IMPROVE- MENTS IN MOUNTING MILLSTONES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joshua Ransom and Edwin Ransom, of Kempston,
in the County of Bedfordshire, Millers, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MOUNTING MILLSTONES."
Sealed the 4th November 1862, and dated the 31st July 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joshua Ransom- and
Edwin Ransom at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 31st July 1862.
We, JOSHUA RANSOM and EDWIN RANSOM, of Kempston, in the County
of Bedfordshire, Millers, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MOUNTING MILLSTONES," to be as follows:-
These improvements consist in a method of connecting millstones with the
impelling shaft or spindle, so as readily and conveniently to adjust and pre-
serve the parallelism of the stones. For this purpose the centre of the maco
which impels the runner is mortised to fit on the head of the spindle; from
this central mass proceed three or more equidistant arms extending to the
outside of the stone eye, or other sufficient length. A flange rises on each
side of these arms, forming a groove to receive the arms of the centre iron.
Screws pass through these flanges, their points pressing against the arms of
the centre iron, and propelling the stone. In the under side of the centre iron
which carries the runner a hollow is sunk to receive the top of the spindle,
on which it rests. The arms of the centre iron extend beyond the eye into

page_text: the body of the stone, in which they are firmly fixed. A screw passes per-
pendicularly through each arm, and its extremity rests on the corresponding
arm of the mace. By means of these screws (or by wedges) the parallelism
of the runner and bed stone can be adjusted and preserved.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
.
by the said Joshua Ransom and Edwin Ransom in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 29th January 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, WC, JOSHUA
RANSOM and EDWIN RANSOM, of Kempston, in the County of Bedfordshire,
Millers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said Joshua Ransom and Edwin Ransom, Her special license
that we, the said Joshua Ransom and Edwin Ransom, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Joshua Ransom
and Edwin Ransom, our executors, 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 MOUNTING MILLSTONES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Joshua Ransom and Edwin Ransom, our executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or, their hands and
seals, or under the hand and scal of one of us or them, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Juvention, 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 immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Joshua Ransom and Edwin
Ransom, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:―
These improvements consist in a method of connecting millstones with the

page_text: impelling shaft or spindle, so as readily and conveniently to adjust and pre-
serve the parallelism of the stones. For this purpose the centre of the maco
which impels the runner is mortised to fit on the head of the spindle; from
this central mass proceed three or more equidistant arms extending to the
outside of the stone eye, or other sufficient length. A flange rises on cach
side of these arms forming a groove to receive the arms of the centre iron.
Screws pass through these flanges, their points pressing against the arms of
the centre iron, and propelling the stone. In the under side of the contro
iron which carries the runner a hollow is sunk to receive the top of the
spindle, on which it rests. The arms of the centre iron extend beyond the eye
into the body of the stone, in which they are firmly fixed. A screw passes
perpendicularly through each arm, and its extremity rests on the corresponding
arm of the mace; by means of these screws (or by wedges) the parallelism of
the runner and bed stone can be adjusted and preserved.
And in order that the nature of our said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, may be more fully understood, reference is had to the
Drawings bereunto annexed, and to the following description thereof, in which
the form and arrangement of the several parts is clearly defined.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the mace; Figure 2, a plan view of the
same, with the centre iron in its place; Figure 3 shows the apparatus com-
plete in its connection with the millstones. The same letters refer to similar
parts in each of these Figures.
A is a mortice in the centre of the mace to receive the head of the spindle,
which may be either square or round, in the latter case being fixed by a key.
The three equidistant grooved arms of the mace have each of them impelling
screws B, B, passing horizontally through the flanged sides of the grooves.
Opposite to the former are tightening screws C, C, to keep the stone steady
and prevent back-lash; D, D, are recesses to receive the feet of the "damsel";
E, E, are vertical screws passing through the longitudinal arms of the centre
iron, and bearing upon the floor of the grooves in the mace for the purpose of
adjusting and maintaining the parallelism of the stones. This may be done
with wedges, but we prefer to use screws, as shown. The extremities of the
longitudinal arms f. f, of the centre iron are imbedded in the runner. G is
a bearing scrow passing perpendicularly down the centre iron, its lower end,
which is cup-shaped, resting upon the conical point of the stone spindle II,
upon which the stone is balanced.
And having now fully described the nature of our Invention, and the best
manner of performing the same, we desire it to be understood that what we

page_text: claim is the improvements in mounting millstones, substantially as herein-
before described and shown in the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Joshua Ransom and Edwin Ransom,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-fourth day of
January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-three.
Witness,
W. BADDELEY,
Patent Agent,
Islington.
JOSHUA RANSOM. (L.S.)
EDWIN RANSOM.
(L.B.)