IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR GRINDING GRAIN OR OTHER GRANULAR MATTERS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Norman, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR GRINDING GRAIN OR OTHER GRANULAR MATTERS."
Scaled the 8th June 1869, and dated the 10th December 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Norman at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th December 1868.
I, JOHN NORMAN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR GRINDING GRAIN OR OTHER GRANULAR
MATTERS," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object the grinding or reducing of grain or
other granular matters by means of improved apparatus of a simple and
inexpensive character, and which may be made of a comparatively small
size to be worked by hand, or of different larger sizes adapted to any
convenient amount of power. The improved apparatus comprises two

page_text: serrated plates between which the grain passes, whilst one plate has
imparted to it by means of a revolving crank or its equivalent a short
rapid reciprocating stroke, or both plates may be made to reciprocate in
different directions. The minor details are susceptible of considerable
variation, but in one simple modification the plates are arranged in a
vertical or more or less inclined position for the grain to pass downwards.
They are made sufficiently wide apart at the upper end for the grain to
enter casily, and the space between them becomes gradually narrower.
The serrations are in lines inclined across the plates, and are by preference
made with a downward set on both plates, that is to say, with the lines
that bisect the projecting angles inclined downwards. One plate is fixed
to the framing of the machine, and guides are fixed in connection with it
for the edges of the other plate to work in. The guides are adjustable so
that the plates may be set to work at different distances apart to suit the
kind of grain used, or to obtain a finer or coarser meal. The guides are
also by preference set so that the movable plate moves slightly away
from the other one when rising. The plates or their serrated surfaces
may be made of steel, glass, burr stone, or other sufficiently hard
material. A pair of smooth rollers may be arranged below the grinding
plates to receive the reduced grain or meal and to crush and equalise
it, and this addition will be more particularly advantageous in the
case of small machines to be worked by hand and designed for domestic
use.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Norman in the Great Seal Patent Office on 2
the 9th June 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
NORMAN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John Norman, Her special
licence that I, the said John Norman, my executors, administrators,

page_text: and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Norman, my exccutors,
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.
APPARATUS FOR GRINDING OR REDUCING GRAIN OR OTHER GRANULAR. MATTERS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Norman,.
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands 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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and. imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Norman, do hereby declaro.
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 in writing, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, that is to say :-
.
My said Invention has for its object tlie grinding or reducing of grain-
or other granular matters by means of improved apparatus of a simple
and inexpensive character, and which may be made of a comparatively
small size to be worked by hand, or of different larger sizes adapted to
any convenient amount of power. My improved apparatus comprises.
two serrated plates between which the grain passes, whilst one plate
has imparted to it by means of a revolving crank or its equivalent a
short rapid reciprocating stroke, or both plates may be made to recipro.
cate in different directions.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the
same may be properly understood I have hereunto appended a Sheet of
explanatory Drawings to be herein-after referred to and representing ono
modification of my improved apparatus.
Figure 1 is a front elevation, and Figure 2 is a vertical section as at
right angles to Figure 1, whilst Figure 3 is a face view of one of the
serrated plates.
The minor details are susceptible of considerable variation, but in:
this modification the serrated plates 1, 2, are placed in an inclined
position, one of them being fixed (by countersunk screws or otherwise)

page_text: to a cast-iron bed plate 3, which is bolted to two side standards 4,
and combines with these standards to form the framing of the machine.
The bed plate 3 is formed with cheeks 5 at the sides which serve as
guides to an upper moving frame plate 6, to the under side of which is
fixed the upper moving serrated plate 2. The plate 6 is kept down by a
cover plate 7, which is fixed to the bed plate 3 by screw bolts, by which
its distance from the bed plate can be nicely and easily adjusted, and I
prefer to adjust it so that the upper serrated plate 2 can move slightly
away from the fixed one 1 when rising. The cover plate 7 is in the form
of an open framc, and through the opening in it snugs 8 formed on the
moving plate 6, project to have fixed to them a cross bar 9, by means of
which the plate 6 is actuated. The ends of the cross bar 9 have jointed
upon them the ends of connecting rods 10 from eccentrics 11 on a shaft 12,
carried in bearings in the lower part of the standards 4, and fitted with
a pulley 13 to receive a driving belt. By these means the upper serrated
plate 2 is made to reciprocate rapidly over the fixed plate 1, and this
action grinds or reduces the grain as it gradually passes down between
them. The serrated plates 1, 2, arc tapered at their upper parts so as to
be sufficiently wide apart for the grain to enter casily, and the space
between them becomes gradually narrower from their upper ends down-
wards. The upper parts of the bed plate 3 and upper plate 6 are shaped
so as together to form a kind of hopper mouth to receive the grain from
a duct or funnel and lead it in between the serrated plates 1, 2. The
serrations are in lines inclined across the plates, as shown in Figure 3,
and when the plates are in position the upper ends of the serration lines
of one are at the right-hand side and those of the other at the left-hand
side so that the lines cross. I prefer to make the serrations with a
downward set on both plates, that is to say, with the lines that bissect
the projecting angles inclined towards the lower end of the plates. The
serrated plates 1, 2, may be made of steel, glass, burr stone, or other
sufficiently hard material, and each plate may be composed of one or
more picces as may be most convenient in manufacture; thus the plate
is represented in Figure 3 as composed of two pieces. Two smooth
rollers 144, 15, are arranged below the grinding plates (one being on the
shaft 13) to receive the reduced grain or meal as it falls from them, and
to crush and equalise it, and this addition will be more particularly
advantageous in the case of small machines to be worked by hand, and
designed for domestic use. If preferred the serrated plates 1, 2, may be
arranged to work vertically or at an inclination different from that

page_text: shown; and for large machines the width of the apparatus horizontally
may be increased to any extent that may be found desirable.
The modification shown in the Drawing is designed for being driven
by power, but if winch handles are fixed on the ends of the shaft 13 it
can be easily worked by two men.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I have to state that I
do not restrict myself to the precise details herein described or deli-
ncated; but that what I believe to be novel and original, and claim as
the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is, the grinding or reducing of grain or other granular matters
by means of apparatus comprising two serrated plates, to one or both
of which a rapid reciprocating movement is imparted, and which
plates operate and are constructed and arranged substantially as herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Norman, have hereunto sct
my hand and seal, this Eighth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
JOHN NORMAN. (L.s.)