IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR GRINDING CORN AND OTHER MATERIALS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Wittom Ellison, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR GRINDING CORN AND OTHER MATERIALS."
Sealed the 4th January 1876, and dated the 21st July 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Wittom
Ellison at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 21st July 1875.
I, JAMES WITTOM ELLISON, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR GRINDING CORN AND OTHER MATERIALS," to
be as follows:-
-
According to my Invention I place the stones in a vertical position,
The fixed stone is firmly
one stone is fixed and the other is movable
bolted to framework, through which the feed is supplied; provision is
also made therein for the cold blast and exhaust. The movable stone is
fitted in frame provided with pulley keyed to shaft, this shaft is sup-
ported and is free to revolve in journals at both ends, the said journals

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Wittom Ellison in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 21st January 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
WITTOM ELLISON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, send
greeting

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
ninth year of Пer reign, did, for Herself, Ier heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said James Wittom Ellison, Her special
licence that I, the said James Wittom Ellison, my executors, admını-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Wittom
Ellison, 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,
usc, cxcrcise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britai
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR GRINDING CORN AND OTHER MATERIALS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Wittom
Ellison, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, 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 date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Wittom Ellison, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner tho
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, that is
to say
-
According to my Invention the stones are placed in a vertical position,
one being fixed and the other movable The fixed stone is set in a frame-
work, and provision is made for the usual feed, cold blast, and exhaust
arrangements. The movable stone is fixed to a pulley keyed to a shaft,
the said shaft being free to revolve in Journals supported by suitable
frames or brackets The fixed stone is hollowed out in the centre in the
ordinary way for the reception of the feed corn, and at that part the
revolving shaft is provided with a screw thread or blade, whereby the
corn is fed to the stones. The stones may be adjusted towards each
other by means of screwed spindles bearing upon the rods of the
revolving shaft, and operated by worm or hand wheel or other convenient
means.
'

page_text: }
The shaft may be hollowed out or recessed at one or both ends to
receive an india-rubber or other spring for the adjustable spindles to
bear against, whereby the shaft and movable stone are free to yield to a
certain extent in the event of hard substances coming between the stones
during the grinding operation.
The whole of the fixed framing stands on and is securely bolted to one
bed plate, whereby the whole apparatus is firmly secured, and no material
vibration takes place.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I
will now proceed more particularly to describe and ascertain the same,
reference being had to the annexed Sheet of Drawings and to the lotters
and figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a plan section of a mill constructed according to my
Invention, or so much thereof as will be necessary to illustrate how the
Invention is carried- into effect, Figure 2_18_a_vertical section, while
Figure 3 is a cross section at the line a, b, Figure 2
Figuic is an end elevation of part of the fixed framing at the end
marked A, Figure 1, Figure 5, a view of the supporting bracket at the
end marked B, Figure 1, and Figure 6 represents the bracket placed at
each end of the revolving shaft to sustain the adjusting spindles.
As shown by these l'igures the stones are set in a vertical position,
the fixed or bed stone C being secured within a framing D, while the
movable stone E is set in a frame or dish F, having a pulley G formed
on or attached to it The stone is perforated to fit a projecting boss
on the frame F, and a flange or lip at the periphery of the frame further 2
scives to keep the stone E in position, while to afford additional security
any suitable number of bolts may be employed to fix the frame and stone
together.
The boss on the frame F is bored to fit a shaft II, and the said shaft
is supported in journals on the brackets I and J situated at each cud of g
the mill, so that when diving power is applied to the pulley G the
frame, stone, and shaft are caused to revolve at any required velocity.
The fixed or bed stone C is held in the frame D by means of set
pins K, as shewn at Figure 3, by which it can be adjusted vertically to
any icquned position, lateral adjustment being obtained by the employ- 3
ment of back set pins situated in the positions marked x, Figure 3. The

page_text: corn or other material is fed to the mill from the hopper L, and thenco
through the passage M to the interior of the fixed stone C, which is
hollowed out, as shewn, for the reception of a spiral blade N fixed to the
shaft H, and revolving with it so as to carry the feed through the
interior of the fixed or bed stone C, and deliver it to the grinding
surfaces The amount of feed may be regulated according to the speed
of the stones by means of a governor O driven from the shaft II, and
acting upon a valve P placed in the feed passage M, as shown at
Figure 2.
Another valve P' is situated in the throat of the hopper L, and operated
by hand in the manner shown at Fig. 3, so as to control or shut off the
feed as desired. When however the feed is insufficient the ordinary cold
blast may be utilized to notify the same by blowing an alarm whistle Q
placed in communication with the cold blast passage R. An ordinary
exhaust arrangement is also provided.
To adjust the stone E nearer to or further from the stone C I employ
screwed spindles S bearing upon each end of the shaft II, and operated
through the worm wheels T and worms U The worm wheels T, which
also constitute nuts, arc supported in bearings on the brackets Y,
and the ends of the shaft II are or may be recessed to contain india-
rubber or other springs for the ends of the screwed spindles S to bear
against, thus allowing a certain amount of lateral play in the event of
any foreign substance getting between the stones.
The whole apparatus rests upon a sole plate W, which in its turn is
supported upon girders or beams.
To provide for starting and stopping the mill I prefer to make the
sole plate movable at times upon its supporting beams or girders, to
which I centre it upon a pin or stud X (Figure 1). To provide for the
movement of the sole plate round this central pin or stud a rack Y, the
position of which is indicated in dotted lines at Fig. 3, is fixed upon the
supporting girders, gearing with a pinion Z, which is fixed upon the
spindle c, and actuated by the worm wheel d and worm e (Figure 2). By
shifting the sole in the direction of the arrow (Figure 1), or vice versa, the
driving belt may be slackened or tightened, and the mill thus stopped or
started. The sole is held in any position it may be moved into by means
of a stud e, which may be tightened or loosened by means of a hand
wheel.
2

page_text: Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the mode
or manner in which it may be carried into practical effect, I declare that
I claim as my improvements in machinery for grinding corn and other
materials,―
First. The employment of two stones, one fixed, the other movable,
placed in a vertical position, and fed and acted substantially in the
manner described and shewn in the accompanying Drawings
Second. Setting the movable stone in a frame provided with a pulley,
and constructed substantially in the manner described and shewn.
Third The mode of adjusting the shaft carrying the movable stone,
so as to shift it nearer to or further from the fixed or bed stonc, and also
the spring arrangement to allow the shaft slightly to yield at times in
the direction of its length
Fourth. The means for shifting the sole plate so as to stop or start the
mill, substantially as described and shewn.
Fifth. The general arrangement, construction, and combination of
mechanism constituting my improvements in grinding machinery, sub-
stantially as described and shewn.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Wittom Ellison, have herc-
unto set my band and scal, this Fifteenth day of January, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
six