IMPROVEMENTS IN FLOUR DRESSING MACHINES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Smith, of Bradford, in the County of York,
Machine Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FLOUR DRESSING
MACHINES."
Sealed the 1st January 1858, and dated the 4th July 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Smith at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th
July 1857.
I, JOHN SMITH, of Bradford, in the County of York, Machine Maker, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FLOUR
DRESSING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to improvements in machinery for dressing flour, for
which Letters Patent were granted to me, bearing date June 4th, 1829,
No. 5799. Heretofore the gear wheels by which the cylinder is caused to
rotate upon its axis have been fixed to the said cylinder, and it being necessary
that the cylinder should be so constructed as to be divisible longitudinally in
two parts, the said gear wheels have also to be divided, by which it is difficult
to maintain the pitch and correctness of the cogs at the joinings of the wheels,
and it is otherwise inconvenient; to remedy which I make the wheels whole,
and not fixed to the cylinder, but with a flange or ledge cast on one side for
the two half cylinders to rest upon, & to which I secure the same by screw

page_text: bolts or other convenient means at each edge or jointing; the wheels are con-
structed to work in the framing, and the cylinder can thus be removed or
replaced at pleasure without removing the gear wheels.
My Invention also refers to the brushes for cleansing the outside of the said
cylinder; and in order that they may bear with equal pressure on the surface
of the said cylinder, although the surface may be uneven, I suspend the
brushes in arms or levers, which are capable of oscillating on a spindlo, pivots,
or a fulcrum, such arms being placed nearly in a radial line between the
centre of the cylinder and the pivots on which they vibrate, the brushes
resting or coming in contact with the periphery of the cylinder; I also have a
lever with a weight attached to the said spindle or pivots, at right angles or
thereabouts to the said arms, so as to regulate the pressure of the brushes
against the cylinder.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd
January 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
SMITH, of Bradford, in the County of York, Machine Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Ier Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Smith, Her special licence that I, the said John Smith, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Smith, 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 FLOUR DRESSING
MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Smith,
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 Scal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Smith, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
Heretofore the gear wheels by which the cylinder is caused to rotate upon
its axis have been fixed to the said cylinder, and the same so constructed as
to be devisable longitudinally in two parts, the said gear wheels have also had
to be divided, by which it has been difficult to maintain the pitch and
correctness of the cogs at the joinings of the wheels, and has been otherwise
inconvenient; to remedy which I make the wheels whole, and not fixed to
the cylinder, but with a flange or ledge cast on one side for the two half
cylinders to rest upon, and to which I secure the same by screw bolts or other
convenient means at each edge or jointing. The wheels being constructed to
work in the framing, the cylinder can thus be removed or replaced at pleasure
without removing the gear wheels.
My Invention also refers to the brushes for cleansing the outside of the
cylinder; and in order that they may bear with equal pressure on the surface
of the said cylinder, although the surface may be uneven, I suspend the
brushes in arms or levers, which are capable of oscillating on a spindle, pivots,
or fulcrum, such arms (and brushes) being placed nearly in a radial line
between the centre of the cylinder and the pivots on which they vibrate, the
brushes resting or coming in contact with the periphery of the cylinder. I
also have a lever with a weight attached to the said spindle or pivots, at right
angles or thereabouts to the said arms, so as to regulate the pressure of the
brushes against the cylinder.
The manner in which my said improvements are to be performed will be
clearly understood by reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, with
the letters of reference thereon, similar letters referring to the same parts in
cach Figure.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 an end elevation of the framework of
a flour dressing machine, similar in its main features to machinery for which I
obtained Letters Patent, bearing date June 4th, 1829; the lining boards
being removed in order to show or expose some of the machinery within,
which consist of a cylinder composed of a number of metal bars and ribs,
clothed or lined with wire gauze of different numbers or fineness of "mesh;"
such cylinder being placed at an incline of about 10 in. to a foot, and is caused
to revolve slowly; inside of which cylinder is a revolving "reel," carrying
a number of brushes extending the length of the cylinder, for brushing or
forcing the flour and sharps through the guaze.
On the outside are revolving

page_text: brushes for cleansing the wire gauze, or preventing the clogging up of tho
apertures thereof. Fig. 3. is a longitudinal section of the cylinder and brushes,
taken through the line A, B, in Fig. 4, shewing more clearly the nature and
construction thereof; Fig. 4 is a cross section of the same, taken through the
line C, D, in Fig. 3, and intended to shew the manner in which I apply the
cleansing, brushes to the outer surface of the cylinder. E represents the
cylinder, which is in two parts, longitudinally supported upon and turned or
caused to rotate slowly by the gear wheels F, G, as heretofore, but which in.
these my improvements, I make in one part. The wheel F having a boss,
which is formed. into the neck a; to work in the: framing, with a footstep b.to
support the brushes and ŕeel, the spindle H, and a flange C to support the
cylinder: The. wheel G has a liole_ or opening in, the, centre, and fits to the
framework, on which it turns or rotates, having also a flange d to support, the
other. end of the cylinder. The gear wlieels F, G, are driven by the shaft and
pinions e, f, g; I represents the brushes mounted, on a spindle, which, is
capable of rotating in bearings in the suspended arms J, which oscillate upon
the spindle K, and arc. so adjusted as to touch the surface of the cylinder when.
a little out of the line of centres of the cylinder and spindle or pivots, and by.
means of the lever arm and weight. L, I regulate the pressure thereof against
the surface of the said. cylinder. Figs. 5. and 6 are plan views of the gear
wheels F, G, and the pinions f, g, by which they aro driven, motion being
communicated from the reel shaft II by a strap h to a pulley i and a pair of
bevil wheels j, thenco. by a shaft k, worm 1,.worm wheel m, which is fixed on,
the pinion shaft e; motion is also communicated to the cleansing brushes from
a pulley n, fixed on the same shaft with the pulley i by a strap to a pulley o,
and by another strap.p to a pulley 7, fixed on the brush spindle. It will be
seen that by these improvements I am enabled to remove and replaco the.
cylinder whenever I require to get at the brushes H, without removing the
gear wheels F, G, by which the cylinder is driven, whereby the true pitch of
the gear can be maintained, as also the surface of the cylinder by having a
true bed of the flanges for the halves to rest upon, and by this suspending
the cleansing brushes above the cylinder render them capable of self-adjust-
ment to the surface of the cylinder.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be
distinctly understood that I claim as my Invention, and which to the best of
my knowledge and belief. is new within the realm,-
First, making the gear wheels by which the cylinder is caused to rotate
whole, and with flanges for the cylinder to rest upon.

page_text: And, secondly, suspending the brushes for cleansing the outer surface of the
ylinder in or near a vertical position above the said cylinder, as herein
lescribed and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, or any
modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Smith, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this First day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named John Smith, in the presence of
W TASKER, Patent Agent,
Halifax.
JOHN SMITHI. (L.S.)