IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR DRESSING FLOUR AND ⚫ MIDDLINGS.
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Thornton at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 7th June 1879.
JOHN THORNTON, of Worksop, in the County of Notts, Millwright and Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR DRESSING FLOUR AND
⚫ MIDDLINGS.'
> "
The object of this Invention, which relates to certain new improvements in
machinery or apparatus for dressing flour and "middlings," is to provide the silk
or dressing reel used in such machinery with simple and effective self-acting means
for shaking and vibrating the reel at any desired intervals for clearing the moshes
thereof, in lieu of the usual arrangement of loose knockers or balls which roll about
within the reel, and cause much damage to the framing and the silk covering thereof,
as well as being otherwise very objectionable in use.
My improved means of carrying out my Invention in practice consist of a series
of arm or beaters, which are suspended within the framing of the dressing machine
on a longitudinal rock-shaft carried by brackets parallel with the reel, and they
hang therefrom in such a manner that in the rotation of the reel they can strike
the usual longitudinal rails thereof in successive or intermittent order or otherwise,
as desired, with the object of giving the desired shaking or vibration to the reel
from the outside, and so to effect the desired result with greater certainty and with
more suitable means than hitherto.
The striking or oscillating movements of the said arms or beaters on the rock-
shaft are effected by one or more cams, which may be fitted on the usual transverse
driving shaft of the machine, or on the reel-shaft, or around the circumference of
the reel, or in any other convenient place which will allow of an easy and simple
connection with the rock-shaft, upon which the beaters are mounted; or the rocking
of this shaft and consequent action of the beaters may be effected by any other
equivalent means, such (for instance) as an arrangement of cranks or eccentrics.
In one modification (for example) of the above referred to actuating means I key
a disc-cam upon the usual transverse driving-shaft which is outside the frame and
at the feeding end of the machine, and I cause the revolution of this cam to effect
the desired rocking of the beater-shaft by means of a lever keyed thereupon and
kept in contact with the cam by a spring, the tension of which is capable of adjust-
ment by means of a screw and hand-wheel.
The cam or other equivalent means are made of such forms as to give in combi-
nation with the spring a sudden and quickly recovered movement to the rock-shaft
and beaters at the desired times, so as to cause the latter to deliver a sharp blow
to the reel as they strike the rails or other desired points of stroke thereof, and

page_text: immediately recover themselves, in order that the reel may receive the full effect
of the vibration, and be relieved of the friction or pressure of the beaters or arms.
As a further means of ensuring that the reel shall receive the full effect of the
vibration imparted to it by the strokes of the beaters, I connect all the rails of the
reel to a central ring by connecting arms, the ring encircling but not being con-
nected to or touching the usual centre shaft or axle of the reel, so that each stroke
of the beaters vibrates the whole circumference of the reel without any power being
wasted on the shaft, which thus renders the stroke required very slight in propor-
tion to what would be required if the rails were all connected directly to the shaft,
as usual, which would render a comparatively heavy stroke of little effect; or I can
use a larger ring or hoop going around the internal circumference of the rails, and
attached thereto by screws and bolts.
The portions of each rail which are struck by the beaters, or the corresponding
portions of the beaters, are preferably padded with cushions of rubber or equivalent
material to moderate the effect of the strokes of the beaters, and to prevent unne-
cessary noise.
The above referred to tension-arrangement in connection with the spring which
keeps the lever in contact with the cam allows of the spring being regulated so as
to give any desired force of stroke, so that the action of my improved means upon
the reel is under perfect control of the miller or attendant, as he can at any moment
set it so as to give any desired force of blow; or by means of a small eccentric or
equivalent prevent it from acting at all, without in any way interfering with or
stopping the machine, so that by my improved arrangement the dressing operation
may be effected to any desired grade, and to suit any season or any class of grain in
any condition, and at all times without the necessity of changing the silk so
frequently, as is the case with the present arrangement.
The desired vibration of the reel may also be effected by a series of levers, arms,
or beaters acting upon the rails of the reel or upon other desired points of stroke,
these beaters having separate arrangements of cams, springs, eccentrics, and cranks,
so that any desired beater or beaters can be caused to act or cease acting as desired,
this arrangement of cams or equivalents being carried by or working in connection
with a longitudinal revolving shaft driven by any suitable means from the driving
shaft at a speed in any desired relative proportion to that of the reel.
The application of the above described self and external acting vibrators is very
advantageous, in that its use will obviate the necessity for having any internal
knockers or balls falling about inside the reel onto the rails, which are often much
damaged, the silk being also damaged by the sharp scales of iron which fall off the
knockers, or rails, or arins, and cut through the silk, the radiating arms which
support the rails being also often knocked out of place by the falling balls, and
piercing the silk.