Hay flake systems

[JVM]

Does anyone remember it? As I remember, the inventor was farming some where near Basinstoke. I presume the oil price shock of the mid 70s killed it, but I'd like to know what happened to it, coz the product was good enough to eat!

JVM

 

[Cab-over Pete]

I thought they made drop-flat trailers?

 

[JVM]

I thought they made drop-flat trailers?

Maybe they followed as a result of the (assumed) death of the hay flaker system.

The trailers I saw many moons ago had a longitudinal cylinder divided into compartments into which chopped grass was blown. The trailer was then plugged into a oil-fired dryer, and as the cylinder rotated, doors on each compartment opened and closed allowing the grass to be dried/cooled in on/off stages. I can't remember how the dried flakes were discharged; maybe the cylinder was tipped up in the normal manner.

JVM

 

[Bury the Trash]

I thought they made drop-flat trailers?

 

[JVM]

Whoever made it, I'm impressed!

JVM

 

[Bury the Trash]

Does anyone remember it? As I remember, the inventor was farming some where near Basinstoke. I presume the oil price shock of the mid 70s killed it, but I'd like to know what happened to it, coz the product was good enough to eat!

JVM

Grass drying?
few slightly different ways of the process ,wasnt there a Class machine sold as a mobile one or something on here posted by someone back along

there has been a few grass drying plants around the Country over the years

 

[Punch]

Still got our with the 4m SKH Crumbler on. Another machine you don’t see now. Was excellent at quickly incorporating ash after straw burning.
Our hay flake was timber floor.

 

[ringi]

Grass drying?
few slightly different ways of the process ,wasnt there a Class machine sold as a mobile one or something on here posted by someone back along

there has been a few grass drying plants around the Country over the years

Once electricity from solar PV becomes practically valueless at times of peak generation we may see an increase in hay drying systems etc.

 

[Wisconsonian]

The Germans do some electric refrigeration driven hay drying. The high plains of the US has some alfalfa (lucerne) dehydrating and pelletizing, or pulled cubers. Not sure they even need to dry the pellets, the cubes are straight off the windrow. Some areas have massive steamers to add moisture for baling.

 

[JVM]

Once electricity from solar PV becomes practically valueless at times of peak generation we may see an increase in hay drying systems etc.

The same thought crossed my mind - but would there be sufficient certainty of supply, given that there is likely to be a plethora of EVs to charge?

To move sideways a bit, did the old N.A.I.E. do trials on grass fractioning, or was it some other research establishment?

 

[ringi]

The same thought crossed my mind - but would there be sufficient certainty of supply, given that there is likely to be a plethora of EVs to charge?

That depends if you install enough on farm PV to run all your electricity needs for 9 months of the year, along with the maximum you are premitted to export on existing connection. That would give you about 3 months with more electricity then you can use. Size batteries so all winter electricity can be imported at of peak rate then use them to increase exports spring to autumn, likely combined with heatpumps for all heating.

(If you got a campsite, a swimming pool could be also heated for free for close to 6 months of year.)

The reduction in cost of PV panels over last year is amazing and looks like it will continue, but new solar farms are being delayed due to getting grid conections.

 

[JVM]

That depends if you install enough on farm PV to run all your electricity needs for 9 months of the year, along with the maximum you are premitted to export on existing connection. That would give you about 3 months with more electricity then you can use. Size batteries so all winter electricity can be imported at of peak rate then use them to increase exports spring to autumn, likely combined with heatpumps for all heating.

(If you got a campsite, a swimming pool could be also heated for free for close to 6 months of year.)

The reduction in cost of PV panels over last year is amazing and looks like it will continue, but new solar farms are being delayed due to getting grid conections.

Good point. I wonder how the cost of silage would compare - food value for food value - with dried grass.

JVM

 

[ringi]

Good point. I wonder how the cost of silage would compare - food value for food value - with dried grass.

JVM

What about a combined static dryer and silage vaccume packing machine that can take grass collected by a "no graze" type machine without the cut foliate touching the ground? Then each day the batteries are fully charge another section of foliage could be collected.

 

[JVM]

Does anyone remember it? As I remember, the inventor was farming some where near Basinstoke. I presume the oil price shock of the mid 70s killed it, but I'd like to know what happened to it, coz the product was good enough to eat!

JVM

I was a tad disappointed to discover that the TFF Brains Trust was at a loss to answer my question, so I stole some time to ferret through my archives - and came up with the following info (actually, three pieces, the scanned single sheet below, an A5 booklet and the inventor John Monck's address on a sheet of computer paper, written in (presumably) his own hand.View attachment Hay Flaker p.1..pdfView attachment Hay Flaker p.2..pdfThe legend in each picture on page 1 is in reverse type and difficult to read.

Top left: "Green crop chopped to 1" for drying".
Top right: "Crops are loaded by a wide foreloader fitted with long tines and a push-off"
Centre: "Each chamber is loaded through the emptying door with 2-3 fork fulls".
Bottom left:" Drying with the electric drive air heater"
Bottom right:"The conveyor is positioned along side for emptying".

However, the real surprise came when I Googled "J Monck+Hay Flaker", and discovered his obituary.

Obituary: John Monck

JOHN MONCK'S life was divided between film-making and farming. But such was his eclecticism and energy that he could have left his mark on any other occupation he chose.

www.independent.co.uk

When I had afternoon tea with him in the mid 70s, I had no idea he had had such an interesting life: film maker, communist, inventor, farmer and entrepreneur, not to mention being married to a famous photographer and father of two sons. I am chuffed to say that I knew the man, even if only briefly. Cab-over Pete was correct; his final invention was the low-loader trailer.View attachment Hay Flaker p.1..pdf

 

[JVM]

I was a tad disappointed to discover that the TFF Brains Trust was at a loss to answer my question, so I stole some time to ferret through my archives - and came up with the following info (actually, three pieces, the scanned single sheet below, an A5 booklet and the inventor John Monck's address on a sheet of computer paper, written in (presumably) his own hand.View attachment 1171063View attachment 1171064The legend in each picture on page 1 is in reverse type and difficult to read.

Top left: "Green crop chopped to 1" for drying".
Top right: "Crops are loaded by a wide foreloader fitted with long tines and a push-off"
Centre: "Each chamber is loaded through the emptying door with 2-3 fork fulls".
Bottom left:" Drying with the electric drive air heater"
Bottom right:"The conveyor is positioned along side for emptying".

However, the real surprise came when I Googled "J Monck+Hay Flaker", and discovered his obituary. When I had afternoon tea with him in the mid 70s, I had no idea he had had such an interesting life: film maker, communist, inventor, farmer and entrepreneur, not to mention being married to a famous photographer and father of two sons. I am chuffed to say that I knew the man, even if only briefly. Cab-over Pete was correct; his final invention was the low-loader trailer.View attachment 1171063

Hmm.... The second page has not appeared; re-attached below.View attachment Hay Flaker p.2..pdf