IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPRESSING AND PRESERVING FODDER
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1886.
Complete Left, 5th Apr., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 10th May, 1887.
I, JOHN MOSS FLETCHER of Cheadle in the County of Chester Gentleman do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPRESSING AND
PRESERVING FODDER to be as follows:-
A building having sides, or ends, or both, built up of boards, concrete or other
suitable material, being provided on their upper edges with grooves formed so as to
receive the juices from the compressed fodder, and retaining them in order that they
may solidify, and thus render the parts where such grooves are used, automatically and
practically air-tight.
The grooves would, in some cases, be used to retain string, rubber, rushes or other
suitable or similar material for the purpose of making the sides, or ends, or both, of
the structure, air-tight from the commencement.
I obtain the necessary pressure by means of cross-beams, to be hereafter more fully
described. One end of said cross-beam I fasten firmly in position by means of chain
rope or suitable flexible material for the purpose of obtaining leverage; the other end I
attach a pulley-block, loop or other device, through which a chain, rope or wire
may be passed, communicating with a similar device near the ground, the whole,
being constructed with a view to obtain pressure on the fodder, which is both
continuous and automatic in it's action, thus saving labour in compressing the foul or
heated air, from the fodder when decomposition is supposed to have set in from natural
causes; continuous action being provided for by means of a weight or weights attached
to one end of the rope, the other end being fast near the ground.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Compressing and Preserving Fodder.
I, JOHN MOSS FLETCHER of Cheadle in the County of Chester, 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:
My invention for improvements in apparatus for compressing and preserving fodder
has for object to construct apparatus in which the joints between the boards or pieces
forming the sides or ends of the apparatus shall be practically air-tight and in which
the fodder shall be subjected to an automatic and continuous pressure so as to expel
the foul heated air and gases therefrom when decomposition sets in.
grooves.
In carrying my invention into practical effect, the building for the reception of the
fodder is constructed having its sides or ends or both its sides and ends built up of
boards or other suitable materials provided on their upper edges with
These
grooves receive the juices expressed from the fodder which juices may solidify in the
grooves and form practically air tight joints between the boards or other materials.
In some cases, the grooves may be employed to retain string rubber or rushes or other
suitable material so as to render the joints air-tight. Automatic and continuous
pressure on the fodder is obtained by means of cross beams, one end of each of which
is connected to one end of a separate chain or rope or other suitable connection, having
its other end firmly secured in position. The other ends of the cross beams are
connected by chains or ropes to weights either directly or through pulley blocks or
other suitable devices for increasing the leverage of the weights on the cross beams.
Preferably the cross beams are weighted alternately on their opposite ends, the
remaining ends being connected to the fixed chains or ropes or other connections.
In the accompanying sheet of drawings
Fig. 1 is a cross section of an apparatus for compressing and preserving fodder
constructed according to my invention, and
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a part of the same.
Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 1 showing an apparatus of a more permanent
nature, and
Fig. 4 is a cross section shewing the method of jointing the boards or pieces used
in the construction of apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
The apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises the rows of posts a which have
their lower ends fixed in the ground and to which are attached the joists j for supporting
the flooring. The boards b forming the sides of the apparatus bear against the posts a
and are suitably jointed together as shown in Fig. 4. The upper edge of each board
is provided with a groove c which serves to receive either the juices expressed from
the fodder or any suitable packing material so as to form an air-tight joint. One end
of each cross beam d is connected to the chain or rope e whose other end is fixed in
any suitable manner to the joists j. The other ends of the cross beams are connected,
either directly or through the pulley blocks f for increasing the effect, to the weights h.

page_text: Preferably the cross beams have their alternate ends on one side of the apparatus
connected to the chains or ropes e and the remaining ends on that side connected to
the weights h.
In the modification shown in fig. 3, the sides of the apparatus are shown constructed
of masonry or brickwork and the pulley blocks fare arranged within the apparatus as
clearly shown. The cross beams d can be connected to the chains or ropes e at any
suitable part of their lengths and are raised by means of the ropes m.
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 :-
In apparatus for compressing and preserving fodder.
1. Constructing the sides or ends of the building for containing the fodder of
boards or other suitable material provided on their upper edges with grooves serving
to receive either the expressed juices or a suitable packing so as to form an air-
tight joint substantially as described.
2. Exerting an automatic and a continuous pressure on the fodder by means of
weights attached to the ends of cross beams bearing on the fodder substantially as
described.
3. The apparatus constructed substantially as described with reference to the
drawings.