Coagulation of protein from the juices of green plants by fermentation and the preservation thereof

Apparatus for the extraction of juices from green plants and coagulating and preserving proteins in the juices, which comprises extractor means for receiving the green plants and expressing the juice therefrom, a substantially oxygen free anaerobic fermentation and preservation tank located adjacent the extractor means, a first conduit adapted to connect the extractor means with said tank and conduct the expressed green plant juices to said tank from the extractor means, said tank serving as a holding tank for storing the juices for a predetermined length of time so that the juices have an opportunity to ferment therein in an anaerobic atmosphere by utilizing the microorganisms carried into the juices from the leaves of the green plants on which said microorganisms are naturally resident to thereby lower the pH of the juices and form liquid silage containing a protein coagulum free to be separated from the liquid supplied from the juices and be deposited in the bottom of the tank, breather means connected to the tank and adapted to compensate for differential in pressures between the gases inside of the tank and the outside atmosphere to prevent the entry of air into the tank to maintain an oxygen free anaerobic atmosphere inside the tank, a second conduit adapted to be connected to the bottom portion of the tank to unload the protein coagulant from the bottom of the tank for use as a feed supplement, a plurality of conduit connections secured to the tank at different levels and selectively adapted to be connected to a third conduit to unload the liquid which collects in the tank above the protein coagulum to thereafter be used as a fertilizer or concentr ated to a feed supplement, pump means adapted to be connected to each of the respective conduits to increase the flow of material therethrough, and valves disposed in each conduit to control the flow of material therethrough.