IMPROVEMENTS IN HANGING AND DRIVING MILLSTONES, AND IN SEPARATING GRAIN AND OTHER SUBSTANCES ACCORDING TO SIZE AND GRAVITY
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Andrews, of Great Mersey Street, Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN HANGING AND DRIVING MILLSTONES, AND IN SEPARATING GRAIN AND
OTHER SUBSTANCES ACCORDING TO SIZE AND GRAVITY.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Andrews at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th August 1878.
I, JOHN ANDREWS, of Great Mersey Street, Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HANGING AND DRIVING MILLSTONES, AND IN SEPARATING.
GRAIN AND OTHER SUBSTANCES ACCORDING TO SIZE AND GRAVITY," to be as
follows:-
The first part of my Invention consists of an improved and novel
method of arranging and adjusting horizontal millstones, so that a
definite and steady pitch or position is maintained more easily than has

page_text: hitherto been accomplished. This I effect by supporting the upper
millstone with an adjustable step, without the intervention of the usual
spindle, and in combination with this driving the upper millstone from
above.
My second improvement consists in so arranging the driving iron of
the stone that the catches or points of contact of the driving iron are
in a line, or in the same plane, with the point of suspension of the
stone, so that the application of the driving power of the stone has
less tendency to tilt the stone over than heretofore, and at the samo
time allows the stone more freedom of balance.
The third part of my Invention consists of a novel method of
separating the different sizes of grain, corn, or other substances from
each other. This I effect by means of a series of sieves or riddles placed
above cach other at convenient distances at an angle or level, those
sieves or riddles being clothed with suitable material of the required
coarseness or fineness for the nature of the grain or substances to be
operated upon, and these sieves or riddles are agitated or shaken in the
usual or in any suitable manner, by which arrangement the coarsest
particles pass over the end of the upper sieve, and the second finest
over the end of the bottom sieve, and the finest of all through the
bottom sieve; any required number of sieves can be used or qualities
produced, the coarsest coming out first, at the top, and the finest at the
bottom, by which an almost complete separation, as regards size of
material, is effected, previous to its being acted on by the currents of
air, of which there is a separate and adjustable arrangement for cach
sieve.
My fourth improvement consists in the application of the currents
of air so that the material being acted upon shall be subject to the
operation of a repeated, continuous, and adjustable current of air in
its fall without the intervention of a hopper, thereby securing a
more complete separation as regards gravity than has hitherto been
effected.

page_text: SPECIFICATION. in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Andrews in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 16th February 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ANDREWS, of Great Mersey Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said John Andrews, Her
special license that I, the said John Andrews, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Andrews,
my executors, administrators, or 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 "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN HANGING AND DRIVING MILLSTONES, AND IN SEPARATING GRAIN
AND OTHER SUBSTANCES ACCORDING TO SIZE AND GRAVITY," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Andrews, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, 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 I, the said John Andrews, 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 accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to the mode of hanging and driving mill-
stones, and to the manner of separating grain or other substances
according to size and gravity.

page_text: It consists-
First. In an improved and novel method of arranging and adjusting
horizontal millstones so that a definite and steady pitch or position is
maintained more easily than has hitherto been accomplished.
Secondly. In so arranging the driving iron of the stone that the points
of contact of its driving lugs or catches are in a line or in the same
plane with the point of suspension of the stone so that the application of
the driving power to the stone has less tendency to tilt the stone over
than heretofore, and at the same time allows it moro freedom of balance.
Thirdly. In a novel method of separating the different sizes of grain,
corn, or other substances from each other.
And, Fourthly. In the applications of currents of air so that the
material acted upon shall be subjected to the operation of a. repeated,
continuous, and adjustable current of air or wind in its fall without the
intervention of a hopper, thereby securing a more complete separation
as regards gravity than has hitherto been effected.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, reference being
made to the several Figures on the annexed Sheets of Drawings, the same
letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
On Sheet 1 of my Drawings Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation of
a pair of millstones embodying the first and second parts of my Invention ;
Figure 2, a cross sectional clevation of same; and Figures 3 and 4,
ground plans of Figures 1 and 2 respectively.
In the Figures on Sheet 1 a represents a non-revolving spindle or bar,
sliding vertically through a bush 6 of metal or any other suitable
material fixed into the lower millstone; the spindle a is fitted at its
upper end with a footstep (1), and its lower end rests on a lever c which
is raised or depressed by means of a screwed spindle & turning in a cup
gland 2, and working through the end of the lever 6 by means of a hand
wheel, as shewn, for the purpose of adjusting the spindle a and thereby
"giving any required pitch to the stones or the spindle. a may be adjusted
by any other suitable gear. e is a pivot or centre carrying the upper
stone by means of the cross bar f to which it is attached, and which is
fastened to the stone either as shewn or in any other desirable manner;
the stone with the cross bar fand the pivot e are carried by and revolvo

page_text: on the footstep (1) formed at the upper end of the spindle a as before
described; g represents the driving iron fixed to the upright shaft hand
provided with lugs or catches 8, 8, acting against two grooved sockets
or brackets 4, 4, either cast on a ring fixed in the centre of the upper-
stone as shewn, or fixed to the stone separately, as desired; the catches
3, 3, of the driving iron ₫ are so adjusted as to act as nearly as possible
in the same plane as the point of suspension of the upper stone, or as
the point of contact between the pivot e on which the stone is carried
and the footstep (1) formed at the end of the spindle a, as before
described; i, i, i, represent the ordinary balance boxes which may be
used, or in lieu thereof any other suitable form of boxes. The whole is
driven or worked from above either by means of bevel wheels, as shewn
on the Drawings, or by pulleys and belts, or by any other suitable and
efficient gear.
The advantages of this method of hanging and driving are as follows:-
In the ordinary method the supporting spindle on which the stone is
"hung" or revolves has at least two bearings which are generally
difficult to lubricate owing to their inaccessible position whilst the stone
is running, and are therefore liable to expansion by heating which alters
the pitch or distance between the stones, causing an irregularity in the
product of the grinding, and in addition to expansion and contraction
in the ordinary method of working, whether actuated by pulleys or
wheels, the spindle is bent or biassed, thereby causing the stone to work
out of its true position. According to my arrangement of suspending
§ and actuating the upper stone I obtain a much steadier motion and more
regular action of the surfaces of the stones, and the before mentioned
objections are dispensed with. Although shewn and described for a top
running stone the principle is equally applicable to a bottom running
stone. The stones may be fed in the usual or any other way.
On Sheet 2 of my Drawings Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a
machine or apparatus ombodying the third and fourth parts of my
Invention; and Figure 2 is an end view of same.
Figure 3, Sheet 3, is a side section of Figure 1, Sheet 1; Figure 4, a
transverse section of same; and Figure 5, a sectional plan of same.
a represents the framework of the machine or apparatus, in which are
mounted at convenient angles or levels above each other a series of
sieyes or riddles 6ª, b³, b³, &c., to the number of eight on the Drawings,

page_text: covered with suitable material of the required coarseness or fineness
according to the nature of the grain or material to be operated upon,
which falls from a hopper c fixed at the top sieve or riddle 6¹, which is
covered with a coarse suitable material to take out any foreign substance
larger than that to be operated upon, and which is not necessarily sub- 5
jected to the action of the wind (as hereafter described) but passed
away through a suitably arranged spout; the material operated upon
then falls through b¹ on to 63, 63, &c., whereby the coarser particles pass
over the ends of and through the upper sieves or riddles, and the finer
particles over the ends of and through the lower sieves or riddles, the 1
finest of all falling through the bottom sieve, beneath which is fitted a
bottom so as to collect the particles and convey them over the end, as
shewn. Any required number of sieves or riddles may be used or
qualities produced, the coarsest coming out first at the top and the finest
at the bottom.
E
Agitation is given to the sieves or riddles b', b, b³, &c. in the following
manner :-c¹³, c³, are upright bars connecting the whole series of sieves,
one at each side of same (see Figures 3 and 5, Sheet 3), and suspended
from the sides of the framework a by springs d, d. At about the middle
of the bars c¹, c¹, a cross bar e is fixed, vibration to which is given by a 2
rodfconnected with a crank g worked by the horizontal shaft h, which
runs along the face of one end of the framework a, and is driven by a
pulley 1 and belt communicating with a similar pulley 2 fixed on a
horizontal shaft / running along the face of the other end of the
framework a, and driven by suitable power from without. The outer a
or top end of the sieves or riddles b¹, 6º, 6³, &c. are each carried separately
by springs d¹, d, secured to the framework a.
I do not confine myself to the particular mode of carrying or vibrating
the sieves or riddles as here described and shewn on the Drawings as
any convenient method may be employed.
The novel application of these sieves or riddles consists in being placed
one above the other without the intervention of hoppers or any thing
clse to impede the direct fall of the grain from one to the other, and in
consequence of the vibration the grain or produce of grinding or the
substance operated upon does not accumulate, but either falls over the
end of the sieves or through them. This constitutes the third part of
my Invention, and affects the size of the material, but not the weight

page_text: or gravity. In ordinary sieves great difficulty is experienced in con-
sequence of an accumulation of the substances on the sieves, but in this
method is entirely obviated.
The angle of the sieves may by means of screws or otherwise be
adjusted to suit the nature of the material to be operated upon.
The fourth part of my Invention consists in having a separate wind
application to each sieve, and employing one or more adjustable currents
of air of suitable pressures or densities so as to cross the fall of grain
with different velocities or pressures, thus separating the grain or other
substance to be operated upon, according to its gravity. This part of
my Invention I use either with the third part or separately.
1 represents a fan, which supplies the blast; m, m, are partitions to
divide the current of air coming from the fan 7 and convey it to the
upright air chambers n, n, which admit air or wind to cross chambers o, o,
the mouths of which are fitted with a series of adjustable flaps or
valves p, p, &c., through which the air or wind which is at a constant
pressure inside the cross chambers o, o, &c. operates on the grain or
other material falling from the sieves or riddles 6¹, 6º, 6³, &c., the
heavier particles thereby falling short, and the lighter particles being
carried to a greater distance. These are collected by a series of endless
bands q, q, &c. fitted on rollers r, r, &c., running in suitable bearings
in the framework a, and moved in the direction shewn by arrows by a
series of bevil or mitre wheels 8, 8, 8, &c. arranged in pairs on an upright
shaft and on the spindles of the rollers r, r, and worked by the
horizontal shaft & already described. v, v, &c. are angular bars or stops
sliding in grooved bearings close to and immediately over the upper
running surface of the endless bands q, q, &c. for the purpose of dividing
the grain into one quality as to size, and two or more as to weight. The
grain or other material is then passed over the ends into boxes x, x, &c.
provided with one or more suitable adjustable flaps y, y, y, &c. so as to
collect the particles according as they have been divided or separated by
the angular bars or stops v, v, which are then carried off by means of
spouts Z, Z, Z, &c., as shown, or by any other convenient method.
"
In this part of my Invention one fan is shewn, but I do not confine
myself to that number or the position in which it is placed as two or a
series of fans may be used of the same or different construction and
placed either in a different part of the machine or separate from it, the

page_text: draught being conveyed to the machine through pipes or other suitable
means, or in place of a blast an exhaust may be used, and placed at the
outer side or in any other suitable position.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be use 5
or carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The arranging and adjusting horizontal millstones by means of
the upright adjustable non-revolving spindle in combination with foot- 1
step, pivot, and cross bar, substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before set forth.
Second. The arranging the driving iron of horizontal millstones, so
that its lugs or catches are as nearly as possible in the same plane-with
the point of suspension of the stone, substantially as and for the purpose 1
herein-before described.
Third. The arrangement and employment of a series of sieves or
riddles agitated by suitable gear and placed at convenient angles above
each other, each being clothed with a suitable material of varied degrees
of coarseness or fineness, substantially as and for the purpose herein. 2
before described.
Fourth. The application of a repeated continuous and adjustable
current of air or wind to the grain, corn, or other substance as it falls
from the sieves or riddles without the intervention of a hopper, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes herein-before set forth.
In witness whereof I, the said John Andrews, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, the Ninth day of February,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
JOHN ANDREWS. (LS)
2