IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR BOLTING OR SIFTING FLOUR OR MEAL AND SEPARATING THE HEAVIER PROM THE LIGHTER PARTICLES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
for the Invention of “IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR BOLTING OR SIFTING
FLOUR OR MEAL AND SEPARATING THE HEAVIER PROM THE LIGHTER
PARTICLES." A communication from abroad by Louis Theodore
Hippolyte Loron, of Paris, in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 2nd August 1870, and dated the 11th February 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 11th February 1870.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for " IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR BOLTING OR
SIFTING FLOUR_OR_MEAL_AND_SEPARATING THE HEAVIER FROM THE
LIGHTER
PARTICLES:" to be as follows:
1

page_text: of particles possessing different characteristics and varying in specific
gravity or density.
The object of the present Invention is to effect the separation of these
different substances with facility. The machinery whereby this is
effected consists of a hopper or chamber closed at top by a coarse sieve
or grille, above which is placed a vibrating inclined frame covered with
a skin or sheet perforated all over with holes.
The flour, or meal, or other comminuted substance to be operated upon
is fed into the machine, and on to this perforated inclined cloth, from a
hopper provided with a valve for regulating the supply. In connection
with the large chamber or hopper beneath the grille is a powerful fan
or ventilator, which forces air into the space or chamber beneath the
grille at a pressure which will cause it to pass up through the grille and
perforated skin, and also the comminuted substance thereon, which is
kept in continual agitation. by the shaking of the inclined frame. The
effect of this will be that all the lighter particles of the meal or flour
will be forced to the top and the heavier particles will pass through the
perforated skin and grille and will fall into the chamber or hopper
beneath, from whence they will pass through a spout at bottom into any
receptacle placed there to receive them. The lighter particles of the
flour will be prevented by the pressure of the air from passing through
the perforated skin, and will by the continual agitation of tho inclined
frame and perforated skin be shaken down and caused to fall over the
end of the frame into a space, where they will meet with another strong
current of air which will effect a further separation of the finer particles
and allow the heavier ones to fall down or spout into another receptacle.
A portion of the finer or lighter particles will fall down a second spout
a little beyond the first spout, and the fine bran or very light particles
will be blown away and may be collected separately.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 3
filed by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 11th August 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lano, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
3

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of February, in the year.
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special
licence that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, adminis-
trators; and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Edward
Newton, 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
"IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR BOLTING OR SIFTING FLOUR OR MEAL AND SEPARATING
THE HEAVIER FROM THE LIGHTER PARTICLES," being a communication to me
from abroad by Louis Theodoro Hippolyte Loron, of Paris, in the
Empire of France, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Edward Newton, 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 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 William Edward Newton, 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, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say)
The present Invention has for its object the construction of a
mechanical bolting or sifting machine or apparatus. which is applicable
to the treatment of groats, semolina, and course meal. The apparatus
is of great simplicity of construction, but by it results. can be obtained
equal to any that have been obtained heretofore..
In the accompanying Drawing Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical
section of the improved apparatus; Figure 2 is an outside end view of
the same; Figure 3 is an external plan view, and Figure 4 is a partial
cross section taken in the line 1, 2, of Figure 1.

page_text: It will be seen that the apparatus consists of a quadrangular wooden
framing. A enclosing a pyramidal shaped hopper B, the upper part of
which is covered or provided with a fixed frame O forming a sieve. or.
riddle with fransverso parallel bars.a, a, while the lower part is connected
by the flooring with the scuttlo or channel by which the products first
obtained are conducted into a sack or other receptacle below. Above
the fixed riddle or framing C there is another frame D of the same:
shape, the bottom of which is formed of a skin j which is pierced all
oyer with small holes, through which the products of the bolting
operation pass through the fixed riddle Cinto the hopper. These
products are obtained by the separation of the different elements or
qualities of the substances which are fed regularly on to the sifting
table D. It will be seen that to this end the upper part of the moveable
frome D-is made with a close compartment; the front of which is shut
in, by, a small trap or valve b, while the top. is covered with a. board
having a rectangular hole made therein to receive the lower end of a
scuttle or short canvas tube c connected to the hopper E which forms the
- lower part of a vertical pipe or channel whereby the meal is conducted
to the bolting or sifting apparatus. It has been stated that the frame D
is moveable, in fact it has imparted to it a longitudinal oscillating.
movement, which combined with shocks or blows imparted in a. vertical
direction produces the effect hereafter more particularly explained.
I will now proceed to explain the mode of suspending the frame D,
and the arrangement of the mechanism whereby its vibratory movements
are produced. This framing D is suspended by four straps d, d, from
the ends of two horizontal axles e around which theso straps are
partially wound, and which are provided with a ratchet F and clicks,
by means of which the length or tension of these straps may bo
regulated. This framing is in fact maintained constantly in contact
with the fixed riddle C by the thin plate G which forms a spring
extending from a shaft ƒ hung from the framing. This spring bears
against a wooden bar or ledge picce fixed across the framing D which is
also connected by a rod g with tho vibrating lever H hung from the
framing, and upon which acts a cast iron ratchet or cam wheel I mounted
upon the rotating shaft J, which by its rotation imparts to the frame D
a longitudinal vibrating movement which is completed by a flat spring K
whereby the frame is drawn back in a direction contrary to that produced
by the action of the teeth or cams of the ratchet wheel H. From this

page_text: mode of suspension and the regular pressure of the first spring Ga
second motion in a vertical direction (or the shocks or blows above-
mentioned) is obtained.
This air by passing
or fixed frame C acts
It will be proper here to point out the peculiar feature of the
Invention or principle upon which the operation of the apparatus 'is
founded. Upon the side of the hopper B and below the head of the
moveable frame is arranged a fan or blower L which draws in the
external air and forces it into the large hopper B.
through the spaces between the bars of the riddle
on the perforated skin bottom of the moveable frame D passes up
through the holes made in the same, and acts upon the meal placed
thereon, and by pressure from below effects such a separation of the
particles that the lighter will arrange themselves in a thin layer at the
top of the mass, while the heavier ones which are also the first products
have a tendency to, remain down at the bottom in contact with the skin,
through which they will pass by the action of the shocks and vibrating
movements imparted to the frame. These products will fall into the
hopper B and pass out through the opening below, when they will bo
collected or received in any suitable receptacle. The remainder of the
meal including the particles which have been lifted and pushed back by
the puffs of air from below will travel on and will fall over the open
end of the moveable frame D. In falling they will however meet with
a blast or current of air from a second fan or blower M, which will effect
a second separation of the products, the better and heavier portions of
which (that is, the groats and a certain portion of the bran) will fall
into the channel and be conducted away while the lighter particles
or those less rich in groats will be carried forward to and will fall down
the other channel i. The particles left (that is, the pure bran, which is
too light to fall into one or other of these channels) will be blown out
) of the apparatus by the fan or blower.
I would here remark that this apparatus is applicable for the
treatment of very different samples of meal. The moveable frame D
is arranged and constructed to receive various skin sieves or riddles. In
order to facilitate the substitution of one sieve for another the skin j is
adapted to a skeleton frame D' which may be adapted to the inside
of the frame D by means of screws or other attachments. The attendant
will have at his disposal as many frames or sieves 'D' provided with the
perforated skins as will be required to obtain different qualities of

page_text: products, and these various sieves may be substituted one for the other:
with facility as may be required. I would also remark that the principal
fan or blower L is provided with a curved trap or slide which may
be moved at pleasure so as to regulate the admission of air to the
hopper B.
The working parts of the apparatus are actuated from a driving sliaft
mounted in bearings fixed to the flooring above and provided with two
cone pullics, one of which communicates (by means of a strap or band),
directly, with a similar cone N on the axle of the first fan or blower L.
The second conc transmits motion in a similar manner to a pulley 0 1
on the axle or shaft J of the ratchet or cam wheel I, and this shaft
drives the second fan or blower M by means of the pullics P and P¹.
Having now described the Invention which has been communicated>
to me by my foreign correspondent as aforesaid, and having explained
the manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, tho
introduction of air (under pressure) into the_space where a sieve, riddle,
or moveable bolting surface covers the upper part, this air being mado
to act upon the layer of meal as herein set forth, so as to effect the
separation of the different qualities of meal or groats by causing the
lighter particles to occupy the upper part of the layer, while the heavier
particles thus obtained pass through the riddle and are collected as the
first product. In consequence of this principle of construction and
mode of operation it is proposed to call this improved bolting apparatus
"The Compressed Air Mechanical Bolting Machine."
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have
hercunto set my hand and scal, the Eleventh day of August, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.