APPLYING DIRECT COMPRESSING FORCE ONLY TO FLAKE MATERIAL ADJACENT THE WALL OF SAID HOGSHEAD, A SOFT CENTER THEREBY BEING IMPARTED TO SAID FLAKE MATERIAL.