AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR PREVENTING THE CLOGGING OR OBSTRUCTION OF WIRE OR OTHER COVERINGS OF MACHINES OR APPARATUS FOR DRESSING MEAL AND FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Walter Lane, of Ebley, in the County of Gloucester,
for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR PREVENTING
THE CLOGGING OR OBSTRUCTION OF WIRE OR OTHER COVERINGS OF
MACHINES OR APPARATUS FOR DRESSING MEAL AND FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Walter Lane at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th February 1880.
WALTER LANE, of Ebley, in the County of Gloucester. "AN IMPROVED METHOD
OF AND MEANS FOR PREVENTING THE ČLOGGING OR OBSTRUCTION OF WIRE OR
OTHER COVERINGS OF MACHINES OR APPARATUS FOR DRESSING MEAL AND
SIMILAR PURPOSES."
FOR
My Invention relates to an improved method of and means for removing from
the silk, wire, or other coverings of machines or apparatus employed in the sifting
or dressing of meal of various kinds, the particles of flour or other materials with
which the meshes of such coverings become clogged if means are not employed to
prevent it.
By means of my said Invention I ensure a more regular "dress" than is obtained
by ordinary dressing machines, and the effective power of the machine, is con-
siderably increased, these advantages being secured without injuring the silk or
other covering material, as is frequently done by the apparatus or devices employed
to obtain the results which this Invention is designed to accomplish.
In carrying my said Invention into practice I cause one or more thin lines or
currents of air to play or be directed upon the dressing machine or apparatus by
means of suitable devices or appliances, and with sufficient force to blow out of the
meshes or interstices of the covering material any particles of flour or other
substance which may have lodged therein.
I so arrange the apparatus for directing the current of air upon the said covering
that a line along the whole length of the latter may be acted upon by the current,
or only a portion of the length, as may be desired, and thus the entire circumference
of the covering within the same width as the current extends lengthwise comes
under tho action of the latter once during every revolution of the dressing machine,
the meshes being thus effectually cleared and opened.

page_text: For the purpose of directing the current of air upon the dressing machine I
provide an air chamber having a mouth piece or opening whose edges or lips
converge in such a manner that there is a thin long aperture between them
extending from end to end of the cylinder or reel of the dressing machine, or along
so much of the length thereof as may be desired. The said mouth piece is placed
at a short distance from the reel or cylinder, so that the line of air may act
effectively upon the covering. The said mouth-piece may be so arranged that the
current of air will be directed upon the covering material along a line in the sanie
horizontal plane as that in which the axis of the cylinder or reel is situated, or at
any desired angle, according to the particular form or class of machine to which
my Invention may bo applied; and in some cases it may be desirable to make the
said mouth-picco adjustable, so as to be able to vary the angle or direction of the
current according to varying circumstances. Moreover I may in some cases employ
two mouth-pieces, so that two lines or currents of air may be directed upon the
same covering at any required angles.
The aforesaid air chamber is supplied with a current of air either from some
source already existing in the mill, or from a fan or blower of any suitable
kind.
The apparatus for directing the current of air may be modified to adapt the same
to various kinds of dressing machines without departing from the principles of iny
Invention.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Walter Lane in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th
August 1880.
WALTER LANE, of Ebley, in the County of Gloucester.
"AN IMPROVED METHOD
OF AND MEANS FOR PREVENTING THE ČLOGGING OR OBSTRUCTION OF WIRE or
OTHER COVERINGS OF MACHINES OR APPARATUS FOR DRESSING MEAL AND FOR
SIMILAR PURPOSES."
My Invention relates to an improved method of and means for removing from
the silk, wire, or other coverings of the revolving reels or cylinders of machines or
apparatus employed in the sifting or dressing of meal of various kinds, the particles
of flour or other materials with which the meshes of such coverings become clogged
if means are not employed to prevent such clogging.
In carrying my said Invention into practice I cause one or more thin lines or
currents of air to play or be directed upon the reel or cylinder of the dressing
machine or apparatus by means of suitable devices or appliances, and with sufficient
force to blow out of the meshes or interstices of the covering material of the said
reel or cylinder any particles of flour or other substance which may have lodged
therein, and I so arrange the apparatus for directing the current of air upon the
said covering material that the line or current of air will act upon the latter
throughout the whole length of the reel or cylinder, or throughout only a portion
of the length of the same, as may be desired, and thus the entire circumference of
the covering of the said reel upon which the thin current of air acts comes under
the action of this current of air once during every revolution of the said reol or
cylinder, the meshes being thus effectually cleared and opened.
My Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in which―
Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of a centrifugal flour dressing machine,
provided with my improvements, a portion of the casing being removed to shew
more clearly the internal arrangement of the same, and
Figure 2 is a transverse section of the said machine.
Figure 3 is a transverse section of a flour dressing machine, provided with an
ordinary silk reel, and with my improvements applied to the same.
Like letters indicate the same parts in each of the Figures.
In the Drawing a represents the framing or casing of a flour or ineal dressing
machine; b is the revolving reel or cylinder covered with silk, wire, or other
suitable material through which the meal or flour to be treated is sifted or dressed;
and c is the conveyor for discharging the said material into any suitable receptacle;
is the air chamber from which air is supplied to the surface of the reel, as
hereinafter described.
с
In Figures 1 and 2 I have shown the application of my Invention to a centrifugal
flour dressing machine, that is to say, a machine in which a series of beaters care
arranged to revolve rapidly within the slowly revolving cylinder b. For the
purpose of directing thin currents of air upon tho said reel or cylinder I provide
the air chamber & with one or more mouth-pieces or openings. prefer to employ
two of these mouth-pieces or openings d', d, as shown in Figure 2, arranged with
their edges or lips converging in such a manner that there is a thin long aperture
between them extending from end to end of the said cylinder or reel b, or along
so much of the length thereof as may be desired. The said mouth pieces d', d², are
placed at a short distance from the reel or cylinder, so that the lines or currents of
air may act effectively upon the covering of the same, and the said mouth pieces
may be arranged at any desired angle, so that the currents of air will impinge upon
the said covering in the direction required. In Figure 2 the mouth piece d' is
arranged at such an angle as to direct a current of air upon the reel at or nearly at
a tangent to the same, and the mouth piece d to deliver a current of air radially
or nearly so. These mouth pieces, however, may be arranged at any suitable angle,
as above described.

page_text: In Figure 3 I have shewn the air chamber d provided with one mouth pieco d³
only, which is so arranged as to direct the air at an angle suitable to the particular
form or class of machine to which my Invention is to be applied.
In some cases I so arrange the mouth piece or pieces that they may be adjusted
to vary the angle or direction of the current of air according to the circumstances
under which they are employed.
The air chamber d is supplied with a current of air at d*, either from some
source already existing in the mill, or from a fan or blower of any suitable
construction, as shewn in dotted lines at d*, d*, and I construct the said air chamber
of sufficient sectional area to ensure the air issuing from the lips of the mouth piece
or pieces with as much force at one point as another. For this purpose the sectional
area of the said chamber is so proportioned as to excoed the whole area of the
aperture or apertures between the aforesaid lips.
By means of the said apparatus, as above described, I ensure a current of air
acting at the same time upon the whole length of the reel or cylinder, or that part
of it thought proper, and thus bring every part (or such part as intended) of the
cylinder under the operation of the thin line or current of air once in every
revolution of the said recl.
I thus effect a more regular "dress" than can be obtained by ordinary dressing
machines, and the effective power of the machino is considerably increased, these
advantages being secured without the injury to the silk or other covering material
frequently caused by the apparatus or devices heretofore employed to obtain the
results which this Invention is designed to accomplish.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and shown how the same may
be conveniently and advantageously carried into practice, I wish it understood that
I do not confine myself to the precise details of construction shewn in the accom-
panying Drawing, as the same inay be varied without departing from the spirit of
my Invention, neither do I confine myself to the employment of only one or two
longitudinal mouth pieces, as their number may bo increased as desired. I also
wish it understood that I am aware that a blast pipe provided with a series of
nozzles through which are forced jets of air which act upon that part only of the
reel immediately below them has been heretofore employed to effect the object of
my Invention, and also that an air pipe or nozzle connected with an air trunk, and
arranged to travel back and forth in the direction of the length of and above the
reel, has been likewise heretofore employed. I am also aware that an air tubo
provided with a longitudinal slit has been fixed or arranged to travel below the
ordinary reciprocating screens or sifters in machines for separating and purifying
middlings to blow air through the said screens, and I therefore make no claim to
devices so constructed or arranged; but 1 claim, preventing the clogging or
obstruction of the meshes of a flour or meal dressing machine or apparatus by
means of the air chamber provided with the mouth piece or pieces, so arranged as
to deliver upon the covering of the revolving reel or cylinder, in a thin current or
line, the air forced into the said chamber by a fan or otherwise, and in such a
manner that the entire circumference of the whole or any desired portion of the reel
will be acted upon in each revolution of the latter, substantially as above set forth
and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Walter Lane, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Thirteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand