IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES FOR FEEDING ANIMALS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR THAT PURPOSE
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Alison, of Hainault Forest, in the County of
Essex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING
VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES FOR FEEDING ANIMALS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR THAT
PURPOSE."
Sealed the 1st December 1857, and dated the 7th July 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Alison at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th July
1857.
I, JOHN ALISON, of Hainault Forest, in the County of Essex, Gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PREPARING VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES FOR FEEDING ANIMALS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR
THAT PURPOSE," to be as follows:-
Whereas grass and clover have heretofore been cut into chaff in the dried
state only, these improvements consist in converting grass, clover, tares, corn,
and all other suitable vegetable substances into chaff from the green state.
For this purpose the grass (or other vegetable substance) after being mown is
carried directly from the field to the building in which the conversion is to be
carried ou. The grass is then cut up into short lengths, for which purpose I
employ a series of circular knives or cutters, revolving on a longitudinal shaft
in contact with a second series of circular knives, or with a plain roller having

page_text: indents or spaces corresponding to the first series of knives, the space between
the said revolving cutters determining the length of the cut material. And
although I use this form of apparatus for cutting green vegetable substances,
it may also be advantageously employed for cutting hay, straw, and clover in
the dried state. As the grass (or other substance) is cut into short lengths it
falls down between the revolving knives into an apartment beneath, from which
it is carried up by an endless chain of buckets to the upper floor of the build-
ing, and deposited in an apartment immediately over the kiln or drying floor.
A quantity of the cut grass being dropped through on to the drying floor, it
is equally distributed thereon by a revolving horizontal spreader; heated air is
then admitted under pressure below the kiln floor, which is formed of per-
forated flaps or louvres. The heated air, after passing up through the grass
and depriving it of its moisture, escapes through suitable flues into the open
air. When the grass is sufficiently dessicated, the louvres of the drying floor
are opened and the dried chaff falls through on to the floor beneath, from
which it is gathered and deposited in suitable receptacles.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Alison in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th
January 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, Jonx
ALISON, of Hainault Forest, in the County of Essex, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Пer Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Iler
reign, did for Herself, Ier heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Alison, Her special licence that I, the said John Alison,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, tho said
John Alison, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES TOR FEEDING ANIMALS,
AND IN APPARATUS FOR THAT PURIOSE," upon the condition (amongst others) :

page_text: that I, the said John Alison, my executors, or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Alison, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, that is to say :-
it
Whereas grass and clover have heretofore been cut into chaff in the dried
state only, these improvements consist in converting grass, clover, tares, corn,
and all other suitable vegetable substances into chaff from the green state.
For this purpose the grass (or other vegetable substance) after being mown is
carried directly from the field to the building in which the conversion is to be
carried on. The grass is then cut up into short lengths, for which İ
purpose
employ a series of circular knives or cutters, revolving on a longitudinal shaft
in contact with a second series of circular knives, or with a plain roller having
indents or spaces corresponding to the first series of knives, the space between
the said revolving cutters determining the length of the cut material. And
although I use this form of apparatus for cutting green vegetable substances,
may also be advantageously employed for cutting hay, straw, and clover in
the dried state. As the grass (or other substance) is cut into short lengths it
falls. down between the revolving knives into an apartment beneath, from
which it is carried up by an endless chain of buckets to the upper floor of the
building, and deposited in an apartment immediately over the kiln or drying
floor. A quantity of the cut grass being dropped through on to the drying
floor, it is equally distributed thereon by a revolving horizontal spreader;
heated air is then admitted under pressure below the kiln floor, which is
formed of perforated flaps or louvres. The heated air, after passing up
through the grass and depriving it of its moisture, escapes through suitable
flues into the open air. When the grass is sufficiently dessicated, the louvres
of the drying floor are opened and the dried chaff falls through on to
the floor beneath, from which it is gathered and deposited in suitable
receptacles.
And in order that the same may be more fully understood, reference is had
to the following description thereof, and to the Drawings hereunto annexed.
The same letters refer to similar parts in each of the Drawings:-
Figure 1, Sheet 1, is an elevation, and Figure 2 a plan view, of a building

page_text: suitable for carrying out this Invention. The fresh mown grass is carted to
the door-way A, from which floor it is fed through an opening down to the
cutting apparatus beneath.
Figure 3 is an end elevation of the cutting machine; Figure 4 an enlarged
plan view of the cutting rollers; and Figure 5 an elevation of the same.
The cut grass falls through an opening in the floor A', which to prevent
accidents is protected by a fenco or guard B, open on two sides only. The
grass passes down a shoot or hopper A', A², expanding in every direction
downwards, and lined with smooth metal to prevent clogging, and is received
by a pair of feeding rollers a, a'. The roller a runs in a fixed bearing, but
the roller a¹ is mounted in a bearing supported by a lever b, the pressure of
which is regulated by a weight w. Immediately beneath the feeding rollers
is placed the cutting rollers c, c¹. The roller c is composed of a series of flat-
edged circular steel knives d, d, which are kept at uniform distances asunder
by the interposed metallic rings e, e, slid on to an iron mandril, as shown by
the part section . In order to slide the rings without difficulty, and to give
them a hold upon the cylinder, they are cut as shown by Figure 6. The
opposite roller c¹ is formed of a malleable iron cylinder turned true in a lathe,
with indents or grooves corresponding with and receiving the edges of the
projecting cutters d, d, and steeled on the outer surface, so that as the rollers
revolve they interlock and cut up the grass or other vegetable substance into
lengths corresponding to the distance at which the cutters are set apart.
Motion is given to the feed rollers and to the cutting rollers, by bands from
a steam engine or other prime mover, which take hold of the drums f, f,
and fi, f.
Auother form of cutting or punobing apparatus is shewn in Shoet 2, Figure 7
being an elevation, Figure 8 a plan view, and Figure 9 a sectional elevation,
of the cutting part of this machine upon an enlarged scale. g, g, are a series
of steel knives or cutters, mounted in a longitudinal frame with distancing
blocks of wood or metal h, h, between them, and securely held in their places
by binding screws i, i. This longitudinal frame of knives (or comb) is held
to the front of the machine by two strong iron bars k, k, and screws ke, k².
At short intervals along the bars & there are a series of tightening and
adjusting screws 1, 7, to keep the cutters close up to their work under the
action of the rammer. C is a rammer, to which a backward and forward
motion is given by a connecting rod D from an adjustable crank E; F is a
guide rod, and G the driving pulley, to which motion is given by a band or
strap g. The grass or other vegetable substance being fed down through the
hopper A, A, falls between the knives 7 and the rammer C, the reciprocating

page_text: motion of which drives the grass forcibly against the knives by which it is
divided, and passing through between them is delivered on the outer side.
Figure 10 is an enlarged front elevation, and Figure 11 a plan view, of the
comb detached from the machine.
The grass having been cut up into short lengths is taken up by an endless
chain of buckets he, he, to the upper floor of the building, from whence it is
admitted in suitable quantities to the kiln or drying floor, shown at H,
Figures 1 and 2, Sheet 1, and more clearly on an enlarged scale by Figures
12, 13, and 14, Sheet 2. This drying floor is composed of a series of per-
forated flaps or louvres I, II, resting upon an open iron framework, and
turning on pivots so as to be capable of being placed in a horizontal or
vertical position. In Figures 12 and 14 these louvres are shown as open, and
in the plan view, Figure 13, they are shown closed. The opening is effected
by pulling a cord I, while the shutting is effected by the reaction of a strong
coiled spring, or by a weight. J, Figures 12 and 13, is a revolving spreader,
adjustable on the central shaft or spindle, so as to be set at any height
above the floor, as may be most advantageous; the rotation of this spreader
distributes the grass evenly over the surface of the drying floor. A proper
quantity of cut grass having been spread upon the drying floor, dry hot air is
admitted beneath from the hot air flues K, K, which passing through the grass
and depriving it of its moisture, escapes up the chimneys L, L, into the
external atmosphere. When the dessication is completed, the louvres H are
opened and the dry chaff falls down a hopper beneath (M, Figures 1 and 12),
from whence it passes along a shoot to a point M, where it is taken up
by a chain of endless buckets and deposited in a store loft in the upper
part of the building ready for use.
Figure 15, Sheet 2, is an elevation of a close kiln or drying chamber, which
may be used in place of the former. It consists of a cylindrical metal chamber
having openings at its upper and lower ends for the reception and discharge
of the substance to be operated upon by means of heated air, forced or drawn
through it. The chamber being filled with the moist cut grass through the
upper opening N, it is closed by an air-tight cover; hot air is then admitted
at the lower part of the chamber by a pipe O, and passing through the grass
and depriving it of its moisture, escapes at the upper part of the chamber
through a pipe P, which may be in connection with an exhausting apparatus
to expedite the passage of the air through the material to be dessicated. Or
instead of an exhausting apparatus acting through the pipe P, the hot air
may be injected by a forcing apparatus through the pipe O, if preferred. The
stop-cock shuts off the connection with the chamber by the pipe O; p³opens

page_text: the connection with the hot air supply; and p³ is for the admission of cold air
when required to the chamber. The lower part of the chamber is closed by
a circular door R, kept closed by a lever S, acted upon by a screw s¹ at its
outer extremity. When the contents of the chamber are sufficiently dried,
the door R is opened by giving a reverse motion to the screw s', when the
chaff falls down the hopper into the receptacle from which it is lifted, as
before described.
And having now ascertained the nature of my Invention, and the best
methods with which I am acquainted for performing the same, I desire it to
be understood that what I claim is, the improvements in preparing vegetable
substances for feeding animals, and in the apparatus for that purpose,
substantially as herein-before described and shown in the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Alison, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifth day of January, in the year of our Lord Ono
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
ALFRED H. WARNES,
Totness.
JOHN ALISON. (L.S.)