Improvements in and connected with the Preparation of Food for Horses, and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1897

page_text: Coment
Date of Application, 12th Oct., 1897
Improvements in and connected with the Preparation of Food for
Horses, and in Apparatus therefor.
We, MARIA CHIESA ISTRIA Bosio, and GUISEPPINA PORAZZI Bosio, both of 42,
Via Roma, Turin, in the Kingdom of Italy, Gentlewomen, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in and connected with the preparation
of food for horses, and in apparatus therefor, and has for its main object to prepare
horse food in a form more applicable than heretofore for military purposes, so
that the quantity of food required for each horse for any desired number of days
can be readily apportioned to it, such food being moreover in a very compact and
convenient form for transport. According to the said invention; the hay or the like
and the oats necessary for a horse's rations, are combined in definite quantities,
say enough for a single days ration, or 5 kilogrammes of hay and 4 kilogrammes
of oats, the hay being formed into a small truss with the oats inside the same.
By this means as each truss corresponds to the amount of food which will serve
for a definite time for one horse, an officer can tell at a glance how long his
supplies will last, or how much he must provide for a march of a certain
duration.
For the purpose of carrying out the invention we place the oats, either loose
or in, a bag or the like, in the interior of the hay before the same is compressed
and bound into a truss, so that the hay forms as it were a receptacle or container
for the oats.
The compression may be carried out in any suitable form of press, the trusses
being advantageously made up in the form of small rectangular blocks or cubes
measuring say about 25 centimetres each way.
The form of press we prefer to employ is a multiple press having a convenient
number of compression chambers disposed regularly around the same and provided
with suitably operated rams or plungers. The sides, or portions of the sides, of
the chambers, and the covers thereof, may be made removable to facilitate the
filling and emptying of the presses. The presses are filled with hay in which a
hollow space is formed to receive the requisite quantity of oats. The chambers of
the press are then closed and their rams or plungers are caused to operate and
compress the hay. The chambers may be arranged vertically and be of
form in section, while the plungers may be carried by screw-threaded spindles
which are caused to rise so as to give the compression stroke, by means of an
rrangement of pinions disposed around and gearing with a central spur wheel.
The bosses of these pinions are screw threaded and receive the aforesaid screw-
square

page_text: threaded spindles, for which they serve as nuts. The pinions being restrained
from endwise motion, it follows that as they revolve they cause the spindles to
move up or down.
For compressing the hay the central spur wheel may be driven by a suitable
motor which can be put into and out of gear by any convenient form of clutch.
For lowering the plungers however, as but little force is required, the spur
wheel may be driven by hand through the medium of a crank handle and bevel
gearing.
Two of the sides of each chamber may have their upper portions hinged, while
the covers may be hinged to the corner enclosed by the other two sides and be
provided with strengthening ribs. Suitable means are provideal for locking these
hinged parts when closed, and the inner surfaces of the covers and pistons or rams
and side walls of the chamber may be provided with grooves to receive the binding
wires for the trusses.
Dated this 12th day of October 1897.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in and connected with the Preparation of Food for
Horses, and in Apparatus therefor.
We. MARIA CITIESA ISTRIA Bosto, and GUISEPPINA PORAZZI BOSIO, both of 42,
Via Roma, Turin, in the Kingdom of Italy, Gentlewomen, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in and connected with the preparation
of food for horses and other animals, and in apparatus therefor, and
form more
has for its main object to prepare fodder for horses in a
applicable then heretofore for military purposes, so that the quantity of food
required for each horse for any desired number of days can be readily apportioned
to it, such food being moreover in, a very compact and convenient form for
transport.
According to our said invention the hay or the like and the oats, beans, or
other similar food necessary for a horse's rations, are combined in definite
quantities, say enough for one day's ration, as for instance, 5 kilogrammes of hay
and 4 kilogrammes of onts, the hny being compressed and formed into a small truss
with the oats inside the game.
In carrying out our invention we place the oats, either loose or in a bag or
the like, in the interior of the hay before the samo is compressed and bound into
a truss so that the hay forms as it were a receptacle or container for the oats.
The compression may be carried out in any suitable form of press, the trusses
being advantageously made up in the form of small rectangular blocks or cubes
measuring, say, about 25 centimetres each way.
We employ four binding wires or bands two such wires passing round two
opposite sides of the truss and two round the other sides or the ends, so that the
four wires are crossed upon the top and bottom surfaces of the trues. The truss

page_text: is thus bound while under compression and retains its form after the pressure
has been removed. Owing to its reduced volume such a 'truss offers great ad-
vantages for military purposes. Obviously any desired size and shape of truss
may be formed in this manner constituting a half ration, or two or more rations,
and any required proportion of hay and oats or the like may be combined in each
truss.
In order that our invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into
effect, we will describe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying
drawings, which illustrate by way of example, one form of apparatus which
we prefer to employ. It is to be understood however that in these drawings only
so much of the apparatus is shown as is necessary to explain the invention, and
that minor details of the construction are omitted in order that the features of
the invention may be more clearly shown.
Figures 1 and 2 are respectively an elevation and a plan of the apparatus or
machine.
Figure 3 is an elevation partly in vertical section and with the casing of the
apparatus removed in order to show the mechanism; and
Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line y, y of Figure 3.
The apparatus consists of a multiple press having a convenient number of com-
pression chambers a disposed regularly around the same and provided with suit-
ably operated pistons, rams or plungers. In the apparatus illustrated six com-
pression chambers are employed, but obviously a less or greater number of such
chambers may be used. These chambers are of square or other shape in cross
section corresponding to the shape and size of truss it is desired to produce. Each
chamber is open at its lower end and is provided with a piston or ram H which
forms a movable bottom for the chamber. and which is caused by suitable means
to reciprocate longitudinally in such chamber. The rods or spindles D) carrying
the pistons or rams are provided with a screw thread for nearly their entire
length and pass through suitable guides disposed at the bottom of the chambers,
as shown.
In the drawings we have shown means for operating the pistons or rams con-
sisting of a centrally arranged spur wheel A which is driven, from a suitable source
of power through the driving belt B, and six pinions C, engaging with the wheel A.
The bosses or hubs of these pinions C are screw threaded internally and one of
said pinions is mounted on each piston rod and forms a nut thereon. Endwise
movement of these pinions is prevented by suitable stops, and consequently when
they are turned, the piston rods are compelled to move up or down according to
the direction of rotation of said pinions. For returning the pistons to their lowest
position we provide the hand crank E, on the shaft of which is mounted the bevel
wheel gearing with the bevel wheel G, which latter is mounted upon the same
shaft as the wheel A. Obviously, however, any other suitable mechanism may
be employed for operating the pistons.
For enabling the fodder to be compressed and to be bound while under com-
pression we employ the following construction :
At the lower part of each compression chamber a (see Figure 3) the four walls
are rigidly connected together or are formed in one piece. At the upper part of
the chamber, for a suitable distance (according to the sizes of trusses which the
apparatus is designed to produce) the dwo outer walls h, i.c. those walls opposite
to the centre of the machine, are provided with hinges at their lower ends so
as to be capable of being folded back; while the two walls adjacent to the centre
of the machine are fixed, and may be extensions of the two corresponding walls
of the lower part of the chamber.
f is a standard secured to or formed in one piece with the walls of the lower
part of the chamber and serving, in conjunction with suitable bolts, to fix the
machine to the ground or to a foundation of masonry or otherwise.
To the upper extremity of the corner formed by the fixed upper walls, the

page_text: cover is attached by the hinge b. This cover, which fits the top of the chamber a
is provided on its upper side with two strengthening ribs c, . The rib c extend
slightly beyond the chamber and carries an eye, to which is hinged a slotted fla
or loop d adapted to fit over the projection d' on the standard and to be secured
in position by a bolt, as shown.
In the upper part of each of the two outer or fixed walls of the chamber tw
longitudinal slots or grooves g are formed which serve for the introduction of the
wires or bands employed for hindling the truss. The cover is provided upon the
two sides which meat the said walls with ledges, serving to support ar strengther
these walls when the cover is closed and compression is being effected. Slots or
grooves corresponding to the slots are provided in the said ledges.
In order to secure the movable walls in their closed position, we employ a
flexible, hinged metal strap or blade provided at one end with a projection
which enters a hole or recess in the standard f, and at the other end with a
suitable fastening dovice, which may be similar to that described with reference to
the cover c (see Figure 3). Each wall may be secured by a separate strap, or
a single strap may be employed to secure both the movable walls of one chamber.
Grooves m, corresponding with the slots g, are provided upon the under surface
of the cover, and upon the upper fuce of the piston, which grooves serve as guides
for the introduction of the binding wires or bands.
The working of the apparatus is as follows:-
The pistons or rams are caused to occupy their lowest positions, the cover c and
the two walls are opened, and say about three kilogrammes of hay are placed
in each compression chamber. This hay is pushed down into the chamber by a
suitable rod ar plunger. A hollow or space is then formed in this hay, into
which, say, four kilogrammes of oats, beans or the like (either loose or enclosed
in a bag or other covering) are placed. Thereupon the two walls are closed and
secured by means of the straps 7. Then, say, two more kilogrammes of hay aro
introduced into each of the chambers, and the covers are closed. The machine
is then set in operation, by connecting this belt B with the motor shaft, and the
pistons or rams I are thus moved upward to such an extent as to reduce the space
occupied by the hay to a height of say, 32 centimetres. At this point, by means
of any suitable automatic disengagement device. the operating mechanism is
disconnected from the motor, and the pistons are stopped. The two sides walls h
are then opened and the binding wires are introduced into the slots g, being caused
to pass along the grooves m, and the ends of each wire are hooked, or fastened
together, this being done upon the sides or faces of the truss exposed by the
opening of the side walls h.
The hand crank E is then turned, causing the pistons II to recede the covers
are opened and the completed trusses are withdrawn; the crank E being then
further turned, to bring the pistons II to their lowest position ready for com-
pressing another lot of trusses.
By means of our invention, as each truss corresponds to the amount of food
which will serve for a definite time for one horse, an officer can tell at a glance
how long his supplies will Inst, or how much he must provide for a march of a
certain duration.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. The herein described method of preparing fodder or food for horses by com-
bining and compressing together definite quantities of hay and oats or similar
foods, and binding the same so that it remains in the condition of a compressed
truss, for the purpose specified
2. In apparatus for making the aforesaid oumpressed trusses of fodder the
employment of a compression chamber constructed substantially as described and
for the purpose specified.

page_text: 3. An apparatus for preparing compressed trusses of food for horses, having its
parts arranged and combined to operate substantially as described with reference
to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 19th day of lumi 1900
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.