IMPROVE- MENTS IN SILOS AND IN APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING THE CONTENTS THEREOF
Year: 1886

page_text: the Contents thereof.
I, THOMAS VARLEY, of Estate Offices, West Marion, near Skipton, in the County
of York, Estate Agent do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SILOS AND IN APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING THE CONTENTS THEREOF
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of this invention is primarily the construction of a silo so that simple
yet efficient means may be employed for compressing the contents thereof, the said
means constituting the latter portion of this said invention; and in order that the
same may be clearly understood I have hereunto appended a sheet of drawings
illustrative thereof; to which reference is made in the following description, and in
which. fig. 1 is the plan of a silo constructed according to this said invention;
fig. 2 being a sectional end elevation on line a b of fig. 1, fig. 3 a sectional end
elevation on line c d of fig. 1, and fig. 4 a sectional side elevation on line ef also
of fig. 1.
Like letters and figures of reference indicate like parts in all the drawings.
According to this invention in each of either of the two walls of the silo that are
opposite to each other, are formed a suitable number of series of openings or
recesses g g g g¹¹¹, into which enter the ends of the levers h h¹ hu hui the
number varying according to size and amount of pressure required in each silo as
will easily be seen. The said recesses g g' gll gll being shaped so as to form the
fulcra for the ends of the said levers h h h h which enter therein. Also formed
in the said walls of the silo, are the racks iiii which may either be formed in
the wall itself or by attaching metal or wooden racks thereto in such a manner that
they will come flush with the face of the said wall, their number varying to suit
requirements as will be readily understood; the use of which racks will hereinafter
be explained.
I make use of the usual kind of covering, which consists of the boards k, held
together or strengthened by the bars ; for imparting uniform pressure to the
contents m as is well understood.
From the foregoing it will be seen that by applying a comparatively small
amount of power downwards as by attaching the weights n n³ (fig. 2), to the outer
ends of the levers h h h h¹¹, since their outer arms are so very much longer than

page_text: their arms that reach from the point, where the power is applied to the boards or
bars of the boards k; to the fulcrum: a considerable amount of pressure is
imparted to the contents m. Or should it be thought desirable to apply more
power or weight to the outer arms of the levers h h¹h h¹¹ than by the simple
weights nn, blocks and ropes or chains o in addition to the weights may be
employed as is illustrated by fig. 3.
In order to reduce the friction that would be caused by the levers h h³ hч k
coming in direct contact with the bars 1, I place the roller 2 (which may be
either of hard wood or metal or any other suitable material) between them; the
same being kept in position by the stays s (which are either of metal or wood) fixed
to the bars keeping the levers h h¹¹¹ in proper position.
Again by the covering k descending as the contents m become more and more
compressed it will be necessary to remove the bars h h¹ h¹¹ h¹¹ from one set of the
openings g g¹g gill to another and lower set. However as will be seen the
influence of the levers h h¹ h¹ over the covering k will be expended long
before the said covering k has moved low enough to lay bare another set of
openings g g g gll for the insertion of the said levers h h¹ h¹¹¹ as above
described, but to overcome this a suitable piece or pieces of material, such as wood,
metal, etc., t is or are inserted between the bars and the levers h¹¹¹ 111, the
thickness of, or addition of pieces to which is increased as is found necessary until
the desired position is arrived.
In order to prevent the covering k from receding when the outer pressure is
removed for the purpose of adjusting the levers h h¹¹¹¹ as above described, the
ratchets which are hinged to the bars as shewn in figs. 1 and 3, engage with
the teeth of the racks iiii, the said teeth being formed to oppose the motion of
the said ratchets and consequently the said coverings m in this direction.
The levers h h¹¹¹ may be formed of metal but preferably they are of wood,
their fulcrum-ends as also the parts that come in contact with the rollers p, arc
protected by being covered with metal.
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. In the construction of a silo, the forming of the recesses or openings
gggg in the walls thereof, as specified, for the reception of the levers h h¹h¹¹hi
substantially as herein described.
2. In the construction of a silo, the forming of the racks
111 in the walls
thereof in the manner and for the purposes as herein set forth and described.
3. In apparatus for compressing the contents of silos, the combination of the
levers h h h hul with the rollers p, the stays s and the covering & having bars ll,
all arranged to operate in the manner and for the purposes as herein specified.
4. In apparatus for compressing the contents of silos, the combination of the
levers hh111 with the weights n n¹ and the blocks and ropes or chains o sub-
stantially as heroin specified.
5. In apparatus for compressing the contents of silos, the combination of the
ratchets with the levers h h¹ hand the pieces t all arranged to operate as
herein set forth and described.
THOMAS VARLEY,
By his Agents, Moorhouse & Hey.