IMPROVEMENTS IN GRINDING MILLS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Morgan-Brown, of the Firm of Brandon and
Morgan-Brown, Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings,
London, and 1, Rue Laffitte, Paris, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN GRINDING MILLS." A communication from abroad by Peter Turner Elting,
of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Morgan-Brown at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th May 1878.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-Brown, Engineers
and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London, and 1, Rue Laffitte,
Paris. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GRINDING MILLS." [A communication from abroad by
Peter Turner Elting, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.]
This Invention of improvements in "grinding mills" has special reference to
mechanism for setting and adjusting the bedstone through the medium of a liquid
which, contained in suitable vessels, receives and sustains the weight of the bed-
stone.
The Invention consists in,-
A bedstone and a liquid support therefor, to operate substantially as described.
Also, in a bedstone, liquid holding vessels, and followers sustained by the pressure
of the liquid below the followers, to operate substantially as described.
Also, in the combination with a bedstone, liquid holding vessels, and followers, of
pipes to connect the vessels, substantially as described.
Also, in the combination with a bedstone, liquid holding vessels, followers, and
pipes to connect the vessels, of pressure gages, substantially as described.
Also, in the combination with liquid holding vessels, followers, and a bedstone,
of a leveling plate and screws to adjust or level it, substantially as described.
Also, in a bedstone, and liquid holding vessels, and pipes to supply them with
liquid, combined with valves to open or close the communication between such
pipes.
'

page_text: The usual leveling screws are located in strong brackets or in a strong frame.
The ends of these screws enter recesses at the under side of a leveling plate made
triangular or of other proper form, and by turning the screws the bed plate may be
adjusted as desired.
The upper side of the leveling plate has at three points or places on it, or cast so
as to form integral parts of it, the liquid holding vessels, which are made to receive
within them a liquid, such as water or other equivalent liquid, which is practically
incompressible. This liquid is retained within such vsssels beneath flexible dia-
phragms made of leather, rubber, or other proper or usual material, such diaphragms
being held securely in place by incans of ring plates, through which and into the
flange portions of the liquid holding vessels pass suitable bolts.
These liquid holding vessels may be circular or of other proper shape.
The diaphragms receive upon them follower plates, upon which are rods that
project through suitable guides, and support at their upper ends the bedstone of
usual construction.
The spindle for supporting and revolving the running stone may be of any usual
construction and operation, and may be adjusted and placed in vertical position in
any usual way.
These liquid holding vessels are each connected with a pipe, to which are attached
pressure gauges of any usual construction adapted to shew at their faces by a proper
index the amount of pressure exerted by the followers upon the liquid in the vessels
under them, such pressure as indicated by the gauges depending upon the amount
of pressure between the bedstone and running stone when acting upon the grain
being ground.
These pipes are connected together by cross pipes and valves or cocks, so that
the gauges show distinctly any inequality of pressure between the bedstone and
running stone.
The liquid may be forced within the vessels through a filling pipe attached to
either one of the pipes of the series.
In operation the leveling plate is made level by means of screws; the followers
are placed within the vessels upon the diaphragins; the rods are placed upon the
followers, and the bedstone upon the ends of the rods. After this the bedstone is
leveled and the spindle made exactly vertical, or as nearly so as possible, in any
usual way, and when in tram the liquid is introduced into the vessels (the valves
being opened) under sufficient pressure to act upon the diaphragms and cause thom
to lift the followers, so that they are sustained by the diaphragms, the latter being
held up by the liquid alone. In this way it is obvious that the bedstone will be
supported or sustained upon a liquid bed of uniform density.
Should the bedstone not be exactly level, weights may be added at the proper
places, and the stone thereby made level will thereafter remain in tram.
Instead of the diaphragms india-rubber pads may be employed, they being placed
within the vessels.
The followers might be fitted sufficiently close to the interiors of the vessels made
as cylinders by incans of packing, as in a pump or engine, but such plan would not
be as good as the diaphragm or bag.
This plan of sustaining the bedstone results in more even grinding of the grain,
and enables a great saving in power.
A piece of belting may be placed about the periphery of the bedstone a short
distance below its surface to prevent the escape below the stone of the ground
material.
The vessels to contain the liquid might be made separate from the leveling
plate.
It is obvious that the Invention herein described is applicable to that class of
mills in which the weight of the bedstone is supported by some other device, or is
located above the running stone. In such case, and by this Invention, the pressure
exerted against the bedstone by the running stone in grinding will be borne by the
-liquid support.

page_text: The pressure gauges when the valves are open will show the pressure between
the bedstone and running stone, and indicate whether it is more or less than should
be required for the work being done.
By closing the valves cach gauge will show the amount of pressure between the
bedstone and running stone at or near the liquid holding vessel with which the
gauge is connected, thereby enabling the millor to inform himself at any time if
the bedstone is in tram.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Morgan-Brown in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th
November 1878.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-Brown, Engineers
and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London, and 1, Rue Laffitte,
Paris. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GRINDING MILLS." (A communication from abroad by
Peter Turner Elting, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.)
This Invention relates to improvements in "grinding mills," and has special
reference to mechanism for setting and adjusting the bedstone through the medium
of a liquid which, contained in suitable vessels, receives and sustains the weight of
the bedstone.
This Invention consists in,-
A bedstone and a liquid support therefor, to operate substantially as described.
Also, in a bedstone, liquid holding vessels, and followers sustained by the pressure
of the liquid below the followers, to operate substantially as described.
Also, in the combination with a bedstone, liquid holding vessels, and followers, of
pipes to connect the vessels, substantially as described.
Also, in the combination with a bedstone, liquid holding vessels, followers, and
pipes to connect the vessels, of pressure gauges, substantially as described.
Also, in the combination with liquid holding vessels, followers, and a bedstone, of
a levelling plate and screws to adjust or level it, substantially as described.
Also, in a bedstone, and liquid holding vessels, and pipes to supply them with
liquid, combined with valves to open or close the communication between such
pipes.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation a bedstone of a grinding mill supported in
accordance with this Invention, a portion of the supporting devices being shown in
vertical section; Figure 2, a horizontal section taken on the line x, x, Figure 1;
and Figure 3 is a section of a modified form of liquid containing vessel.
In the Drawing, Figures 1 and 2, a represents the usual levelling screws located
in strong brackets b, or in a strong frame. The ends of these screws.enter recesses
at the under side of the levelling plate c, made triangular or of other proper form,
and by turning the screws the bed plate may be adjusted as desired.
The upper side of the levelling plate c has at three points or places on it, or cast,

page_text: so as to form integral parts of it, the liquid holding vessels d, d', d, which are made
to receive within them a liquid, such as water or other equivalent liquid, which is
practically incompressible. This liquid is retained within such vessels beneath flexible
diaphragms, as shown at e, el, made of leather, rubber, or other proper or usual
inaterial, such diaphragms being held securely in place by means of the ring plates
fff, through which and into the flanged portions of vessels d, d², pass suitable
bolts, shown in position in the vessel d
These liquid holding vessels may be circular or of other proper shape.
The diaphragms receive upon them the follower plates g, g', g, upon which are
rods h, h¹, h², that project through suitable guides, and support at their upper ends
the bedstone i of usual construction.
The spindle for supporting and revolving the running stone is omitted from
Figure 1 as unnecessary to be shown, as it will be, and may be, of any usual con-
struction and operation, and may be adjusted and placed in vertical position in any
usual way.
These liquid holding vessels d, d', d², are each connected with a pipe k, k¹, k², to
which are attached pressure gauges 1, 1, 1, of any usual construction adapted to
show at their faces by a proper index the amount of pressure exerted by the
followers g, gl g², upon the liquid in the vessels d, d¹, d, under them, such pressure,
as indicated by the gages, depending upon the amount of pressure between the
bedstone and running stone when acting upon the grain being ground.
These pipes k, k, l, are connected together by cross pipes m, m', and valves or
cocks n, n, so that the gages show distinctly any inequality of pressure between
the bedstone and running stone.
The liquid may be forced within the vessels d, d', ď, through a filling pipe, not
shown, attached to either one of the pipes k, k,.
In operation the plate c is made level by means of the screws a; the followers
are placed within the vessels upon the diaphragms; the rods are placed upon the
followers, and the bedstone upon the ends of the rods. After this the bedstone is
levelled and the spindle made exactly vertical, or as nearly so as possible, in any
usual way, and when in tram the liquid is introduced into the vessels (the valves n, n²,
being opened) under sufficient pressure to act upon the diaphragms and cause them
to lift the followers, so that they are sustained by the diaphragms, the latter being
held up by the liquid alone. In this way it is obvious that the bedstone will be
supported or sustained upon a liquid bed of uniform density.
Should the bedstone not be exactly level, weights may be added at the proper
places, and the stone thereby made level will thereafter remain in tram.
Instead of the diaphragms e, e¹, e, india-rubber bags p may be employed, as in
Figure 3, they being placed within the vessels.
The followers might be fitted sufficiently close to the interiors of the vessels
d, d', d², made as cylinders by means of packing, as in a pump or engine, but such
plan would not be as good as the diaphragm or bag.
This plan of sustaining the bedstone results in more even grinding of the grain,
and enables a great saving in power.
A piece of belting may be placed about the periphery of the bedstone a short
distance below its surface to prevent the escape below the stone of the ground
material.
The vessels to contain the liquid might be made separate from the levelling
plate c, as in Figure 3.
It is obvious that the Invention herein described is applicable to that class of
mills in which the weight of the bedstone is supported by some other device, or is
located above the running stone. In such case, and by this Invention, the pressure
exerted against the bedstone by the running stone in grinding will be borne by the
liquid support.
The pressure gauges when the valves n, n², are open will show the pressure between
the bedstone and running stone, and indicate whether it is more or less than should-
he required for the work being done.

page_text: By closing the valves n, n², each gauge will show the amount of pressure between
the bedstone and running stone at or near the liquid holding vessel, with which the
gauge is connected, thereby enabling the miller to inform himself at any time if the
bedstone is in tram.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that
what I claim is,-
First. A bedstone and a liquid support therefor, to operate substantially as
described.
Second. A bedstone, liquid holding vessels, and followers sustained by the pressure
of the liquid below the followers, to operate substantially as described.
Third. The combination with a bedstone, liquid holding vessels, and followers, of
pipes to connect the vessels, substantially as described.
Fourth. The combination with a bedstone, liquid holding vessels, followers, and
pipes to connect the vessels, of pressure gauges, substantially as described.
Fifth. The combination with liquid holding vessels, followers, and a bedstone, of
a lovelling plate and screws to adjust or level it, substantially as described.
Sixth. The bedstone, and liquid holding vessels, and pipes to supply them with
liquid, combined with valves to open or close the cominunication between such
pipes.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Morgan-Brown, have horeunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand oight hundred and seventy-eight.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN. (LS.)