IE47085B1 - Improving the feed value of vegetable matter such as straw - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method of improving the feed value of vegetable matter, especially plant stems such as straw, by the influence of ammonia.

It is generally known to improve the feed value of straw 5 by placing the straw in a closed room and supplying ammonia in such a way that the straw is surrounded by an ammonia containing atmosphere for a period of time which is normally 8 weeks. This so-called lixiviation of straw improves the feed value of the straw corresponding to about 2.4 kg. of straw per feed unit.

The present invention provides a method of improving the feed value of Vegetable matter, in which substantially whole vegetable matter is confined in a flexible gastight bag, the bag is then partly evacuated of air to such an extent that the bag compresses and ruptures the vegetable matter, a partial vacuum being created within the bag, ammonia is then supplied to the bag until the partial vacuum is at least counterbalanced, and the vegetable matter is subsequently removed from the bag.

By this method, when applied to straw, a feed value can be achieved corresponding to about 15 kg of straw per feed unit after a stay on only 4 days in the bag.

By using the method mentioned in claim 2 the 5 efficiency of the process is considerably improved and by using the method mentioned in claim 3 the time for termination of the lixiviation until the straw can be used as feeding stuff for animals is considerably decreased.

The procedure mentioned in claim 4 is particularly suitable for the performance of the method just as the value mentioned in claim 5 renders a high security against breaking of the bag, and the efficiency is constantly optimum.

The sloping bottom mentioned in claim 6 is suitable, for example, where fluid ammonia is supplied, as this can hereby seep through the straw at the bottom and give an effective distribution of the vapours.

By using the pipe stub mentioned in claim 7 a pipe stub arrangement is achieved in a simple and cheap way, which arrangement allows for the insertion of a pipe to the interior of the bag, which pipe on the . 47085 outside may be connected to a vacuum source via a tube. The pipe stub may be mounted at any place which might be the most suitable for the work and after use be removed in order to be used in another bag.

By using the clamp mentioned in claim 8 a safety valve is obtained in a simple way, and simultaneously tightness is achieved both with an inserted pipe and when the pipe is removed from the stub.

Finally the clamp with elastic bands mentioned in claim 10 9 is a simple as well as an effective security device and closing device.

A preferred method for the treatment of straw will now be described.

For the performance of the method a bag of any size 15 is used, for example consisting of a plastics tube which can be closed at both ends. The plastics material is flexible to be able to yield during the exhaustion of air. To this bag is connected a vacuum source and a supply for ammonia. This may take place by means of one or more tube stubs to which connection tubes may be fastened. The closing devices for the bag may be of any generally known type, for example the end of the plastics tube being wound around a flat piece of iron 4'?085 this winding then being squeezed by means of a removable clamping device. These means will be described in more detail below.

Further the bag is at the top provided with valve means comprising an excess pressure release valve which prevents an inadmissible pressure in the bag so that this will not split during the presence of the ammonia in the bag and a manually operated air release valve.

Straw, usually in the form of bales, is placed inside the bag, which is then closed hermetically. By means of the vacuum source the air is evacuated to a subpressure of about 600 mm Hg. By this evacuation the walls of the bag are squeezed around the straw to such an extent that the hollow straws ( which have not been chopped up and are therefore substantially whole) are split in such a way that there will be no closed cavities in the straws when these resume their normal form. Evacuation to this extent causes a partial vacuum in the bag. Then ammonia is supplied to the interior of the bag via a tube connection either as liquid or as vapour. Where liquid ammonia is supplied the bottom of the bag must slope downwards from the inlet or inlets in order to secure an even distribution of the ammonia in the straw. Under the effect of this supply of ammonia, as a replacement of the air 7 085 previously evacuated, the bag expands again and concurrently ammonia is sucked into the cavities of the straws and into the space between the straws. Hereby a previously unknown supply of ammonia to the straws and thus an acceleration of the process is achieved which causes a higher feed value and an increased content of raw proteins of up to 15% of the prepared feedstuff.

The straw may be kept in the bag for some time dependent on the thickness of the straws, the moisture content, the temperature, and the pressure of the ammonia.

In. order to accelerate the lixiviation process the air may be evacuated (causing squeezing of the straws) several times in succession, before the ammonia is ' supplied. Additional ammonia may be supplied and its pressure may be varied in order to ensure maximum lixiviation. Furthermore, the ammonia may be kept under a certain super-atmospheric-pressure, whereby the process is futher accelerated as the ammonia is assimilated.

After the required number of days e.g. 4 - 6 days, the ammonia is let out either by exudation through an upper outlet opening or by evacuation which removes the ammonia, whereafter fresh air may be supplied 7085 Ί and the straw is ready to be used as feeding stuff immediately after the termination of the process.

In the usual way the apparatus used is provided with safety devices for protection of the operation staff, and where tubes are used, these are made flexible so that they can follow the contraction and the expansion of the bag.

Apparatus for practicing the above method will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a pipe stub, connecting a tube to a bag, partly in axial section; Figure 2 is a detail of Figure 1, with the tube removed; Figure 3 is an end view of the pipe stub of Figure 1; and Figure 4 shows a bag closure device in cross-section.

As shown in Figure 1, a pipe stub 1 comprises a pipe 20 6 which is threaded at one end. The threaded piece is inserted through a hole in the wall 2 of a bag, which may be reinforced around the hole in order to build a double wall, as shown in Figure 1.

The pipe 6 is fixed to the wall 2 by means of a couple of nuts 11 and 12, and as security against 0 85 leakage 0-rings 13 and 14 are placed between the respective nuts and the wall 2. When the nuts 13 and 14 are tightened towards each other a completely airtight and safe connection between bag and stub is created.

On the projecting end of the pipe 6, a flexible resilient sleeve 5 is placed,the natural diameter of the sleeve 5 being smaller than that of the pipe 6, so that it squeezes tightly around the pipe 6. Furthermore, the sleeve 5 is fastened to the pipe 6 by means •jg of a clamping ring 15 or a tightening band of a suitable kind, to ensure an airtight connection.

Through the opening of the sleeve 5, a tube 4 is inserted, which passes through the interior of the pipe 6 and into the interior of the bag. The sleeve closes tightly around the tube 4 and thus provides an air-tight connection between the outer surface of the tube 4 and the outer surface of the pipe stub 1.

Finally a couple of clamping jaws 7 and 8 are placed on the outside of the sleeve 5, which clamping jaws are squeezed against the sleeve 5 surrounding the tube 4 by means of a couple of elastic bands 9 and 10, most clearly seen in Figure 3. These elastic bands 9 and 10 are sufficiently strong to close the sleeve 5, when the tube 4 is not present, as is seen in Figure 2.

While the elastic bands 9 and 10 and the sleeve 5 close the pipe stub practically hermeticaly during evacuation of the bag they make sure that a too high super-pressure does not occur in the bag. Any super5 pressure above a given value will be ventilated through the sleeve, as the clamps will yield and let out the super-pressure.

Figure 4 shows a suitable closing device for the ends of a plastics tube which is to constitute the bag. It may be made of a rigid rail 16 which is a box section with a longitudinal slot. The end of the tube is led into the hollow rail 16 and is kept there by means of a rod 17 with a suitable diameter. When the rod and the plastics tube have been depressed into the rail as shown in Figure 4, a disconnectable hermetic closure for the end of the plastics tube is hereby achieved by simple means. By means of such a rail at each end of the plastics tube, the plastics bag is easy to make and easy to take apart after use for removal of the prepared straw. Then the closing device can be used for making a new bag.

Claims (11)

Claims

1. A method of improving the feed value of vegetable matter, in which substantially whole vegetable matter is confined in a flexible gas-tight bag, the bag is then partly evacuated of air to such an extent that the 5 bag compresses and ruptures the vegetable matter, a partial vacuum being created within the bag, ammonia is then supplied to the bag until the partial vacuum is at least counterbalanced, and the vegetable matter is subsequently removed from the bag. 10

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the ammonia is supplied to the bag in such a manner that the superatmosphericpressure exists at least intermittently in the bag.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which 15 ammonia is removed from the bag before the vegetable matter is removed from the bag.

4. A method as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, in which the vegetable matter is introduced into the bag through at least one opening, which is then hermetically 20 closed.

5. A method as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, in 47083 η which the pressure to which the ammonia is supplied is limited by a pressure relief valve.

6. A method as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, in which the bottom of the bag slopes downwards from the 5 place or places at which the ammonia enters the bag.

7. A method as cl’aimed in any of the claims 1 to 6, in which a pipe stub connects tightly to and extends through the bag wall, and a flexible sleeve enclosing the stub has a free end which encloses an evacuation 10 or supply tube inserted into the pipe stub through the sleeve.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, in which a flexible clamp on the outside of the sleeve squeezes the sleeve to hermetically close the stub when no 15 tube is inserted into the stub.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, in which the clamp consists of two clamping jaws which are urged towards each other by means of two elastic bands.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1, substantially ZO as described herein.

11. Vegetable matter when treated by a method according to any of claims 1 tolO.