IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FLOUR
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Norman, Engineer, and William Hay, Miller,
both of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FLOUR."
Sealed the 5th November 1867, and dated the 10th May 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Norman and William
Hay at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 10th May 1867.
We, JOHN NORMAN, Engineer, and WILLIAM HAY, Miller, both of Glasgow,
in the County of Lanark, North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FLOUR," to be
as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention of improvements in the manufacture of flour consists in
drying the meal or flour, by preference with the aid of heat, between the
processes of grinding and dressing it, and the dressing process is thereby, very
much facilitated, whilst the finished flour is in consequence in the best
condition for use by the baker much sooner than when manufactured in the
ordinary way. The drying may be effected in a variety of ways, as, for
example, by adapting casings to the ducts leading the meal from flour or the
stones to the dressing machines or to the elevators, which carry it up to the

page_text: dressing machines, such casings being heated by steam, or hot air, or gases;
or heated air may be passed through the flour, or a blast of heated air may
be applied to the flour in a vertical or inclined duct, such blast serving for
elevating the flour as well as for drying it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Norman and William Hay in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 8th November 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
NORMAN, Engineer, aad WILLIAM HAY, Miller, both of Glasgow, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
John Norman and William Hay, Her special licence that we, the said John
Norman and. William Hay, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said John Norman and William Hay, our executors,
administrators; and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,.
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
FLOUR," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John. Norman
and William Hay, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
: :
NOW KNOW. YE, that we, the said John Norman and. William. Hay, do
hereby declare-the-nature-of-our-said- Invention; -and-in-what-manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly. described. and ascertained in
and by the following statement in writing, reference being bad, to acconi-
panying Drawings, that is to say -—
Our said Invention of improvements in the manufacture of flour consists in
drying the meal or flour, by preference with the aid of heat; between the

page_text: processes of grinding and dressing it, and the dressing process is thereby very.
much facilitated, whilst the finished flour is in consequence in the best con-
dition for use by the baker much sooner than when manufactured in the
ordinary way.
In practically carrying out our said Invention the drying may be effected
in a variety of ways, as, for example, by adapting casings to the ducts leading
the meal or flour from the stones to the dressing machines, such casings being
heated by steam, or hot air, or gases; or heated air may be passed through
the flour, or a blast of heated air may be applied to the flour in a vertical or
inclined duct, such blast serving for elevating the flour as well. as for
drying it.
The mode of drying first herein-before described. having been found to
answer satisfactorily in practice, we will proceed to describe two modifications*
of apparatus which may be conveniently employed for applying the same, and
we have hereunto appended a Sheet of explanatory Drawings to be herein--
after referred to and representing the said apparatus so that the manner of
performing our said Invention may be properly understood..
An
One modification of the apparatus is shown in transverse vertical section in
Figure 1, and in sectional side elevation in Figure 2; it consists simply of a
long trough which may be conveniently made of sheet iron. The bottom and
sides are made with two shells so as to form a jacket space A, into which
steam or heated air is admitted, so as to maintain the interior of the trough at
a temperature of about 135 degrees Fahrenheit, (but which temperature may
be varied at the miller's discretion). It is desirable to apply the drying action
to the meal or flour as uniformly as possible, and to this end the meal or flour
is made to travel uniformly along the trough by a series of screw blades B
upon a revolving shaft C, mounted in such a position in the trough as that
the blades revolve almost in contact with the bottom of the interior.
inlet D on the upper side of the trough at one end admits the meal or flour;
it may be directly from the casing surrounding the grinding stones, or it may
be through an intermediate duct of greater or less length. The meal or flour
leaves the trough by an outlet E at the under side of the other end. The
steam enters the jacket space A by a cock F at the outlet end of the trough,
and leaves it by a cock G at the other end, so that it travels along the trough
in the opposite direction to the meal or flour. When the trough is of con-
siderable length the shaft C requires one or more intermediate bearings, as
at H, and to carry such bearings a cast-iron plate is introduced, between which
and the parts of the trough on each side a little play is allowed to accom-
modate expansion and contraction. The jacket space A is discontinued at

page_text: such bearings, the compartments on each side thereof being put into com
munication by a branch pipe J.
The other modification of the drying apparatus, shown in Figures 3 and 4,
differs in a few details from that just described. The jacket space A is made
to extend entirely round, and instead of metal blades for propelling the meal
or flour along a series of screw or helically disposed brushes B are used;
being fixed on a drum K on the shaft C. The advantage of employing
brushes B instead of metal blades is that they can be arranged to bear on the
bottom of the trough and thus insure the regular carrying along of the meal
or flour.
Having thus particularly described our said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, we have to state that we do not restrict
ourselves to the precise details herein described or delineated; but that what we
believe to be novel and original and claim as the Invention secured to us by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the drying of the meal or
flour between the processes of grinding and dressing it, substantially as herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Norman, on behalf of myself and
the said William Hay, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this
Seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-seven.