Improvements in Grinding and Mixing Pans.
Year: 1885

page_text: · Improvements in Grinding and Mixing Pans.
We JAMES PRINCE of Newtown Leeds Brickworks Manager, and WILLIAM
JOHNSON of Queen's Road, Burley near Leeds Engineer and Brick Manufacturer,
both in the County of York do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN GRINDING AND MIXING PANS, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
The object of said Invention is to provide an arrangement of the shafts and
rollers of grinding and mixing pans, such that the rollers act independantly of
each other, and are self adjusting in speed and height to the thickness of the
material operated upon. By such an arrangement, the material after having been
inoistened, is subjected to a treading or kneading action, which thoroughly mixes
and equally moistens all parts of the material under treatment; rendering such
material plastic, or changing the material from a powdered or granular state to a
state of plasticity, and afterwards reducing it again into a moist granular form
ready to be used in the production of plastic bricks; or if cement or mortar ready
for use in the ordinary way.
Also by the said Improvements the risk of breakage or damage to the working
parts of the machine is reduced to a minimum, especially the risk arising from
unequal thickness or hardness of the material operated upon.
In order that the said Invention may be clearly understood reference is given
to the accompanying drawings, of which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section, and
Fig. 2 a plan of a grinding and mixing pan having said Improvements applied
thereto.
a is the main roller shaft, square or rectangular in section at the centre, and round
at both ends. The ends are steadied in blocks b, which can rise and fall in the
vertical slots in the side standards c. On the round ends of the shaft a, the
rollers d are fitted, so that they can rotate loose on the shaft. Between the rollers d
are placed the rollers e, which are fitted so that they can rotate loose on the ends
of the hollow boss or spindle f This boss or spindle contains a rectangular
diametral slot (shewn in cross section in Fig. 3,) extending from end to end.
slot is of the same width as the square or rectangular part of the shaft a, which
latter passes through it. The height or depth of the slot is several inches greater
than the depth of the rectangular portion of the shaft a. This arrangement of
This

page_text: axles or shafts a and f, and rollers d and e, it is evident allows each roller to rotate
and to rise and fall independantly of the others, and thereby to adjust itself to the
varying thickness of the material passed beneath the rollers.
The process or mode of treating the material in this machine is as follows. The
pulverized clay, bind, shale, or other material, is fed into the opening g in the centre
of the cast iron boss or spindle f. The material passes through the opening g on
to the bottom of the pan, and being moistened by jets of water, then under the
first or inner pair of rollers e receiving a constant and steady kneading action.
The material is thus thoroughly ground and impregnated with moisture and
worked into a sort of cake or flake on the revolving floor of the pan. As the
material spreads outwards from the centre of the pan, it is caught against the dis-
tributing prongs or forks h (see Fig. 2), and turned over and gradually carried
towards the outer pair of rollers d, where the treading and kneading is repeated.
As the material spreads beyond the tread of the outside rollers, it is acted upon by
the scrapers m, which break up the cakes or flakes in such a manner and to such
size, as to allow the broken portions to pass through perforations in the floor of the
pan. The remaining portion of the cakes or flakes which is not broken up suffi-
ciently, is met by the scrapers n and returned under the outer pair of rollers to be
again operated upon until it is delivered through the perforations in a fit state
for use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of aforesaid
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
In Grinding and Mixing Pans,
1° The construction and application of the hollow boss or spindle f having a
diametral slit and carrying the rollers e substantially as herein described and shewn
in Figs. 1 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
2° The construction and application of the shaft a having a square or rectangular
section towards the centre and carrying on the round ends the rollers & and passing
through the hollow boss or spindle f, substantially as herein described and shewn
in Figs. 1 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
3° The arrangement and application of the inner and outer pair of rollers d, e,
and the hollow boss or spindle f and the axle or shaft a, so that each and any
of the four rollers may rotate and rise and fall independantly of the others,
substantially as herein described and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
4° The application of the distributing forks or prongs / substantially as and for
purposes herein set forth.