IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SILOS
Year: 1884

page_text: COMICLETE SPECIFICATION,
I, WILLIAM ELLIS of Great Week, Chagford, in the County of Devon, Farmer,
do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF SILOS," and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement and
the Drawings therein referred to (that is to say):-
:-
My said Invention consists in so constructing silos that they may be.readily
erected and taken apart and re-erected, the various parts constituting the structures
being arranged to fit and to separate accordingly.
Thus the site of erection of a silo may be varied as desired for convenience in
hauling or otherwise conveying thereto the fodder intended to be stored in the silo.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I now proceed
more particularly to describe the same with reference to the accompanying Sheet of
illustrative Drawings and the figures and letters marked thereon.
Fig. 1, on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, represents a side elevation of a
silo constructed according to one method of carrying my Invention into effect.
Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are, respectively, a sectional plan, end elevation, and transverse
section of the silo.
The ride walls and part of the gables are made up of sheet metal plates, a,
inserted in grooves formed for their reception in the posts or pillars, b, fitted at
their lower ends into recesses cut in the base or sill c partly sunk below the ground
which may be prepared by paving to receive the fodder. A layer of brushwood
may be used as a hed for the fodder. At their upper ends the pillars b are
similarly fitted into the top frame & carrying the principals e of the roof. To the
purlins, secured to the principals, are bolted the metal plates g constituting the
roofing of the structure.
The roof and roof frame may be divided transversely into two or more sections
capable of being fixed or moved independently and the roofing plates of the sections
may conveniently abut on each other above the principals. The vertical bars h
serve to tie the roof more securely, and the horizontal bars i assist to stiffen the
plates a forming part of the walls.
The fodder to be stored in the silo is fed in at an opening or openings formed in
the upper part of one or both of the gables which, towards the top, are constructed
of wood.
Doors A cover the said opening or openings. These doors may be conveniently
laced as shewn in the Drawings and preferably designed to open outwards. An

page_text: additional "poll "door C placed at a lower level, to facilitate the feeding in of the
fodder, may be provided. The metal sheet c¹ of which the "poll" door C is
composed may be readily slid vertically into or out of place. By, the doors B,
preferably opening inwards, the fodder-is taken out as required.
Under the form of construction described, air and moisture are excluded from the
fodder contained in the silo, the usual cover or lid being superposed on the mass.
The doors B may be lined with zinc, with which also other parts of the structure
may be covered as desired.
•
Instead of being flat, as shown, the sections forming the roof of the silo may be
of semicircular or other desired shape.
My improved method of construction may be applied to silos built in excavated
hill sides or slopes, the shape and arrangement of the walls, roof and other parts
being varied as required for 'the purpose.
Silos constructed in accordance with this Invention may, as aforesaid, be readily
erected, or taken apart and packed for storing or for conveyance to a different site
for re-erection.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
The construction of silos, for the preservation of fodder or "ensilage," so that they
may be readily erected and taken down, and that the site of erection may be varied,
substantially as hereinbefore described and shown on the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings.