AN IMPROVED CORN MILL
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Daniel Bate, Compton Mill, Compton, Wolver-
hampton, in the County of Stafford, Millwright and Machinist, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVED CORN MILL."
Scaled the 26th January 1872, and dated the 1st August 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Daniel Bate at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st August 1871.
I, DANIEL BATE, Compton Mill, Compton, Wolverhampton, in the
County of Stafford, Millwright and Machinist, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED CORN MILL," to be as
follows:-
The object of this Invention is to crush or grind corn, wheat, Indian
corn, beans, oats, barley, and similar grain with great expedition, and
with the application of a very small water, steam, or other motive power
with comparatively a very small pair of millstones.
To produce a portable corn mill possessing great speed in revolution,
and capable of grinding or crushing corn in a perfect manner in a short

page_text: space of time I construct a strong frame or stand made of wood or iron
of suitable dimensions and shape; upon one end of this stand or frame I
place a corn bin, underneath which I place a hopper and shoe, or silent
feed, put in motion by a countershaft and beater, thus feeding the mill
with the grain. Upon the side bars of the stand or frame I place in a
horizontal position a cylindrical millstone of small diameter, through
which runs a shaft bearing on each side bar of the stand, and worked on
carriages and brasses. At one end of this shaft I place a pulley, upon
which the driving band works in connexion with the motive power. At
the opposite end of this shaft I place a fly wheel, thus securing a
revolution of the millstone. Underneath the cylindrical millstone I
place a concave millstone which does not revolve. This under concave
stone is made to correspond in shape with the curve of the cylindrical
stone, and is only a section of the circumference of the circle. Either
one or both of these stones I furrow in angles as requisite, and is so done
in the ordinary millstones. The concave stone I make to move on a
joint or joints, so that it may be raised or lowered and regulated by a
nut and lever worked upon a strong pressure spring plate. The grain
falls from the hopper upon and between the pair of millstones when in
motion, is instantly crushed, and the meal or flour or bruised grain
passes direct into the spout, and onwards into a bag, trough, or any
vessel placed to receive it. By this construction a very small surface of
the two stones is employed to crush the grain. I use any suitable
stone, either of English or foreign production, for one or both millstones,
arranged in position as before described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Daniel Bate in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th January 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DANIEL
BATE, Compton Mill, Compton, Wolverhampton, in the County of 30
Stafford, Millwright and Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, 3

page_text: give and grant unto me, the said Daniel Bate, Her special licence that
I, the said Daniel Bate, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Daniel Bate, my 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 ". AN IMPROVED CORN MILL," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Daniel Bate, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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 Scal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the dato
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Daniel Bate, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thercon (that is
to say) :-
Many machines have been contrived for the purpose of crushing or.
grinding corn, and many of such machines have been similarly con-
structed so as to crush the grain by the revolution of rollers revolving
in parallel and horizontal position, but such rollers or grinders. have
been made of metal, iron or steel.
The improved corn mill as constructed by this Invention supersedes
mills hitherto constructed in this respect, stone grinders being used
instead of iron, steel, or metal, and so arranged that one stone only
revolves on its axis while the other stone made concave is in a fixed
position close underneath the revolving stone. This concave stone made
up in sections or otherwise is fixed in an iron case, frame, or box, and
is regulated by a lever, screw, and spring, so as to separate or approach
closely to the revolving millstone as may be required for the different
kinds of grain. The grain passes out of the bin or hopper down and
between the two millstones, is crushed and carried out through the spout
by the rapid revolution of the cylindrical millstone; a constant current
of air passes between the stones and keeps both stones perfectly cool.

page_text: The advantage in the construction of this improved corn mill with
stone grinders is important. It is simple in its operation, durable in
its use, permanently cold when grinding, requires little or no dressing,
and the stones are preserved from danger or accident arising from stones
or pieces of iron which may happen to pass accidentally into the mill
with the grain. The grinding is accomplished with very little steam
power, and small machines for domestic purposes may be worked by
hand power.
Now the machine or corn mill to effect these improvements is
composed of several parts in combination. I construct a strong frame
or stand made of wood or iron of any suitable dimensions and shape;
upon one end of this stand or frame I place a corn bin, underneath
which I place a hopper and shoe or silent feed put in motion by a
countershaft and beater, thus feeding the millstones with the grain.
Upon the side bars of the stand or frame I place in a horizontal position
a cylindrical millstone of comparatively small diameter, through the
centre of which is a shaft of iron which bears on each side bar of the
stand and works on carriages and brasses. At one end of this shaft I
place a pulley wheel upon which the driving band works in connection
with the motive power. At the opposite end of this shaft I place a
fly wheel, thus securing a rapid revolution of the millstone. Underneath
the cylindrical millstone I place a concave millstone which does not
revolve. This under concave stone is made to correspond with the
curve of the cylindrical revolving stone and forms the section only of
the circumference of the circle. Either one or both of these stones I
furrow in angles or otherwise as done to the ordinary millstones. The
concave stone I make to move on a joint or pivot on each side so as
to raise or lower it. This stone is regulated by a nut and lever,
moveable upon a strong pressure spring plate by which it is raised or
lowered as required for grinding different kinds of grain.
Having thus set forth the general principle and construction of my
Invention, I will now proceed to describe the same, reference being
had to the accompanying Drawings, in which letters of reference are
marked upon the several parts represented.
Figure 1, vertical section of the revolving cylindrical millstone a,
the concave fixed under stone b, iron box or trough cholding the
millstone, fly wheel d, pully wheel e, shaft f, brasses or bearings J, J,
cross bar of stand or frame h, h.

page_text: Figure 2, plan of the end of the revolving cylindrical stone.
Figure 3, side view of the concave under stone i, i, it shows position
of the stone fixed in the trough or box j,j, position of pivot or centre
on which the stone moves k.
Figure 4, perspective view of the corn mill fitted complete. Corn
bin 7, fly wheel m, cylindrical revolving stone n, pully wheel o, pressure
spring plate p, spout q, concave under stone in the iron box "", iron frame
or stand supporting all the parts of the machine 8.
Having thus described and illustrated by the Drawings my Invention
I wish it understood that I do not claim the construction of a corn mill
to grind or bruise corn or grain by the use of a roller or rollers made
of steel, iron, or metal, but what I do claim is, the arrangment of a
cylindrical revolving millstone so placed as to revolve above a fixed
lower concave millstone or sections of stones placed in a box or trough
in a fixed position for use, and so made that it may be elevated or
depressed by a nut and lever acting upon a pressure spring plate at
one end, and the opposite end supported on pivots, also the use of any
English or foreign stone.
In witness whereof, I, the said Daniel Bate, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, this Twenty-fourth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.