CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MILLS AND MACHINERY APPLICABLE TO THE THRESHING AND GRINDING OF CORN, THE MANUFACTURE OF CIDER, AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1850

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, the said
JAMES PREECE, now of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, but late of
the City of Hereford, Shoemaker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twenty-sixth day of March, in the thirteenth year of Her
reign, did give and grant unto me, the said James Preece, my exors,.
admors, and assigns, Her special license, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said James Preece, my exors, admňors, and assigns;
and such others as I, the said James Preece, my exors, adññors, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times hereafter during the term of years therein mentioned, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales...
and the Town of Berwick-on-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN MILLS AND MACHINERY APPLICABLE TO THE THRESHING AND GRINDING OF
CORN, THE MANUFACTURE OF CIDER, AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES;" in which said
Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, that I, the said James Preece, 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 enrolled.in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery-

page_text: within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said in part recited Letters Patent, reference being had thereto, will more fully
and at large appear.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that in. compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Preece, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, the same letters denoting
the same part or parts when shown in more than one Figure (that is
to say)-
My improvements consist, firstly, in so arranging the machinery in the
description of mills known as water mills, that when there is a scarcity of
water (which is frequently the case in dry seasons), manual labour may be
easily applied, so that the mill may easily be worked jointly by water and
hand power, the latter according to the deficiency of the former, or to be
worked wholly by water, or wholly by men, as circumstances may require.
Secondly, in the application of two driving wheels to one pinion, so that
two or four handles may be applied to hand corn mills, threshing machines,
pulping or grating machines for grinding apples for making cider, which
machines may also be used for reducing any other kind of fruit required for
making wines, grinding turnips, potatoes, and other roots and vegetables as
food for cattle, and for making arrow-root, starch, and so forth. This addition
to hand mills is also applicable to malt mills, linseed mills, and mills for
crushing or bruising oats, beans, barley, Indian corn, linseed, &c., and also
applicable to the driving of machinery such as turning lathes, and other
operations worked by handles, and requiring more than two to perform the
work.
And, thirdly, in applying three driving wheels to the like machines, so
that six handles may be applied and used for the performance of any additional
labour that may be required.
But in order that I may be better understood, I will proceed to describe the
Drawings hereunto annexed.
Fig. 1 represents a section of a flour mill with my improvement applied. A
is a wheel fixed on the same shaft or axle that carries the water wheel, and
the wheel or the shaft must be so arranged, that when necessary, it may be
thrown in and out of gear, so that the mill may be worked with or independent
of the water wheel B, being set so as to work into the wheel A. Motion is
given to the main shaft C, which forms the axis for the wheel D, which works
into and gives motion to the wheels E, E, on the axes of which are also
fastened the wheels F, F, giving motion to the pinions G, G, G, G, the axles

page_text: of which pass up and give motion to the stones H, H, H, H, in the usual way.
I is an iron boss secured to the main shaft C, having a sufficient number of
holes in it for the application of levers such as J, J, so that the mill may be
worked by men according to the power. required. Fig. 2 is a top view,
shewing one half of the wheels D, E, E, F, F, and G, G, G, G, in their
relative positions. Fig. 3 represents a threshing machine with an extra
driving wheel applied, and Fig. 4 is a top view of the same, shewing the
four handles with which it may be worked; the speed may be regulated by
altering the size of the driving wheels or pinion; and Fig. 5 represents a
threshing machine with three driving wheels, so that handles may be
applied, as at K, L, and M, and three more on the other side placed on
the same axes; the speed may be regulated, as at Figure 3, by altering the
size of the pinion N, or the large wheel O, and when a vertical action is
required, the wheel O and pinion N may be bevelled.
I do not consider it necessary to shew all the different mills or machines to
which my extra wheel or wheels are applicable, as any man of ordinary ability
used to mill work will well understand its application.
Having thus described the nature of my improvements, and the manner in
which they are to be carried into effect, I wish it to be understood, that I do
not confine myself to the precise form and detail as here represented; but
what I claim is,-
Firstly, the application of manual labour to the working or partial working
of mills that have heretofore depended wholly on water power.
Secondly, in the application of an extra driving wheel and handles, as
shewn at Figures 3 and 4, to threshing machines, cider and other mills, and
machinery that have heretofore been worked by hand power.
Thirdly, for applying to the like purposes as above, two extra driving wheels,
and the corresponding handles, as shown at Figure 5.
And, lastly, I claim the use of bands for the driving the several machines
and mills described, instead of wheels with teeth or cogs, as shewn.
I witness whereof, I, the said James Preece, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of September.
JAMES PREECE.
(L.B.)

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-fifth day of September,
in the year of our Lord 1850, the aforesaid James Preece caine before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose."
Enrolled the Twenty-sixth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty.