IMPROVEMENTS IN PULVERIZING OR REDUCING CEREALS MINERALS OR OTHER LIKE SUBSTANCES AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR"
Year: 1884

page_text: I EDWARD GARDNER COLTON of the firm of Popplewell Colton & Co. of
Victoria Chambers Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of
the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN PULVERIZING OR REDUCING CEREALS MINERALS OR OTHER
LIKE SUBSTANCES AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR" to be as follows:-
This Invention has reference to an improved method of and machine for
pulverizing or reducing hard substances such as cereals minerals fertilizers and
other substances, to any desired degree of fineness by the joint action of centrifugal
force and of air compressed to a greater or less degree by the action of the machine
and by an air compressor independent of the machine.
When hard substances are ground between moving surfaces which are arranged
close to each other, such surfaces are exposed to wear while the space required
between the surfaces prevents extreme fineness of the product.
When revolving beaters are used as in attrition and other mills, the small
surfaces upon which the wear is exerted are soon destroyed, while also the fineness
of the product varies owing to the variations in intensity of the blows or as they
occur further from or nearer to the centre of motion.
In this Invention centrifugal power is used as the primary agent for moving the
substances to be pulverized which is aided by the air which is more or less
compressed by the action of the machine and also by currents of air from an
air-compressor, whereby a powder of superior fineness is obtained. For this
purpose the Invention consists of a revolving disc secured to a horizontal shaft,
the said disc being provided at its periphery with funnel shaped ejectors, through
which the material to be pulverized is made to pass with great velocity and then
impacted against the inner circumference of a fixed enclosing case which inner
circumference is provided with projections. The material is fed to the interior of
the machine by a suitable hopper and discharged from the same by means of graded
screens and adjustable valves.
The compressed air is conducted through a channel in the hollow driving shaft
and radial conducting tubes to an intermediate space between the ejectors and

page_text: smaller interior funnels so as to assist in the ejection of the substances and reduce
them thereby to a higher degree of fineness than it is possible without the aid of
compressed air.
The thickness of the disc decreases slightly from the centre towards the
circumference and it is secured by a strong centre hub to a horizontal revolving
shaft supported in bearings in an upright standard or standards. The disc is
provided at its circumference with a number of tooth-shaped projections which are
concave at one side and convex at the other side and provided with holes for the
passage of the rivets or clamping screw bolts by which the funnel shaped ejectors
. are secured to the projections. The ejectors are so attached to the said projections
that the edges of their widest portions or mouths are located in radial lines drawn
from the centre to the inner ends of the concave edges of the said projections of
the disc.
→
The funnel-shaped ejectors are. then curved from the radial mouths in an outward
direction and are provided at the outer ends of their shorter side-walls with
discharge-openings so that the substances which are taken up by the ejectors
during the revolution of the disc are thrown with great velocity through the small
openings of the ejectors and impelled against the corrugated inner circumference of
the enclosing casing. These ejectors have an exterior and an interior shell forming
a space between them for free passage of compressed air and are secured to the disc
by means of flanges having slots and bolts passing through holes in the beforenamed
projections.
The casing is provided with an annular bulge that corresponds with the shape of
the funnel shaped ejectors.
The projections of the casing are made with inclined sides and preferably of
hardened steel, they being so arranged that when one side which has been exposed
to wear by impact with the materials to be pulverized, is worn out, the sections
can be reversed and thereby the other side exposed to the impact of the material
whereby both sides may be fully utilized.
The materials to be pulverized are fed through a hopper at one or both sides of
the enclosing casing directly to the funnel shaped ejectors and are thrown by the
same as they are rotated with the disc at a high degree of speed by centrifugal
action through the end openings against the reducing projections. The gradually
diminishing width of the funnel-shaped ejectors and the high speed at which they
are rotated causes the air to be forced through with considerable pressure which
assists the action of the centrifugal force and hurls the materials with considerable
force against the projections so that they are reduced to a high degree of fineness
by impact therewith.
As each particle of the material is rapidly taken up and passed again and
again through the ejectors, it is impacted a great number of times until the
required degree of fineness is imparted when it is drawn off through suitable
discharge openings provided with graded screens and adjustable valves at the lower
part of the casing and through suitable conductors to settling drums or chambers
as customary in pulverizing machines.
When the machine is intended to be used for pulverizing ores and other
substances of a mineral nature, the force of impact that is imparted to the materials
by the joint action of the centrifugal force and the velocity of the air passing
through the funnel shaped ejectors, is in most cases sufficient to reduce them to the
required degree of fineness. Whenever a greater degree of fineness is desired as
for instance in pulverizing cereals or similar substances, the joint action of the two
forces described is not sufficient and it is necessary to introduce to the interior of
the machine, compressed air of a suitable degree of pressure from an air compressor
of any approved construction, or from any other exterior source of supply. For this
purpose the compressed air is conducted from the compressing machine to a
receiver at one end of the driving shaft, then through a central channel of the
same and through radial perforations of the shaft into an annular space in the hub
of the disc and from said annular space by radial conducting tubes at both sides of

page_text: the disc to the base of the ejector where the air is delivered into a narrow space
formed between the outer shell of the ejector and an inner shell of corresponding
shape, the terminal opening of which latter is at a short distance from the
discharge opening of the outer shell while the mouth of the same is secured by an
exterior overlapping flange to the mouth of the outer shell. In this case the
compressed air supplied from the air compressor to the space between the inner
and outer shells of the ejector throws. the material which is conducted along the
interior shell into the path of the compressed air, with highly increased. force
against the small projections at the inner circumference of the casing.
The force of the compressed air is thus employed jointly with the action of
centrifugal power for the reduction of the material which can thereby be pulverized
to any desired degree of fineness in an effective and economical manner.
Dated this 24 day of January 1884.

page_text: I EDWARD GARDNER COLTON, of the firm of Popplewell Colton & Co. of Victoria
Chambers Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex Fellow of the
Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PULVERIZING OR REDUCING CEREALS MINERALS OR OTHER
LIKE SUBSTANCES AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR" and in what manner the same
is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :—
This Invention has reference to an improved method of and machine for
pulverizing or reducing hard substances such as fertilizers, minerals, cereals, and
other substances to any desired degree of fineness by the joint action of centrifugal
force and of air compressed to a greater or less degree by the action of the machine
and by an air compressor independent of the machine. When hard substances are
ground between moving surfaces which are arranged close to each other such
surfaces are exposed to wear while the space required between the surfaces prevents
extremo fineness of the product. When revolving beaters are used, as in attrition
and other mills the small surfaces upon which the wear is exerted are soon destroyed
while also the fineness of the product varies owing to the variations in intensity of
the blows or as they occur further from or nearer to the centre of motion.
In this Invention centrifugal power is used as the primary agent for moving
the substances to be pulverized which is aided by the air which is more or less
compressed by the action of the machine and also by currents of air from an air
compressor whereby a powder of superior fineness is obtained.
For this purpose
the Invention consists of a revolving disc secured to a horizontal shaft. the said
disc being provided at its periphery with funnel shaped ejectors through which
the material to be pulverized is made to pass with great velocity and then impacted
against the inner circumference of a fixed enclosing case which inner circumference
is provided with projections. The material is fed to the interior of the machine by
a suitable hopper and discharged from the same by means of graded screens and
adjustable valves. The compressed air is conducted through a channel in the
hollow driving shaft and radial conducting tubes to an intermediate space between
the ejectors and smaller interior funnels so as to assist in the ejection of the
substances and reduce them thereby to a higher degree of fineness than it is
possible without the aid of compressed air.
In the accompanying Drawings which fully illustrate this Invention.
Fig. 1 is a vertical transverse section of the improved pulverizing machine worked
with compressed air, supplied from an exterior source.
Figs. 2 and 3 are side and end elevations of the machine shewn in Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section of the apparatus shewn in Fig. 1 and
Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of detachable ejectors bolted to the peripheral flanges
of the casing.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
Referring to the Drawings A represents a vertical disc the thickness of which
decreases slightly from the centre towards the circumference and which is secured
by a strong centre-hub A¹ to a horizontal revolving shaft B supported in bearings
in an upright standard or standards C. The disc A is provided at its circumference
with a number of toothed shaped projections a which are concave at one side and
convex at the other and provided with holes for the passage of the rivits or clamping
screw-bolts a¹ by which the funnel shaped ejectors E are secured to the projections a.
The ejectors E are so attached to the projections a a that the edges of their widest

page_text: portions or mouths are located in radial lines drawn from the centre to the inner
ends of the concave edges of the projections a of the disc A.
The funnel shaped ejectors E are then curved from the radial mouths in an
outward direction and are provided at the outer ends of their shorter side walls
with discharge openings e e so that the substances which are taken up by the
ejectors during the revolution of the disc are thrown with great velocity through
the small openings e of the ejectors and 'impelled against the corrugated inner
circumference of the enclosing casing F. These ejectors have an exterior and an
interior shell forming a space between them for free passage of compressed air and
are secured to the disc by means of flanges b having slots b¹ and bolts passing
through the holes of the before named projections a a. The casing F is provided
with an annular bulge that corresponds to the shape of the funnel shaped ejectors E
as shewn in Fig. 1. The projections f of the casing F are made with inclined sides
and preferably of hardened steel they being so arranged that when one side which
has been exposed to wear by impact with the materials to be pulverized, is worn
out, the sections can be reversed and thereby the other side exposed to the impact'
of the material whereby both sides may be fully utilized. The materials to be
pulverized are fed through a hopper F1 at one or both sides of the enclosing
casing F directly to the funnel shaped ejectors E and are thrown by the same as.
they are rotated with the disc A at a high degree of speed by centrifugal action
through the end openings e e against the reducing projections f.
The gradually diminishing width of the funnel shaped ejectors E and the
high speed at which they are rotated causes the air to be forced through with
considerable pressure which assists the action of the centrifugal force and hurls.
the materials with considerable force against the projections, so that they are
reduced to a high degree of fineness by impact therewith. As each particle
of the material is rapidly taken up and passed again and again through the
ejectors it is impacted a great number of times until the required degree of
fineness is imparted, when it is drawn off through suitable discharge openings
provided with graded screens F and adjustable valves (not shewn in the
Drawings) at. the lower part of the casing F and through suitable conductors
to settling drums or chambers as customary in pulverizing machines. When the
machine is intended to be used for pulverizing ores and other substances of a
mineral nature the force of impact that is imparted to the materials by the
joint action of the centrifugal force and the velocity of the air passing through the
funnel shaped ejectors is in most cases sufficient to reduce them to the required
degree of fineness.
"
Whenever a greater degree of fineness is desired as for instance in pulverizing
cereals or similar substances the joint action of the two, forces described is not
sufficient and it is necessary to introduce to the interior of the machine compressed
air of & suitable degree of pressure from an air compressor of any approved con-
struction or from any other exterior source of supply. For this purpose the
compressed air is conducted from the compressing machine to a receiver G at one
end of the driving shaft. B then through a central channel g of the same and
through radial perforations of the shaft B into an annular space g' in the hub A' of
the disc A and from said annular space g¹ by radial conducting tubes g² g² at both
sides of the disc A to the base of the ejector E where the air is delivered into a
narrow space formed between the outer shell of the ejector E and an inner.shell of
corresponding shape, the terminal opening of which latter is at a short distance
from the discharge opening of the outer shell E while the mouth of the same is
secured by. an exterior overlapping flange to the mouth of the outer shell as shewn
clearly in detail in Fig. 5.
In this case the compressed air supplied from the air compressor to the space
between the inner and outer shells of the ejectors throws the material which is
conducted along the interior shell E¹ into the path of the compressed air with
highly increased force against the small projections at the inner circumference of

page_text: the casing F. The force of the compressed air is thus employed jointly with the
action of centrifugal power for the reductions of the materials which can thereby be
pulverized to any desired degree of fineness in an efficient and economical manner.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention as communicated to me from abroad by the said Lewis Scudder
Chichester and Claus Martin Edward Schroeder I claim on their behalf as new and
desire to secure by Letters Patent :-
Firstly. The method substantially as herein described of pulverizing or reducing
cereals minerals or other similar substances by subjecting them to the joint action
of centrifugal force, successive impact against a hard surface, air currents produced
by the centrifugal action of the machine and air currents supplied from an
independent and exterior source.
Secondly. The use of the curved funnel shaped ejectors applied to the revolving
disc and composed of inner and outer shells with air spaces between and in
combination with means for conducting compressed air, to the said air spaces
between the outer and inner shells of the ejectors as and for the purposes
described.
Thirdly. The construction of the ejectors and method of fitting them to the disc
as and for the purposes described.
Fourthly. The combination of the disc B' carrying the said ejectors E and air
pipes g. with the casing F fitted with supply hopper and discharge graded screens
and having annular projections for the impact of the material to be reduced and
with the hollow driving shaft connected to an air compressor as and for the
purposes described.
Fifthly. The combination with a pulverizing or reducing' machine of an
independent air compressor to supply air at a pressure sufficient to assist in the
reduction of the substance to be treated substantially as described.
Dated this 31 day of March 1884.