IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MILL WORK AND IN THE MODE OF DRIVING THE SAME, PART OF SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING APPLICABLE FOR TRANSMITTING MOTIVE POWER GENERALLY
Year: 1854

page_text: in the County of Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MILL WORK
AND IN THE MODE OF DRIVING THE SAME, PART OF SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING
APPLICABLE FOR TRANSMITTING MOTIVE POWER GENERALLY."-A communica
tion from Henri Fortuné Negrier, of Toulouse, in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 29th August 1854, and dated the 29th March 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th March 1854.
I, JOHN HENRY. JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MILL
WORK AND IN THE MODE OF DRIVING THE SAME, PART OF SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING
APPLICABLE FOR TRANSMITTING MOTIVE POWER GENERALLY," a communication from
Henri Fortuné Negrier, of Toulouse, in the Empire of France, to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved arrangement of horse power machine,
applicable to the driving of grinding mills or other machinery, and to certain
improvements in the construction of grinding mills, and consists in the
employment of a vertical shaft, rotated by horse power in the ordinary manner.
On the upper end of this shaft is keyed a spur wheel, which gears into two

page_text: pinions, placed diametrically opposite each other, keyed on to two vertical
shafts, which carry at their upper extremities two larger pinions gearing into
a spur wheel at opposite points in its circumference. The shaft of this wheel
carries also another spur wheel of larger diameter, which gears into and gives
motion to a spur wheel keyed on to a vertical shaft, which carries also another
spur wheel of still larger diameter, which gears into a small toothed wheel
fast on the driving shaft of the mill where required, but it is also proposed
to adopt the above arrangement of mechanism for driving other machinery.
This shaft is sò connected to the upper mill-stone by a species of fork so
arranged 'that the stone shall not be entirely fixed to the shaft, thereby
obviating any bad results that may arise from a sudden stopping of the horse
driving the mill. The lower portion of the driving shaft rests in a footstep
bearing, capable of adjustment by means of a screw or other mechanical
arrangement. From the above arrangement it will be seen that the running
stone is driven from above instead of from below.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 29th September 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex, and
of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said John
Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, or
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 a
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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF MILL WORK AND IN THE
MODE OF DRIVING THE SAME, PART OF SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING APPLICABLE FOR
TRANSMITTING MOTIVE POWER GENERALLY," a communication from Henri For-3
tune Negrier, of Toulouse, in the Empire of France, upon the condition

page_text: (amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
The said Invention relates, first, to an improved arrangement of a gin or
horse machine, applicable to the driving of grinding mills or other machinery,
whereby a greater amount of work is effected than by the ordinary, horse
power machines; and, second, to certain improvements in the connection of
the running stone of grinding mills with the driving shaft, whereby a greater
regularity of movement is attained.
The improvements under the first head of the Invention consist in the
employment of a vertical shaft, rotated by horse power in the ordinary
'manner. On the upper end of this shaft is keyed a spur wheel, which
gears into two pinions situated at diametrically opposite points of its
circumference; these pinions have keyed on to them two vertical shafts,
each shaft carrying at its upper extremity a larger pinion or wheel, which
gears into a spur wheel the same size at diametrically opposite points in
its circumference; the shaft of this wheel carries also another spur wheel
of larger diameter, which gears into and gives motion to a large spur
wheel keyed on to a vertical shaft, which carries also another spur-wheel of
still larger diameter; this latter wheel gears into a smaller cog wheel fast on
the driving shaft of the mill or other mechanism to be actuated.
The improvements under the second head of the Invention consist in attach-
ing or connecting the last-mentioned shaft to the upper mill-stone, by a species
of fork, which is so arranged that the stone shall not be entirely fixed to the
shaft, thereby obviating any bad results that may arise from irregularity of
movement, or a sudden stopping of the horse which drives the mill. The
lower portion of the driving shaft rests in a footstep bearing, capable of adjust-
From the
ment by means of a screw or other mechanical arrangement.
above arrangement it will be seen that the running stone is driven from above
instead of from below.
Figure 1 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings represents a vertical

page_text: section of the gearing, taken along the line 1, 2, in Figure 2, which is à
corresponding plan of Figure 1. Figures 3 and 4 are separate details, which will
be herein-after more fully referred to. The horse power lever A is connected
by a cast-iron coupling to the first motion shaft B, to which it imparts a
rotatory movement; this shaft works in the footstep bearing a; which is carried
by the block of masonry a'. At the upper extremity of the shaft B is keyed a
cog wheel C, the shaft being supported immediately below it by the cast-iron
collar bearing b, which is fitted with brasses and bolted to the framework d.
Two pinions D, D, gear into and are situated on diametrically opposite sides
of the large wheel C, 'from which they receive a rapid rotatory motion. The
peculiar construction of these wheels, as delineated in the Drawing, affords the
advantages of wearing well and being simple in "construction; they are.com-
posed of spindles of box wood, which is found to wear the best. Each pinion
is fitted by the aid of keys on to the short vertical shafts E; E; which, like the
central shaft B, work in cast-iron footstep bearings c, c, supported by the cross
beams of the strong wooden framing F; to which are attached the cross bars
d and ties d, d. The two vertical shafts E, E, are also sustained at thir
upper ends by the collar bearing e, e'. 'G, G, are two wheels of a similar
construction to the pins D, D; they are keyed on to the shafts E, E', near
their upper extremities. These wheels gear into the central cog wheel H,
which is fitted with wooden teeth or cogs. This wheel is keyed on to the
lower end of the vertical shaft I, which is situated directly over the first
motion shaft B, and works in a cast-iron footstep and collar bearing, 'similar
to the other shafts herein-before referred to. This arrangement, which has the
advantage of reducing as much as possible the space occupied by the gearing,
has the still greater advantage of rendering the movements more easy, and of
distributing the strain more equally than in ordinary mill work above the
wheel H; and on the same shaft is keyed the large wheel J, constructed in
the same manner as the pinions D and wheels G, which, for convenience sakė,
I shall term "läntern" wheels; they are, however, well known to millwrights.
The wheel J, which is fitted with boxwood teeth, gears into the cog wheel K
keyed on to the wrought iron shaft L, which also works in a footstep and
collar bearing, the former being carried by the cross beam M. This last-
mentioned shaft carries a large spur wheel N, situated above the wheel K;
the wheel 'N gears into the wheels P, P, which are carried by the driving
shafts 0, 0, of the mill-stones: By this combination of arrangements, it will
be obvious that the shafts O and O', and 'consequently the running stones Q,
will receive a continuous and regular rotatory motion of a great velocity. The
shafts O, O', form a species of fork inside the eye of the mill-stones, so as not

page_text: to be entirely solid with..or fixed to the running stone, whereby it may be
readily removed when. requisite, the stone resting by means of a bridle piece
or fork upon a collar or shoulder forged upon the shaft, as is clearly shewn in
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings. It will be obvious also, on referring
to the Drawings, that the running stones is driven from. above instead of from
below, as is usually the case. in mills of this description. The driving shaft O¹
and O' of the mill is supported at its upper extremity by the collar bearing F,
fitted into the wood work, and passing through the centre g of the fixed.stone
N', is supported at its lower extremity by the footstep bearing h, which is
bolted either. to the brick work or to a wooden beam, and is so formed as to
admit of the shaft with the running stone being raised or lowered by. the aid
of an 'adjusting screw. or lever. placed. beneath the brass of the bearing; the
whole of the mechanism may be carried either on cast-iron columns on
wooden framework or on brickwork, as shewn in the Drawings. Centiary
and levelling screws are fitted to: the lower stone; though not shewn in the
Drawings, whereby the relative positions of the two stones may be adjusted
with the greatest nicety. The grain to be ground is fed into a hopper, under
which is placed the ordinary spout; for conveying it to the eye of the stone, or
any other well-known feeding apparatus may be employed... It will be seen
from the Drawing, that two or more pieces of stones may be worked from the
same gearing, the large N giving motion to each stone simultaneously, by
gearing into pinions or wheels P, P1, fitted on to the driving shaft of each
stone. The wheels P & P¹ are loose upon the driving shafts O, O¹, and rest
upon a collar on each shaft. On' the upper side of these pinions or wheels
is fitted a metal disc Z, in which are made a number of slots or notches Y, as
shewn by the details, Figures 3 and 4. Another metal disc Y, Y', is fitted on
to a square portion of the driving shafts O, O', and is situated a short distance
above the notched disc Z. On the under side of the discs Y, Y¹, are cast or
fitted lugs X, to which are jointed the small palls w, the fore ends of which
rest in an oblique direction upon the discs Z, Z; when the gearing is set in
motion, and the loose wheels P, P, revolve in the direction shewn by the
arrow, Figure 4, the palls w fall into the notches Y of the disc Z, and the
plate or disc Y with the driving shaft O will be carried round together. Should
the horse, and consequently the wheels or pinions P, P¹, stop suddenly, the
mill-stones will continue to rotate with the discs Y, Y', the palls w running
freely over the surface of the disc Z and the notches therein; when the horse
starts again, the palls will again take into the notches Y, and operate as before.
In place of notches, the disc Z may be fitted with projections, or an ordinary
clutch with oblique teeth may be employed for the same purpose.

page_text: Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without devi-
ating from the principles or main features of the said Invention; but what I
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
⚫ First, the general construction, arrangement, and combination of gearing
for horse power machines employed in driving mills or other machinery, as
herein-before described.
Second, the system or mode of driving the mill-stones from above instead
of from below, in mills of the class herein-before described.
Third, the system or mode of converting the running stone with its driving
shaft, whereby the stone may be readily removed when requisite, as herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of September, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-four.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)