Improvements in or connected with the Hoppers of Centrifugal and other Dressing or Separating Machines for Flour and other Materials.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Feb., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 25th Nov., 1893-Accepted, 30th Dec., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with the Hoppers of Centrifugal and
other Dressing or Separating Machines for Flour and other
Materials.
We, JOHN MIDGLEY RISHWORTH, of Albert Flour Mills, York Street, in
the City of Leeds, STEPHEN INGHAM, of York Street, in the City of Leeds,
and JOSEPH VICKERS, of Horsforth, near Leeds, all in the County of York,
Corn Millers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:—
The object of our invention is to construct hoppers used in connection with
machines for dressing or separating flour and other materials, in such a manner
that they shall be automatically and efficiently cleansed whilst receiving the
material from the machine.
In these machines V shaped hoppers are usually employed, having a worn
running along the bottom of such hopper in a trough-like box.
Hitherto these hoppers have been constructed with fixed sides, being permanently
attached to the worm box and to the frame of the machine. Under this method,
the light particles of flour or other material adhere to and accumulate on the sides
of the hopper, until they attain sufficient weight to cause them to slide down, thus
causing a flooding or overloading of the worm and outlet, and interfering thereby
with the regular and even flow of the material. When heated moisture is stored
up in the material, this accumulation of same on the sides of the hopper becomes
very injurious, causing such material to become fouled and discoloured."
According to our invention the sides, or parts thereof, forming the hopper, are
made loose, and arranged to slide or move up and down automatically.
The loose sides forming the hopper are carried in any convenient slides or
bearings in connection with the worm-box and frame of the machine, and are so
arranged that they are free to be slidden up, and let fall back to their original
position.
For the purpose of giving the required lift to each side of the hopper, we prefer
to employ a shaft ou which a cam or cams are mounted, which on rotating come in
contact with a bracket or brackets fixed onto the loose side, thereby lifting such
side. The amount of lift may be varied as required by adjusting the position of
the bracket or brackets on the hopper side.
Each side can be subdivided and fitted with separate brackets and actuated from
the cam shaft by separate cams acting at different times, all according to the length
of the machine.
On the cam or cams leaving the said bracket or brackets, the side at once falls
down into its normal position, and the said side may be assisted in its descent by
means of a spring or springs fixed on the lower end of the loose side and to the
trough or worm-box.
This arrangement of mechanism is applied to both loose sides of the hopper.
By lifting the sides of the hopper and allowing them to fall suddenly as above
described, a shock is imparted, thereby rendering impossible for the material to
adhere to and accumulate on such sides, thus avoiding the many injurious effects
above referred to.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with the Hoppers of Centrifugal and
other Dressing or Separating Machines for Flour and other
Materials.
We, JOHN MIDGLEY RISHWORTH of Albert Flour Mills, York Street, in
the City of Leeds, STEPHEN INGHAM, of York Street, in the City of Leeds,
and JOSEPH VICKERS, of Horsforth near Leeds, all in the County of York,
Corn Millers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
The object of our invention is to construct hoppers used in connection with
machines for dressing or separating flour and other materials, in such a manner
that they shall be automatically and efficiently cleansed whilst receiving the
material from the machine.
In these machines V-shaped hoppers are usually employed, having a worm
running along the bottom of such hopper in a trough-like box.
Hitherto these hoppers have been constructed with fixed sides, being permanently
attached to the worm box and to the frame of the machine. Under this method
the light particles of flour or other material adhere to and accumulate on, the sides
of the hopper until they attain sufficient weight to cause them to slide down, thus
producing a flooding or overloading of the worm and outlet, and interfering thereby
with the regular and even flow of the material. When heated, moisture is stored
up in the material, and the accumulation on the sides of the hopper becomes very
injurious, causing such material to become fouled and discoloured.
In order that our invention may be fully understood we will proceed to describe
same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters refer
to like parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a part side elevation, Figure 2 a part sectional plan, Figure 3 a part
transverse section of a dressing or separating machine with our invention applied
thereto, and Figure 4 is an end elevation of the machine drawn to a smaller scale
than the previous figures shewing the driving arrangement.
According to our invention the sides A forming the hopper are made loose, and
arranged to slide or move up and down automatically. These loose sides A
forming the hopper are carried in the slides or bearings B in connection with the
worm box C and frame D of the machine, and are so arranged that they are free
to be slidden up and let fall back to their original position.
For the purpose of giving the required lift to each side A of the hopper, we
employ a shaft E carried in bearings F on the stationary part of the hopper, on
which shaft E a cam or cams G are mounted, which on rotating come in contact
with a bracket or brackets H fixed on the loose sides A, thereby lifting such
sides.
The amount of lift may be varied as required by adjusting the position of the
bracket or brackets H on the hopper sides A.
Each side A can be subdivided and fitted with separate brackets H, and
actuated from the cam shaft E by separate cams G acting at different times, all
according to the length of the machine.
On the cam or cams G leaving the said bracket or brackets H the side A at
once falls down into its normal position, and the said side A may be assisted in its
descent by means of a spring or springs J fixed on the lower end of the loose
side A and to the trough or worm box C.
This arrangement of mechanism is applied to both of the loose sides A of the
hopper.
By lifting the sides A and allowing them to fall suddenly as above described, a
shock is imparted, thereby rendering it impossible for the material to adhere to

page_text: and accumulate on such sides A, thus avoiding the many injurious effects before
referred to.
By unscrewing the nuts J' and taking off the pieces K which help to guide the
sides A during their movement up and down, such sides A can be easily taken out,
consequently the trough or worm box C is more readily got at, and can thus be
cleansed with much greater facility than hitherto.
The required rotary motion is imparted to the cam shafts E, by means of their
pulleys E, belts or straps L and pulley M, such pulley M receiving its motion
from the worm shaft C', through pulley N, belt or strap P and pulley R.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. The combination of the sliding hopper sides A, adjustable brackets H,
cams G, shafts E and driving pulleys E' substantially as and for the purposes
get forth.
Second. The combination of the sliding hopper sides A, bearings B, worm
box C, frame D, all so arranged that the said sides A may be lifted up and
allowed to fall back, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Third. The combination of the sliding hopper sides A, bearings B, worm box C,
frame D, shafts E, pulleys E', bearings F, cams G, brackets H, springs J, nuts J',
pieces or guides K, strap L, pulley M, pulley N, belt P and pulley R, co-operating
substantially as and for the purposes set forth, together with any mere modification
or modifications thereof.
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for Applicants.