Loudon free press. (Loudon, Tenn.) 1852-1855, 1853-10-21
guuhaa fire. Jlrsss.

ing an invention for the manufacture OF Flour,
which he copies from an KHgl;sh contempora-
ryi-
On the 9th of February, large party of en-
gineering gentlemen, and of others engaged in
an extensive way of business, as millers. as
sembled at the -four mills of the MeSsrs. Pavatt,
High-street Mapping, to witness the perform
ance of two mills constructed by Mr.. Middleton,
on the principle of Westrups patent. In the
same establishment are seren other mills Of the
ordinary construction, and the trial of relative
merits was between the two conical and the
most effective pair of the fat mills. The result
proved to be immensely in favor of the conical
system; while the quality Of the article produ-
ced, according to the opinion of experienced
bakers, is far superior. The economy Of this
new system of grinding is found to effect very
sensibly the detail of operations both in the mill
and the bake-house. In the former it becomes
possible to grind up large portion of farinace-
Gus matter now rejected in the form Of bran;
that is, to exhaust the husk of the clavel more
completely, and therefore to yield larger qaan-
tity of pure farina. In the latter, the tedious
but critical duty of watching for what is tech
uically termed "the SPONGE" or rising of the
dough, is quite superseded At present, if this
be neglected, the dough falls again in the oven,
ana The bread is sold at a reduced price, which
is serious disadvantage
Under the conical system of grinding, in con-
sequence of the greater proportion OF gluten
contained in the mass, the acids DO not escape
so rapidly, and the sponge takes place in the
oven.
Upon the whole, there is large gain to the
public; for besides a saving in fuel, it is capa-
BILE of increasing the bread Of the people TO the
yalue of e2,46O,428 year, which at Cd. per
loaf, would give them 1885, 100 more quartern
loves year.
The old fiat -four mill ordinarily consists of a
low fixed circular stone and an upper revolving
one, each of about feet inches in diameter.
The wheat being introduced through an aper-
ture, is drawn in and ground between the revol-
wing and the fixed dressed surfaces. The aver
it is rdinarily found that the grinding surface
presented is so extended as to render the delive
ry of the -four extremely slow and uncertain,
notwithstanding the great velocity from this cir
cumstance is, that the -four, finding only par
tial escape, is triturated and retriturated to the
great ultimate injury Of the meal.
Some idea of the power required to keep such
massive machines in operation may be gather
ed from the fact, that single pair of stones
feet in diameter, require the power of a four
horse engine to maintain the needful speed
This enormous power becomes necessary, in
consequence of the great weight of the top
stone" the rapid rate Of revolution, and the We
ry large amount of friction produced by the pro-
cess of grinding so glutinous substance as
meal between such extended surfaces.
These are the principal objections to the old
fat mill system of grinding, which has been the
universal one in the use in all parts of the king
dom for considerable time, the only variation
in practice consisting in the motive power
Most commonly steam-power is employed, but
when the locality admits of its introduction,
the cheaper and more uniformly certain agent,
water, has been brought into action. In all 9th
er respects, the mechanical detail of the system
has been uniformly the same.
The "conical" mill is intended to obviate
these defects; ard very few remarks will suffice |
to show that its inventor has not only detected |
Al. L.. ,,,4o
most philosophic, and therefore successful, COM
bination of grinding and separating agencies, !
by which these defects have disappeared to an
extent which leaves little TO be desired. The |
beneficial changes effected may be succinctly
enumerated. First, the reduction of the weight |
of the running stone from IA cwt. to II cwt., by
placing it beneath instead of upon the fixed
one; second, the reduction of size of the stones
new form-that of the fruStum OF cone
The advantage of lessening the diameter and
weight of a mass, of which the one is cwt.
and the other IA cwt., will be apparent, when it
is considered that its effective velocity is l20
revolutions per minute, and that this velocity
must be sustained against the enormous friction
of the grinding surfaces. The altered position
of the running stone admits of a much more
delicate adjustment of the opposing surfaces,
and gives to the miller an easy and effective
control over the most important portion of his
operation. The conical form facilities the dis
charge of the -four, and obviates the clogging
and over-heating of the old practice. In addi-
don to these advantages, by judicious modif-
cation of the ordinary mode of dressing, or
rather by a combination of the mill with the
dressing machine, perfect separation of the
-four from the bran is effected at the moment
the grist escapes from the stones. The bran
still remains in the mill, and falls by its own
gravity to a second pair of stones in all respects
resembling those already described.
Both pairs of stones are mounted on the same
spindle, and of course impelled by the same
gearing. The operation of the lower pair need
not be described; they complete the process, and
leave nothing unconverted into -four which could
add either to the weight or the quality of the
loae In considering this arrangement, we can.
not fail to be struck with the analogy subsisting
between il and that which We observe in the
construction of the jaws of animals-a circum.