IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING SNUFF."
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Fleming, of Edinburgh, in the County of
Mid-Lothian, Snuff Miller, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING SNUFF."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Fleming at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th June 1861.
I, WILLIAM FLEMING, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid-Lothian, Snuff
Miller, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING SNUPP," to be as follows,
that is to say :-
This Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of machinery
for grinding tobacco into powder or snuff. The ordinary snuff mill consists of
a grooved cylinder or tub, in the centre of which is arranged a vertical shaft
working in footstep and collar bearings. This shaft carries in radial adjustable
bearings three cast-iron rollers, having fixed malleable iron spindles which
work in the footstep and collar bearings. With this arrangement the rotation
of the rollers rapidly wears away the brasses, and consequently there is a con-
siderable loss of efficiency and time, as well as a direct injury to the snuff
arising from the heating of the metals by the friction. The rollers of the snuff
mill constructed according to these improvements do not heat during the
working; they are always properly lubricated, and kept up to the surface of
the grooved cylinder. The rollers are of cast iron, with a longitudinal

page_text: aperture extending through them; each roller is turned externally, and the
aperture is bored at each end to receive two deep tubular brasses. Through
these brasses is passed the malleable iron spindle of the roller; a flanged
washer is fitted over the spindle at each end of the roller; the flanges of the
washers enter corresponding grooves turned in the ends of the roller, and
serve to prevent the escape of the oil used for lubricating. A loose washer is
passed over the spindle at each end, and the roller is then fitted in tho
adjustable socket pieces which project radially from the central vertical shaft.
The spindle bas four grooves formed in each end, and each socket is furnished
with two pinching screws to prevent the spindle from turning. A small oil
cup or receptacle is formed round the upper socket, and the oil flows down the
spindle, and so lubricates both the tubular brasses, which are the only parts
moving in contact with the stationary spindle. When the mill is put in
motion, the rollers by their contact with the grooved cylinder or tub rotate
about the spindle; the tubular brasses, which aro feathered to cause them to
move with the rollers, are constantly lubricated, so that no heating of the parts
takes place. In this way the rollers are always kept up to the grooved
cylinder, and the most efficient working state is maintained; the absenco of
the heat in the working parts greatly improves the snuff manufactured by
these means.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Fleming in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th December 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
FLEMING, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid-Lothian, Snuff Miller, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, 1er heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Fleming, Her special license that I, the said William
Fleming, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said William Fleming, my executors, administrators, or 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

page_text: and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING SNUFF," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said William Fleming, my executors, or.
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, or under
the hand and seal of one of them, should particularly describe and ascertain,
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be.
performed, and cause the saine to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Fleming, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to. bo
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of machinery
for grinding tobacco into powder or snuff. The ordinary snuff mill consists of
a grooved cylinder or tub, in the centre of which is arranged a vertical shaft
working in footstep and collar bearings. This shaft carries in radial adjustable.
bearings three cast-iron rollers, having fixed malleable iron spindles, which
work in the footstep and collar bearings. With this arrangement the_rotation
of the rollers rapidly wears away the brasses, and consequently there is a con-
siderable loss of efficiency and time, as well as a direct injury to the snuff
arising from the heating of the metals by the friction. The rollers of the snuff
mill constructed according to these improvements do not heat during the
working; they are always properly lubricated and kept up to the surface of the
grooved cylinder. The rollers are of cast iron, with a longitudinal aperture
extending through them; cach roller is turned externally, and the aperture is
bored at each end to receive two deep tubular brasses. Through these brasses
is passed the malleable, iron spindle of the roller; a flanged washer is fitted
over the spindle at each end of the roller; the flanges of the washers enter.
corresponding grooves turned in the ends of the roller, and serve to prevent
the escape of the oil used for lubricating. A loose washer is passed over the
spindle at each end, and the roller is then fitted in the adjustable socket pieces
which project radially from the central vertical shaft. The spindle bas four
grooves formed in each end, and each socket is furnished with two pinching
screws to prevent the spindle from turning. A small oil cup or receptacle is
formed round the upper socket, and the oil flows down the spindle, and so
lubricates both the tubular brasses, which are the only parts moving in contact
with the stationary spindle. When the mill is put in motion, the rollers by

page_text: their contact with the grooved cylinder or tub rotate about the spindle; the
tubular brasses, which are feathered to cause them to move with the rollers,
are constantly lubricated, so that no heating of the parts takes place. In this
way the rollers are always kept up to the grooved cylinder, and tho most
efficient working state is maintained; the absence of heat in the working parts
greatly improve the snuff manufactured by these means.
And in order that my said Invention of "Improvements in Machinery or
Apparatus for the Manufacture of Snuff" may be properly understood, I shall
now proceed to describe the several Figures on the explanatory Sheet of
Drawings, which I have hereunto appended, for the purpose of showing
certain modifications under which my improvements may be judiciously
carried out in practice, that is to say:-
Figure 1 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings is an elevation of a
portion of a snuff mill showing my improvements applied thereto; and
Figure 2 is a plan corresponding thereto; Figure 3 is a vertical section
of one of the rollers taken on the lines 1, Figures 4 and 5; Figure 4 is a
transverse section of the roller taken on the line 2, Figure 3; and Figure 5 is
another transverse section taken on the line 3 of the same Figure.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the mill consists of a central shaft A, driven
by bevil gearing in any convenient manner. The upper part of the shaft is
formod with three radial arms, which are furnished with screws and nuts to
admit of the attachment thereto of the slotted arms B, the outer extremities of
which are fitted with brasses, and form the collar bearings of the rollers.
By means of the slots in the arms B, and the screws and nuts, each arm may
be adjusted, so as to regulate with great nicety the angular position of the
rollers in relation to the "tub" or vessel in which the tobacco is ground.
Internal screws are formed at the lower part of the shaft A, in which are fitted
the screwed footstep bearing pieces C. When these radial bearing pieces are
adjusted in position, they are screwed up tight by the jam nuts D. The
spindles of my improved rollers, in place of turning in their bearings in the
usual way, are fixed, and the rollers revolve upon them. The spindle E of
each roller is a cylindrical rod of malleable iron with four grooves at each end,
as shown by dotted lines in Figure 3, and in the transverse section Figure 4.
The roller is formed of cast iron, and is turned externally to the Figure
shown in the Drawings. A tubular aperture is formed throughout the roller,
and the upper and lower ends are bored to receive two deep tubular
brasses G, each of which is formed with a feather longitudinally, as shown in
Figure 5
Beyond each of these brasses the roller is turned to receive the
flanged washers II; the spindle is passed through the roller, and a metal

page_text: washer I interposed at each end between the washers II and the faces of the
bearing pieces B and C. Internal screws are formed in the upper and lower
bearing picces B and C, to receive the screws J, the ends of which pass into
the grooves formed in the spindle E, and thus prevent it from turning with
the motion of the roller F. At the upper part of the spindle is fitted a small
oil cup K, in the lower part of which is fitted some cotton wick L, to admit of
the oil percolating through it to lubricate the brasses. The oil thus supplied
flows down the two grooves shown in Figure 4, and between the surface of
the spindle and the brasses G. From this part the oil gradually finds its way
downwards to the lower brasses, which are thus constantly and effectively
Jubricated. In this way whilst the spindle remains stationary in all the
bearing pieces B and C, the roller turns freely upon its axis, continuously
receiving a due supply of lubricating fluid which cannot be dried up by the
snuff, which from the nature of the arrangement of the several parts cannot
have access to it. In this way the heating of the rollers is avoided, which in
the ordinary arrangement is a serious defect, as it tends to injure the flavour
of the snuff. Another advantage is the saving of an important item of
expense in the wear and tear of brasses in the bearing pieces B and C, which
in the improved arrangement are altogether dispensed with.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is, the general arrangement, construction,
and combination of parts forming the improved rollers used in machinery or
apparatus for the manufacture of snuff, and the mode of internal lubrication,
as herein-before described and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any
mere modification of the said arrangement.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Fleming, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of December, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-one.
WILLIAM FLEMING. (L.S.)