IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF FOOD OR CAKE FOR HORSES AND CATTLE AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED THEREFOR
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Spencer, of 5, Euston Road, London, in the County
of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF
FOOD OR CAKE FOR HORSES AND CATTLE AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED
THEREFOR."
Sealed the 1st June 1880, and dated the 4th December 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Spencer at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th December 1879.
JOHN SPENCER, of 5, Euston Road, London, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF FOOD OR CAKE FOR HORSES AND
CATTLE AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED THEREFOR."
The object of my Invention is to procure a wholesome and nutritive food for
horses and cattle in the most compact and portable form, the mode of preparation,
and machinery employed in making the same into cakes.
I do not intend to introduce any new materials. My Invention is to convert
such materials as are in general use into a superior provender and more convenient
form for feeding purposes. By this mode of preparation a very superior
feeding cake is obtained. In the composition of these cakes I tako hay, clover,
straw, or unthrashed corn cut into chaff, thence it is put into a steaming pan to be
thoroughly cooked by steam from the boiler. I construct a tank, in which I make
a liquid from crushed or whole linsced with fine oatmeal and mollasses boiled
together with sufficient water; when the hay, clover, straw, or unthrashed corn is
sufficiently.cooked I convey this liquid into the top of the steaming pan, letting it
run through the steamed food until it is thoroughly saturated with the liquid.
The hay, clover, straw, or unthrashed corn is then emptied out of the steaming pan
on to the floor. I then mix either whole, crushed, or ground oats, maize, beaus,
barley, peas, lentils, locust beans, grains either wet or dried, bran, linseed cake,
cotton cakes either decorticated or undecorticated, and palm nut meal. When
thoroughly mixed with the cooked food it is put into boxes, thence into the press
to be made into cakes, afterwards to be dried for keeping. If thought desirable I
may mix the prepared liquid from linseed, fine oatmeal, and nollasses with the hay,
clover, straw, and unthrashed corn chaff, saturating the same, without steaming or
137

page_text: cooking the chaff, before mixing the various feeding materials previous to being put
into the boxes for pressing into cakes. The ingredients of which the improved
cattle food is intended to be composed may be mixed in various proportions
according to circumstances, such as the purpose for which the improved food is to be
employed (whether for horses, cattle, or sheep), and the relative cost of the various
ingredients.
By this mode of preparation hays that have been partly spoiled by bad weather
will be made thoroughly sweet and palatable, also by being cooked are more
digestible. Hitherto these kind of cakes has not been made, no suitable presses
being obtainable; the presses used for pressing oil seeds are not applicable for this
purpose, the boxes for holding the seed to bo pressed being too small to hold such
bulky articles as hay and straw. 1 construct a press especially adapted for these
provender cakes with very large boxes; I may use woollen cloth wrappers or plates
in connection with the boxes, as is found best for the purpose, the press to be
worked by hydraulic pressure, as is commonly used. The machinery required for
this class of cake is less costly than such as is used for pressing oil seeds, and will
do much more work. The various materials mentioned for making the provender
cakes are the best known. Food is required to build up the frame in young
subjects, and afterwards to repair the wear and tear of the tissues resulting from
use and to maintain the heat of the body at a nearly uniform standard; hence a
good food consists of such materials as can be appropriated to these purposes. Outs
being the staple article for horse feeding, containing 14 parts of tissue formers and 68
of heat producers in 100, beans containing 51 of heat producers in 100; peas are rather
more nutritious than beans, and are more digestible; India corn or innize contains
about 12 parts of nutritious matter in 100; barley contains more tissue forming
material than oats, and about the same amount of heat producers; lentils or tares
are both nutritious and digestible; the locust or carob bean contains very little
tissue forming material, but a large proportion of heat producers in the shape of
sugar; linseed contains a large quantity of heat producing matter from having
much oil in its composition, it both fattens the animal and keeps the bowels open;
mollasses contain a large proportion of heat producers in the shape of sugar; dried
grains prepared from the best quality become an extremely palatable, wholesome,
and nutritious food, according to Dr. Voclcker's analyses show a large proportion of
flesh and fat producing clements, coutaining 75.30 of real food; palm nut meal is
well known as a first class cattle food, particularly adapted for milch cows,
containing a large amount of flesh formning substances, according to Dr. Voelcker's
analyses it is richer in albumious (flesh forming) compounds than maize, oats, or
bran, and particularly adapted for the production of good and rich milk; bran is a
nourishing and appetising food having a laxative property, is therefore advan-
tageous in preventing constipation or accumalation when much dry food is
allowed.
A comparison of the present systein of feeding horses and cattle, and the mode
of preparation after the materials bave reached the owners of horses will at onco
.show the advantage gained by my Invention, both systems using the same
materials.
The present system of feeding horses is hay cut into chaff, a mixture of corn,
kind according to preference these are put together in the manger, and most
owners put some hay into the racks. For this system large lofts are required for
storage of hay, chaff cutters are required to cut hay into chaff, labour has to be
employed in chaff cutting, corn bins are required for corn, hay racks are required,
and a considerable quantity of hay is often wasted by being pulled out of the racks
amongst the bedding.
The system of feeding horses with my provender cakes require no large hay lofts,
as the bulk of hay is reduced by being inade into cakes about one sixth, no chaft
cutters required, no labour in chaff cutting, no corn bius required, no hay racks
required, no waste of hay by being fed in the racks; the provender cakes are inade
suitable for one cake for each feed; a cake breaker is only required, and one man

page_text: will do the labour of six under the present system, the food is much superior, being
cooked is much more easier of digestion. I construct a rack for the provender
cakes to be used in the store by being made so as the cakes aro held separately for
ventilation betwixt the cakes; they keep dry and sweet for any length of time; by
this system it may be fitted in the stables, and take up very little room.
By my Invention a great advantage will be gained for export, for horses during
a campaign, whilst in transit on board ship, and in case of war in sending out for
supply were forage is scarce, and for any kind of cattle conveyed by sea, as the
economising of space is a great desideratum on board ship. By my Invention
materials may be brought from foreign countries, which at present cannot on
account of their bulky nature, the freight in shipment being too high; for instance
take America, where bay, maize, and oats are grown in abundance, the same may
be inade into cakes, and being so reduced in bulk may be shipped to England at a
moderate rate of freight with advantage to the producer in America and also the
consumer here; for instance, the London General Omnibus Company feed almost
entirely on maize and hay chaff, America produces both these in abundance.
For gruel I form into cakes a mixture of ground, crushed, or whole linseed with
fine oatmeal, a small quantity of mollasses; one pound of this mixture to one gallon
of water may be given to horses that refuse solid food, after severe exertion or
a long journey, or after hunting, should be put into water a short time when it
will soon dissolve and make a nice gruel, or the same mixture may be made into
packets in a powdered state sufficient for one feed of gruel.
For seasoning and medicating the cakes I prepare certain mixtures from the
following ingredients in various proportions according to circumstances, such as the
purpose for which the seasoning or medicated mixture is required, whether for
for horses or cattle:-Carbonate of soda, powdered licquorice, ginger, sulphur, salt
petre, caraway seeds, cream of tartar, gentian root, fenegreek, coriander seed.
The proportions of the above ingredients to be mixed together and then added
to the cake mixture before putting into the boxes to be pressed into cakes, or the
seasoning and medicated mixture may be made into packets sufficient for one feed.
I do not specify in what proportions of each kind of materials to be used, as this
may be varied according to circumstances without deviating from my Invention.

page_text: SPECIFICATION In pursuance of the contITIONS OF Re
the said John Spencer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd June
1880.
JOHN SPENCER, of 5, Euston Road, London, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF FOOD OR CAKE FOR HORSES AND
CATTLE AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED THEREFOR."
I do not intend to introduce any new materials. My Invention is to convert such
materials as are in general use into a superior provender and more convenient form
for feeding purposes; by this mode of preparation a very superior feeding cake is
obtained. In the composition of these cakes I take hay, clover, straw, or unthrashed
corn cut into chaff; thence it is put into a steaming pan to be thoroughly cooked
by steam from any convenient boiler. I construct a tank in which I make a liquid
from crushed or whole linseed, fine oatmeal, and mollasses, with sufficient water,
boiled together; when the hay, clover, straw, or unthrashed corn is sufficiently
cooked I convey this liquid into the top of the steaming pan, letting it run through
the steamed food until it is thoroughly saturated with the liquid. The hay, clover,
straw, or unthrashed corn is then emptied out of the steaming pan on to a floor or
other receptacle. I then mix some or all of the following, whole, crushed, or
ground, viz., oats, maize, beans, barley, peas, lentils, locust beans, grains either wet or
dried, bran, linseed cakes, cotton cakes either decorticated or undecorticated, and
palm nut meal; when thoroughly mixed with the cooked food the resultant mass
is put into boxes, thence into a press to be made into cakes, and afterwards to be
dried for keeping. If thought desirable I may inix the prepared liquid from linseed,
fine oatineal, and molasses with the hay, clover, straw, and unthrashed corn or chaff,
saturating the same without steaming or cooking the hay, straw, or clover before
mixing the various feeding materials previous to being put into boxes to be
pressed into cakes; or 1 may dispense with the use of the liquid, merely heating
the materials by steam or otherwise, and so cause their adhesion when pressed.
The ingredients of which the improved cattle food is intended to be composed may
be mixed in various proportions according to circumstances, such as the purpose for
which the improved food is to be employed (whether for horses, cattle, or sheep),
and the relative cost of the various ingredients. By this mode of preparation hays
that have been partly spoiled by bad weather will be made thoroughly sweet and
palatable, also through being cooked rendered more digestable. Hitherto these
kinds of cakes have not been made, no suitable presses being obtainable; the
presses used for pressing oil seeds are not applicable for this purpose, the boxes for
holding the seed to be pressed being too small to hold such bulky articles as hay
and straw. I construct a press especially adapted for these provender cakes with
very large boxes, and I use woollen cloth wrappers or plates in connection with the
boxes as is found best for the purpose, the press being worked by bydraulic
pressure as commonly used. The machinery required for making this class of cake
is less costly than such as is used for pressing oil seeds, and will do much more
work. I also construct a rack for the storage of my provender cakes in such
manner that the cakes are held separately and allow for ventilation between the
cakes; they thus keep dry and sweet for any length of time; a store in the stable
can be fitted on this system and take up very little room. By my Invention a
great advantage will be gained for export, for horses during a campaign, whilst in
transit on board ship, and in case of war, in sending out for supply where forage is
scarce, and for any kind of cattle conveyed by sea, as the economising of space is a
great desideratum on board ship. For gruel I form into cakes a mixture of ground
or whole linseed with fine oatmeal and a small quantity of molasses; one pound of

page_text: this mixture to one gallon of water may be given to horses that refuse solid food
after severe exertion, or a long journey, or after hunting; it should be put into water
a short time when it will soon dissolve and make a nice gruel; or the same mixture
may be made into packets in a powdered state sufficient for one feed of gruel. For
seasoning and medicating the cakes I prepare certain mixtures from the following
ingredients in various proportions, accordingto circumstances, such as the purpose for
which the seasoning or medicated mixture is required, whether for horses or cattle,
viz. -Carbonate of soda, powdered licquorice, ginger, sulphur, saltpetre, caraway
seeds, cream of tartar, gentian root, fennygreek, coriander seed. The proportions of
the above ingredients to be mixed together and then added to the cake mixture
before being put into the boxes to be pressed into cakes; or the seasoning and
medicated mixture may be made into packets sufficient for one feed. I do not
specify in what proportions of each kind the materials are to be used, as this may
be varied according to circumstances without deviating from my Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Spencer, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this First day of June, A.D. 18
•