IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPERTAINING TO MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE COMPRESSION OF CROPS FOR ENSILAGE
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter McIntyre, of Gwydyr Ucha, in the township of
Trewydyr, in the county of Carnarvon, for an invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN OR APPERTAINING TO MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE COMPRESSION
OF CROPS FOR ENSILAGE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter McIntyre at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st December 1883.
PETER MCINTYRE of Gwydyr Ucha in the township of Trewydyr in the
county of Carnarvon "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPERTAINING TO MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR THE COMPRESSION OF CROPS FOR ENSILAGE
"
This invention has for its object an easy and cheap system of and apparatus for
compressing all kinds of crops and converting them into compressed foods or what
is termed ensilage.
•
The pressure is to be obtained by means of water or other liquids or by sand or
such like substances where water cannot easily be got.
The method at present used is to pack the crops as close as possible in silos and
then place iron weights stones and the like thereon. Now iron weights stones and
the like are expensive and awkward to handle. My invention consists in forming
a tank or tanks with or without coverings composed of timber, iron or other
materials capable of containing liquids or sand or such like substances, to be formed
and placed above the crops in the silos or other repositories and which when filled
with liquids, sand or such like substances would act as compressers, and also when
filled or empty as roofs for the silos or repositories. The water or other liquids
can be conveyed to the tanks by gravitation by means of tubes, pipes or troughs or
be pumped into them by pumps or elevators and can when required be discharged
from the tanks by means of tubes, pipes or troughs from the bottom of the tanks
or over the top of them by syphons, pumps or elevators.
Sand or such like substances if used can be conveyed by elevator or chain pump
or in rare cases by gravitation and can be removed in a similar manner.
The tanks when emptied can be lifted when required by means of pulleys, levers,
or screws, or can be counterbalanced and when brought to the top of the silo or
other receptacle swung to one side, the very water or sand run out being if
required used to counterbalance that remaining in the tank and the tank itself.
When the tank is swung back for reuse said water or sand could be pumped back
or run to waste and a fresh quantity run into the silo tank by gravitation. The
tank can be painted or galvanized or otherwise protected to prevent its corroding
under the influence of the ensilage or injuring the latter with rust.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, and of
an Order of the Lord Chancellor, filed by the said Peter McIntyre in the
Patent Office on the 31st July 1884.
PETER MCINTYRE of Gwydyr Ucha in the township of Trewydyr, in the
county of Carnarvon "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPERTAINING TO MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR THE COMPRESSION OF CROPS FOR ENSILAGE"
This invention has for its object an easy and cheap system of and apparatus for
compressing all kinds of crops and converting them into compressed foods or what
is termed ensilage.
The pressure is to be obtained by means of water or other liquids, or by sand or
such like substances where water cannot easily be got.
The method at present used is to pack the crops as close as possible in silos, and
then place iron weights, stones, and the like, thereon. Now iron weights, stones
and the like are expensive and awkward to handle. My invention consists in
forming a tank or tanks with or without coverings composed of timber, iron, or
other materials capable of containing liquids or sand or such like substances, to be
formed and placed above the crops in the silos or other repositories, and which
when filled with liquids, sand, or such like substances would act as compressers,
and also when filled or empty as roofs for the silos or repositories. The water or
other liquids can be conveyed to the tanks by gravitation by means of tubes, pipes
or troughs, or be pumped into them by pumps or elevators, and can when required
be discharged from the tanks by means of tubes, pipes, or troughs from the bottom
of the tanks, or over the top of them by syphons, pumps, or elevators.
Sand or such like substances if used can be conveyed by elevator or chain pump,
or in rare cases by gravitation, and can be removed in a similar manner.
The tanks when emptied can be lifted when required by means of pulleys, levers,
or screws, or can be counterbalanced, and when brought to the top of the silo or
other receptacle swung to one side, or raised sufficiently for people to get under it
for the purpose of filling or emptying the silo, the very water or sand run out being
if required used to counterbalance that remaining in the tank, if any, and the tank
itself. When the tank is swung back or made ready for lowering for re-use, said
water or sand can be pumped back or run to waste, and a fresh quantity run into
the silo tank by gravitation. The tank can be painted or galvanized, or otherwise
protected, to prevent its corroding under the influence of the ensilage, or injuring
the latter with rust.
Referring to the drawing, Fig 1. is an elevation, and Fig 2 a plan of a silo
constructed by me.
In these AA are the walls of any ordinary material used for silos. B the tanks
two in number. C Pulleys. D chains. E counter balance tanks. F, G, two grooves in
the brick work carried all round the silo as shown in dotted lines in Fig 2 to catch
any rain or drip. They are connected at intervals by pipes L. H narrow groove to
catch overflow from pipe I in case of necessity. I prefer however to avoid any
overflow by timely use of a syphon should the tank get too full. Ja syphon trap
to draw off the water from the lower groove G or pipe I, yet prevent the air
entering the syphon of metal forming a water seal K is a concrete floor. The
tanks E are so designed that when nearly full of water they shall counterbalance
the tank B when the latter is empty.
Having now described my invention and a silo as actually constructed by me to
my best designs, I claim as my invention:-
The apparatus for the compression of crops for ensilage, substantially as herein
described, taken as a whole.

page_text: Also the following points of the invention taken separately, each substantially as
and for the purposes described.
1st The employment of a weighting tank or tanks as a roof for the silo.
2nd. A water or sand tank, or series of tanks, as a means of weighting down a
silo in combination with smaller counter balance tanks, filled with sand, water, or
the like, and capable of being filled or emptied and of counterbalancing when full
the weighting tank or tanks when empty.
In witness whereof I the said Peter McIntyre have hereunto set my hand and
seal this twenty eighth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and eighty four,
PETER M'INTYRE
(L.S.)