IMPROVEMENTS IN GUNPOWDER MILLS
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 15th May, 1888
Specification Accepted, 15th June, 1888
L, PAUL AMBROSE OLIVER, of Oliver's Mills, in the county of Luzerne, and State of
Pennsylvania, United States of America, Gunpowder Manufacturer, do hereby declare
the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GUNPOWDER MILLS," and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to mills or machines 'specially adapted for manufacturing
gunpowder, and it consists in the novel construction and combination of the parts
hereinafter fully described and claimed.
In the drawings:-
Figure 1 is an end elevation of the machine.
Figure 2 is a vertical cross section through the machine.
Figure 3 is an elevation of the end shown in Figure 1, with the gearing removed
to show the circulating pipe connections.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of the complete machine.
Figure 5 is a detail end view of a portion of a side frame.
A are the side frames; and B are outer frames for carrying the ends of the driving
shafts.
C is the base plate, to which the frames are bolted. The side frames A have deep
slots in them, in which are slid the subordinate frames G. Rare bolts which secure
the subordinate frames in position in the side frames.
Two rolls D, and D' are journaled in each of the subordinate frames G, except the
top one, which has the distributing rollers E, E¹, instead. Each roll D, and the
roller E, is made adjustable, and journaled in boxes sliding in long slots in the subor-
dinate frames. F are adjusting screws for regulating the position of the sliding
boxes. Each roll D is made hollow, and has cold water circulated through it by
means of the inlet and outlet pipes Q, Q', which are connected with the series of
rolls as shown, and provided with union joints Q2. The rolls D₁ are caused to
revolve at a much greater speed than the rolls D, and are provided with pivoted
adjustable scrapers H, having thumbscrews I for setting them up against the rolls.
The rolls I do not require scrapers as the greater speed of rollers D', which work
against them, keeps them clean.

page_text: In consequence of the much greater speed of rolls D', the material does not fall
perpendicular after passing through each pair of rolls, but is thrown under the
rolls D. The pairs of rolls are therefore placed in a zigzag series, and the subor-
dinate frames G are slid into the side frames A from opposite sides alternately.
This construction admits of any pair of rolls, and their subordinate frames, being
removed without disturbing the other parts. The whole machine is very compact,
and does not require a very high mill house to be built over it. K are gather-
boards which prevent any of the material from falling perpendicularly when the
machine is being stopped or started. P1, P2, are fast and loose pulleys, for the
driving belt, mounted on the end of shaft I, which extends clear across one end of
the machine. I is a toothed wheel secured upon shaft L, and gearing into a
toothed wheel I secured upon the shaft L, which forms an extension of one of
the high speed rolls D'. M' are intergearing toothed wheels secured on the end
of the rolls D', at one side of the machine. The gearing for driving the slow
speed rolls consists of the toothed wheel L', secured on shaft L, at the other side of
the machine, which gears into the toothed wheel 1.3, secured upon shaft L³, which
forms an extension of one of the rolls D. M. are toothed wheels which couple all the
rolls D together.
The series of toothed wheels M, M', cause each pair of rolls to revolve at the same
relative speed.
As indicated by the proportion of the various toothed wheels, the rollers E, E', are
driven at a much slower speed than the rolls D, D. N is a small pulley secured
on the shaft I, and connected by the belt N with the large pulley N2, secured upon
shaft N³. N is a small toothed wheel secured upon shaft N³, which gears into
the large toothed wheel N³, secured upon an extension of the roller E. The
roller E has a small toothed wheel 03 upon one end of it, which gears into the
larger toothed wheel O2, upon the end of roller E, so that roller E' is driven
the faster. The roller E also has the toothed wheel N secured upon its spindle,
which gears into the toothed wheel N7, secured upon shaft O, which drives the
conveyer belt 0¹, and thereby delivers a continuous feed of material to the distributing
rollers E, E¹. The rollers E, E¹ distribute the material and correct any slight
unevenness or irregularity of the feed, which might cause an explosion between the
rolls D, D¹, if not checked.
P is the delivery conveyer belt passing over roller P. P is a pulley for driving
the belt P, which receives its motion from, the shaft L by means of the pulley P, and
the belt P³, which passes over the said pulleys P, and P.
It will be noticed that the feed and delivery are automatic, and are driven from the
machine itself; also that any pair of rolls can be removed for repair without taking
the whole machine to pieces. The arrangement of the gearing and driving pulleys is
such as to give very great accessibility to all the various parts of the mill, both
for repair and adjustment, and allow free vent to the gases produced when a
slight explosion occurs between the rolls, thus reducing the liability to damage of
the various parts of the machine, when such explosions occur. When a serious
explosion occurs, which wrecks the upper portion of the mill, the supply of powder
is cut off by the conveyer ceasing to receive its motion from the mill.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. In a gunpowder mill, the combination of the side frames provided with deep
slots, the subordinate frames removably secured within the said slots, and the.
adjustable rolls for the powder, journaled in the said subordinate frames.
2. In a gunpowder mill, the combination of the side frames provided with deep
slots arranged alternately with their open ends at opposite sides of the side frames,
the subordinate frames removably secured within the said slots, and the adjustable
rolls for the powder, journaled in the said subordinate frames.
3. In gunpowder mill, the combination with the adjustable roll D, of the

page_text: hollow roll D¹ driven at a much greater speed, pipes for circulating water within the
hollow roll D, and a scraper for preventing accumulations upon the surface of the
said hollow roll.
4. In a gunpowder mill, the combination of the adjustable rolls D and the hollow
rolls D, arranged zigzag, in pairs, one above the other, the rolls D¹ being driven at a
much greater speed than the rolls D, gatherboards for guiding the material between
each pair of rolls, pipes for circulating water within the hollow rolls, and the scrapers
for cleaning the said hollow rolls.
5. In a gunpowder mill, the combination of the side frames, the rolls moving with
unequal speed, and journaled in the frames in pairs, one above the other, toothed
gearing connecting each similar roll so that each pair is driven at the same relative
speed, and a pair of distributing rollers journaled above the top pair of rolls, also
driven with unequal speed, but at a much less velocity than the said rolls, whereby
the feed of material to the said rolls is rendered perfectly uniform.
6. In a gunpowder mill, the combination of the side frames, the rolls moving with
unequal speed and journaled in the side frames, in pairs, one above the other, the
toothed gear wheels M and M' on opposite sides of the machine connecting each
similar roll so that each pair is driven at the same relative speed, the toothed
wheels L and L for operating the wheels M', the toothed wheels Land L³ for
operating the wheels M, and a driving shaft passing across the machine, journaled
in the side frames, and having said wheels L' and I and driving belt pulleys
secured upon it.
7. A gunpowder mill comprising a series of revoluble rolls arranged in pairs,
one above the other, and driven at unequal speed, a pair of slow moving distributing
rollers journaled above the top pair of rolls, a roller for the feed conveyer belt
journaled above the distributing rollers, a roller for the delivery conveyer belt
journaled below the lowest pair of rolls, a shaft provided with driving pulleys and
extending across the machine, intermediate gearing connecting all the rolls and
rollers with the said driving shaft, the whole supported by side frames and mounted
upon a common base plate, substantially as set forth.
8. In a gunpowder mill, the combination of the side frames A provided with
deep slots arranged alternately with their open ends at opposite sides of the side
frames, the slotted subordinate frames G provided with flanges, the bolts R passing
through said flanges and securing the subordinate frames in position in the deep
slots of frames A, the rolls D and D' arranged zigzag in pairs, one pair above the
other and carried by the subordinato frames G, separate sliding journal blocks for
the rolls D, and the adjusting screws F for regulating the position of said rolls D,
substantially as set forth.
1
"
1000
HERBERT W. T. JENNER,
519, Seventh Street, Washington, D.C.,
United States of America,
Agent for Applicant.