IMPROVEMENTS IN FEEDING APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO MILLS AND MACHINES FOR GRINDING, KIBBLING, OR CRUSHING GRAIN AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Robert Riches and Charles James Watts,
both of Norwich, in the County of Norfolk, Engineers, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FEEDING APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO MILLS AND
MACHINES FOR GRINDING, KIBBLING, OR CRUSHING GRAIN AND OTHER
SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 26th October 1866, and dated the 30th April 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Robert Riches
and Charles James Watts at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 30th April 1866.
We, RICHARD ROBERT RICHES and CHARLES JAMES WATTS, both of
Norwich, in the County of Norfolk, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FEEDING APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO.
MILLS AND MACHINES FOR GRINDING, KIBBLING, OR CRUSHING GRAIN AND OTHER
SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
Our Invention is intended to produce an increased uniformity in the feeding
of the material required to be operated upon to the mill or machine, and also
a more complete separation of foreign matters from such material before it is
allowed to pass into the mill or machine in order to be operated upon. For

page_text: these purposes the feeding apparatus herein-after described is combined with
an ordinary screen in the manner herein-after described.
The feeding apparatus consists essentially of an adjustable vibrating slip,
which is fixed underneath an aperture formed in a plate at the bottom of the
ordinary feeding hopper, and over a vibrating screen inclosed within the box
leading into the mill or machine, both the slip and the screen receiving their
respective vibrating motions from an excentric on the shaft of the mill or
machine. The upper surface of the vibrating slip is channelled ar serrated,
and is inserted in grooves formed by pieces fixed to the under side of the
plate at the bottom of the hopper. The adjustment of the slip for the purpose
of regulating as required the size of the aperture for the passage of the
material to be operated upon is effected by means of a screw turned by a
handle, or by other convenient means. The vibrating motion is communicated
to the screen from the excentric on the shaft of the mill or machine by means
of a forked lever fixed to one end of a spindle or fulcrum mounted in suitable
bearings in the bottom part of the before-named box, another lever being
fixed to the said spindle or fulcrum, and being connected to the screen, which
this lever also supports; and the vibrating motion is transmitted from the
screen to the slip by means of a piece of metal projecting from the screen,
and passing into a groove on the under side of the slip. By means of this
arrangement a vibrating action is communicated to both the screen and the
slip by the revolution of the excentric. The screen is perforated, and is
supported at any convenient angle of inclination, it is also formed with a
trough or channel at the lower end for the purpose of conveying away any
stopes or other foreign substances intercepted by the screen, and prevented
from falling into the mill or machine. In case it should be required to use
the feeding apparatus without a screen the requisite connection between the
slip and the aforesaid spindle or fulcrum may be readily formed by means of
on arm or lever
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed 8
by the said Richard Robert Riches and Charles James Watts in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th October 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, RICHARD
ROBERT RICHES and CHARLES JAMES WATTS, both of Norwich, in the County
of Norfolk, Engineers, send greeting.
3

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Richard Robert Riches and Charles James Watts, Her special licence
that we, the said Richard Robert Riches and Charles James Watts, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Richard
Robert Riches and Charles James Watts, our executors, administrators,
and 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 and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FEEDING APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO MILLS AND
MACHINES FOR GRINDING, KIBBLING, OR CRUSHING GRAIN AND OTHER SUBSTANCES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Richard Robert Riches
and Charles James Watts, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our, 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 we, the said Richard Robert Riches and Charles
James Watts, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon
(that is to say):
Our Invention of "Improvements in Feeding Apparatus applicable to
Mills and Machines for Grinding, Kibbling, or Crushing Grain and other
Substances," is intended to produce an increased uniformity in the feeding of
the material required to be operated upon to the mill or machine, and also a
more complete separation of foreign matters from such material before it is
allowed to pass into the mill or machine in order to be operated upon. For
these purposes the feeding apparatus, herein-after described, is combined with
an ordinary screen in the manner herein-after described.
The feeding apparatus consists essentially of an adjustable vibrating slip
which is fixed underneath an aperture formed in a plate at the bottom of the
ordinary feeding hopper, and over a vibrating screen inclosed within the box

page_text: leading into the mill or machine, both the slip and the screen receiving their
respective vibrating motions from an excentric on the shaft of the mill or
machine. The upper surface of the vibrating slip is channelled or serrated,
and is inserted in grooves formed by pieces fixed to the under side of the plate
at the bottom of the hopper. The adjustment of the slip for the purpose of
regulating as required the size of the aperture for the passage of the materia!
to be operated upon is effected by means of a screw turned by a handle, or by
other convenient means. The vibrating motion is communicated to the
screen from the excentric on the shaft of the mill or machine by means of a
forked lever fixed to one end of a spindle or fulcrum mounted in suitable
bearings in the bottom part of the before-named box, another lever being
fixed to the said spindle or fulcrum, and being connected to the screen which
this lever also supports, and the vibrating motion is transmitted from the
screen to the slip by means of a piece of metal projecting from the screen and
passing into a groove on the under side of the slip. By means of this arrange-
ment a vibrating action is communicated to both the screen and the slip by
the revolution of the excentric. The screen is perforated and is supported at
any convenient angle of inclination; it is also formed with a trough or
channel at the lower end for the purpose of conveying away any stones or
other foreign substances intercepted by the screen, and prevented from falling
into the mill or machine. In case it should be required to use the feeding appa-
ratus without a screen, the requisite connection between the slip and the
aforesaid spindle or fulcrum may be readily formed by means of an arm or
lever.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention we will proceed to
describe more particularly in what manner the same is to be performed, by
reference to the accompanying Drawings, in which the said feeding apparatus
is shewn adapted and applied to a mill.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a transverse vertical section of a mill with the feeding apparatus
applied, and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same. In these two
Figures the same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
A is the ordinary hopper, which is usually fixed at the top of the mill or
machine in which the grain or other material is intended to be operated
upon: B is a metal plate fixed at the bottom of the hopper A. such plate

page_text: adjustable vibrating slip fixed underneath the aperture in the plate B; this
slip is capable of sliding in grooves formed by pieces fixed to the under side of
the plate B, as shewn in Fig. 1, and is adjusted therein as required to regulate
the size of the opening leading from the hopper A to the mill by means of a
screw D worked by a handle, or by other convenient means. The slip C has
its upper surface serrated or channelled, as shewn in Fig. i, and it has
motion imparted to it in the manner herein-after described. At a convenient
distance from and immediately under the plate B is a box E, in which is con-
tained a perforated screen of cast iron or other suitable material F, with a
slot formed in it at or near the centre thereof, through which slot is passed the
projecting end of an arm or lever G, on which the screen F is supported ;
this arm or lever G is fixed to a spindle or fulcrum H mounted in suitable
bearings at the bottom of the box E, and another lever I, (shewn in elevation
in Fig. 1) is fixed to one end of the spindle or fulcrum II, which lever I has
a forked end in which works an excentric K fixed to the shaft L of the mill.
or machine. By means of the foregoing arrangement the screen F is capable
of receiving motion from the revolution of the shaft L, and the screen is con-
nected with the adjustable slip C by the piece of metal M projecting from the
screen and passing into a groove on the under side of the slip, as shewn in
Fig. 1. The screen F may be supported at any convenient angle of incli-
nation, and it is formed with a trough or channel N for the purpose of
conveying away stones or other foreign substances, and preventing them from
falling into the mill. The action of the apparatus is as follows:-On motion
being given to the shaft L the revolution of the excentric K will impart a
vibrating motion to the forked end of the lever I, and through it to the
spindle or fulcrum H, and thence through the supporting arm or lever G to
the screen F, and thence through the projecting piece M to the slip C. By
the rapid vibration in this manner of the screen F and slip C the grain or
material passing from the hopper A will be greatly agitated, thereby effec-
tually separating the kernels from any straw or extraneous matter that would
have a tendency to clog the opening leading into the screen, and the material
under operation will be sifted as required in the screen on its passage to the
mill or machine, while stones, nails, or other foreign substances will be con-
veyed away by the trough or channel N, and thus be prevented from falling
into the mill or machine.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we hereby delare that we do not claim
as of our Invention any of the parts represented and described, except as

page_text: herein after stated; but what we do claim as of our Invention is the com-
bination of the vibrating slip or feeding apparatus with a screen in the
manner and for the purpose described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Richard Robert Riches and Charles
James Watts, have hereunto set our hands and seals, the Twenty-
seventh day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-six.
RICHARD ROBERT RICHES. (L.S.)
CHARLES JAMES WATTS.
(L.B.)
Witness,
MARTYN WILLEMENT,
21, Sussex St., Norwich,
Clerk.