IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FLOUR
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Frost, of Steam Mills, Chester, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FLOUR."
Sealed the 25th November 1856, and dated the 25th September 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Frost at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th September 1856.
I, ROBERT FROST, of Steam Mills, Chester, do hereby declare the nature of
the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FLOUR," to be as
follows:-
Heretofore, in grinding wheat and other grain, air has sometimes been
forced or caused to pass between the grinding surfaces of the stones. Now,
this Invention consists in artificially heating the air so forced or caused
to pass between the grinding surfaces. The Invention also consists in
passing the products of the grain, when ground, over heated surfaces of metal
or other material, or in exposing such products to the action of currents of
heated air.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Frost in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th March 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
FROST, of Steam Mills, Chester, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Robert Frost, Her special licence that I, the said Robert Frost, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert
Frost, 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, 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 THE MANUFACTURE
OF FLOUR," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert Frost,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 Robert Frost, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, that is to say:-
Heretofore, in grinding wheat and other grain, air has sometimes been
forced or caused to pass between the grinding surfaces of the stones. Now,
this Invention consists in artificially heating the air so forced or caused
to pass between the grinding surfaces. The Invention also consists in
passing the products of the grain, when ground, over heated surfaces of metal
or other material, or in exposing such products to the action of currents of
heated air.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
The atmospheric air to be used according to my Invention I prefer to be
heated to about 140° of Fahrenheit, but do not confine myself to that ten-

page_text: perature. The air for this purpose may be heated by passing it through pipes
or apparatus heated by steam, or other convenient means, and although it may
be forced or induced to pass between the bed stone and runner by any of the
artificial means now practised when using atmospheric air at the natural tem-
perature, I, however, prefer to allow the heated atmospheric air to flow into
the closed eye of the runner stone, at the same time using the silent feed,
together with a fan to withdraw the vapour and heated air from the cover of
the stones, which cover is closed up to the pipe which introduces the heated
air to the closed eye, and the fan also causes a current of air to flow up the
meal spout. By these means the heated air passes from the heating apparatus
by a suitable pipe to the eye of the runner, and it passes from the eye between
the runner and bed stone. The meal, as it comes out, descends down the meal
spout. The meal, as it comes from between the stones, may also fall on a sur-
face or pipe surrounding the bed stone, heated by steam or other convenient
means, and the meal spout may be externally heated.
I would remark, that by thus using heated air all condensation of vapour is
prevented, and the "pasting" of the millstones whilst grinding damp wheat or
grain is almost impossible; the stones grind more quickly, a greater quantity
of fine flour is extracted from the wheat or grain, and the quality of the flour
obtained is improved as compared with what is produced by ordinary grinding,
and also as compared with what is produced when grinding with the aid of air
at the natural temperature, forced or induced to pass by exhaustion through
between the stones, as heretofore practised.
And also, by passing the products of grain, when ground, over heated sur-
faces, as well as exposing such products to the action of currents of heated air,
the moisture in the meal is evaporated, and a further improvement is made in
the quality of the flour.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Frost, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Third day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
PETER MCWADE,
of Chester.
ROBERT FROST. (L.S.)