Improvements in or relating to the treatment of straw, hay, grass, reeds and like materials for the production of animal food stuffs

摘要

541,960. Food for animals; apparatus for preparation of pulp; obtaining cellulose. PRICE, H. T. April 15, 1940, No. 2877. [Class 5 (ii)]- [Also in Groups IV and VIII] Compressed bales of straw, hay, grass, reeds, megasse, &c. with or without cereals or protein, are charged into digesters 1, 2, water at about 212‹F. and under pressure of 200-600 1bs. per square inch is admitted to digester 1 through inlet 3, air escapes through a cock 3a, and the straw is allowed to soak for 15 minutes to 1 hour; before the introduction of the water, the air may be drawn off. The water, containing various matters in solution, is drawn off into a tank 14 and thence pumped into digester 2, fresh hot water being added to this digester. When the straw in digester 2 has soaked, the soaked straw in each digester is heated either by hot gases supplied to the outside of the digesters from, e.g. a boiler 6 or, as shown by steam from the boiler which enters the digesters via cocks 5,. leaves by cocks 5a, is superheated at 7 and re-enters via pipes 9. Excess steam from digester 1 may preheat the straw in digester 2. By this treatment the straw is disrupted and softened. The treated'straw is passed to a disintegrator where it is converted into a meal, and then dried. The dryer 15 may be heated by steam from a digester. The liquid from the digesters is added to the straw before or during the disintegrating or drying operations. Liquid separated during disintegration may be returned before or during drying. Carbohydrates condensed from the steam may be returned to the disintegrator. If a higher proportion of nutritious matter is required in the finished material than was contained in the original straw, some of the straw, for example that charged into digester 1, may be used for paper-making, the liquid with which it has been treated being passed to the disintegrator.