IMPROVEMENTS IN STACKING OR RICKING HAY AND OTHER CUT CROPS AND IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREFOR
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Richard Salwey, of Ifield Court near Gravesend
in the County of Kent, Civil Engineer for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS
IN STACKING OR RICKING HAY AND OTHER CUT CROPS AND IN APPARATUS
TO BE EMPLOYED THEREFOR
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Richard Salwey
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th July 1882.
EDWARD RICHARD SALWEY of Ifield Court, near Gravesend in the County of
Kent Civil Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN STACKING OR RICKING HAY AND OTHER
CUT CROPS AND IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREFOR
The object of my Invention is to enable hay and other cut crops to be stacked
or ricked when in a green or nearly green condition without liability of becoming
overheated so as to fire or become mouldy or mildewed in the ricks or stacks.
My Invention consists in a mode of and apparatus for stacking or ricking the
crop by first putting it up in isolated layers or sections of comparatively small
bulk so that no portion of the crop is subject to any great degree of superincumbent
pressure, over, under, and around each individual one of which the air has freedomn
to circulate, until the crop is sufficiently dry, and subsequently combining these
layers or sections into a single bulk forming the rick or stack.
The apparatus consists of a light framing of iron or other suitable material
constructed in the following way. At, or a little beyond the four corners of the
intended stack, are fixed four uprights or standards, and upon the two standards at
the two sides of the rick, horizontal bars are fixed at different heights, the said
horizontal bars being capable of sliding up and down the standards and of being
fixed at any desired heights by set screws, clamps, pins, or other means. There is
a sufficient number of these bars, according to the quantity of the cut crop required
to be stacked in the rick, and the number of layers into which it is to be divided.
Upon these horizontal bars, cross slats or bars are laid, the slats or bars extending
across the rick or stack with their opposite ends resting on a horizontal bar at
each side of the stack. These cross slats or bars are laid at suitable distances

page_text: apart to form open grids upon which the layers of hay, &º, are supported. The
tops of the upright standards may be connected by ridge pieces and a rope may be
secured across the top which will serve to lay a rick cloth over, and the whole
frame may be further stayed by guy ropes attached to pegs driven in the ground.
The mode of stacking is as follows:-Having erected the main frame or structure,
I fix a pair of the horizontal bars at a distance of a few inches above the foundation
of the rick and lay upon them a number of the loose cross slats or bars to support
the first layer of hay or crop which I then proceed to place evenly upon them to a
greater or less height according to the condition of the crop. I then fix a second
pair of bars slightly above the top of the first layer and upon the grid formed by
cross slats as before, I place a second layer of the crop and so on for the succeeding
layers until the rick has reached a sufficient height. The several superposed but
isolated layers are exposed to the air on all sides, and as each dries, it will settle
down away from the one above and leave more room for the circulation of air
between the layers. When the hay & is sufficiently dry, the layers are
successively lowered and superimposed the one on the other, beginning with the
lowermost layer which is let down into the foundation of the rick by means of
pulleys and tackle mounted upon the frame, and so on for the layers above until
the whole of them are united in one bulk.
The loose slats or bars embedded in the crop are then drawn out, preferably after
each layer is lowered, and the rick is then complete and the framing may be
removed and re-erected in another place for a similar purpose.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edward Richard Salwey in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th January 1883.
EDWARD RICHARD SALWEY, of Ifield Court near Gravesend in the County of
Kent, Civil Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN STACKING OR RICKING HAY AND OTHER
CUT CROPS, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREFOR."
The object of my Invention is to enable hay and other cut crops to be stacked
or ricked when in a green or nearly green condition, without liability of becoming
overheated or firing or becoming mouldy or mildewed in the ricks or stacka,
My Invention consists in a mode of stacking or ricking the crop which consists
in first putting it up in isolated layers or sections of comparatively small bulk so
that no portion of the crop is subject to any great degree of superincumbent
pressure, and so that the air shall have freedom to circulate over, under, and
around each individual layer until the crop is sufficiently dry, and in subsequently
combining these layers or sections into a single bulk forming the rick or stack, and
the Invention also comprises the apparatus by means of which this mode of stacking
may be carried into effect.
The said apparatus consists of a sufficiently strong but light framing of iron
constructed in the following way. At, or a little beyond the four corners of the
intended stack are erected four uprights or standards, and upon the two standards
at the two sides of the rick horizontal bearer bars are fixed at different heights,
the said bars being capable of adjustment and of being fixed at any desired heights
by set screws, clamps, pins, or other means. There is a sufficient number of these
bearer bars, according to the quantity of the cut crop required to be stacked in the
rick, and the number of layers into which it is to be divided. Upon these side
bearer bars, cross bars are laid, the bars extending across the rick or stack with
their ends resting upon the two bearer bars at opposite sides of the stack. These
cross bars are laid at suitable distances apart, say a foot (more or less), to form
open grids upon which the hay, &c, is placed and supported in isolated layers as
above mentioned. The tops of the upright standards may be connected by ridge
pieces and a rope may be secured across the top which will serve to lay a rick cloth
over.
In order to combine comparative lightness with strength and rigidity, I prefer to
construct the uprights or standards of iron tubes of suitable section provided with
flanges or feet at the bottom to rest upon the ground and with suitable T pieces
or other connections at top for the attachment of cross braces and ridge pieces to
brace the four standards rigidly together. The standards are also to be stayed by
guy ropes attached to pegs driven into the ground. The side or bearer bars would
be made of angle iron bars of suitable section to ensure the necessary rigidity, and
provided at the ends with sockets which fit upon the standards and are free to
slide thereon and rest upon cross keys driven through holes in the standards, or
they may be otherwise supported. The cross bars which rest upon these bearer
bars and carry the crop, would also be made of angle or channeled iron of a section
best calculated to support the weight of the crop without sagging. In certain cases
depending on the width of the stack and other circumstances, it may be necessary
to support the cross bars at an intermediate point, and in such case I would provide
central longitudinal bearer bars similar to the side bars beneath each layer and
supported on posts erected at the ends of the stack. These central bearer bars
would require to be supported so that they could be removed before the cross bars

page_text: are lowered, and their ends would not therefore be connected to the central end
poles, but might simply rest on brackets or other projections fixed adjustably to
the said poles.
The mode of stacking is as follows:-Having erected the main frame or structure,
I fix a pair of the bearer bars at a distance of a few inches above the foundation
of the rick and lay upon them a number of the loose cross bars to support the first
layer of hay or crop which I then proceed to place evenly upon them to a greater
or less height, according to the condition of the crop. I then fix a second pair of
bearer bars slightly above the top of the first layer and upon the grid formed by
cross bars as before, I place a second layer of the crop and so on for the succeeding
layers until the rick has reached a sufficient height. The several superposed but
isolated layers are exposed to the air on all sides, and as each dries, it will settle
down away from the one above and leave more room for the circulation of air
between the layers. When the bay, &c, is sufficiently dry, the layers are succes-
sively lowered and superimposed the one on the other beginning with the lowermost
layer which is let down onto the foundation of the rick by means of pulleys and
tackle mounted upon the frame, and so on for the layers above until the whole of
them are united in one bulk. The loose cross bars embedded in the crop are then
drawn out preferably after each layer is lowered and the rick is then complete and
the framing may be removed and re-erected in another place for a similar purpose.
Having described the nature of my Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is.
The herein described mode of and apparatus for stacking or ricking hay and
other cut crops, by first putting it up in isolated layers and subsequently super-
imposing or combining the layers in the manner, substantially as herein specified.
In Witness whereof I the said Edward Richard Salwey have hereunto set
my hand and seal this seventh day of October A.D. 1882.
E R SALWEY (1.8)