IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES FOR COMPRESSING SILAGE AND OTHER MATERIALS
Year: 1885

page_text: FRACOT
I THOMAS CARDWELL of 32 Park Street Grosvenor Square in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES FOR COMPRESSING SILAGE AND OTHER MATERIALS to be
as follows:-
In applying my invention to the compression of silage I employ a dead weight
outside the silo acting upon a combination of geometrical levers giving motion to a
plunger or follower, the said levers being arranged in such a way as to increase the
pressure on the silage in a ratio corresponding or nearly so to the resistance of the
latter.
44
The permanent silo is constructed of any suitable materials, it is fitted with a
"super-silo" preferably constructed of timber and held temporarily in position in
any convenient manner; the silo is fitted with a plunger or follower also preferably
formed of timber and provided with rollers which by running against the inner
surface of the walls of the silo reduce friction and thereby facilitate the rise and,
fall of the plunger or follower.
Above the silo is a cross bar or fulcrum the length of which extends the full
width of the silo; this cross bar or fulcrum is supported by suitable uprights and
is tied down by iron rods outside the silo to a similar beam passing underneath
the floor.
To the underside of this cross bar or fulcrum are articulated one end of any
suitable number of geometrical levers which at their other ends are articulated to
the one end of other similar levers which in their turn are articulated to the plunger
or follower; these co-acting geometrical levers are of the kind known as toggle:
links or levers and they are connected at their central joint by a link to the outer
end of one arm of a segmental formed lever to which-point a chain is fixed which
passes around the segment and thence to a dead weight acting as the motive or
operating power.
This weight is capable of being raised or lowered by means of a block and tackle,
a crab, winch or other suitable appliance and is connected with or disconnected
from the aforesaid chain.
As the weight falls it draws the segmental lever through equal distances whilst,
it will cause the plunger or follower to be forced down through unequal distances

page_text: thus producing an accelerating ratio of powers corresponding very nearly with the
increasing resistance of the silage. When the pressure is taken off by lowering the
weight to the ground the plunger or follower can be raised to its original position
by means of a counterweight or by a crab, winch or other suitable appliances with
which it is connected by one or more chains fastened to the spindle of the plunger
or follower and passing over suitable guide pullies.
My invention is also applicable to presses for compressing other materials than'
silage.
Improvements in Presses for Compressing Silage and other
L
m
Materials.
I THOMAS CARDWELL of 32 Park Street, Grosvenor Square in the County of
Middlesex Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:
In applying my invention to the compression of silage I employ a dead weight
outside the silo acting upon a combination of geometrical levers giving motion to a
plunger or follower the said levers being arranged in such a way as to increase the
pressure on the silage in a ratio corresponding or nearly so to the resistance of the
latter.
The permanent silo is constructed of any suitable materials, it may be fitted with
a "super-silo" preferably constructed of timber and held temporarily in position
in any convenient manner; the silo is fitted with a plunger or follower also
preferably formed of timber and provided' with rollers which by running against the
inner surface of the walls of the silo reduce friction and thereby facilitate the rise
and fall of the plunger or follower.
Above the silo is a cross bar or fulcrum the length of which extends the full
width of the silo; this cross-bar or fulcrum is supported by suitable uprights and
is tied down by iron rods outside the silo to a similar beam passing underneath
the floor.
. To the underside of this cross bar or fulcrum are articulated one end of any
suitable number of geometrical levers which at their other ends are articulated to
the one end of other similar levers which in their turn are articulated to the plunger
or follower; these co-acting geometrical levers are of the kind known as toggle

page_text: Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section and Figure 2 is a vertical cross section
representing one of my improved presses for compressing silage. In both figures
like parts are marked with similar letters of reference. a represents the permanent
silo which may be constructed of concrete, brickwork, masonry, or other suitable
material; bis the super-silo which is preferably constructed of timber and which
may be held temporarily in position by suitable guides or fastenings or in any
convenient manner; the silo is fitted with a plunger or follower c which is also
preferably formed of timber and is provided with rollers c¹ which by running
against the inner surface of the walls of the silo reduce friction and thereby
facilitate the rise and fall of the plunger or follower c.
Above the silo is a cross bar or fulcrum ₫ the length of which extends the full
width of the silo; this cross bar or fulcrum d is supported by suitable uprights e
and is tied down by iron rods d' outside the silo to a similar cross beam f passing
underneath the floor.
To the underside of this cross bar or fulcrum & are articulated one end of any
suitable number of geometrical levers g which at their ends are articulated to the
one end of other similar levers g¹ which in their turn are articulated to the plunger
or follower c; these co-acting geometrical levers g g₁ are of the kind known as
toggle links or levers and they are connected at their central joint by a link / to
the outer end of one arm of a segmental formed lever i to which point a chain j is
fixed which passes around the segment and thence to a dead weight k to which it
is connected and which acts as a motive or operating power.
This weight is capable of being raised or lowered by means of a block and
tackle, a crab, winch or other suitable appliance and is capable of being connected
with or disconnected from the aforesaid chain when required.
As the weight falls it draws the segmental formed lever i through equal
distances whilst it will cause the plunger or follower c to be forced down through
unequal distances thus producing an accelerating ratio of powers corresponding
very nearly with the increasing resistance of the silage. When the pressure is
taken off by lowering the weight k to the ground the plunger or follower c can be
raised to its original position by means of a counterweight or by a crab winch or
other suitable appliances with which it is connected by one or more chains m
fastened to the spindle c² of the plunger or follower c and passing over suitable
guide pulleys

page_text: The weight k may consist of a number of removeable sections supported on a
suitable carrier in which case the carrier can be attached directly to the chain j
and the sections can be separately raised and lowered by hand without the inter-
vention of tackle of any kind for that purpose.
.
My invention is also applicable to presses for compressing other materials than.i
silage.
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. The peculiar arrangement and combination of parts substantially as berein
shown and described and for the purpose stated.
2. The employment of a dead weight, outside the silo or press, acting upon a
combination of geometrical levers connected to a cross bar and giving motion to a
plunger or follower substantially as herein shown and described and for the
purpose stated.