IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MIXING CONCRETE AND OTHER MATERIALS." APPARATUS FOR MIXING CONCRETE AND OTHER MATERIALS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Philip John Messent, of Tynemouth, in the County
of Northumberland, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR MIXING CONCRETE AND OTHER MATERIALS."
APPARATUS FOR MIXING CONCRETE AND OTHER MATERIALS."
Sealed the 13th November 1866, and dated the 21st May 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Phillip John Messent at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st May 1866.
I, PHILIP JOHN MESSENT, of Tynemouth, in the County of Northumberland,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MIXING CONCRETE AND OTHER MATERIALS," to be as
follows:-
The novelty of this mixer consists in the shape or configuration, disposition,
and operation of the vessel in which the materials for making the concrete or
mortar are enclosed. The mixing being accomplished by the revolution of the
said vessel on a spindle, the rotating motion being obtained from steam, horse,
hand, or any other motivo power.
The vessel may be made of cast or wrought iron, of timber, or any suitable
material with six, ten, or a larger number of sides so arranged in angular
positions that in turning the mixer the materials are turned over from side to
side as well as in the direction of the vessel's rotation. It may have one or
two doors or openings which are securely closed during the mixing, unt

page_text: opened for receiving and discharging the materials to be mixed and the
concrete or mortar. The vessel should not be more than half filled with the
materials to be mixed, when the door being closed and secured by the
fastenings shewn in the Drawing, or by other means, concrete will be
thoroughly mixed by from eight to fifteen revolutions of the mixer, which,
However, should not be at a greater rate than fifteen revolutions per minute,
twelve revolutions being preferred. The machine shewn in the Drawing is
calculated for hand power, and will mix, say, half a cubic yard of concrete at
a time. When steam or other power is used it should be of at least twice
the capacity of the one shown, which it is believed gives the best form and
proportions of a mixer of concrete and mortar,
Figure represents a side view of a mixer according to my Invention
mounted on a framing and wheels for the sake of portability, while Figure 2
represents a view at right angles to Figure 1.
a, a, is the mixing vessel; 6, axis on which it is mounted in the bearings c
on the frame d; e, toothed ring fixed on 4 and gearing with a stud wheel f
which gears with and is driven by a pinion g fixed on the hand winch shaft h;
is the door whereby the materials are introduced and removed. The dotted
lines in Fig. 2 show the mixer turned one-fourth of a revolution.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Philip John Messent in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 21st November 1866,
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PHILIP
JOHN MESSENT, of Tynemouth, in the County of Northumberland, Engineer,
send greeting;
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of.
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Philip John Messent, Her special licence that I, the said
Philip John Messent, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Philip John Messent, my 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

page_text: Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MIXING CONCRETE
AND OTHER MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Philip John Messent, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to bo
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 Philip John Messent, 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 two Sheets of Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):―
The novelty in this mixer consists in the shape of configuration, disposition,
and operation of the vessel in which the materials for making the concrete
or mortar or other materials to be mixed are enclosed. The mixing is
accomplished by the revolution of the said vessel on a spindle, the rotating
motion being communicated by hand, horse, steam, or any other motive
power.
The vessel may be made of cast or wrought iron, of timber, or any suitable
material, with six, ten, or a larger number of sides so arranged in angular
position to each other that in turning the mixer the materials are turned over
from side to side as well as in the direction of the rotation of the vessel. It
may have one or two doors or openings which are securely closed during the
mixing, and opened for receiving and discharging the materials to be mixed,
and the concrete or mortar or other result of the materials mixed. The
vessel should not be more than half filled with the materials to be mixed;
when the door being closed and secured by the fastenings concrete will be
thoroughly mixed by from eight to fifteen revolutions of the vessel, which,
however, should not be rotated at a greater rate than fifteen revolutions per
minute, twelve revolutions per minute being the preferable rate of speed.
The machine shown in the Drawings annexed, supposing it to be to a scale
of one inch and a balf to the foot, is calculated for hand power, and will mix,
say, half a cubic yard of concrete at a time. When steani or other power is
used it should be of at least double the capacity above mentioned, which I
believe gives the best form and proportion of a mixer of concrete and mortaf;
but for mixing other materials the proportions, and arrangements may be
varied according to circumstances, and the kinds of materials to be mixed.

page_text: I
This apparatus is principally applicable for mixing concrete and mortar.
have represented in the annexed Drawings a machine adapted for that
purpose, and have further shown it as mounted on a carriage and rails, as
being a suitable arrangement for moving the concrete and discharging it at
the desired point and as the works progress. In connection with the mixer
I bave also shown a hopper for charging it, which also serves for measuring
have represented in the annexed Drawings a machine adapted for that
purpose, and have further shown it as mounted on a carriage and rails, as
being a suitable arrangement for moving the concrete and discharging it at
the desired point and as the works progress. In connection with the mixer
I bave also shown a hopper for charging it, which also serves for measuring
the quantity of such charge.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the mixer according to my Invention,
and Figure 2, a plan of the same; it is fitted in a frame a, a, mounted on
wheels b, b, running on rails or trams c, c; Figure 3 is an end view of
Figure 1, while Figure 4 is a transverse section taken through the axis of the
mixer; Figure 5 is a detached plan of the measuring hopper; and Figures 6
and 7 detached views of the door or opening parts of the mixing vessel.
This vessel A, A, may be of any suitable material, but I prefer it to be of
cast iron, as represented in the Drawings (see section Figure 4); it is
mounted and fixed on an axis B fitted in bearings C carried by the frame-
work a, resting on the wheels and axles b, b. The vessel A is of a very
peculiar form, as will be seen by reference to the several Figures, and more
especially to Figure 4, in which the dotted position of the said vessel exhibits it
when turned one quarter of a revolution from the position exhibited in line in
the same Figure; from this it will be understood that the two ends of the
vessel on which the bosses are cast fixing it to axis B are oblong surfaces
e, e, f, f, disposed at right angles to each other on the said axis. These
oblong surfaces are united by surfaces disposed angularly to each other, and
so as to form a vessel of capacity, having in the side elevation, Figure 1,
somewhat of a circular appearance. The vertical lines of the vessel in
Figure 1 show the junctions of the angular surfaces in the front side, while
the horizontal dotted lines represent the junctions of the angular surfaces at
the back or reverse side. Instead of the sides of this vessel being each of
two different inclined surfaces, as shown and described, it may consist of onc
only, as indicated in Figure 4 by red lines, but I prefer it as above described,
as affording greater capacity in the vessel. I cast this vessel in one piece, or
if large it may be in parts and bolted together. It is fitted in bearings as
before described; and in order to actuate it I fix a ring of teeth D on one
end e, e, which gears with a stud wheel E, which again takes into a pinion F
fixed on a shaft G, represented as being actuated by winch handles, but if
the mixer is to be actuated by steam power it may be necessary to mount the

page_text: steam engine on the same frame a, a; or the materials may be mixed in a
position near a stationary engine or horse wheel, and afterwards traversed in
the mixer on the rails to the position desired. In one of the inclined surfaces
of the side of the vessel I dispose an opening closed by a suitable door H,
which door may occupy the whole area of one of such surface or only part
thereof. This door is hinged at the axis line h, h, the knuckles i, i, being
cast on the vessel A, while the knuckles k, k, are on the door and hinged
together by pins 1, 1, the door being faced or lined with wood or other soft
material to make a joint. I secure the door by a triangular-shaped bar M, M,
having three lugs or projections m, m³, m³, which bar slides a certain distance
in the band p, p. The lugs m², m³, are wedge shaped at the ends and pass
under the hinge pins l, l, while the other lug m has inclined or wedge-shaped
ears r, r, which take under inclined pieces q, q, fixed to A. By moving this
triangular bolt, see dotted position in enlarged views, Figures 7 and 8, the
catch formed by the parts r, r, and q, q, is withdrawn when the door is freo
to move on its hinges, and the vessel may be charged or emptied. When
charged and the door closed the driving back of the bar or bolt M not only
fixes the door close by its catch q, r, but it is also wedged down at the three
angles of the bar M, by reason of the wedge shape of the parts m³, m³,
taking under pins and the wedge form of the catch 7, r, see section,
Figure 7.
For the convenience of charging the mixer I prefer to provide the appa-
ratus with a bopper R, which I mount on a derrick S suitably supported by
struts T, T. This hopper is of a capacity to contain a charge for the mixer,
and is furnished with a hinged bottom, and catch bolt to release it when
desired, and drop the contents in the mixer over the open door H, of which it
is swung at the time. I dispose the hopper at a suitable height for filling
from a waggon on the same line of rails as the mixer, and it is swung into
the proper position by the derrick for filling the hopper and for charging the
mixer, as will be readily understood. U is a small tank mounted on frame a
for containing a measure of water to be delivered into the mixer A by the
spont, together with the materials to be mixed for concrete or mortar. For
mixing many materials water is of course dispensed with. The tank and
hopper for rapid working should be filled while a previous charge is being
agitated and mixed in the vessel A. Materials introduced in this mixing
vessel as it is rotated will be turned over and thrown alternately towards
opposite ends of the axis, and this four times during each revolution of the
vessel, besides which they will be turned or rolled over in the direction of the
motion of the vessel, which for concrete and mortar produces a thorough and

page_text: suitable mixing in from eight to fifteen revolutions of the vessel, and conse-
quently a rapid and economical manufacture of concrete or mortar.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, a vessel or chamber
formed and constructed as vessel A, represented in the Drawings annexed,
mounted on an axis, which by its rotation agitates the materials contained in
the manner before described, that is to say, produces four lateral throws
during one revolution, as and for the purposes herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Philip John Messent, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
PHILIP J. MESSENT. (L.s.)