IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR GRINDING WHEAT, AND IN THE PROCESS OF MILLING
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert John Haddan, of the Firm of Herbert and
Company, Solicitors of Patents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
GRINDING WHEAT, AND IN THE PROCESS OF MILLING." A communication
from abroad by "The Milwaukee Middlings Mill Stone Company," of
Wisconsin in the United States of America.
Sealed the 6th August 1878, and dated the 22nd May 1878.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Herbert John Haddan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd May, 1878.
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert and Company, Solicitors of
Patents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer. "LMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR GRINDING WHEAT, AND IN THE PROCESS OF MILLING."
A communication from abroad by "The Milwaukee Middlings Mill Stone
Company," of Wisconsin, in the United States of America.
The Invention consists of an improved mill for reducing middlings to improved
flour, and a process for the reduction of the same wherein the improved machinery
is used.
It is well-known that in the present or improved method of milling when the
bran and first or super fine flour made from that part of the kernel which lies next
to the outer husk or bran are taken out, after the first grinding there remains what
is designated by the general term of middlings.
To reduce these middlings to flour, and to separate the tailings or germ therefrom
properly has been a difficult problem for millers. The improved machinery herein
set forth, and the process of manipulating the middlings in using the machinery
will overcome the difficulty.
In the accompanying Drawings Figure 1 is a side view of the improved mill
machinery.

page_text: Figure 18 a horizontal section of the yoke and puncy,
means of fastening the yoke in different positions to permit the belting of the
pulley from different directions.
Figure 4 shows the curb used to enclose the stones and the ring for fastening the
two sections thereof; and Figure 5 is a vertical section of the whole mill.
Fig. 6 is a top or plan view.
Fig. 7, a plan of yoke and base; and Fig. 8, enlarged side view of yoke.
Similar letters denote like parts.
A is the bed plate of iron, stone, or other suitable material, to which are attached
three strong vertical pillars B, B, B, at points composing the angles of an equilateral
triangle by means of rods C inside the pillars, or other suitable device; the rods
should be continuous with the upper short pillars E, E, E. Upon the top of B, B, B,
is placed the circular plate G, as shown in Figures 1 and 5, and above this are
firmly attached the pillars E, E, E, which serve to support the plate G¹. The upper
euds of E, E, E, are threaded for a considerable distance, as shown in Fig. 5.
The plate G rests upon nuts A, A, A, turning upon these threads; about it are
placed the following screws b, b, b, the position and construction of which are shown
in Figure 5; D is a yoke consisting of a hollow semi-cylinder contracted at both
ends into cylindrical journals C and C', which turn freely, but fit closely in A. and G
respectively, as shown in Fig. 5; D has also a slight vertical movement in the
bearings A and G; it is raised or depressed by means of the differential lighter
screw F, the thread on the outside of which fits the external thread on C, constructed
with about 5 external threads to the inch, and six threads to an inch in the internal
screw, so that at every complete turn of F, by means of the handle A, the yoke D is
moved up or down the 30th of an inch.
Figure 5 shows the method of construction more clearly than words; S is the
spindle, the lower journal of which passes through the lower journal of the yoke,
and is supported therein like the ordinary mill spindle, its upper portion passes
through the upper hub or journal c¹ of the yoke D, and is firmly attached to the
lower millstone by means of the supporting ring Y, shaped as shown in the
Drawing, which is attached to a stone N' by cement or other suitable means.
The driving pulley is attached to the spindle by means of a key or set screw,
and the upper part of the pulley forius a bearing against c¹ in such a manner as to
prevent end shake in the spindle, and hold it firmly in place.
The hub is fixed in any one of three positions by means of spring catch g and
notches h, i, k, Fig. 3, in order to prevent the belting of pulley O from passing
between any two of the standards B, B, B.
The upper millstone M is firmly secured to the annular projection P on the under
side of G by means of threads upon it, and the bushings to which the stone M is
attached by cement or other suitable means. The neck of the hopper X passes
down through plate G¹, to which it is screwed, and into the eye of the stone.
The connection is made close, and excludes the passage of air with the middlings
into the eye of the stone.
The curb (Fig. 4) is formed of two semi circular segments 1 and 2 resting upon
plate G, and the top edge fitting closely to ring P, as shown in Fig. 5. The two
segments are connected by means of ring 3, and on being removed allow free access
to the stones without their removal, a meal spout m is provided through plate G,
inside the curb to permit the passage of the ground product.
The stones M and N are formed of solid blocks of novaculite or ouchita stone, a
white, very hard, and close grained stone found in Arkansas. They are from 5 to
8 inches in diameter, as may be preferred, and are dressed as shown in Fig. 2.
The stone is about 23, or 3 inches thick, and has lands and furrows, as shown in
the Drawing, each about ½ of an inch broad at the periphery of the stone, and
the furrows are about 1/10 of an inch deep. The centre of the stone is bosomed out
so as to leave the guiding surface only about 1/2 inches broad.
In grinding, the middlings are placed in the hopper X, whence they are fed into
the eye of the upper stone, pass out between the grinding surfaces of the two stones

page_text: and pass out through the meal spout m. In grinding, the lower or runner stone is
speeded at about 2000 revolutions per minute. After being ground the middlings
are bolted, and the portions not sufficiently reduced are subjected to a re-grinding
in a similar manner, and the process is repeated as often as may be required. The
object is to grind the middlings without over grinding the grain or flattening it so
as to leave them in a properly granulated condition without reducing any portion
to a flaky or too finely powdered or over ground condition.
I claim,―
1st. The machinery or mill for grinding middlings with stones of novaculite or
ouchita stone from to 8 inches in diameter, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth, and constructed to run at a very high velocity.
2nd. The spindle yoke D, constructed to hold the spindle firmly, take up the end
slake therein, and permit the vertical movement of the yoke and spindle together,
thereby raising and lowering the stone without slipping the spindle in its bearings.
3rd. In combination with the yoke the differential screw constructed and
operating substantially as set forth.
4th. In combination with a fixed upper millstone M¹, the hopper X tightly
fastened to the plate fixed to the upper stone, so as to exclude the air from entrance
at the eye of the stone.
5th. A millstone dressed so as to do all the grinding or granulation at the skirt
of the stone from 1 to 2 inches of the skirt of the stone; the conter of the stone
being bosomed out so as to admit the free passage of the material to be ground.
Gth. The curb (Figure 4) composed of the two segments 1 and 2, fastened together
with the ring 3 or other suitable means so as to be readily removed to permit
access to the stone without taking the mill apart.
7th. The combination of the differential screw F, yoke D, spindle S, and lower
stone N', substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
8th. The combination of yoke D, provided with hub c', notched, as shown in
Figure 3, with spring catch d, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
9th. The process of manufacturing flour from middlings by first grinding the
purified iniddlings in the improved mill, then bolting the same and re-grinding the
coarser portions in the improved mill, and continuing the like operation until the
whole is reduced to a proper fineness without any portion being over ground,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Herbert John Haddan, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of May, in the year of our Lord
1878.
H. J. HADDAN. (L.S.)