Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Mixing Flour and other Materials.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Oct., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 24th July, 1893-Accepted, 2nd Sept., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Mixing Flour and
other Materials.
We, GEORGE SAMUEL BAKER, JOSEPH ALLEN BAKER, and WILLIAM KING
BAKER, all of 58 City Road, in the City of London, Engineers, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the mixing and proportioning of flour or other materials
and the apparatus employed for the purpose. We will describe two forms, one in
which a single cylinder or receptacle only is employed, and, another in which two
or more may be used.
In the single apparatus we prefer to employ a slightly tapered vessel set
vertically with its larger end below and having a central vertical shaft upon which
are fixed a pair of half discs curved after the manner of a screw propeller so that
as they revolve they present cutting edges or faces, which shear off as it were
portions of the materials to be mixed and allow them to fall into a lower receptacle
from which they may be conveyed by a worm or other conveyor and in which may
revolve mixing blades or the like. The bottom of the first vessel instead of being
made of two plates may be made of a single one cut and curved in the necessary
manner.
The vessel is preferably divided throughout its length from the periphery to
the shaft by one fixed partition and by one or more movable partitions so that the
whole vessel may be divided up into regular or irregular sized compartments in
which the materials to be mixed may be placed, and their proportions thus
adjusted. The movable partitions may be adapted to slide or turn and be fixed in
any required manner.
For supporting the shaft and bottom a foot step may be employed.or the bottom.
may be provided with a suitable number of projecting brackets carrying rollers
adapted to run upon a circular rail or track provided for the purpose and preferably
outside the vessel.
If desired two or more of the before described apparatus may be connected with
the same worm or conveyor.
In the machine having more than one receptacle or vessel we prefer to employ
two vessels slightly tapered as before and having vertical shafts carrying mixing
arms preferably set at an angle to the shaft. In this case also revolving bottoms
are employed but these consist of vanes extending radially from the shafts working
over closed bottoms, the vessels being contiguous and the bottoms having segmental
pieces cut out so that as the bottoms revolve they carry the contents to these open
spaces and thus deliver them to a common receptacle. The portion of each vessel
above the open part of the bottom may be covered by a special plate to prevent
the contents passing down excepting when conveyed by the vanes.
In the above mentioned common receptacle is preferably placed a fixed or
movable sieve upon which may be rotated one or more brushes the material
after passing through the sieve falling into a worm conveyor and being thus
carried away.
The contents of one or more of the receptacles may be conducted by suitable
shoots or hoppers on to horizontally revolving plates or discs off which they are
thrown by centrifugal action and thereby become thoroughly mixed.
Dated this 22nd day of October 1892.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Mixing Flour and
other Materials.
We, GEORGE SAMUEL BAKER, JOSEPH ALLEN BAKER, and WILLIAM KING
BAKER, all of 58 City Road, in the City of London, Engineers, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention 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 the mixing and proportioning of flour or other materials
and the apparatus employed for the purpose. We will describe two forms, oue in
which a single cylinder or receptacle only is employed, and another in which two
or more may be used.
In the single apparatus we prefer to employ a slightly tapered vessel set
vertically with its larger end below and having a central vertical shaft upon which
are fixed a pair of half discs curved after the manner of a screw propeller so that
as they revolve they present cutting edges or faces which shear off as it were
portions of the materials to be mixed and allow them to fall into a lower receptacle
from which they may be conveyed by a worm or other conveyor and in which
may revolve mixing blades or the like. The bottom of the first vessel instead
of being made of two plates may be made of a single one cut and curved in the
necessary manner.
The vessel is preferably divided throughout its length from the periphery to
the shaft by one fixed partition and by one or more movable partitions so that the
whole vessel may be divided up into regular or irregular sized compartments in
which the materials to be mixed may be placed, and their proportions thus
adjusted. The movable partitions may be adapted to slide or turn and be fixed in
any required manner.
For supporting the shaft and bottom a foot step may be employed or the bottom
may be provided with a suitable number of projecting brackets carrying rollers
adapted to run upon a circular rail or track provided for the purpose and preferably
outside the vessel.
If desired two or more of the before described apparatus may be connected with
the same worm or conveyor.
In the machine having more than one receptacle or vessel we prefer to employ
two or more vessels slightly tapered as before and having vertical shafts carrying
mixing arms preferably set at an angle to the shaft. In this case also revolving
bottoms are employed but these consist of vanes extending radially from the shafts
working over closed bottoms, the vessels being contiguous and the bottoms having
segmental pieces cut out so that as the bottoms revolve they carry the contents
to these open spaces and thus deliver them to a common receptacle. The portion
of each vessel above the open part of the bottom may be covered by a special
plate to prevent the contents passing down excepting when conveyed by
the vanes.
In the above mentioned common receptacle is preferably placed a fixed or
movable sieve upon which may be rotated one or more brushes the material
after passing through the sieve falling into a worm conveyor and being thus
carried away.
The contents of one or more of the receptacles may be conducted by suitable
shoots or hoppers on to horizontally revolving plates or discs off which they are
thrown by centrifugal action and thereby become thoroughly mixed.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a single apparatus constructed according to this
invention.
Figure 2 is a similar view of a modified form.

page_text: ་ ་པ་་7ཏུ
Figure 7 a sectional elevation of portions of the same.
Figure 8 is a modified construction of a single apparatus of which
Figure 9 is a plan,
Figure 10 is an inverted plan of a portion of Figure 8, and
Figure 11 shows a modified form of mixing plate.
Like letters represent like parts throughout the drawings.
A Figure 1 is the vessel having its upper part A' tapered outwards to act as a
sort of hopper while the main portion of the body A is tapered in the reverse
direction as shown so as to prevent the materials adhering to the walls. A circular
flange A is shown at the bottom of A and to this by a similar flange B¹ is connected
the bottom portion B of the apparatus, the two parts being bolted together or
otherwise suitably connected. The vessel A is closed at its bottom A by one or
more circular or semi-circular plates C carried upon the central spindle D and
revolving with it; the object of the plate C is to shear off the bottom of the column
of materials contained in the vessel A, its exact form being not very important so
long as it effects this object, the faster it revolves the quicker the material will be
sheared off and delivered from the apparatus. This plate may take the form of two
half plates with the cutting edges slightly elevated or curved after the manner of a
screw propeller, but with a very small pitch, but in practice we find that a plain flat
plate such as shown in Figure 4 provided if desired with a raised edge C¹ and a
radial slot C² over which is fastened a knife or cutting edge C³ gives excellent
results. Below the plate C is a tapered vessel or chamber E, which may be fixed
or revolve with the shaft D, serving as a hopper to deliver the materials, already
to a large extent mixed by the action of the cutting plate C, on to the revolving
plate D carried upon the spindle D which throws off the material by centrifugal
force, thus further mixing them, the process being still further carried on when they
strike the walls of the case B, and fall by the tapered extension B' to the worm
conveyor B2 by which they are conveyed away. The spindle D carrying the
dise D' may be part of the same spindle D carrying the disc C, but preferably it is
separate from it and revolving in the opposite direction. In the vessel A is a fixed
radial vertical dividing plate or partition A³ and one or more similar but movable
partitions A by which the space in the vessel A can be at will divided into com-
partincuts of various capacities. A cover may be provided at the top of the part A¹
either fixed or movable and so as to close any portion or the whole, and above this
may be fixed a suitable hopper into which the materials to be treated can be
delivered. Supposing therefore, that the vessel A were divided into three
compartments and only two materials were to be treated in certain proportions, the
third compartment might be entirely closed either by this cover or by turning the
movable partitions A*.
"
In Figure 2 the apparatus is substantially similar, but instead of the conical
chamber E and revolving plate D₁ a stirring or mixing device F is shown. This
may have curved blades as shown in Figure 2 and revolving on a horizontal axis or
a simple horizontal shaft may carry rods or blades F₁ (Fig. 5) for this purpose.
In this case the spindle D cannot conveniently be carried down past the mixing
device and it may therefore be supported in any suitable form of foot-step bearing or
bracket or upon rollers G running upon a circular path G¹ so as to allow of its free
revolution. Where the conical vessel E of Figure 1 revolves it may be carried in
a similar manner by rollers G.
In Figure 6 is shown an apparatus having two vessels A arranged together both
delivering into the conical vessel E from which the materials fall on to the perforated
plate or sieve H their passage through which is facilitated by the revolving brush H
carried upon the spindle H driven like the spindle D of Figure 1 by gearing or
otherwise from outside the apparatus. In both cases a stuffing box or equivalent
device B³ prevents the escape of the materials past the shaft. In the apparatus

page_text: shown in Figure 6 we have illustrated instead of the cutting plate C a series of
radial arms or carrying vanes I which may be supported by tie-rods or
equivalent and open at top and bottom. The bottom of the vessel A is closed
in by a fixed plate A above which the arms I revolve; the plate A is cut away
the opening A taking the shape and size of one of the compartments formed
by the arms I. Corresponding to this open space and of about the same size,
and above the arms I is a fixed plate or cover J against the leading edge of
which each arm I as it turns shears off the material contained between it and the
next arm I, the material thus removed falling through the opening A in the plate A°
into the conical vessel E, the shearing and mixing action being thus similar to that
effected by the plate C. The proportions of the mixture may be adjusted by
varying the speed of the carrying vanes I.
In Figure S a single apparatus is shown, the vessel A being closed by a fixed
bottom A having an opening A to which the materials are delivered by fixed or
adjustable mixing blades L carried upon the under-side of the plate C as clearly
shown in Figure 10, the plate C operating as described with reference to Figure 1
and the blades L serving to mix the materials before they are discharged
through A'.
In Figure 11 a mixing plate K is shown having pins or equivalent K' projecting
from it which may be used instead of the plate D₁ shown in Figure 1 or generally
where required for mixing purposes, the plate is revolved by the spindle K in any
desired manner.
.
We wish it to be understood that we do not confine ourselves to using the
apparatus shown in Figures 6 and 7 for instance only with the double machine, and
the apparatus shown in Figures 1 and 2 only with the single machine as it is manifest
that these parts may be interchanged as desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. The mixing of the materials by cutting off portions from columns of the various
materials.
2. In mixing apparatus the employment of fixed or movable division plates such
as A3 A4 whereby compartments of various capacities may be obtained substantially
as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In mixing apparatus the combination with a vessel in which the materials are
contained in separate columns of a cutting plate such as C substantially as described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. In mixing apparatus in which the materials to be mixed are contained in
separate columns, the combination with a cutting device such as C or I of a
revolving plate or centrifugal mixer such as D' or K substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
5. In mixing apparatus the combination with a cutting disc such as C of mixing
blades such as L substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
6. In mixing apparatus the combination with a cutting device such as C of a
mixing device F and worm conveyor B2 substantially as described and illustrated in
Figures 2 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.
7. The double mixing apparatus substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
8. In mixing apparatus such as described adjusting the proportions of the mixture
by varying the speed of the carrying vanes.
9. In mixing apparatus the combination with the vessel containing the materials
of a bottom A having an opening A a cover plate J corresponding with the said
opening and revolving blades such as I delivering the material to the opening A
under the cover J substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.

page_text: 10. In mixing apparatus cutting off the material by means of revolving radial
arms such as working beneath a cover plate such as J over a discharge opening
such as A substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 22nd day of July 1893
GEORGE SAMUEL BAKER.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicants.