AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SIFTING FLOUR AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Haseltine, of the "International Patent
Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR SIFTING FLOUR AND OTHER SUBSTANCES."-A communication
from abroad by Howard Tilden, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States
of America.
Sealed the 15th August 1865, and dated the 8th June 1865.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said George Haseltine, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Declaration,
on the 8th June 1865, pursuant to the 9th Section of the Patent Law
Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE-
HASELTINE, of the "International Patent Office,”; No. 8, Southampton,
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS ;
FOR SIFTING FLOUR AND OTHER SUBSTANCES," and have petitioned Her Majesty,
to grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal
Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn declaration that it has been,

page_text: communicated to me from abroad by Howard Tilden, of Boston, Massachusetts,
United States of America, and that the same is not in use by any other
person or persons to the best of my knowledge and belief.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Haseltine, do hereby declare
that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and seal, fully
describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed in and by the following statement :-
This Invention relates particularly to the construction of machines for
sifting flour, though applicable to apparatus for sifting other fine or powdered
material, such as spices, dyes, drugs, &c.
The apparatus is constructed by mounting in a suitable box or casing a
semi-cylindrical stationary seive, open at the top and extending horizontally
across the box from one end or side thereof to the opposite one, having a
hopper or suitable inclines passing from the mouth or opening of the box
down to the upper and opposite edges of the seive for conducting the flour to
be sifted into the seive or trough, and a space below for the reception of the
flour as
it is pressed through the meshes of the seive; just above and parallel
with this trough or seive is a horizontal shaft journalled in the opposite ends
of the box, the shaft being quadrangular or prismatic in form, and having
fastened upon or let into its faces elastic rubbers, one edge of each of which
projects beyond the adjacent angle of the shaft in such manner that when
the shaft is rotated these projecting edges shall bear or press the flour. against
the meshes of the seive and rub it through the same. One end of the shaft
extends through the side of the box and has a suitable crank or handle for
giving rotation to the shaft and its rubbers. It will be obvious that the action
of the rubbers will be very effective, their operation being quite similar to the
action of the hand in rubbing flour through the meshes of a common hand
sieve, the rubbers working and pressing the flour through the sieve and
reducing to an impalpable powder any of the flour which exists in lumps or in
a "caked" state.
The construction of the apparatus may be more clearly understood by
reference to the accompanying Drawing, which represents a perspective view
of a sifter embodying the Invention, one side of the box being broken
away to shew the seive with the shaft and rubbers.
a, denotes the case or box; b, a semi-cylindrical seive extending horizontally
across the interior of the same, and having a space c below it for the reception
of the sifted flour, and inclines d'above it for-guiding the flour into- the seive
as will be readily understood; f is the horizontal shaft made square in section,
or of any other suitable form, for the attachment of series of rubbers e, one

page_text: edge of each of which is fastened to the shaft, while the other edge projects
beyond the face to which the rubber is attached, each of these rubbers may
extend along the whole length of the shaft, or they may be applied in short
lengths, and so that those on adjacent edges may "break joints," and these
pieces may be let into the face of the shaft or fastened upon the surface
thereof as may be deemed desirable. The path of rotation of these rubbers
carries the projecting edges of the rubbers against the inner surface of the
sieve, but their elasticity allows them to bend, and thus continue their rotation
without stoppage, and by this construction when flour is placed in the sieve
the rotation of the shaft causes the rubbers to impinge upon the flour as it
falls to the bottom of the sieve, and rub it through the meshes thereof. The
shaft may be made hollow for the purpose of lightness, and may have any
number of faces for the application of the rubbers, though the four sided or
square shaft is considered preferable. Provision is made in any suitable
manner for the removal of the sifted flour from the case a.
CLAIM.
What is claimed is the combination of the sieve, rotary shaft, and rubbers,
constructed and arranged to operate together, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Haseltine, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
GEORGE HASELTINE. (L.s.)
Witness,
WILLIAM R. LAKE.