AN IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT OF SILO AND PRESS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH
Year: 1883

page_text: E
LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Holdsworth Stocks of Cleckheaton in the
County of York, Leather Merchant for an Invention of AN IMPROVED
ARRANGEMENT OF SILO AND PRESS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Holdsworth Stocks
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th August 1883.
SAMUEL HOLDSWORTH STOCKS of Cleckheaton in the County of York Leather
Merchant. AN IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT OF SILO AND PRESS IN CONNECTION
THEREWITH
The Object of my invention is to construct a Silo so that the contents thereof
can be pressed easily and readily by hand also to construct portable and moveable
Silo's at a small cost.
In existing Silo's I use a series of upright rods, with scrows and springs, the
screwed rods are fixed to beams made of iron, wood, stone or other suitable material
or they may be fixed to the floor the screws have suitable nuts with lovers so that
pressure can be put upon the covers, by the screws and springs aforesaid.
My improved Silo's I construct of wood and iron combined or other suitable
material, so as to be portable and easily removed the above arrangement of press,
is also applicable of this construction of Silo's: a perforated botton may be used
to the Silo's or the bottom may be inclined towards an outlet for carrying off and
preserving the juices, a tap or valve may be fixed in the outlet.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Samuel Holdsworth Stocks in the Patent Office on the
7th February 1884.
SAMUEL HOLDSWORTH STOCKS of Cleckheaton in the County of York Leather
Merchant "AN IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT OF SILO AND PRESS IN CONNECTION 5
THEREWITH
נו
The object of my invention is to construct silos so that the contents can be
pressed easily and readily by hand. Also to construct moveable silos.
It has been the practice to build concrete pits to serve as silos for the storage
of green fodder for cattle and also for a like purpose to construct buildings above 1
In all which cases the
ground or to adapt existing, buildings or parts thereof.
chambers are provided with covers and to press the contents blocks of stone or
other heavy weights have been placed upon the cover.
These arrangements are all open to objection.
Considerable difficulty has been found in draining the concrete pits and they 1
have the disadvantage of being immovable. Also the method of loading silos with
dend weight involves much unnecessary labour and does not allow access to the
contents without previously relieving the whole-or-a-great-part from pressure.
The air then finds its way into the mass and it spoils unless rapidly used.
My improved silos obviate these inconveniences. The silo as I prefer to construct 2
it is of wood; it is a chamber of large dimensions (say 20 feet long 10 wide and
10 deep but it may be made larger or smaller). I provide a beam of iron beneath.
the bottom and rods or ties are attached to it; they pass up through the chamber
and through the cover at the top which is also formed of planks of wood and cross
beams. By means of these rods or ties and tightening apparatus applied in connection 2
with them the cover of the silo can be drawn or pressed downwards towards the
floor or bottom. The tightening apparatus is most conveniently arranged as
follows-The rods or ties have screw throads upon thom receiving nuts which can
be turned by suitable handles. The nuts abut upon washers and volute springs
surrounding the rods or ties. By turning the nuts the springs may be compressed
and they then react upon the cover of the silo; the rods or ties are thus brought
into a state of tension and a pressure is exerted tending to approach the cover to
the bottom or floor of the silo.
Similar pressing arrangements are applicable to silos which are wholly or partially "
sunk in the ground as well to those constructed above ground or adapted or
converted from existing buildings, the rods or ties are then secured to the bottom
in any convenient way.
The annexed drawings show a moveable silo and press in connection therewith,
the whole constructed in accordance with my invention.
Figure
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
is a side elevation, Figure 2 is a plan, Figure 3 is a transverse section
Figure 4 a longitudinal section and Figure 5 is an end elevation.
a. a. is the silo chamber, its floor is of stout planks and its sides of timber frames
supporting vertical boards. At one end a door or doors a' are by preference
provided. The cover a³ of the chamber is also of stout planks, these are laid
separately upon the contents after the chamber has been filled. Beneath the
transverse planks forming the bottom a longitudinal beam b by preference of iron
is laid or in some cases where the silo is large more than one beam may be
employed. c c are the rods or ties; they are secured at their lower ends to the

page_text: beam b by screws and nuts as shown or in other convenient manner. The upper
end of each tie or rod passes through the cover, one of the cover planks being
notched to permit the rod or tie to pass, d d are volute springs surrounding the
ties or rods c these springs are such as are made for railway buffers and they will
each support a load of about seven tons. The upper ends of the rods c have screw
threads cut upon them, and ce are nuts working upon the screw threads. ff are
plates on which the springs d d stand and ff' are washers. g. g. are cross pieces
of timber on which the spring plates rest and these cross pieces bear upon stiff
longitudinal timbers h h. ii arc metal tubes loosely threaded upon the rods or
ties c to protect the screw threads. The contents of the chamber serve to keep
them in place and prevent them sliding down to the lower end of the rod or tie.
k is a tap which may be provided if thought desirable.
After filling the chamber with the green material to be preserved the cover
is laid as indicated by the drawings and the screws are turned until the springs are
compressed.
Afterward every day or so for a short time so long as the material settles the
handles are turned in order that the pressure may be maintained.
When the preserved material is required for use the silo is opened only at one
end where the door a' is placed. Two or three planks of the cover may also bo
taken off, to admit of this the pressure is relieved for the time and when the planks
have been got out the nuts are again screwed up tight. In this way the material
may be worked out as required and the only exposure to air will be at the face
where the fodder is cut for use.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the manner of
performing the same I would have it understood that I claim :-
First. The construction of a silo with wooden floor, sides and cover and rods
or ties passing upwards from the floor through the chamber and its cover and with
tightening apparatus applied to such rods or ties and serving to draw the cover
towards the floor substantially as described.
.
Second. The construction of a silo with wooden floor, sides and cover and with
rods or ties secured to a beam or beams beneath the floor and passing up through
the chamber and its cover; such rods or ties being provided with screw threads
and receiving nuts substantially as described.
Third. The combination with the chamber of a silo of rods or ties secured at
the bottom and passing up through the said chamber and through the cover thereof,
such rods or ties being provided with screw threads and receiving nuts substantially
as described.
Fourth. The construction of a silo with rods or ties passing up through the
chamber and with tightening apparatus and springs applied in connection with such
rods or ties so that the cover may automatically follow the settling of the material
and maintain continuous pressure substantially as described.
In witness whereof I the said Samuel Holdsworth Stocks have hereunto set
my hand and seal this second day of February in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty four.
SAMITE HOLDSWORTH STOCKS