IMPROVEMENTS IN GRINDING MILLS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, EDWARD CHRISTOPHER BLACKSTONE of Rutland Iron Works, Stamford in the
County of Lincoln, Agricultural Implement Maker, do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN GRINDING MILLS to be as follows:-
This invention relates to that class of portable grinding and crushing mills
which is fitted with vertical stones, the bed or fixed stone being attached to the
casing of the machine and the runner to a horizontal shaft.
In these mills the corn or material to be ground is placed in a hopper on the top
of the casing which is made cylindrical. The corn is led to the eye of the fixed
stone and carried thence by a worm attached to the mill shaft which worm delivers
it to the furrowed grinding surfaces.
As the meal is formed it falls to the bottom of the casing and passes through a
spout in the bottom to a scuttle or other receptacle placed there to receive it.
These mills being driven at a high speed naturally generate considerable heat
which renders it necessary from time to time to stop the mill and allow it to cool
as otherwise the meal would heated and damaged.
The mill is also inclined to adhere to the inside surface of the casing by reason
of the moisture which it takes up and the adhering particles not infrequently turn
mouldy, small pieces sometimes dropping off and mixing with the meal in the
scuttle, where if left it is likely to injure a batch of meal. Other objections of
minor importance may also be raised to the use of these mills.
Now it is the object of this invention to remove these objections by improving
the construction of this class of mill. To this end I fit to the running stone
brushes or cleaners which will act upon the internal surfaces of the casing and will
by their revolution keep a current of air moving round between the stone and the
casing by which means the apparatus will be kept cool. By this means the meal
will be prevented from adhering to the casing and the cleaners or brushes acting
as lifters will raise the meal as it is formed to the height required to deliver it from
the casing through any desired height of opening therein. I am thus enabled to
deliver the meal into a sack or through a spout to a binn or other receptacle on the
floor of the mill without unduly lengthening the legs of the apparatus or placing
it on a stage out of convenient reach.
These cleaners or brushes I place either on the back of the stone or on the
periphery or in both positions, the cleaners in that case extending from the back to
the periphery.
These cleaners or brushes I make adjustable so as to be advanced or retired from
the inner surface of the casing or so as to be turned and fixed at the best angle for
discharging the product. This angle will vary according to the position and shape
of the spout and the speed of the running stone.

page_text: I EDWARD CHRISTOPHER BLACKSTONE of Rutland Iron Works, Stamford, in the
County of Lincoln Agricultural Implement Maker do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GRINDING MILLS," and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
My invention relates chiefly to that class of grinding and crushing mills which
is fitted with vertical stones the fixed stone being attached to the casing of the
machine and the rotating stone or runner to a horizontal shaft.
5
In these mills, the corn or material to be ground is placed in a hopper on the top
of the casing, which is made cylindrical. The corn is led to the eye of the fixed 1
stone, and carried thence. by a worm attached to the mill shaft, which worm
delivers it to the furrowed grinding surfaces,
As the meal is formed, it falls to the bottom of the casing, and passes through a
spout in the bottom to a scuttle or other receptacle placed there to receive it.
These mills, being driven at a high speed naturally generate considerable heat
which renders it necessary from time to time to stop the mill and allow it to cool,
as otherwise the meal would be heated and damaged.
The meal is also inclined by reason of the moisture which it contains, (or owing
to the condensation of the atmosphere on cold iron,) to adhere to the inside surface
of the casing, and the adhering particles not infrequently turn mouldy, small pieces
sometimes dropping off and mixing with the meal in the scuttle, where, if left, they
are likely to injure a batch of meal. Other objections of minor importance may
be raised to the use of these mills.
Now it is the main object of my invention to remove these objections by
constructing the vertical mill in the manner shown in the accompanying Drawings
where Fig 1 is a transverse vertical section of the mill, and Fig: 2 is a sectional
elevation of the same taken in the line 1. 2 of Fig: 1.
A is the cylindrical casing, mounted on a wooden framework B, and secured
thereto by bracket castings A. Bolted to these castings are bearings A² for the
reception of the mill shaft C to which the running mill stone D is keyed in the
usual manner. E is the fixed stone supported on the casing and adjustable thereon
in the usual manner.
The casing is formed, as usual, of two cap pieces of cast iron embracing a coil of
Rebates are formed in the
sheet iron which completes the periphery of the case.
edges of the cap pieces to receive the coil, one end of which is made fast by rivets
to the castings while the other end is furnished with a flange to receive tension
screws, which project through flanges on the castings and are intended to draw the
sheet iron to tension in its rebates. F is the spout of the casing A made of cast
iron and bolted to the cap pieces at a level with the shaft C.
This spout covers an opening in the periphery of the casing, and it is placed at
the height shown on the drawing to enable it to discharge the meal into an extended
sack or a binn situate on the mill floor The shaft C is fitted, as usual, with a
worm c which works in the eye of the fixed stone and is intended to lead the corn
to the grinding surfaces. That portion of the case which carries the fixed stone is

page_text: provided with a channel a for conducting the corn to the eye e of the fixed stone..
This channel, which has an enlargement at top, underlies a shute G situate below
the hopper H from which the corn is fed to the mill. This shute receives the corn
as it falls from the hopper, and delivers it into the conductor a whence it passes,.
by the aid of the worm c to the grinding surfaces.
To ensure the proper delivery of the grain, a tappet cam g is fitted to the shaft C,
and in its rotation it serves through an arm g₁ to jog the shute, and prevent
the corn from adhering thereto. The running stone D I fit with brushes or
cleaners D D¹ (see Fig: 2 and also the detached view Fig: 3) which will act upon
the internal surfaces of the casing and prevent the meal from adhering thereto.
These cleaners or brushes will act as lifters and raise the meal as it is formed, to
the height required to deliver it from the casing to the elevated spout F.
The advantage of this mode of delivering the meal from the case is, that I can
discharge it into a sack or into a binn or other receptacle on the floor of the mill
without unduly raising the mill or placing it out of convenient reach of the
attendant.
The cleaners or brushes D¹ are shown as placed, one on the back and the other
on the periphery of the stone D, or one and the same brush may extend from the
back to the periphery. The number of the cleaners or brushes may also vary, and
I make them adjustable so as to be advanced nearer to or retired from the inner
surface of the casing or so as to be turned and fixed at the best angle for discharging
the product. This angle will vary according to the position and shape of the spout
and the speed of the running stone.
Thus supposing the stone D to have 300 revolutions per minute, which is an
ordinary speed for running the mill, I give the brushes the angle shown at Figs: 2
and 3. In order to facilitate their adjustment upon the stone I pivot the back
brush on the metal plate or bush that fills the eye of the stone, the fulcrum pin
passing through a slotted metallic extension of the brush back and I form a curved
guide on the plate to receive a V-headed bolt that passes through a slotted metallic
extension of the brush back and is secured thereto by a clamping nut.
On the slackening of this nut the brush is free to receive not merely an endway
motion, but a shifting of its inclination as may be desired.
The brush on the periphery is provided with a lug near its centre to receive a
screw-bolt that is fixed by lead in the periphery of the stone, and a clamping nut
on this bolt serves to hold the brush at any required angle. It will be obvious
that other plans may be adopted for attaching the brushes to the stone D but the
plan described has been proved to act satisfactorily.
In order to compensate for the wear of the bristles, a packing of cardboard or
other suitable material may be inserted from time to time between the stone and
the back of the brushes, the brushes being removed for the purpose of applying
the packing.
By the use of these brushes I not only clear the case from adhering particles of
metal, and lift the meal as it leaves the grinding surfaces, to the delivery spout, but
I keep a current of air moving round between the running stone and the casing,
by which means the mill will be kept cool.
These results it is also important to secure in other constructions of flour mills,
for example those that have horizontal stones. For this purpose I propose to fit to
the top stone or runner, brushes which will serve to clear the mill casing from any
adhering particles of meal and sweep the meal, as it is formed, to the delivery
spont or spouts.
The brushes will be adjustable as above described to compensate for the wear of
the bristles.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. Fitting the running stones of mills with clearers or brushes as described for
the purpose of delivering the meal as it is formed out of the casing; maintaining

page_text: a circulation of air within the casing, and preventing incrustation of the meal, on
the inner surfaces of the casing.
2. Forming the casing with an elevated spout for the discharge of the meal into
sacks or other receivers as described and for the purpose above set forth.
CT1005
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.