IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF HORSE AND CATTLE FOOD
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Yeldham Betts, of Coventry, in the County of
Warwick, Corn Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PREPARATION OF HORSE AND CATTLE FOOD."
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Yeldham Betts at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th August 1879.
JOHN YELDHAM BETTS, of Coventry, in the County of Warwick, Corn Merchant.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF HORSE AND CATTLE FOOD."
This Invention relates to the conversion of green crops and of unripe corn into
cakes suitable for the ordinary food of horses and cattle, the chief object being to
ensure the harvesting of these crops in an economical manner irrespective of the
weather. To this end as soon as the crop is reaped I convey it to a suitable
building provided with apparatus for cutting up the crop, and reducing it when
required to short lengths by a suitable cutting engine.
The crop I mix while still in a moist state in a mill with a paste of wheaten or
other flour or glutinous substance, for the purpose of imparting an adhesive
property thereto. The compound thus produced I may submit in some cases to
the action of free steam, and in all cases I submit it to pressure, and subsequently
to heat in a drying chamber, and I thus produce cakes which will contain all the
natural nutriment of grass, clover, or other crop treated by my process.
The proportion of paste or glutinous matter which I employ will be just
sufficient to impart the requisite amount of cohesion to the pressed cakes, and this
will vary somewhat according to the nature and state of the crops under treatment.
The advantages which I propose to secure by this mode of treating green crops
and unripe corn are the following:
-
(1). The harvesting of the same in all weathers, and without deterioration of the
natural qualities of the crop.
(2). The production of a food suitable for common use, and one which from its
small bulk is easy of transport, and capable also of exact apportionment, and unlike
hay, offering no facilities for waste through fermentation, or otherwise.
It may be remarked that to adapt the food to special uses, crushed or ground
corn, beans, and peas may be added together with spice or other condiment to the
compound in the mixing mill.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Yeldham Betts in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th
February 1880.
JOHN YELDHAM BETTS, of Coventry, in the County of Warwick, Corn Merchant.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF HORSE AND CATTLE FOOD."
This Invention relates to the conversion of green crops, such as cut grass and
clover, and unripe beans and corn into cakes suitable for the ordinary food of
horses and cattle, the chief object being to ensure the harvesting of these crops
in an economical manner irrespective of the weather.
To this end so soon as the crop is reaped I convey it to a suitable building
provided with apparatus for cutting up the crop, and reducing it when required
'to short lengths by a cutting engine or disintegrator.
For the purpose of imparting an adhesive property to the disintegrated materials
when moulded into cakes, I mix with them a paste of wheaten or other flour or
glutinous substance in a pug or other suitable mill. The proportion of paste or
glutinous matter which I employ will be just sufficient to impart, the requisite
amount of cohesion to the pressed cakes, and this will vary somewhat according
to the nature and state of the crops under treatment.
I find however in practice that when the crop to be treated is young and
succulent, the after treatment of pressing in heated moulds and subsequently
drying the cake will develope sufficient glutinous starch for ensuring a proper
adhesion of the fibrous substances, and giving the consistency to the cake requisite
for a marketable product.
The disintegrated material whether mixed with paste or gluten, as above
explained, or not, I fill into moulds heated to a temperature of about 212°
Fahrenheit, and compress the same therein into slabs or cakes of such consistency
as will permit of their being readily broken up when required for use, maintaining
the pressure in the moulds for some fifteen minutes, more or less.
The cakes thus prepared I place in a drying chamber heated to a temperature of
about 212° Fahrenheit, and submit them to the heat of this chamber until only
some 16 per cent. of moisture remains in the cake.
This drying of the cakes will take upon an average some ten or twelve hours.
The advantages which I secure by the above described mode of treating.green
crops and unripe corn are the following:
(1). I am enabled to harvest grass and other green crops in all weathers and
without deterioration of their natural qualities.
(2). To produce a horse and cattle food suitable for ordinary use, and one which
from its small bulk is easy of transport, and capable also of exact apportionment,
and unlike hay, offering no facilities for waste through fermentation, or otherwise.
I would here remark that to adapt the food to special uses, crushed or ground
corn, beans, and peas may be added together with spice or other condiment to the
compound in the mixing, mill.
A provender cake especially suitable for horses is made as follows:-
I combine straw, oats, beans, and maize with grass in the following manner and
proportions, which it is evident may be slightly varied as circumstances may.
require To every ton of grass I add one eighth of its weight of dry straw (wheat,
oat, or other straw), which has been previously cut up into suitable lengths, and
one sixth of its weight of ground corn composed of one half maize, one quarter oats,
and one quarter beans: When these materials have been well incorporated, the,
mixture thus formed is ready for treatment by pressure and heat in a similar way
to that above explained.

page_text: Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements in the
Preparation of Horse and Cattle Food," and explained the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent I claim,-
The conversion of green crops into cakes, in the manner and for the purpose
above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Yeldham Betts, have hereto set my
hand and seal, the Twelfth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
JOHN YELDHAM BETTS. (L.S.)