IMPROVEMENTS IN MILLS FOR GRINDING
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Brickley, of Stratton, near Cirencester, in the
County of Gloucester, Miller, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MILLS FOR GRINDING."
Sealed the 19th May 1857, and dated the 24th November 1856..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Brickley at "the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 24th
November 1856.
I, HENRY BRICKLEY, of Stratton, near Cirencester, in the County. of
Gloucester, Miller, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MILLS FOR GRINDING," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists, firstly, of a vertical shaft having three cranks, from
which cranks connecting rods communicate motion to other shafts. Steam,
water, or other power drives the first-named shaft, and the latter com-
municates its motion to the other shafts, as described. Secondly, engaging
and disengaging the stones from the top of the shafts. This is effected by a
brass cup inserted into the top of the shaft, into which said cup the spindle
carrying the stono rests and engages; a clutch box on the top of the shaft
connects and disconnects the said shaft from the spindle of the stone. By
this arrangement either of the stones can be thrown out of gear for ropairs or
otherwise. Thirdly, communicating motion from a horizontal driving shaft to
the stones by means of a crank furnished with semicircular springs in lieu

page_text: of the ordinary gearing and toothed wheels. Fourthly, I construct a bush
or "bridgo tree" for supporting the spindle and running stones instead of
supporting the said spindles by the bed stono. The said bush passes through
the eye of the bed stone, and the lower end of the spindle rests and is sup-
ported by the cast-iron frame underneath a bridge treo. Fifthly, I support
the fixed stone in a cast-iron cone and cup, the said cast-iron cone and cup
being capable of rising and falling, so as to bring the bed stone and runnor
stone closer together or wider apart, as may be required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Tenry Brickley in tho Great Seal Patent Offico on the
20th May 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
BRICKLEY, of Stratton, near Cirencester, in the County of Gloucester, Miller,
send greeting.
WHEREAS er most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Iler
reign, did, for Ilerself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Henry Brickley, Her special licence that I, the said Henry Brickley, my.
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such athers as I, the said Henry
Brickley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agreo
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during tho
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 MILLS FOR:
GRINDING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry
Brickley, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their bands and seals, should particularly describe and
uscertain the naturo of the said Invention, and in what manner the samo was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Offico within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of tho
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Brickley, do hereby declare the
naturo of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-

page_text: In my Provisional Specification I have fully and minutely stated the object
and nature of my various improvements in the form and mode of constructing
the machinery and mill stones, as also in manner necessary for the economic
working of such machinery and mill stones for grinding wheat and other
grain.
But in order that the full extent and comprehensiveness of my Invention
may be fully understood, I have represented in one Sheet of Drawings here-
unto annexed in plan, elevation, and section, which I will now proceed to
docaribo
of
direct and otherwise, as described in my Provisional Specification; Figure 2,
letter A, an elevation of B; Figure 3, a plan of A, B. The letter a, the
vertical shaft with three cranks, broken off for the convenience of space, at
the bottom of which I propose an adjustable bearing; 6 is the crank, to which
the power of the engine is applied; c, c, are the two cranks, which com-
municate motion to other cranked shafts, as described in my Provisional
Specification; and to insure a steady motion over the centres I propose to fix
two pulleys on the vertical driving shaft, and one on each of the driven shafts,
for the purpose of applying bands to work with the connecting rods; d is the
cup for receiving the bottom of the spindle that carries the runner stone;
e, e, a pair of clutch boxes, which communicate motion to the spindle and
runner stone from the above-named shaft, and can at any time be thrown out
gear
while the engine is in motion, and leave the spindle and runner stone
at rest; fis the lever, by which the cast-iron cone and fixed stone is put closer
together or wider apart; g is a cast-iron bridge tree with an annular cup cast
on for steadying the bottom end of the cone; h is a spiral spring or any other
elastic substance fixed on an iron ring, which rests on two iron pins connected
to the lever f, and is pressed against the bottom end of the cone j. This
provision is requisite in case of any glut of grain or hard substance entering
in between the stones; thus the fixed stone gives way, and it is instantly
thrown out by the centrifugal force, and the stone brought to its work again
by the elasticity of the spring. k is the cast-iron cup in which the fixed stone
is cemented, supported by a cast-iron flange, which rests on the top of the
cone j, and extends to the side of the case to prevent the meal from falling
therein as the stone rises up, which is fixed a sufficient depth in the said cup
to allow it to wear out without any alteration. j shows the top end of the
cone on which the cup k rests, the depth of which is arranged by the thick-

page_text: 9 on two
ness of the burrs of which tho stones are made, which top end of the said
cone will be turned to fit the ring of the cast-iron frame m, which will be
bored out to the size, and a slot left in the said ring to receive a fillet n, cast
on the said cone to prevent the rotary motion of the runner stone from
On the ring m
moving the fixed stone round, as seen in Figure 4, letter n.
are cast three brackets, which form butments, as shewn in Figure 4, for the
supporters of the cast-iron bush, and which said brackets and bush supports
the spindle p and runner stone independent of the said bed stone.
common stufling boxes, the same as are used on steam engines, to receive any
kind of packing that may be thought most suitable for the purpose. I prefer
these said stuffing boxes to the ordinary bushos now in use, as they are
adapted to insure a more upright spindle, as the glands can be screwed down
when at work. r is a brass plate, and is screwed on the top of the said bush
to prevent the packing from rising up, and keep out the dust from the neck
of the spindle. When new packing is required, the said plate is removed,
and the packing is put in from the top side. s is the space for receiving the
cement for fixing the said bed stone; t, the two pillasters for supporting the
whole of the above-named parts, and being firmly bolted together forms one
substantial piece of framework, and not liable to get out of order; n is tho
fixed stone cemented in the cast-iron cup, and forms a perfect horizontal bed,
and by the said arrangement can at any time he removed and replaced in
fifteen minutes without intorfering with the said busli or the spindle; v is
the top runner stone, with the iron loosed in a suflicient depth to allow tho
said runner stone to wear away the whole thickness of the burrs without any
alteration. There is an aperture through the said iron of a conical shape to
receive the top of the spindle. This said iron may properly be termed a fixed
iron, as it is firmly fixed in the eye of the said runner stone, as described.
p is the spindle, as before described, the top of which enters into the said
fixed iron w, and is firmly united together by means of a screw pin, which
said pin screws in from the top side; a part of the head of the said pin is
turned round to receive the small shaft x, which is bored out to rest on the
top of the said pin, and thus forming a universal joint, the said shaft having
two-forked ends, which enter into two small apertures arranged for the
purpose in the top of the fixed iron, which said shaft passes through a cast-
iron bridge tree into a stuffing box e for steadying and keeping it upright,
and on the top of the said shaft is a steel plate firmly fixed to the bridge tree
with the two screw pins, which said bridge is supported by the two cast-iron
pillars a, a, Figure 2, resting on the corresponding flanges cast on the iron
frame m, thereby preventing the said shaft and runner stone from rising under

page_text: any extra pressure, and at the same time giving motion to the shoe b, b, for
feeding the stones; the said bridge trec is cast with a circular ring on it to
receive the hopper c, c, into which the wheat or other grain enters, and the
said bridge and pillars are firmly screwed together by three iron bolts, one of
which is shown by the letters d, d, in Figure 1, and supports: the said shoe.
I shall now proceed to describe the crank, as mentioned in my Provisional
Specification. Figure 5 is a section; Figure 6 a plan of Figure 5; Figure 7
is a cast-iron driver; e, e, is a cast-iron face plate, which is bored to fit tlic
shaft k, k, and is firmly fixed on the said shaft with a key; f,f, is the crank,
bored to fit the shaft, and works loose; 9, 9, are tho crank pins, with a cramp
forged on each to receive the arms of the driving wheel, or the driver h, h,
and are firmly screwed to the said crank, thus leaving them both to work
loose. On the shaft i, i, are the springs as described, which are fixed to the
said face plate by means of two joints to allow the springs to act freely when
the pressure comes upon them; j,j, are two set pins for forcing up the springs
to resist any pressure that may be required; this said crank can be applied to
a steam engine by dispensing with ouo of the pins. This novel Invention
may properly be called a new coupling or crank, and to be applied to hori-
zontal or vertical shafts for communicating motion to mill stones or other
useful purposes.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which the
same may be carried into effect, I wish to bo distinctly understood that I do
not confine myself to any particular dimensions or extent of machinery or
number of mill stones to be worked, as my Invention is applicable to the
existing mills, and any part or parts may be put into operation as required in
the said mills, or carried out collectively in one combined mill; I do not con-
fine myself to running the top stone, as my said Invention is applicable to
either top or bottom stone, or both, at the same time, as the whole is capable
of considerable modification, both in general structure and working details,
provided that the general character and plans of concentration are adhered to.
But what I claim of my Invention is,-
Firstly, I claim the vertical shaft with three cranks, as described.
Secondly, I claim the mode of imparting power to mill stones from the said
cranked or other shaft, as described.
Thirdly, I claim the mode of imparting power to horizontal or vertical shafts
by means of the spring crank, as described.
Fourthly, I claim the mode and principle of supporting the spindle and
runner stone, independently of the bed stone, as described.
Fifthly, I claim the mode of rising and falling the fixed stone, and fixing

page_text: the said cup on the top of the said cone, and the fixed iron in the eye of the
runner stone, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Brickley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord Ono
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
HENRY BRICKLEY. (L.B.)