IMPROVEMENTS IN VENTILATING HAY, CORN, AND OTHER RICKS, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1863

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Douglas Taylor at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th July
1863.
I, DOUGLAS TAYLOR, of Bonchester Bridge, in the County of Roxburgh,
North Britain, Joiner, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN VENTILATING HAY, CORN, AND OTHER RICKS, AND IN
APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of apparatus for
ventilating ricks of hay, wheat, or other agricultural produce.
Under one modification or system of arrangement the improved ventilator
consists of six or other convenient number of open frames formed of two
longitudinal spars or lengths of timber or other suitable material. These
spars are sufficiently long to extend nearly to the top of the rick when placed
in an erect position, and they are arranged so as to taper or approach each
other towards the upper part. The side pieces are retained in this position by
means of transverse bolts fitted to the spars at suitable intervals or by any
other equivalent and suitable means. Outside each of these frames a number
of cross pieces or bars are arranged parallel to each other and are fastened to
the side frames. The six or other number of frames thus prepared are then
jointed together at the bottom, and the several frames are raised upright and
supported in that position by the tops of the frames resting against each other.
In this position the combined frames form a species of conical shaft or air
channel which is intended to occupy the centre of the rick. The sheaves are

page_text: arranged with their inner ends resting on the cross bars of the frames, and in
this way they are upheld sufficiently to admit of the air which passes into the
central channel circulating between the several layers of sheaves. Air is con-
veyed into the central channel by means of a wooden pipe or other suitable duct,
and at the upper part of the compound frame is fitted a vertical pipe, formed
by preference of zinc, which extends out through the top of the rick and serves
to carry of the heated air from the interior of the rick. The outer extremity
of this pipe is furnished with an overhanging cover or cap piece which serves
to prevent the admission of rain to the interior of the rick and without
obstructing the escape of the heated air. Outside the rick four, six, or
other convenient number of struts are fixed in the ground; these pieces
extend up to within two feet or so of the shoulder of the rick, and each serves
to sustain a spar, the inner end of which rests upon one of the cross bars of
the central frame. This system of converging spars serves to prevent the rick
from inclining over to one side, which would otherwise cause an undue
pressure upon one side of the central frame. By means of this improved
ventilator a continuous current of air is caused to circulate through the interior
of the rick, so that as the moisture escapes from the vegetable produco it is
carried off in the current of air, and the heating of the rick to any injurious
extent is effectually prevented.