IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING WHEAT AND OTHER GRAIN INTO FLOUR
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Gedge, of the Firm of John
Gedge and Son, of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING WHEAT AND OTHER GRAIN INTO FLOUR."
_A communication from abroad by Honoro Dumas, Junior, of Villeines,
in the Empire of France, Miller.
Sealed the 23rd August 1864, and dated the 29th February 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Gedge
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th February 1864.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son, of
No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING WHEAT AND OTHER GRAIN INTO
FLOUR," a communication to me from abroad by Honore Dumas, Junior, of
Villeines, in the Empire of France, Miller, to be as follows:-
This Invention consists, firstly, in the use of an upper millstone or runner
pierced with two rectangular openings, which correspond on the lower

page_text: stone or bed at that part where the grain is already ground, but not yet into
flour.
Secondly, of ventilators or fans placed on the said openings with the object
of forcing air between the two stones. The ventilators are composed of four
fans or wings of strong sheet iron fixed on the sides of an axle, the rounded
ends of which rest in two bearings placed on each side of the openings in the
stone. One end of the shaft of the ventilators is continued a little towards
the centre of the stone, and carries on this extension a pinion, which tooths
into a crown wheel fixed by bolts and nuts to the drum or casing of the mill-
stones. The crown wheel being fixed, the running stone in turning causes the
pinions to tooth, and thus gives motion to the fans fixed on the same shaft
as the pinions. The diameter of the pinions being the sixth of that of the
crown wheel the fans therefore make six revolutions to one of the wheel.
The result is that air is forced between the stones in sufficient quantity to
prevent heating while permitting the attainment of greater speed and con-
sequently the completion of more work. The ventilators are covered by
a sheet of iron, which forms a cap, the two lateral sides of which remain
open.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Gedge in the Great Seal Patent, Office on
the 27th August 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son, of No. 11, Wel-
lington Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Edward Gedge, Her 'special licence that I, the said William
Edward Gedge, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Edward Gedge, 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, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an

page_text: Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING WHEAT AND
OTHER GRAIN INTO FLOUR," (a communication to me from abroad by Honore
Dumas, Junior, of Villeines, in the Empire of France, Miller,) upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Edward Gedge, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 William Edward Gedge, 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 accompanying Sheet of
Drawing, forming part of this Specification, and to the figures and letters
of reference placed thereon:-
It is well known to every miller that the heating of ordinary millstones,
which is sometimes very considerable during the operation of grinding, greatly
deteriorates the flour. This Invention obviates this great inconvenience,
while permitting more rapid working and consequently an increased pro-
duction.
It consists, firstly, in the use of an upper millstone or runner pierced with
two rectangular openings.
Secondly, of ventilators or fans placed on the said openings and forcing air
between the said stones. The fans are composed of four blades or wings of
strong sheet iron fixed to the four sides of a shaft, the ends of which are
rounded, and rest on wooden bearings. One of these ends is continued in
the direction of the centre of the stone and carries a pinion d, which gears
into the crown wheel c, fixed to the drum or casing of the millstones. The
crown wheel being fixed, and the diameter of the pinions being one-sixth
that of the said crown wheel, each revolution of the stone will give six turns
to the fans, which will thus produce a considerable pressure of air. A cover
or lid m, the edges of which screw on to the casing of the millstones, and the
double bottom of which descends to the level of the said casing or even lower,
supports the cast-iron crown wheel c, furnished with wooden teeth, by means
of six large screws not screw threaded at their upper part, and which pass
freely through the lid as well as the pieces o, and enter the lugs of the crown
wheel; these latter form nuts. A washer held by a pin on these screws
immediately beneath the lid prevents their rising. Six cast-iron pieces o

page_text: screwed on the lid have each two branches, which descend on each side the
lugs of the crown and prevents its shaking.
The object of these arrangements is to permit the raising and lowering of
the crown at will by turning the screws projecting from the lid. Two cast-
iron fastenings u frame the holes made in the millstone and support the fans,
and their accessary parts. Each of them is provided with four lugs, which
pass on to bolts let into the stone, and are fixed by nuts. The bearings
are formed of two pieces of wood resting on the framings, and are traversed
by the uprights u. An iron ring covers them and enters the said uprights
where it is fixed at will by nuts. A small iron plater fixed at one of the
sides of each framing rises against the bearings and secures the axle of the
fans by means of a screw, which passes through this plate, and comes pressing
against the end of said axle. The other end of the axle of the ventilating fans
rests on the part u" of the framing, which thus forms a third bearing. A cap
or plate of sheet iron covering the fans is fixed on the framing, and another sheet
iron plate, also fixed to the framing, but beneath, lines the opening at mouth
of the hole in the stone. The object of this opening is to permit the rotation
of the fans.
The result of these arrangements is that by removing the framings the
fans and all accessaries are removed with them with the exception of the bolts
let into the stone.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawing, Figure 1 is a plan view shewing
one of the holes in the stone provided with a ventilating fan without the cap,
which is to cover it, and the other simply surrounded by its framing; and
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation.
a, runner or upper millstone; b, openings passing through the said stone ;
c, crown with wooden teeth; d, pinions fixed on the shaft of the ventilators
or fans; e, fans with four wings or blades; f, bearings; g, cap covering the
ventilators; h, drum or casing of the millstones; m, cover or lid of this casing ;
k, centre or eye of the millstone; o, cast-iron pieces guiding the lugs of the
crown; u, cast-iron framing with uprights u³, and extension ; r, butt end
piece.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the means by
which it is carried into practical effect, it scarcely need be observed that the
Invention consisting in the application of a pierced runner or upper millstone,
and fans placed on the openings to force in the air, all the other arrangements
are only secondary, and may vary without changing the principle of the Inven-
tion; the shape, the size, and the number of the openings, and the metals and
materials indicated may also vary, and I claim the exclusive application to

page_text: flour and other mills of pierced runners or upper millstones with fans placed
over the openings to force air between the two stones, and thereby prevent
their heating, the whole substantially as herein-before described and illustrated
on the annexed Sheet of Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Gedge, have hereunto
set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
W. E. GEDGE. (L.S.)