Improvements in Domestic Appliances for Storing and Sifting Flour and similar Substances.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Domestic Appliances for Storing and Sifting Flour
and similar Substances.
I, MORRIS LARY Gentleman, of the Astor House corner of Broadway and Vesey
Street in the City of New York in the County and State of New York, United States
of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention relates to that class of sieves wherein the flour or other substance is
placed in a closed receptacle and is sifted as it is withdrawn therefrom. Such devices
are usually adapted to be placed in any convenient part of a room, or to be supported
against a wall.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention Figure 1 is a front
elevation of a sieve provided with my improvements; Figure 2 is a vertical mid-
section thereof cut on the line 2-2 in Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the
arrow. Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the sifting cup removed.
Figure 4 is a fragmentary horizontal section on a smaller scale cut on the line 4-4
in Figure 2.
A is the enclosing case which is divided by a tapering spout B into a receiving
chamber C and a sifting chamber D. E represents a sieve connected to the lower end
of the spout B and F an ordinary dish or pan under the sieve. The door G is binged
to the front of the case A and serves to close the sifting chamber D.
The receiving chamber C is closed at its top by a cover H and at its discharge
outlet at the lower end of the spout B by the sieve E, which engages the end of the
spout B and is connected thereto by the hooks a a which are pivoted on the spout B
and engage projections on the cup 6 of the sieve.
b
The sieve E is constructed of a cup 6 which fits over the lower end of the spout B
and is provided with a flat screen c in its bottom. The agitator d is arranged within
the cup and directly over the screen c. The agitator d is provided with a stem e
which is connected to the agitator d at one end and to a handle f of the sieve at the
other end. The handle fis mounted to oscillate in bearings g g connected to the cup b.
As the handle fis oscillated an oscillatory motion is conveyed through the stem e to
the agitator d. 1 accomplish the connection of the agitator d with the handle by
extending the stem e upward vertically from the point of its connection with the
agitator d close to the side wall of the cup b, to and over the top of the cup and thence
horizontally above the handle thereof, and thence downwardly into and through the
handle axially thereof, to which latter it is fastened, whereby the steine of the
agitator forms the axle of the handle f.
In order to close the sieve E when desired I construct it with a cover h hinged
to it by the link-hinge i and fitting against its bottom side below the screen c, and I
provide a fastening on the bearing 9 whereby when the cover h is closed against the
screen c it can be held in place thereagainst by this fastening.
In order to utilize the space between the outer walls of the spout B and the side
walls of the case A in the sifting chamber D, I provide shelves kk which extend
horizontally between the spout B and the side walls of the case.
These shelves may
be used for holding any culinary utensils which it is desired to use in connection with
the sieve.
The case A is so constructed that it will stand vertically upon any flat surface, but
as it is found more convenient to hang the case against a wall, flour sifters are usually
constructed to be supported in this manner. I prefer to accomplish this by providing
one or more supporting bails I, I, on the back of the case A. Suitable holes ll are
formed in these bails and are adapted to take over nail-heads or other suitable devices

page_text: projecting from a wall, and thereby support the case A. As it is often convenient
to support the sieve by hanging it in the corner of a wall or against a projecting
corner I construct my improved supporting device so that the sieve can be supported
in either of such places or against a parallel surface. To accomplish this 1 construct
the bails I, I, with faces extending in planes corresponding to the directions of the
various surfaces against which it is desired to support the sieve. For supporting the
sieve against a parallel surface I provide the hails 1,I, with one or more faces m m which
extend in a plane parallel with the wall of the case A to which the bails are attached
as shown most clearly in Figure 4. For supporting the sieve in a corner I provide
the hails with faces n n which are oppositely inclined and extend in planes at angles
of 45 degrees relatively to the faces m m. For supporting the sieve against a
projecting corner I provide the bails 1, 1, with faces o, o, arranged near the centre of
the bails I, I, and extending oppositely in planes at angles of 45 degrees relatively to
the faces m m.
Holes for engaging the supporting pins are formed in each of the
faces m n and o. The dotted lines in Figure 4 indicate the walls of the surfaces
against which the case A may be supported.
In using my improved flour sieve the material to be sifted is placed in the
chamber Cafter the sieve E has been connected to the spout B, the cover of the
sieve is opened and turned back and the dish F is placed under the sieve. The user
will then sift the substance through the screen c by oscillating the handle of the
sieve E and thereby moving the agitator d over the screen c. As the handle f
constitutes the handle for both the cup b and the agitator d the operator can
accomplish the sifting by the use of only one hand even when the cup is not
connected to the spout B by the hooks a a. When a sufficient quantity of material
has been sifted the dish F will be removed and the cover can be closed against the
bottom of the screen c, thereby completely closing the chamber C.
If desired the sieve E may be used independently, in which case it will be unhooked
from the spout B and used as an ordinary cup or sifter.
By hinging the cover to the cup b by the link-hinge i I am able to manipulate the
cover within the chamber D to much better advantage, as with a link-hinge it is
possible to raise the cover h further out of the way of the dish F, and to open and
close it in a smaller space than would be possible with a cover which was hinged to
the cup by an ordinary binge. The method of hinging the cover / also has the
advantage that it enables the user to close the cover against the bottom of the
screen c more conveniently, since the flexibility of the hinge permits the cover to
adapt itself to the bottom of the cup b, which is important, owing to the fact that flour
is apt to collect in the corners of the cover h at one point or another, and thereby to
interfere with the closing of the cover against the bottom of the cup b, unless the
cover is flexibly hinged thereto.
When the flour sieve is not in use the door G may be closed and thereby the
interior of the chamber D be kept clean.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a flour receptacle and sifter, a closed case divided into two compartments by
a tapering spout, and books pivoted to the sides of said spout, in combination with a
sieve connected to said spout by said hooks, said sieve consisting of a cup with a
bottom screen and a handle for said cup mounted to oscillate in bearings thereon, an
agitator constructed to move over the screen and provided with a stem extending
thence vertically to the top of the cup, and thence horizontally above the handle,
and thence downwardly into and through the handle axially thereof and fastened
thereto, whereby the stem of the agitator forms the axle of the handle, a cover closing
the bottom of said cup, said cover being hinged to said cup and fitting against its
bottom below the screen, a link-hinge for connecting the cover to the cup, and a
fastening for holding the cover against its bottom, substantially as set forth.

page_text: 2. In a flour receptacle the case A provided with a sieve and constructed with a
supporting bail on one of its sides, such bail constructed with a face parallel with the
side of the case and with two oppositely inclined faces extending in planes at angles
of 45 degrees relatively thereto, substantially as set forth, whereby the bail will fit both
parallel and angular surfaces as explained.
3. The combined receptacle and sieve constructed as hereinbefore described and
shown in the annexed drawings.
Dated this 28th day of November 1889
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agent.