IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STORING & COMPRESSING ENSILAGE
Year: 1884

page_text: I, RICHARD HICKMAN MURRAY of Middleton Cottage Copcut hr Worcester of no
occupation do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR STORING & COMPRESSING ENSILAGE to be as follows:-
A Framework of Timber lined with Galvanized Iron & Galvanized Iron Roof,
with or without a Brick Pit sunk in the Ground, of same dimensions inside as
Woodwork, and Flat Boards inside of Building to be placed over the contents of
Silo, to bo acted upon by Levers, running from each side of Building, & extending
over contrary side of Building, weighted_with_movable weights to any required
pressure At bottom of Building or Silo, Iron Rails are placed in a line with each
Lever; at right angle to each Rail another ps of Iron is fastened & attach to side
of Silo with nails & bolts, one or more having an eye or hook to receive Links for
ends of Levers to act from. Movable Blocks of Wood will enable Leg of Lever to
act upon contents of Silo at any height.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, RICHARD HICKMAN MURRAY, of Middleton Cottage, Copcut, near Worcester,
of no occupation, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for, IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STORING AND COMPRESSING ENSILAGE, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon:-
This invention has for its object the construction of a cheap and efficient silo, and
also of simple and convenient apparatus for putting pressure upon ensilage and
maintaining such pressure thereupon.
A silo, constructed according to this invention, is formed of a framework of
timber lined with plain sheet iron or steel, galvanised or not; or the silo may be
formed partly in this manner and partly as a brick or other pit sunk in the
ground, and to the same internal dimensions on plan as the upper portion of the
silo, and in this latter case I do not limit myself to a wood framing lined with
plain sheet iron or steel, as the part above the pit may be formed in any convenient
manner.
A platform of boards is placed upon the top of the contents of the silo, as is
usual, and pressure is put upon this platform, so as to compress the ensilage or
contents of the silo, by means of levers, employed to take into the links of chains
firmly secured to bands or straps which pass down the sides of the inside of the
silo and across underneath the contents thereof. These levers are weighted at their
ends, after as much pressure as convenient has been previously put on by hand, so
that a continuous pressure is exerted. The levers may be employed to turn round
pitched pulleys, partially around which the chains pass, or in lieu of the chains
racks may be employed, and the lovers in this case are used to operate pinions
gearing into such-racks.
I will now proceed to describe my invention specially with reference to the
accompanying drawings, of which figure 1 is a half transverse section and half end
elevation of a silo constructed according to this invention, and figure 2 a plan of
one end thereof. The same letters of reference occurring upon these and any other
views indicate corresponding parts. A A is the wood framing carrying a sheet
iron lining, which is fixed thereto by wood screws or other convenient means; B is
a brick pit sunk in the ground and to the same interior dimensions on plan as the
upper part A A; C is one half of the door, and D is a corrugated sheet iron roof
supported on uprights E E etc. F F is a T-iron bar running along the bottom of
the inside of the silo, and rising vertically on each side, one of such sides only
being shewn. The tops of such bar are connected with chains G (one of which
only is shown) which pass over pitched pulleys a, carried in frames K fixed upon
a cross-bearer H lying upon the platform J. L L are levers upon the axes b
carrying the pitched pulleys a, and the pitched pulleys are turned round, by means
of theso levers, so as to pull down the crossbearer H and platform J upon the
ensilage or material being stored. M M are weights on the ends of the levers LL
and act in keeping a continuous pressure upon the ensilage or material. The
arrangement of a chain, pitched pulley, and lever, will be clearly understood on

page_text: reference to figures 3, 4, 5 and 6, which are respectively a side elevation shewing
such arrangement to an enlarged scale, an inner end view of figure 3, a plan thereof,
and a vertical section through the pitched pulley a shewing the chain connection
therewith. The frame K is fixed, by means of bolts c c, to the end of the bearer H.
N N' are ratchet wheels fixed upon the spindle b carrying the pitched pulley a.
The lever L is carried to turn easily upon the spindle b, and is provided with a
paul O¹ by which it gives motion to the ratchet wheel N', and consequently to the
spindle 6 and pitched pulley a. O is a paul gearing into the ratchet wheel N, so
as to prevent the pitched pulley a unwinding and the chain slackening as the
lever L is raised to catch the paul O' in another tooth. It will be seen that the
chain G is readily tightened, and the platform J consequently drawn down, by
working the lever L after the manner of a ratchet brace. The upper end of each
chain is loose or unconnected, and lies upon the bearer or platform. The ends of
the cross-bearers are of course notched to allow of the passage of the chains.
The bar F F is preferably loose within the silo, so as to prevent the pull from
distorting the sides of the silo. The pressure of the ensilage or material upon such
bar prevents it from rising inconveniently.
Figure 7 is a side elevation shewing the means, first referred to in the foregoing
description of the nature of my invention, by which the chain is raised direct by
the lever without the intervention of a pulley. K'is a bracket upon the bearer H;
L' is the inner end of the lever; d is a fulcrum pin, and e e e are pin holes. The
chain is raised by catching a link thereof in the end of the lever, and then pulling
down the long arm of such lever; and, when it is desired to engage the end of a
lever with a fresh link, a pin is inserted through one of the pin holes e and through
a link of the chain, so as to prevent such chain from unduly slackening until the
strain is again brought on by means of the lever. By means of the series of pin-
holes e e e the clumsy practice of employing packing blocks for the pins is avoided.
A weight is used at the outer end of the lever in this case also, as will be readily
understood, so as to give a continuous pressure. The lever and chain should be
somewhat stronger proportionately with the other apparatus than illustrated.
This invention may be further modified by employing racks and pinions, in lieu
of chains or chains and pulleys, and in this case it is preferred to place the axis of
each pinion at right angles to the axis of the pitched pulley described and shown,
so that the strain of the pinion upon its rack may not tend to bulge outward
the side of the silo. The racks are formed as part of the bars F F, or are
fixed thereto, and they are also, preferably, fixed to the sides of the silo to give
them rigidity under the action of the pinions. In this case the levers are similar
in their construction and operation to those already described as used in con-
junction with the pitched pulleys, and are weighted to give a continuous pressure,
and ratchets are employed to prevent the pinions turning backwards. The cross-
bearers, however, must be held together with distance-pieces to prevent them
kicking back side-ways from the racks.
According to either modification of this invention, tightening-down gear is
employed at each end of each cross-bearer; and there may be one, two, or more
cross-bearers employed for a silo, according to its length, a bar under and partially
up the sides of the ensilage or material being employed for each cross-bearer.
The levers may be placed upon squares or corresponding parts upon the spindles,
and be moved off from one square to another for putting on the pressure, in lieu of
the paul and ratchet arrangement described for this purpose. A paul and ratchot
arrangement, however, will still be required to prevent slackening when the lover
is removed from the spindle.
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
1. Constructing silos with a lining of plain sheet iron or steel, galvanised or not,
fixed to a framing of timber or other convenient framing or walling, substantially
as herein described.

page_text: 2. Constructing silos with the lower part formed as a pit sunk in the ground and
the upper part as a framing or enclosuro thereupon, substantially as herein described
and shewn.
'
3. Putting pressure upon ensilago by means of bars passing underneath such
ensilago and chains and levers carried upon fulcrum pins, such levers engaging
direct with the chains; and then causing a continuous pressure upon such ensilage,
by means of weights upon the ends of such levers, substantially as described;
also the means for preventing the chains from unduly slackening as the levers are
engaged with fresh links, substantially as described and shewn.
and
4. Putting pressure upon ensilage by means of levers acting to turn pitched
pulleys, partially around which chains pass, substantially as described and shewn;
and also the arrangements of ratchets and pulloys in connection therewith;
substantially as and for the purpose described and shewn; and the means for
maintaining the pressure acting through such levers, substantially as described.
5. The modification of the means referred to in claims 3 and 4, in which pinions 1
and racks are substituted for the chains or chains and pitched pulleys thereiu
referred to, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.