IMPROVEMENTS IN GRINDING, DRESSING, AND CLEANING CORN AND SEED
Year: 1850

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EORGE
ROYCE, of Fletland, in the County of Lincoln, Miller, send greeting.
"
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Royal
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twelfth day of December,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty, in the fourteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
George Royce, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial license, fuli
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said George Royce, my exors,
adors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Royce, my exors,
adñiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the
Town of Berwick-upon Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GRINDING,
DRESSING, AND CLEANING CORN AND SEED;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso that I, the said George Royce, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to be
inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the, said in part recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear,
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
George Royce, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, are fully described and ascertained in and by

page_text: the following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say:-
My Invention relates, first, to improvements in grinding corn and seed.
Secondly, my Invention relates to improvements in dressing and cleaning
corn and seed.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me.
Figure 1 is a plan, and Figure 2 a section of a pair of stones having my
improvements applied thereto; a is the upper revolving stone; 6 is the lower
or bed stone. The corn or seed is to be fed into the eye in the usual manner.
c is an annular table around the bed stone. This table is mounted on several
wheels d, which move on a ring railway e. The table at its inner edge has a
projection or flanch f, and near its outer edge it has a groove, into which the
outer guard g enters; h is the inner guard to direct the products coming from
the stones on to the table. Motion is communicated to the table by means of
a pinion i, which takes into a circular toothed rack fixed under the table; j is
a fixed plate inclining across the table.
By this arrangement the ground products coming from between the stones
will be received on to the table, and the same will be progressively brought up
to the plate j, by which they will be scraped towards the opening k, and
descend through the pipe l.
I would remark in respect to this part of my Invention, that although
I believe the arrangement of details above described is the best for the
.purpose, but the same may be varied without departing from my Invention, so
long as an annular table is applied and works in the manner described.
The second part of my Invention consists of apparatus for feeding corn or
seed to suitable machinery for dressing and cleaning the same, and it also
consists of improvements in fans employed in dressing and cleaning corn and
seed.
Figure 3 shews a section of the lower part of a hopper for feeding corn or
seed to be dressed or cleansed; the front flap is moveable on axes or hinges
at m, and it has a constant tendency to be closed by weighted arms n at each
end, and a set screw to each arm to adjust and stop the moveable flap; o is a
roller, having pins at intervals around it (the rows of pins around such roller
being about two inches apart), and there are notches in the lower part of the
hopper at p to admit of the passage of the pins. By this arrangement the
bits of straw, &c. are made to pass with certainty, and the feed of corn or
seed will be kept certain, notwithstanding such pieces of straw or other matters
coming down with the corn or seed.

page_text: Figure 4 shows a plan, and Figure 5 an end view of a fan; q, q, are
segments of rings fixed near the outer ends of the fan. These rings or
segments have a beneficial effect of strengthening the fan, and at the same
time I find that it tends to equalize the blast produced.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is,
First, the application of a table to receive and convey away the products
when grinding corn or seed.
Secondly, I claim the apparatus for feeding corn or seed to be dressed or
cleansed; and I also claim the improvements herein described to fans used for
dressing and cleansing corn or seed.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Royce, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twelfth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.