IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING MEAL OR FLOUR
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING MEAL
OR FLOUR.—A communication from abroad by Richard Eaton and
-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 2nd January 1873.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MANU-
PACTURING MEAL OR FLOUR," a communication, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to novel apparatus or machinery for reducing
grain to flour, and also for reducing oats, peas, and the like to meal;
the advantages obtained by its use are great saving in first cost over the

page_text: <
usual burr stones, cheapness and increased efficiency in working, as it
does not require dressing, and capability of producing an article equally
as good as, or superior to that at present manufactured. It is also
easily adjustable to produce either fine or coarse flour as may be desired,
and the flour issuing from it is perfectly cool instead of, as at present,
leaving the mill in a highly heated state.
The framing which carries the apparatus must be strong and so braced
as to be able to resist the vibration; if found convenient it is sccured to
a suitable bed. To this framing is secured a plummer block which
receives one end of a shaft with a driving pulley placed thereon. To
this shaft, or preferably to a collar or hub fixed on the samo is secured a
disc.
This disc is enclosed between two other discs slightly concave on their
inner sides, and bored out at the centre to allow the collar or hub to
revolve freely through them, a short cylinder forming a periphery to the
discs may be either made separate and secured to the disc or in one with
it. In each of the concave discs is formed an aperture for the admission
of grain to the machine, cach of these apertures being enclosed by a
hopper, which directs the grain to the aperture. In the lower part of
the periphery are formed one or more apertures for the flour or meal to
escape from the machine. One of the said concave discs is fixed to
the main frame, and the other disc to another frame resting in grooves
cut in the main frame, and held by clamps.
The inner end of the shaft is carried in a bush or bearing formed in
the main frame, and has secured to it a collar with a ring projecting at
right angles to it. Into the end of this works a set screw passing
through a cross rail of the second frame, and by its action moving the
`shaft, and with it the first-mentioned disc in the direction of its axis.
The said frame and another of the discs are moved back and forth by
means of a set screw passing through the main frame, and working in a
cross rail of the other frame.
The first-mentioned disc is grooved as follows:-At about half the.
distance between the collar or hub and the periphery of the disc, is cut
a concentric groove, and radiating from the centre are cut any con-
venient number of grooves, one side square, and the other bevelled with
the face of the disc. From these grooves pass diagonally along the face
of the disc other grooves formed by two meeting bevels, or slightly

page_text: rounded and carried out from the radial grooves at an angle of about 45°.
These radial and diagonal grooves are not carried quite to the periphery
but leave a narrow ring of plain surface all round. In the concave discs
radial grooves as in the other discs are carried out from the centre to
within a short distance of the circumference, and diagonal grooves of the
same shape as those in the first disc are arranged in the reverse direction
to those in the said first disc. To the periphery of the latter are secured
projections, which assist in keeping the machine clear.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 18th June 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special licence
that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake, my
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, usc,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING MEAL OR FLOUR," a com-
munication to me from abroad by Richard Eaton and John H. Hall,
both of Montreal, Canada, Gentlemen, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors or ad-
ministrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and and scals, 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 Scal Patent

page_text: .
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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 accom-
panying Drawing forming a part of this Specification:-
This Invention relates to novel apparatus or machinery for reducing
grain to flour, and also for reducing oats, pease, and the like, to meal;
the advantages obtained by its use are great saving in first cost over the
usual burr stones, cheapness, and increased efficiency in working, as it
does not require dressing, and capability of producing an article equally
as good as, or superior to that at present manufactured. It is also easily
adjustable to produce either fine or coarse flour as may be desired, and
the flour issuing from it is perfectly cool instead of, as at present,
leaving the mill in a highly heated state.
Figure 1 is an end elevation of the said machine; Figure 2 is a
sectional elevation on the line A, A, Figure 3; Figure 3 is a plan of the
said machine.
Figures 4 and 5 shew discs herein-after described; Figure 6 is a
section on the line B, B, Figure 4; Figure 7 is a section on the line C, C,
Figure 4.
Similar letters indicate like parts throughout the Drawings.
a is the framing which carries the apparatus; it must be strong, and
so braced together as to resist the vibration; if found convenient, it is
secured to a suitable bed. To the framing a is secured a plumber
block b, which receives one end of a shaft c; d is a driving pulley
placed thereon. To this shaft c, and revolving with it (or preferably, as
shown, to a collar or hub e fixed on the said shaft) is secured the disc f,
shown in Figure 4, and herein-after more particularly described.
This disc fis enclosed between two discs 9 and h slightly concave on
their inner sides, and bored out at the centre to allow the collar or hub e
of the shaft c to revolve freely through them; i is a short cylinder
forming a periphery to the discs 9 and h. It may be either separate

page_text: and secured to the disc h, or made in one with the same; in either case
it forms a rubbing joint with the disc g. In each of the discs g and hat
a slight distance above the centre is formed an aperture k for the
admission of grain to the machine; each of these apertures is enclosed
by a hopper, preferably of the configuration shown in Figures 1, 2,
and 3, and which directs the grain to the aperture k. In the lower part
of the periphery i are formed one or more apertures for the escape of the'
flour or meal from the machine. The disc h is firmly fixed to the
frame a by means of angle or L irons m, and the disc g is secured in the
same manner to a frame n resting in grooves cut in the frame a, and.
held firmly in position by clamps o, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.
The inner end of the shaft c is carried in a bush or bearing formed in.
the frame a, and has secured to it a collar p, with a strap q projecting at
right angles to it. In the end of this strap works a set screw r passing,.
as shown in Figures 2 and 3, through a cross rail of the frame n, and by
its action moving the shaft c, and with it the disc f in the direction of
its axis, and therefore bringing it closer to or moving it farther from
the disc h. The frame n and the disc g are moved back and forth by
means of a set screw 8, passing through the frame a, working in a cross
rail of the frame n, and by its action increasing or diminishing the
distance between the discs 7 and f. The disc fis grooved as follows:-
At about half the distance between the collar or hub e, and the
periphery of the disc is cut a concentric groove f¹, and radiating from
the centre are cut any convenient number (12 being shown in the
Drawing) of grooves f³, f³, one side square and the other bevel with
the face of the disc; the square side of the grooves f' is opposite to the
direction of rotation, as shown in Figure 6, and vice versa in the.
grooves f³, as shown in Figure 7. From these grooves f³, f³, pass
diagonally along the face of the disc grooves f", formed by two meeting
bevels or slightly rounded, as may be found most convenient, carried
out from the square side of the radial grooves f³, f³, at an angle of
about 45°. These radial and diagonal grooves f³, f', are not carried
quite to the periphery, but leave a narrow ring of plain surface all
round. In the concave discs g and a groove corresponding to the.
groove f¹ is omitted; radial grooves g¹ as in the disc f are carried out
from the centre to within a short distance of the circumference, the
square side of these grooves being placed as in the grooves f², and
diagonal grooves g² of the same shape as the grooves f* are arranged in

page_text: the reverse direction to those in the disc f. In the periphery of the
disc fare secured or made in one with it any convenient number of
projections of the shape shown in Figure 4.
The discs f, g, and h might be made of cast or wrought iron, but it
must be clearly understood that I do not confine myself to any special
material, as any substance found most convenient may be used in the
construction of the machine.
The operation of this Invention is as follows:-The pulley 6 being
rotated by any suitable power, causes the shaft c and the disc ƒ on the
collar or hub e to revolve at any desired rate, 700 to 800 revolutions per
minute being found very effective%; the exact position of the disc f with
reference to the discs 9 and his arranged as above explained by the set
screws 7 and 8, the former moving the shaft c, collar e, and disc f, and
the latter the frame n and disc g; spouts of any kind communicating
with the hoppers lead the grain through the openings k into the
interior of the machine, the collar or hub e preventing its entering so
close to the centre as to nullify the centrifugal force. The grain then
being struck by the grooves f,f, on the revolving disc f against the
grooves g¹, g², on the outside fixed discs it is rapidly reduced to powder.
The formation of the grooves f³ tends to throw the grain being
operated upon out from the centre, and that of the grooves ƒ³ to keep it
within the influence of the machine until it is reduced to the flour or
meal required, when by the centrifugal action of the machine and the
strong current of air produced by the motion of the disc f, the flour or
meal so manufactured is driven out through the opening or openings for
that purpose formed in the lower portion of the periphery i, the projec-
tions & assisting in keeping the machine clear.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim,― .
First. The disc f, grooved as herein set forth, and for the purposes
specified.
"
Second. The combination of the discf with or without projections t, and
with grooves f, f³, ƒ³, f', discs g, h, with grooves g', g³, and periphery i,
in combination with shaft c, and collar or hub e, as herein set forth and a
for the purposes specified.

page_text: Third. The combination of the shaft c, collar p, strap q, set screw r,
and frame n, as herein set forth, and for the purposes specified.
Fourth. The combination of the disc g, frame n, set screw 8, and
frame a, as herein set forth, and for the purposes specified.
Fifth. The combination of the discs 9 and h, with apertures & and
hoppers 7, as herein set forth, and for the purposes specified.
Sixth. The combination of the shaft c, collar e, and disc f, as herein
set forth, and for the purposes specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
Witness,
JAS. EDWARDS,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
W. ROB. LAKE. (L.S.)