IMPROVEMENTS IN MILLS FOR SHELLING AND GRINDING OATS, WHEAT, AND OTHER KINDS OF GRAIN AND SEEDS "
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Perrott of the City of Cork Iron Works in the
City of Cork, Ireland, Iron Founder, Millwright and Engineer for an Invention
«
of IMPROVEMENTS IN MILLS FOR SHELLING AND GRINDING OATS, WHEAT,
AND OTHER KINDS OF GRAIN AND SEEDS
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Perrott at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th January 1883.
GEORGE PERROTT of the City of Cork Iron Works, in the City of Cork, Ireland,
Iron Founder, Millwright and Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN MILLS FOR SHELLING
AND GRINDING OATS, WHEAT AND OTHER KINDS OF GRAIN AND SEEDS.'
"
"
The present invention relates to that class of Mill in which the face of the lower
or bedstone is fixed horizontally, and the upper stone or runner is driven by
suitable gearing.
"
propose to
In some of these Mills a wabbling or irregular motion permitting some deviation
from the true horizontal plane of rotation, is purposely provided for in the "runner
by various well known devices, but I consider such arrangements needless,
injurious and defective owing to the difficulty which exists in obtaining from such
mills meal, middlings, sharps, and flour of uniform best qualities, and
substitute therefor improvements on the old and well known driver, commonly
known as the "stiff inque," or "common cross," by means of which improvements
the runner will be set and adjusted to the required true plane of rotation more
easily, quickly and accurately than heretofore, and will retain its proper position
parallel to the working face of its bedstone during the shelling and grinding
operations.
>>
runner are
The novel means I have devised for thus adjustably fixing the "
entirely independent of the usual means employed to set and adjust the bedstone
and spindle, and are intended to be used in addition thereto.
According to my invention the "runner" " is supported from below on the points
of adjustable screws, which rest upon suitably disposed radial arms carried by the
spindle. The runner can thus be raised and lowered with facility, and its plane of
rotation can be accurately adjusted from the top or outside of the runner.

page_text: In carrying my invention into effect I take a socketted centre casting or forging
of iron or steel, such as is commonly known as a "stiff inque," having preferably
three radial arms and of such material, shape, and size as are suitable for the
runner to be employed; fitting and locking the said socketted centre casting on the
tapering squared, or turned conical "cock head" on the upper end of the spindle
in the usual way, so as to rotate therewith when the latter is driven.
To correspond with this central casting, cross or yoke on the spindle I prepare a
frame, ring or cylinder of cast iron or other suitable material, which is inserted
and fixed as an eye in the centre of the runner. -This frame, ring or cylinder is
formed with as many deep sockets at or near its under face as there are arms
attached to, or projecting from, the centre casting above named; the said sockets
corresponding in shape and position with the ends of the arms so as to fit over
and around them with sufficient freedom for adjustment.
The placing of the sockets and radial arms above referred to close to the face of
the runner is an important feature in my invention.
At or near the middle of each of these sockets I insert a strong regulating screw,
which passes vertically downwards from the top or back of the runner through the
substance of the central frame ring or cylinder which is shaped and tapped to
receive it or through a nut inserted therein, so that the lower point of each
screw may bear against the upper surface of one of the said arms, or enter a slight
recess formed therein. Each screw has a lock nut and a suitably formed head
outside and above the back of the "runner or inserted wholly or partly
therein; by means of which the "runner" may be adjusted with perfect precision
from the top, outside, and when so adjusted be firmly retained in its proper
position for working.
"
It will be observed that by this method of constructing and connecting the
driver with the "runner" great simplicity and strength of parts are obtained, and
a steady motion and direct action are secured. Danger from fire by attrition is
also avoided.
As a modification of the above arrangement of mounting and driving millstones
the sockets for the reception of these adjusting screws may be made separate from
each other, and be separately inserted through and fixed in the substance of the
runner instead of being connected by or formed in one with a ring as aforesaid.
The ring or cylinder is formed with lugs or a flange at its lower part the better
to hold and support the runner; as may be also the separate sockets when such are
used.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said George Perrott in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th July
1883.
GEORGE PERROTT of the City of Cork Ironworks, in the City of Cork, Ireland,
Iron Founder Millwright and Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN MILLS FOR SHELLING
AND GRINDING OATS, WHEAT AND OTHER KINDS OF GRAIN AND SEEDS
The present Invention relates to that class of mill in which Millstones are used
and in which the lower or bedstone is fixed horizontally, and the upper stone or
runner is driven.
**
E
"
"
In the old Mills what is known as a "Stiff Inque" was generally used as the
"driver" between the spindle and the "Runner," but the difficulty of getting a
satisfactory adjustment of the "Runner led to the adoption of the well-known
Universal or "Globe Inque" in a variety of shapes and forms; but all these are
liable to wabbling and irregular motions producing very inferior meal and flour,
especially where finer qualities are required.
"
"
"
Now my Invention consists in improved means for adjusting and driving
Millstones; and constitutes an improvement on the Stiff Inque" or "Driver"
above mentioned by which the said Runner is securely connected with its
spindle and may be quickly adjusted and set perfectly true to the required plane of
rotation; and then be secured from liability to derangement during the shelling
and grinding operations.
"
According to my Invention I adapt to the centre of the "runner a cylindrical
casting forming an eye, and having on its outer periphery vertical ribs or
projections and sockets to receive and securely hold the radial arms of the
"Stiff Inque" or "driver" which is mounted on the end of the Mill spindle; and
through the external ribs or projections of the cylindrical casting I insert screw
bolts which bear upon the extremities of the radial arms, and by means of these
screw bolts and of nuts suitably disposed I am enabled to accurately adjust and
permanently retain the " runner in position with respect to the bed-stone.
"
The mode of securely connecting the runner with the stiff Inque or driver and
consequently with the spindle, and facilitating the exact and permanent adjustment
of the runner with relation to the bedstone will be readily perceived on reference
to the accompanying drawing in which Fig: 1 is a vertical section through a pair
of millstones with my Invention applied thereto. Fig: 2 is a sectional plan view
of the "Stiff Inque" or "driver," taken on the line 1. 2 of Fig: 1, showing its
connection with the "runner," Fig: 3 is a detached elevation of the cylindrical
centre casting or eye of the "runner," Fig: 4 is a plan view of the same and
Fig: 5 is an inverted plan view of a three-armed stiff Inque or driver and the
cylindrical centre casting or eye of the runner corresponding thereto.
In these Figures the same letters of reference indicate like or corresponding
parts.
A is the runner, B the bedstone and C the Mill spindle.
D. is a casting or forging of iron or steel such as is commonly known as a
"Stiff Inque" or "cross," but having three or more arms d. extending radially
and at equidistant points from a boss d. in which is a socket of squared tapering,
or turned conical shape adapted to fit on the correspondingly shaped head of the
spindle, known as the "cockhead," so as to be fast thereon and rotate therewith
when the spindle is driven.
"
The radial arme d. are of such size and shape as will best suit the "runner to
be employed. E is a cylindrical casting of suitable diameter and depth which is

page_text: intended to be inserted or firmly embedded to form an eye in the centre of the
runner A. This cylinder E is smooth and clear of projections within to allow of
the feed entering freely and has preferably a bevelled lip, for the same purpose;
but on the outside the walls of the cylinder are increased in thickness so as to
form three or more vertical ribs or projections e. terminating below in sockets e¹.
corresponding in number and position with the armis d. of the Stiff Inque or
driver D. The lower part of the cylinder E is flanged externally at e². and affords
a firm support for the runner. The sockets e. are of larger diameter than the ribs
or projections e. and also afford considerable additional support for the runner.
It will be understood that the runner is cut out to receive this cylindrical
casting or eye with its external ribs or projections and sockets, and that it is
capable of being thereby very securely fitted on and around the said casting; the
projections and their sockets preventing all circumferential slip, and the top edges
of the sockets e¹. and flange e² sustaining the weight of the stone when mounted
in an operative position.-Cement of any suitable kind may be used to ensure
accuracy of fit. The sockets e¹. are preferably rectangular or of box form, and are
open towards the centre of the cylinder as shewn in the drawing.
They are each of such size and shape as to closely fit around the end of one of
the arms d. and of a height sufficient to allow of the vertical adjustment of the
end of the arm within the socket and of the reception of a nut f. as shewn in
Fig 1. Within each of the vertical ribs or projections e. on the outside of the
cylinder E a hole is made to receive a regulating screw or bolt F, the end of the
said screw passing through the nut f. and bearing on the extremity of the arm d,
and its head being squared to facilitate adjustment. A second nut f¹ above the
tubular projection e. enables the bolt to be locked in position when the level of the
runner has been adjusted, and by these means the position of the working face of
the runner with respect to the bedstone may be exactly and permanently adjusted.
I wish it to be distinctly understood that the office of the regulating serew bolts F,
and bottom nuts f, is only to adjust the runner by raising or lowering it to a true
revolving face, the lock nuts f. then serving to fix and retain it in place; but the
sockets of the central cylindrical casting which enclose and grasp the arm ends
are the real drivers of the "runner" and efficiently connect the runner with the
stiff Inque or driver on the spindle, and thus there is no driving strain thrown on
the regulating screw bolts F.
If preferred the ribs or projections e. may be tapped to receive the regulating
screws F instead of using separate nuts f. within the sockets e¹., but the locknuts ƒ¹.
on top are desirable in either case.
The method of working the Invention is as follows―
"
The " Stiff Inque or driver having three or more equidistant radial arms is
first placed on the "cockhead" of the spindle, and then the "runner," fitted with a
socketted cylindrical casting or eye as above described, is lowered down on the
Stiff-Inque. A hand wrench is then applied to the squared heads of the regulating.
screws, and the working face of the "runner" is thereby adjusted so as to lie
perfectly parallel to the face of the bedstone. A spanner is then applied to the
locknuts f¹. and the perfection attained is permanently secured.
It will be understood that the improvements above described are entirely
independent of the usual means employed to set and adjust the bedstone and
spindle, and are intended to be used in addition thereto.
It should be observed that the faces of the millstones when thus fitted cannot be
injured by contact, and danger from striking fire is avoided.
One merit of this Invention is that it provides facilities for securing perfect
truthfulness in the working faces of the stones, as the runner can be raised and
rotated at any desirable height above the bedstone and then corrected by a diamond,
or this result may be attained by carefully rotating one upon the other, and
marking the irregularities on each for removal.
The runner being once laid down need not be raised again as the regulating
screws and nuts are worked from the top, outside.
.

page_text: By the above described arrangement for connecting the driver with the runner,
great strength and simplicity of parts are obtained, and the sockets and radial
arms engaging therewith are brought close to the face of the runner, whereby a
steady motion and direct action are secured.
.
Having now described the nature of my Invention of "Improvements in Mills
" and
for shelling and grinding Oats, Wheat, and other kinds of Grain and seeds
explained in what manner the same may be carried into practical effect, I wish it
to be understood that I claim :-
The means described with reference to the accompanying Drawing for securely
connecting millstone runners with their spindles and facilitating their exact and
permanent adjustment in relation to their respective bed stones as set forth.
In witness whereof I the said George Perrott have hereunto set my hand and
seal this twenty-fourth day of July One thousand eight hundred and eighty
three.