Ix- PROVEMENTS IN WATER, WIND, STEAM, AND HAND. MILLS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Albert Louis Thirion, Pastor, of. Asche-cn-Refail,
Province de Namur, Kingdom of Belgium, for thic Invention of " Ix-
PROVEMENTS IN WATER, WIND, STEAM, AND HAND. MILLS."
Sealed the 15th September 1859, and dated the 18th March 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Albert Louis Thirion al
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 18th March 1859.
.I, ALBERT. LOUIS THIRION. Pastor, of Asche-en-Refail, Province de Namur,
Kingdom of Belgium, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER, WIND, STEAM, AND HAND MILLS," to be as
follows:-
These improvements, which are applicable to mills moved by wind, steam,
water, or hand, are as follows:-Upon a suitable framing is placed the..bei
stone of the mill, being poized or balanced upon a screw, and is prevented
turning by bands attached thereto, but having the power of slightly oscillating;
considerable advantage results from this plan of balancing the lower stone, as
it enables it to follow any unequal running of the upper stone, which it does
with the greatest regularity. A vertical shaft is attached to the upper stone
passing through its centre, and also through a circular hopper immediately.
above the upper stone. The top of the vertical shaft passes through the

page_text: upright frame of the mill, and communicates with a helix or spiral, which
transmits the motion from the horizontal shaft to the vertical shaft (and for
which helix or spiral Letters Patent were granted to me the 24th day of March
1858, No. 624). Attached to the longitudinal shaft is a circle enclosing wings
or fans moving on pins at their ends, and can be set to the required angle to
obtain the speed necessary for the mill; the wind acting in a contrary direction
to other wind-mills, blowing against the back of the fans instead of the front;
behind the circle, holding the fans or wings, is another moveable circle also
attached to the wings, and which on being moved either from left to right, or
vice versa, simultaneously alters the position of the wings, the back or move-
able circle being provided with a rack remains in the position in which it is
set. But if the pall which holds the rack be fitted with a spring or some
similar contrivance to render it clastic, the moveable circle, and consequently
all the wings, can change their position with the variations in the force of the
wind, an important point, as the wind blowing with too great a force, the wings
or fans will have a tendency to partially open themselves.
The mill is stopped by disconnecting the rack, which is done by pressing a
stud which is attached to a rod or lever. For water mills the same system
can be adopted by making the lower stone the runner, and applying the spiral
to it from the horizontal shaft running through the centre of the water wheel.
The same system can also be applied to hand mills, or. those worked by steam
or other power.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Albert Louis Thirion in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th September 1850.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALBERT
LOUIS TIRION, of Asche-en-Refail, Province de Namur, Kingdom of Belgium,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Iler Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Albert Louis Thirion, Her special licence that I, the said Albert Louis
Thirion, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such other as I. the
said Albert Louis Thirion, my executors, administrators, and assigns. should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times

page_text: 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN WATER, WIND. STEAM, AND HAND MILLS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Albert Louis Thirion, 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 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 Albert Louis Thirion, do hereby declare
the nature of the 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 thereof, that is to say:-
These improvements consist in the working of water, wind, steam, and
hand mills in a more simple and efficient manner than heretofore. In order
to explain the said Invention as completely as possible, I now proceed to
describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into
practical effect, reference being had to the accompanying illustrative Sheet of
Drawings, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference marked
thereon respectively as follows:--
Figure 1 represents a mill moved by the power of the wind; A, A, A, A,
is an upright in iron or wood, composed of two pieces united at the top
and spreading out at the base; it carries the principal parts of the mill.
It is fixed to the framing of the root T, T. T, by the cross pieces S. S, S', S';
B, B, B, is the vertical shaft or axis of the millstones. It passes through
the upright A at the top, and extends downwards to the stone O, O, which is
fixed to it and held in its place by the key K, K, as this key carries the entire,
weight of the vertical shaft and of the stone; it has at its lower end a plate
which turns with it on the friction rollers placed in the block N, N.
By this arrangement the friction is almost entirely done away with; C, C, C,
is the horizontal shaft of the arms or swifts. It is supported by the shield-
shaped piece E, E, E, E, which turns round the upright piece A at the
points II, II, and II, II, which are two circles of unequal diameters.
D, D, D, is an apparatus for transmitting motion from the horizontal axis
C. C. C, to the vertical one B, B, B; it is termed a spiral or helix, and was
patented by me on the Twenty-fourth day of March, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-eight, No. 624. It transmits motion from one axis

page_text: to the other with the most perfect regularity, and without any other friction
but that of the shafts themselves. It will be sufficient to mention herc
that this apparatus is a spiral or helix made of flexible metal, terminating in
two axes, and capable of turning freely in whatever position it may be placed.
When applied to the mill herein described, the spiral is widened and rounded
on the side D, D, D, and depressed on the side d; d; after each half
revolution, the depressed part of the spiral becomes open, and vice versa.
The power of so supple an apparatus to turn a millstone arises from its width
being much greater than its thickness. It may be made in one piece,
or of several joined together; a smaller spiral may be placed within a larger
one. The axis C, C, C, passes through a bush e, e, fixed to the shield E, and
carries a brake at the point f, f. The swifts or wings are fixed to a circle h, h,
by pivots or hinges, and have the same action as doors; to the part opposite
to that to which the hinges are fixed are attached wire rods, one end of each
being fastened to a moveable circle R, R, motion being given to this circle
either to the right or to the left; all the wings change their position
simultaneously; when at rest they stand edgeways. When the mill is set to
work, they can be placed in any required position. The moveable circle
being provided with a rack, remains in the position in which it is set. But if
the pall which holds the rack be fitted with a spring, or some similar
contrivance, to render it clastic, the moveable circle, and, consequently, all the
wings can change their position with the variations in the force of the wind;
an important point, as the wind blowing with too great a force, the wings have
a tendency to open themselves partially. The mill is stopped by disconnecting
the rack; this is done by pressing the stud a, which is attached by a wire rod
to the pall which holds the rack, which wire is connected with the lever g, g, g.
The number of wings may vary as required; G is counterbalance weight;
F, F, is a circular balcony or gallery; b, b, is a pulley carrying a band at-
tached to a regulator (not shewn), which acts on the lever L, L, which supports
the lower or bed stone 0¹, O'. In many cases, however, this regulator may be
dispensed with, the mobility and elasticity of the wings forming a regulator.
P, P is a hopper, turning with the upper stone 0, 0, the substance to be
ground falls between the two stones through a tube which can be raised or
lowered as required. This tube extends from the bottom of the hopper
through the running stone, it is raised or lowered by the coupling M, M. The
higher the tube is raised the greater the quantity of corn which descends, and
vice versa.
A larger stationary hopper is placed above the moveable one for
the purpose of keeping up the supply through a connecting spout. This modo
of supplying the stones is extremely advantageous, however rapid their motion-

page_text: the grain descends with unvarying regularity. The lower or bed stone is
balanced on the point of a screw z, and is prevented from turning by the
bands m, m, m. m, but it has the power of slightly oscillating; considerable
advantage results from this plan of balancing the lower stone, it enables it to
follow any unequal running of the top stone, which it does with the greatest
regularity. All friction between the two stones is done away with. V, V, is
the support or bearing of the lower or bed stone. The upper stone or runner
is firmly fixed upon the shaft B. B. B. by means of two rynds, one above
and the other below. The key K. K. which holds in its place the shaft B. B, B.
is of a peculiar form; it has a slight projection, as shown at Figure 4, which
enables it to move freely in case of the plate which carries the friction
rollers not being perfectly horizontal. Figure 5 is a front view of the wings,
they are attached to two circles h and h'. the moveable circle is not shown.
These wings are twelve in number; they adapt themselves to the direction of
the wind, in a manner directly the reverse of those of other mills, as shown by
the arrow; they are self-acting, and adapt themselves to any change of the
wind with the greatest facility. The helix or spiral D. D, D, may be replaced
by ordinary gearing, and by bands and gearing placed near the stones; these
last may be moved at any required velocity.
Figure 2 represents the system applied to a water mill in which the spiral D,
the plate N, N, the friction rollers and key K, K, are used in the manner
above described. The wheel R, R, replaces the wings or swifts. The spiral is
placed under the stones, this arrangement being preferable for water mills.
The lower stone is made the running stone, and the upper one is balanced; it
is suspended at the end of a bar of iron S¹, S', which enables it to oscillate
easily. It is raised or lowered by means of the screw bolt z. P, P, is the
hopper, which is stationary, the upper stone not turning; M, M, is the supply
spout.
Figure 3 represents the hand mill. It is in all respects the same as the
one last described, the wheel being replaced by the handle R, R. The spiral
may be placed either above or below the stones. The same arrangements as
those described are applicable to a mill driven by steam power.
Having now fully described the nature and object of my said Invention of
"Improvements in Water, Wind, Steam, and Hand Mills," together with the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I would remark in conclusion
that I do not confine or restrict myself to the precise details herein described
and shewn in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, as the principle of my
Invention would be the same, were any slight modifications made use of. But

page_text: what I claim is, the working of mills by any suitable power in the manner and
for the purposes herein described and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Albert Louis Thirion, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of September, in the year of
Our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
L. J. NOEL,
Antwerp.
A. L. THIRION. (L.S.)