IИ- PROVEMENTS IN SPLITTING, CRUSHING, AND GRINDING CORN, SEEDS. GRAIN. MINERALS. OR OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Horsfield, of Swillington Mills, near
Leeds, in the County of York, Miller, for the Invention of "IИ-
PROVEMENTS IN SPLITTING, CRUSHING, AND GRINDING CORN, SEEDS.
GRAIN. MINERALS. OR OTHER SUBSTANCES
"
Sealed the 11th December 1852, and dated the 7th October 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Horsfield
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 7th October 1852.
1, WILLIAM HORSFIELD, lo hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPLITTING, CRUSHING, AND GRINDING
CORN, SEEDS. GRAIN, MINERALS, OR OTHER SUBSTANCES," to be as follows —
In my improved machine or mill the grinding surfaces are mounted
vertically, one being stationary and affixed to a frame, which is capable
of adjustment for the purpose of regulating the distance apart of the
grinding surfaces; the other stone is the runner, and is mounted on one
end of a horizontal shaft, which turns in suitable bearings, and carries
a drum furnished with a band whereby motion is communicated from

page_text: any prime mover to the running stone or grinding surface, which is
surrounded or enclosed in a wood, metal, or other case, for the purpose
of conveying the crushed or ground material to an exit aperture below.
This case is furnished with a tube or chimney for conveying away the hot
air that is generated in the case by the friction of the grinding surfaces.
The seed, corn. grain, or other substances to be ground, is conveyed by
a pipe to a hopper which is connected to the upper side of an adjustable
box in which a horizontal feed plate is mounted at the upper end of a
vertical shaft, which turns in bearings and is actuated by means of a
band or other gearing in connection with the main driving shaft. The
bearings of this shaft are adjusted so that the feed plate may be moved
up or down, in order to regulate the quantity to be fed in from the
hopper. The seed or other substance falls from the hopper on to this
adjustable feed plate, which being connected to the main shaft is made
to rotate at a proportionate speed, and thereby throw the corn, grain,
seed, or other substance to the lower end of the box, from which it
passes down a pipe to a pair of metal plates fixed at the centre of the
vertical stones or grinding surfaces, where it is crushed or broken, and
on passing from thence between the grinding surfaces, it becomes
ground fine and is delivered out at the bottom of the case which en-
closes the rummer stone down a spout to any suitable receptacle. As
the driving shaft is mounted horizontally, and has been described as
carrying only one stone at one end, it will be evident that another
similar griling stone or surface may be placed at the opposite end;
and other corresponding parts, such as those already described, being
adapted thereto, the same shaft may be made to dive two stones.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the sixteenth
year of Her reign, did. for Herself. Ifer heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said William Horsfield, Ier special licence that I,
the said William Torsfield, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said William Horsfield, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 Chan-
nel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SPLITTING, CRUSHING, AND GRINDING CORN, SEEDS, GRAIN, MINERALS, OR
OTHER SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Horsfield, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, aud
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 Horsfield, do hereby de-
clare the nature of my 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):
The grinding surfaces of mills for grinding corn, seeds, grain,
minerals, and other substances are usually mounted horizontally, the
lower grinding surface being stationary, and the other made to rotate
thereon; but in the improved machine or mill which forms the subject
of the Letters Patent which I have obtained as aforesaid, the grinding
surfaces are mounted vertically, one of them being stationary and
affixed to a frame, which is capable of adjustment for the purpose of
regulating the distance apart of the grinding surfaces; the other stone is
the "rummer," and, being intended to rotate, is mounted on one end of
a horizontal shaft, which turns in suitable bearings, and carries a drum

page_text: furnished with a band whereby motion is communicated from any prime
mover to the running stone or grinding surface, which is surrounded or
enclosed in a wood, metal, or other case, for the purpose of conveying the
crushed or ground material to an exit aperture below.
In order, however, that my Invention may be clearly understood, I
have shown in the accompanying Drawing two views of a mill constructed
according to my improvements. Fig. 1, is a longitudinal vertical section
thereof, and Fig 2, is an end elevation. a, a, is the foundation to which
the upright standards b. b, are firmly bolted. The driving drumu or band
wheel c, is mounted on the main shaft d, with conical necks or other-
wise, and which turns in bearings at the top of these standards b, b.
The running stone e, is attached to one end of the main shaft d, by the
arms ff. The fixed stone g, is similarly mounted on the moveable
frame,. The case h, which encloses the running stone is furnished
with a tube or chimney i, for conveying away the hot air that is gene-
rated in the case by the friction of the grinding surfaces, which by these
means are kept comparatively cool. The sced, corn, grain, or other sub-
stances to be ground are conveyed fiom any receptacle above by a pipe
j, to a hopper, which is supported by the vertical screw rods a, a, and
may therefore be adjusted thereby according to the kind of grain or
material that is to be operated on. Immediately below the hopper k
is an adjustable box l, in which a horizontal feed plate m, is mounted at
the upper end of a vertical shaft n, which turns in bearings, and is
actuated by means of a band o, or other gearing in connection with the
main driving shaft, as shown in Fig. 1. The lower hearing or step
picce p. of this shaft is adjustable by means of the screw shaft t, so
that the feed-plate m. may be raised or lowered in order to regulate
the quantity to be fed into the mill from the hopper. The seed or
other substance falls from the hopper on to this adjustable feed plate m,
which being given by gearing in connection with the main shaft is
made to rotate at a proportionate speed, and thereby throw the corn,
grain, seed, or other substance to the lower end of the box 7, from
which it passes down a pipe q. to a pair of metal plates r,, which are
provided with teeth on their surfaces, and are fixed with adjustable
screws and nuts passed through a boss fixed on the back of the stone

page_text: near to the centre of the vertical stones or grinding surfaces. The
corn, grain, or other material passes through a hole or eye in the centre
of the adjustable plate, and 15 crushed or broken between the two
plates, and on passing from thence between the grinding surfaces of
the stones e, and g, it becomes ground fine, and falls down to the
bottom of the case h, which encloses the runner stone, and is deli-
vered down a spout s, (Fig. 2,) to any suitable receptacle. The dis-
tance of the grinding surfaces e, and g, from each other is regulated
by means of the shaft v, on the upper end of which is a bevil wheel
that gears into a similar wheel on the horizontal screwed shaft w,
shewn by dots in Fig. 1. The screwed part of the shaft w, passes
through a screw cross bar and box z, fixed on the inside of the standard
6, which is made moveable in guides affixed to the foundation plate X,
upon the timber a.
It will therefore be seen that as the stone or
other grinding surface g, is fixed to the frame 6, the approximation of
the grinding surfaces g, and e, to each other may be regulated with the
greatest nicety by turning the shaft, and the gearing in connection
therewith. The adjustable screw bolts and nuts u, u, pass through a
plate fixed to the back of each stone e, and g, whereby the distance of
the plates from cach other may be regulated and set as may be
required, according to the description of grain, seod, or other material
intended to be operated upon. As the driving shaft is mounted hori-
zontally with cone necks or otherwise, and has been described as
carrying only one stone at one end, it will be evident that another
similar grinding stone or surface may be placed at the opposite end;
and other corresponding parts. such as those already described, being
adapted thereto, the same shaft may be made to drive two stones; and
by this means a considerable economy in the construction and working
of mills will be effected.
Having now described my Invention, and shewn the best means with
which I am at present acquainted for carrying the same into effect, I
wish it to be understood that I claim, first, the general arrangement of
the parts herein shown and described, or any mere modification thereof.
I also claim the use of the rotating plate m, and the other parts shewn
and described, whereby the feed from the hopper is regulated. I

page_text: further claim the adaptation of the metal plates 7, and, to the centre
of the grinding surfaces for the purpose of crushing or breaking the
grain or other substance before allowing it to pass between the grinding
surfaces.
In witness whereof, T, the said William Horsfield, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of April, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-three.
WILLIAM HORSFIELD. (L.S.)
Witness,
JAMES WILSON FINCH.