CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS TO BE APPLIED TO THE GRINDING OF GRAIN AND OTHER
Year: 1846

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by
Her Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain,
bearing date at Westminster, the Eleventh day of February, in the
ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her especial
license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and such
others as I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, adminis-
trators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times during the term of years therein men-
tioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in all Her
Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, and in the Islands of
Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, an Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS TO BE APPLIED TO THE GRINDING OF GRAIN AND OTHER

page_text: SUBSTANCES," being a communication from a foreigner residing abroad;
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, obliging me, the
said Alfred Vincent Newton, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed,
and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso I, the said
Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby declare that the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following descrip-
tion thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
This Invention of improvements to be applied to the grinding of
grain and other substances, as communicated to me by my foreign
correspondent, refers, in the first place, to a method of drawing out
the pulverized material from between the grinding surfaces of mills
immediately the pulverization is effected, by which means the grinding
surfaces are kept comparatively free, and thus a greater quantity may
be ground in a given time than by the ordinary arrangement of grinding
mills. The second part of the Invention consists in the introduction of
heated air between the grinding surfaces of mills when substances con-
taining moisture are required to be pulverized.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 represents in sectional eleva-
tion a pair of stones capable of being worked according to this
Invention. A, is the fixed or bed stone, and B the top stone or
runner; C is an air tight case enclosing the stones so as to cut
them off from any connection with the external air, excepting that
which enters the eye in the middle of the runner along with the
grain or other matter to be operated upon; D represents one of
two air pumps placed near to each other on one side of the casing
C, which has openings in it to allow of a communication being
established between each of the air pumps and the interior of that

page_text: case by means of a shute E. These shutes are intended to con-
duct the flour as it passes out from the grinding surfaces to a suitable
receiver, from whence it may be taken up and bagged at the con-
venience of the miller. a, is a flexible tube of leather or other suitable
material attached to the case C, and suspended directly over the eye of
the runner B; this tube is intended to prevent the air which enters
with the grain from passing over the top of the runner, and entering
between the grinding surfaces at their circumference; and in order the
more effectually to prevent this, a thin metal tube b is attached to the
top stone B, and descending into the eye or feed-hole to the depth of
the tube a, has a return or lip to embrace the lower edge of the tube a,
but yet allows sufficient space to prevent any injury to that tube when
the top stone is rotating. c, c, are pieces of wood or other substance
fixed at any required distance apart on the periphery of the runner B,
and are intended to carry the flour or other product as it exudes from
the grinding surfaces forward into the shutes E, which are provided
with two valves d and e, opening outwards for the purpose to be now
explained. Suppose rotary motion to be communicated to the top stone
or runner by the ordinary arrangement of gearing, and the seed or other
substance to be supplied to the stones through the tube a, the pistons
of the pumps D are worked to produce a vacuum, or partial vacuum,
between the grinding surfaces. The effect of this action, as long as it
is continued, will be a rush of air down the eye of the top runner, which
rush of air will force out the flour from between the grinding surfaces
immediately it is formed, and on the ascent of the piston, which as it
rises opens the valve d, will blow the flour into the shute E. On
the descent of the piston the valve e will be forced open, and
thus allow the flour to descend and enter the receiver. The
advantages of this arrangement will be readily seen by the practical
miller, for immediately the grain is reduced to flour the fine particles
will be driven out from between the grinding surfaces in a dry state,
and thus the liability of the stones clogging, and consequently becoming
heated, will be in a great measure avoided. A further advantage con-
sequent upon the flour being, immediately it is formed, disengaged from
the grinding surfaces, is, that as they are comparatively clear they are

page_text: ready to receive a fresh supply of grain, which in like manner is blown
off. directly the fine particles are produced, instead of being carried
round unnecessarily over the face of the bed stone until pushed out by
the fresh supply, as is the case according to the present mode of grind-
ing. Fig. 2 represents in plan view an arrangement of two pairs of
grain mills, provided with rotary fans instead of air pumps, as before
described, which fans are intended to conduct the pulverized material
into the receiver, and cause a rush of air down the eye of the runners
by producing a vacuum or partial vacuum in the cases enclosing the
grain mills. The mill on the left in the Drawing, and the fans, as well
as the receptacle for the flour, are shewn in section. Fig. 3 is a sec-
tional elevation of the two pairs of stones taken in the line 1, 2, of
Fig. 2. The letters refer to similar parts in both the Figures. A, A, A,
are the mill stones mounted in the ordinary manner; B, B, B, the curb
and casing to the same; C, the eye or hole through the middle of the
top stones or runners; D, D, are the blowers or fans; E is a chamber
to receive the flour or other pulverized matter as it passes from between
the grinding surfaces; F is a pipe or shaft for the escape of the air;
and G an opening in the side of the receiver E, to allow of the product
being carried off in any convenient way; H are the blower or fan boxes
in communication with the receiver E; I is a slide which covers an
opening made in the receiver for the purpose of getting to the interior;
the bottom K of the receiver is so constructed as to be capable of
revolving when the machinery is in operation; f is a slide in the mill
curb or casing, and g is a smaller slide at the bottom of the same, to
enable the attendant to examine the product; the larger opening fat
the top of the curb is to permit a free inlet of air when g is opened, or
otherwise the product will flow by with too great rapidity; these two
ports should be opened simultaneously and closed again, and as soon as
possible; is a flat piece of wood or other substance supported in
guides and resting on the revolving plate K, which receives the pro-
duct as it passes from the stones and carries it to the outlet at G.
These guides are secured at one end to the side of the receiver E, and
at their other end to a tube L, placed in the centre of the receiver, and
round which the plate K rotates. It will be obvious that for the more

page_text: perfect carrying out of this Invention the air should only be permitted
to enter at the eye or feed hole of the stone; hence, as there is always
a tendency to a state of vacuum within the mill, every part should be
as air tight as possible. For this purpose the joints between the
blowers and the curb, as well as the bottom of the curb, should be
stout canvas or other flexible material, glued thereon, which in dis-
mounting and setting up the mill may be readily raised and re-adjusted.
For the same reasons the joints at a, f, and g, should be as close as
possible. The corn or other matter to be ground is conducted into the
mill by a vertical tube k, which has an adjustable end dipping into a
small cup 7, fixed in the eye of the runner, and as the supply of seed
or other matter under operation is required to be increased or dimi-
nished, the adjustable end is proportionably raised or lowered. When
the mill is ready for working, rotary motion is communicated to the
top stones, and also to the fans, which may be provided with indepen-
dent pullies,
so that one or both may be worked as required where more
than one set of stones are employed. A similar effect to that above
described with reference to Fig. 1 will now be produced, viz, the
pulverized matters (immediately produced) will be forced out from
between the grinding surfaces by the rush of air down the eye of the
top stones caused by the rapid rotation of the fans, and passing with the
air through the case H, will enter the receiver E; the air will then
pass off by the pipe F, carrying with it the disengaged moisture and
heat, and the flour or other pulverized substance will fall on to the
plate K, which forms the bottom of the receiver. This plate being
made to rotate, as before mentioned, will carry the flour round to the
board h, where, meeting with a stoppage to its further progress, the
flour is forced out at the opening G as it accumulates at that spot; but
if the accumulation is too great, the flour, by pressing against the board
h (which is bevilled at its lower edge on the side in contact with the
flour), will raise the board in its guides, and, passing under it, will
prevent the straining of the machinery. The capacity of the pumps in
the plan Fig. 1, and of the fans in Figures 2 and 3, must be regulated
according to the capacity of the mill, or number of stones, or extent of
grinding surface employed. In grinding dye woods and other substances

page_text: containing moisture, the second part of this Invention, viz, the intro-
duction of heated air between the grinding surfaces of mills, is proposed
to be employed. This improvement is effected by making a communi-
cation between a suitably heated chamber (or air pipes in the flues of
an adjacent furnace) and the eye of the top stones or runners, by which
means the atmosphere is excluded, and the heated air in the pipe of
'communication is drawn between the grinding surfaces by the action of
the fans before mentioned; the pair of stones on the left hand side of
Fig. 3, is represented as furnished with a pipe m; for conducting the
heated air to the mill. By referring to this Figure it will be seen that
the connection with the eye of the runner is air. tight, in order to
supply the matter to be operated upon to the grinding surfaces. The
end of the supply pipe k is made to enter the pipe m at that part
which is directly above the eye of the runner. The case enclosing the
stones may, when the heated air is employed, be made with advantage
of sheet iron.
:
In conclusion, I would remark that I am aware several plans have
been suggested for causing a circulation of air between the grinding
surfaces of mills in order to prevent them from heating and spoiling
the flour, and that such introduction of air has been effected by cutting
away portions of the grinding surfaces, thus deteriorating the grinding
capacity of the stones by diminishing the grinding surface, and per-
mitting accumulations of flour or other pulverized matter in the cavities
so made; and also that air has been forced upwards through the bed
stone and distributed by fans within the mill; but by this plan the
greater portion of the air so forced in escapes through the eye of the
runner, and carries with it more or less of the pulverized material. I
do not therefore claim generally the introduction of atmospheric air to
the grinding surfaces of mill stones, but that which I claim and desire
to secure under the above in part recited Letters Patent is, firstly,
producing a continuous current of air down the eye of the runner and
between the grinding surfaces of mills, so as to escape at a given outlet
and carry with it the flour or other pulverized matter as soon as the
fine particles are obtained, in order that the grinding surfaces may be
prevented from choaking, and a greater quantity of work may be per-

page_text: formed with the same machinery. And, secondly, I claim the introduc-
tion of heated air to the grinding surfaces of mills for the more efficient
grinding and pulverizing of substances containing moisture, or of sub-
stances which, after grinding according to the ordinary mode, require
to be dried by artificial means.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-six.