APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING ENSILAGE
Year: 1884

page_text: I EDWARD THORNTON BLUNT at the Office for patents 323 High Holborn in the
County of Middlesex, Farmer, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention
for "APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING ENSILAGE" to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide a pressure upon the grass which shall
follow it as it is gradually compressed and maintain approximately the same
pressure all through.
I secure in the bottom of the silo or cavity in which the grass is be placed one
or more rods or equivalent screwed at the upper end jointed or not below this rod
I keep as near the centre of the silo as practicable or desirable. The "lid" of the
silo is provided with ribs or equivalent which may join in the centre or to a
central post in such manner as to distribute the pressure as equally as possible all
over the lid. The screwed rod passes through the lid and a suitable lever prefer-
ably forked or divided so as to fit over the central post of the lid, bears with one
end under a nut upon the screwed rod and upon the central stem of the lid near
this end, and carries a suitablo weight at or near its other end. or the weight may
be movable along the lever.
In use the grass or other green crop is placed in the silo and the lid put on and
the lever and weight adjusted the screw nut upon the rod being put at the right
height to suit the lever. Now when the grass is reduced in bulk the long end of
the lever falls as the lid goes down and this is raised again by screwing down the
nut and forcing down the short end of the lever and so rising the long end. The
lever is adjustably fulcrumed upon the post or lid in any convenient manner and
it is evident that by this means a constant and approximately even pressure can
be maintained notwithstanding the compression of the grass; the pressure weight
required being arranged according to the length of lever and the distance between
its shorter end and its fulcrum.
The details may be varied of course for instance two rods and two, nuts instead
of the single ones may be used, or the whole apparatus may be duplicated
quadrupled & or instead of the rod as described beams could be secured across
the top of the silo and fitted with screws.
But I have above described the simple
apparatus and method of its working the precise details of its construction being
immaterial

page_text: I EDWARD THORNTON BLUNT, Office for Patents, 323, High Holborn, Middlesex,
Farmer do hereby declare the nature of this invention for APPARATUS FOR
COMPRESSING "ENSILAGE" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to bo
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of this invention is to provide a pressure upon the grass which shall
follow it as it is gradually compressed and maintain approximately the same
pressure all through.
I secure in the bottom of the silo or cavity in which the grass is to be placed
one or more rods or equivalent screwed at the upper end jointed or not below;
this rod I keep as near the centre of the silo as practicable or desirable. The
"lid" of the silo is provided with ribs or equivalent which may join in the contre
or to a central post in such manner as to distribute the pressure as equally as
possible all over the lid.
The screwed rod passes through the lid and a suitable lever preferably forked
or divided so as to fit over the central post of the lid, bears with one end under a
nut upon the screwed rod and upon the central steni of the lid near this end and
carries a suitable weight at or near its other end or the weight may be removable
along the lever.
In use the grass or other green crop is placed in the "silo" and the lid put on.
and the lever and weight adjusted the screw nut upon the rod being put at the
right height to suit the lover. Now when the grass is reduced in bulk the long
arm of the lever falls as the lid goes down and this is raised again by screwing down
the nut and forcing down the short arm of the lover and so raising the long arm
and also or otherwise by placing the pin I upon which the lever bears through
another and higher hole in the central post E. The lever is adjustably fulcrummed
upon the post or lid in any convenient manner and it is evident that by this
means a constant and approximately even pressure can be maintained notwith-
standing the compression of the grass; the pressure weight required & being
arranged according to the length of lover and the distance between its shorter end
and its fulcrum.
The details may be varied of course for instance two rods and two nuts instead
of the single ones may be used, or the whole apparatus may be duplicated
quadrupled & or instead of the rod as described beams could be secured across the
top of the silo and fitted with screws. But I have above described the simple
apparatus and method of its working, the precise details of its construction being
immaterial.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is an elevation and Figure 2 a plan of
the apparatus. Like letters of reference represent like parts in both views.
A is the "lid" of the silo or recess and B the rods of which three are shown
secured in any convenient manner at the bottom and screwed at their upper ends,
where they are fitted with nuts C. Cross bars D. D₁ are by preference used as
shown as they help to support the rods B and keep them at the proper distance
apart, E is the central post, supported by and bearing upon the struts F which:
also serve to distribute the pressure over the lid and G. G₁ are various cross pieces
or beams to strengthen the lid and distribute the pressure, upon some or all of
which the struts-F-rest and press. H. H¹ are the levers and I are pins passing
through the post E and supporting the levers H. H¹. The weight boxes K may
be filled with bricks or stones and are adjustable upon or fastened to the levers so
that the requisite weight may be readily obtained. For convenience a loose
weight box may be used and weighted upon the ground; a rope M is fastened to

page_text: it, passes over a pulley N upon the lever its other end being secured in any
convenient manner when the weight has been run up. This arrangement also is
shown in Figure 1.
-
The operation is as follows:-
The silo having been filled the lid A is put on and the various parts put in
position somewhat as shown in Figure 1. The lever H having its short end
resting under the cross bar D rests its whole weight upon the pin I which passing
through the post E the weight is transferred to the post and so to the whole lid.
As the grass is compressed under the effect of the weight the lid sinks and with
it the post E and long arm of the lever till it slants down as shown in dotted lines,
to return it to its original position the nuts C are then screwed down pushing the
cross bar D before them-this carries down the short end of the lever H and raises
the long end till it assumes its original position and also or otherwise the pin I
upon which the lever bears is passed to a higher hole in the central post. By the
former means it will be noticed that the weight continuously presses upon the
grass within the silo even whilst the lever is being adjusted.
The operation of the lever H' is precisely the same as that of lever H but by
dividing the weight the levers can be made lighter and it is found more
convenient to have two levers than one.
The lid is constructed as follows:-a number of pieces of wood L are laid side
by side upon the green crop in the silo and the frame placed upon it. This frame
consists of the cross G extending across the whole lid as shown in Figure 2 and
generally distributing the weight; cross beams G' placed across the lid connecting
the ends of the cross G as shown-the object of these pieces is to cover that
portion of the lid not otherwise protected, so that the ends of the planks L not
covered by the cross G are kept under pressure by the cross beams G which thus
prevent them from bending up; the struts F which convey the pressure from the
pillar E to the outer portion of the cross G and the pillar E.
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
1st The combination with lever H of one or more screwed rods B for the
purpose of adjusting the bearing of the short arm of the lover.
2nd The combination of the screwed rods B and lever H with the central post E
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3rd The combination with the screwed rods B of the cross bars D substantially
in the manner and for the purpose specified.
4th The herein described construction of lid or cover for silos consisting of
(a) the lid proper composed of a number of separato pieces L placed side by
side upon the crop to be compressed in combination with
(b) the frame consisting of the cross G which distributes the pressure cross
beams G¹ connecting the ends of the cross G and further distributing the
pressure to the ends of the pieces L not otherwise covered, struts F and
pillar E.
The whole substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
5, The combination with the lever H of the separate weight box K arranged to
be loaded on the ground and run up to its place by a rope and pulley substantially
as set forth.