IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE APPARATUS FOR THE STORING AND COMPRESSING OF GRASSES OR FODDER FOR ENSILAGE
Year: 1884

page_text: I THOMAS MARSH of N° 17 Parsonage Street West Bromwich in the County of
Stafford Cart Hame Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE APPARATUS FOR THE STORING AND
COMPRESSING OF GRASSES OR FODDER FOR ENSILAGE" to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of a portable silo-tank constructed in the manner herein
after described to be used in the storing of grasses or fodder for ensilage also of the
apparatus herein after described to be used in connection with the said silo-tank.
My Invention has for its object to provide efficient and portable apparatus for
the storing of the grasses or fodder as well as means whereby the complete filling
of the tank with the grasses or fodder and the compression of the fodder therein
is readily effected.
I make the portable silo-tank of metal preferably of iron and of a cylindrical
figure the said tank being galvanized or enamelled or coated with some preservative
material which will not injuriously affect the fodder stored in the tank. The
bottom of the tank is flat and the open end or top is furnished with a lid or cover
fitting air tight or nearly so. The said tank is furnished with two long external
vertical pressure screws and also with other shorter screws for securing the lid in
its place after it has been pressed home. These pressure and securing screws take
into equi distant eyes on the sides of the tank near the top thereof and also take
into corresponding holes at the edge of the lid. There is also used with the silo
tank a loose hoop or short hollow cylinder for compressing the last portion of the
fodder into the tank as herein after explained. This hoop or short hollow cylinder
may be made of metal or of wood and is of a diameter suitable to slide inside the.
tank. For the purpose of rapidly driving home the screw nuts used with the
pressure and fixing screws I employ a lever or spanner having at its middle a
recess of a shape corresponding to that of the screw nut to be turned and a hole for
the passage of the screw. By fitting this recess and hole upon the screw nut and
projecting end of the screw and rotating the lever or spanner the screw nut can be
rapidly driven home upon the screw and the compression effected.
The portable silo tank and the apparatus employed therewith are used as
follows:-
The fodder or grass to form ensilage being chaffed or cut small by preference is
placed in the tank and rammed down with a rammer as the filling proceeds,

page_text: Having filled the tank to its mouth with the rammed fodder the loose hoop or
short hollow cylinder is placed on the top of the fodder in the tank thereby
virtually forming a prolongation of the said tank. A further supply of the fodder
being placed in the loose hoop and rammed therein until it is filled the lid is placed
on the top of the charged hoop and connected to the tank by the long pressure
screws described. By now driving home screw nuts placed on the ends of these
pressure screws by the use of the tool or spanner described the loose hoop and lid
are forced down and the contents of the hoop compressed into the tank so as thereby
to fill it with highly compressed fodder. The lid having been thus forced to its
place at the mouth of the tank it is secured by short screws which are fitted into
the spare eyes and holes in the tank and lid. The long or pressure screws can now
be removed and replaced by short screws. The long or pressure screws can thus
be used for any number of tanks. The fodder in a compressed state is thus stored
air tight in the tank for ensilage.
Although I prefer to use the arrangement of screws described for compressing or
forcing the loose hoop charged with fodder into the tank and for fixing down the
air tight lid yet other forcing and fixing arrangements may be used with the tank
and loose hoop or short hollow cylinder.

page_text: I THOMAS MARSH of N° 17 Parsonage Street, West Bromwich in the County
of Stafford, Cart Hame Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE APPARATUS FOR THE STORING
AND COMPRESSING OF GRASSES OR FODDER FOR ENSILAGE" and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :--
My Invention consists of a portable silo-tank constructed in the manner herein
after described to be used in the storing of grasses or fodder for ensilage; also of
the apparatus herein after described to be used in connection with the said
silo-tank.
My Invention has for its object to provide efficient and portable apparatus for
the storing of the grasses or fodder as well as means whereby the complete
filling of the tank with the grasses or fodder and the compression of the fodder
therein is readily effected.
I make the portable silo-tank of metal preferably of iron and of a cylindrical
figure, the said tank being galvanized or enainelled or coated with some
preservative material which will not injuriously affect the fodder stored in the
tank. The bottom of the tank is flat and the open end or top is furnished with a
lid or cover fitting air tight or nearly so. The said tank furnished with two or
more long external vertical pressure screws and also with other shorter screws for
securing the lid in its place after it has been pressed home. These pressure and
securing screws take into equi-distant eyes on the sides of the tank near the top
thereof and also take into corresponding holes at the edge of the lid. There is
also used with the silo-tank, a loose hoop or short hollow cylinder for compressing
the last portion of the fodder into the tank as herein after explained. This hoop
or short hollow cylinder may be made of metal or of wood and is of a diameter
suitable to slide inside the tank. For the purpose of rapidly driving home the
screw nuts used with the pressure and fixing screws, I employ a lever or spanner
having at its middle a recess of a shape corresponding to that of the screw nut to
be turned and a hole for the passage of the screw. By fitting this recess and hole
upon the screw nut and projecting end of the screw and rotating the lever or
spanner the screw nut can be rapidly driven home upon the screw and the
compression effected.
The portable silo-tank and the apparatus employed therewith are used as
follows:-
The fodder or grass to form ensilage being chaffed or cut small by preference, is
placed in the tank and rammed down with a rammer as the filling proceeds.
Having filled the tank to its mouth with the rammed fodder the loose hoop or
short hollow cylinder is placed on the top of the fodder in the tank thereby
virtually forming a prolongation of the said tank. A further supply of the fodder
being placed in the loose hoop and rammed therein until it is filled, the lid is
placed on the top of the charged hoop and connected to the tank by the long
pressure screws described. By now driving home screw nuts placed on the ends
of these pressure screws, by the use of the tool or spanner described, the loose hoop
and lid are forced down and the contents of the hoop compressed into the
tank so as thereby to fill it with highly compressed fodder. The lid having been
thus forced to its place at the mouth of the tank it is secured by short screws
which are fitted into the eyes and holes in the tank and lid. The long or pressure
screws can now be removed and replaced by short screws, The long or pressure

page_text: screws can thus be used for any number of tanks.
state is thus stored air tight in the tank for ensilage.
The fodder in a compressed
Although I prefer to use the arrangement of screws described for compressing
or forcing the loose hoop charged with fodder into the tank and for fixing down
the air tight lid yet other forcing and fixing arrangements may be used with the
tank and loose hoop or short hollow cylinder.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents in side elevation, a portable
silo-tank constructed according to my Invention; Figure 2 is a plan of upperside
of the same. Figure 3 represents an elevation of the loose hoop or short hollow
cylinder which I use with the silo tank; Figure 4 represents in vertical section
and Figure 5 in plan of upperside, the silo tank and the loose hollow cylinder filled
with the grasses or fodder ready for compression, together with the lid or cover
of the tank and the compressing appliances used therewith; Figure 6 represents in
bide elevation and Figure 7 in plan of underside the silo-tank after its contents
have been compressed and the lid or cover fixed down; Figure 8 represents the
lever or spanner which I use for rapidly driving home the screw nuts of the
compressing appliances.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the Drawing.
a is the portable silo-tank closed at bottom and open at top, the said tank being
made by preference of plates or sheets and angle bars of iron rivetted together as
represented; b, b, b, b are the equi-distant eyes on the sides of the tank and near
the top thereof for receiving the pressure and fixing screws. The bottoms of the
eyes b, b are cut away as best seen in Figure 1 for the purpose herein after
explained; c is the lid or cover of the tank strengthened by cross bands. The
ends of these cross-bands are furnished with holes d, d for the pressure and fixing
screws to pass through. The long external pressure screws are marked e, e and
their screw nuts f. f. Two or four of the said pressure screws may be used but
four are represented in the Drawing; 9, 9 are the shorter fixing screws. These
pressure and fixing screws are hooked at their bottom ends the said hooked ends
when the screws have been passed into the eyes b, b engaging with the cut away
bottoms of the said eyes. The rotation of the screws is thereby prevented; his
the loose hoop or short hollow cylinder used for the complete filling and com-
pressing of the fodder in the tank. It is furnished with internal handles for lifting
it into and removing it from the tank.
The lever or spanner which I use for rapidly driving home the screw nuts of
the pressure and fixing screws consists of a lever or spanner represented on a
larger scale in Figure 8 having at its middle a hexagonal recess k (or other shaped
recess) for taking upon the hexagonal (or other) screw nut and a hole 1 for passing
onto the screw. The spanner is used as herein before described.
In using the apparatus the chaffed fodder or grasses for ensilage are placed in
the tank a and rammed down. Having filled the tank to its mouth with the
rammed fodder the loose hoop or short hollow cylinder h is placed on the top of
the fodder and slightly within the tank, thereby forming a prolongation of the
tank as represented in Figure 4. The loose hoop or short hollow cylinder his
next filled with fodder which is rammed therein and the lid c is placed on the top
of the charged hoop and connected to the tank by the long pressure screws e e
being passed through the eyes b, b on the tank and through the holes d, d in the
lid c, the hooked ends of the screws being engaged with the slotted bottoms of
the said eyes b, b as represented in Figure 4. By now driving home the screw
nuts f f placed on the ends of the pressure screws e, e by means of the lever or
spanner Figure 8, the loose loop h and lid c are forced down, the said loose hoop
sliding into the tank and the contents of the hoop e are compressed into the tank
so as to fill it with highly compressed fodder. The long pressure screws e, e are
now removed and replaced one at a time by the short fixing screws g, g represented
in Figure 6 where the lid c of the tank is represented fixed down, the compressed
fodder being stored air tight in the tank. The long or pressure screws e, e after

page_text: having been removed from one tank are used with other tanks for the compressing
operation.
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 of "Improvements in Portable Apparatus for the Storing and Compressing
of Grasses or Fodder for Ensilage " ;—is
First The combination with a portable silo-tank of the kind described, of the
eyes b, b for receiving the compressing and fixing screws as herein before described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly The combination with a portable silo-tank of the kind described, of
the loose hoop or short hollow cylinder h by the use of which loose hoop or
short hollow cylinder the complete filling of the tank with grasses or fodder and
the compression of the said fodder therein are readily effected, whether the said
hoop or hollow cylinder be used with the compressing appliances represented or
with other compressing appliances as herein before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawing.
Thirdly The combination of the long compressing screws e, e and shorter
fixing screws g, g with the silo-tank a, b, lid or cover c and loose hoop or short
hollow cylinder h substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawing.
Lastly The lever or spanner herein before described and illustrated in Figure 8
for screwing home the screw nuts upon the compressing and fixing screws of the
apparatus.