Year: 1886

page_text: I, ROBERT MORRELL of Summit in the County of Union and State of New
Jersey one of the United States of America Gentleman, 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:-
My invention relates to grinding mills in which a series of pairs of grinding rolls
for treating the grain by successive reductions are used alternately with a series of
separators such as concave screens having revolving brushes and fans, or it may be
close druins with plain or corrugated surfaces in lieu of the fans to run the chop
through successively to each reduction for separating the fine material from that
which requires further reduction and it consists essentially of a plan of construction
in which mills of four or five "break" capacity, that is having four or five pairs of
rolls and the complement of screens therefor (which is the preferred arrangement
in the trade because these numbers of breaks and separators give much the best
results practically) can be comprised in a single machine of which the height will
be within the limits of the usual height between the floors of ordinary mill
buildings, without material increase of longitudinal dimensions, for greater
simplicity of construction and setting up and particularly for greater convenience
of the miller besides the advantages of having the mill wholly contained in one
story or on one floor as compared with the present construction of these mills of
like capacity which extend through one floor to the height of two stories of the.
building and sometimes more in which form the necessary frequent inspections of
the working of each pair of rolls and attention to the bearings and the like require
constant laborious climbing up and down whereas by the improved construction
which I propose the attendance may be almost wholly given from the floor'on
which the mill stands the climbing of stairs being at the most limited to say three
or four steps.
J.
My invention also consists of a simpler contrivance of the driving gear for the
rolls than is required in the mills as now constructed all as hereinafter fully
described and claimed reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which-
Fig. 1, is a side elevation of my improved mill with the casing removed and
portions of some of the parts broken out, also with some of the parts in section,
and Fig. 2, is an elevation in perspective view.

page_text: In a case a, of about nine feet high, a little greater length and the usual width,
I arrange the first pair of break rolls 6 in the upper corner of one end under the
usual feed hopper c and its roll d, and directly under said rolls I arrange the first
concave screen with its fans f and brushes g for separating the fine flour by
brushing it through the screen and discharging the coarse chop down the shute h,
to the next pair of break rolls i which together with the screen e¹ and fans fl
therefor I arrange below and a little to one side of the first screen substantially as
they are now arranged in the mills of this kind as at present constructed, but in
my plan screen e¹ of the second separator of the range is located in the lower part
of the machine next above the conveyor l, at the bottom and is adjusted for the
revolving of the fans in the opposite direction to that of fans f, to discharge into
the elevator n, for carrying the chop to the second range of rolls and separators
correspondingly located with the first whilst as heretofore constructed the whole
series of rolls and screens is contrived vertically in this zig zag form the fans
turning alternately in opposite directions, the height being as above stated equal to
or greater than two stories of the building. In some cases the screens have been
placed in a direct line one below another with the rolls located in about the same
relations as rolls i are to screen &, with all the fans turning in the same direction,
but this requires greater height than the zig zag arrangement.
Now as two pairs of rolls and the screens therefor with the feed mechanism
above, and the conveyor l, below can be well and conveniently bestowed between
two floors with economy of space and without any part being out of reach of the
miller on a stand of two or three steps or so, I construct the mill in two of these
(preferably) inclined ranges of rolls and screens located side by side in a case having
corresponding longitudinal extension, and I locate the third pair of rolls m, in the
upper part level with rolls b, or thereabout and at the opposite end of the case and
provide the elevator n, between said ranges and in suitable relations with screen e¹
and fans f¹ to receive the chop from them and deliver it to rolls m, under which
I arrange the screen e³ and fans få belonging to them with the fourth pair of rolls g
and the screen e³ and fans f³ for them below and preferably in the reverse as here
shown but they may be in the same inclination as the first range; a fifth pair of
rolls may if desired be arranged below screen e³, but generally it will be sufficient
to make the final reduction by the fourth pair; the fine flour discharges into the
conveyor 1, from all the screens except the first one to be conveyed to such other
dressing machines as may be employed, and the bran escapes through spout y.
From the first screen I prefer to discharge the screened matters separately from
the rest by the conveyor 2, because they lower the grade of flour somewhat when
not separated.
Thus it will be seen that with the employment of a single elevator of simple
form and small size, but wide as the length of the rolls or thereabout I am enabled
to bring the complement of these elements into much more desirable and convenient
form both for space and attendance than as they are now arranged and besides I
effect considerable simplification of construction as to the internal arrangement of
partitions and shutes also as to the arrangement of the exhaust apparatus for
drawing off the particles of light matter from the chop when it may be desired to
use such apparatus, and also as to the arrangement of the driving belt for working
the rolls as follows:
Under the screens the space is all free for the fine flour forced through them to
fall directly into the conveyor l, from all except the first screen without any shutes
except it may be preferred to employ the shute w, between the two screens of the
second range to prevent any of the flour from the upper screen lodging on the
lower one but it may not be required.
For the rest, the shutes h, together with the screens and the rolls and the
partition x, of the elevator prevent the escape of the chop into the flour space
below, and for drawing off the light matters from the chop immediately before
entering between the rolls by a suction fan as sometimes practised it will be seen
that the arrangement of the rolls and the form of the case is favorable for the

page_text: arrangement of a vertical air passage directly through the case from over each pair
of the rolls, receiving the chop where said passages may connect with the suction
side of a fan in any approved way.
For the driving gear of the rolls the belt c¹ from the driving pulley to be located
under the floor is made to drive all the rolls with a single idler v, by passing first
around the pulley of one of rolls m, thence around the pulley of one of rolls b,
thence around the pulley of one of rolls i, thence around the pulley of one of
rolls q, and thence back on to the driving pulley, thus saving the cost wear and
attention of several idlers, or duplicate driving gears that have to be employed in
the single vertical range arrangement.
The rolls of each pair are to be geared together in the usual manner for turning
one by the other and as usual to be differently speeded.
The fans may be bolted separately to the rolls as indicated or be otherwise
geared as preferred.
In my improved mill the rotating portion of the separators may consist of
brushes and fans as herein shown or be otherwise constructed and I am not limited
by any particular construction of the same.
The conveyor z, may be driven by a belt u, from the lower pulley shaft´t of the
elevator, and conveyor l, may have a belt from any suitable source on its pulley 8.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that
what I claim is:-
1st In a grinding mill consisting of a series of grinding rolls and separators in
the alternate arrangement described, the said series of rolls and separators arranged
in two ranges located side by side in combination with an elevator intermediately
arranged therewith substantially as described.
2nd In a grinding mill consisting of a series of grinding rolls and separators in
the alternate arrangement described, the said series of rolls and separators arranged
in two ranges located side by side in combination with an elevator intermediately
arranged therewith the partition x and the shutes h, substantially as described.
3rd In a grinding mill consisting of a series of grinding rolls and separators in
the alternate arrangement described, the combination of the said rolls in two
ranges located side by side, the driving belt, running directly from one set of rolls
to another of the two ranges, alternately throughout the whole series whereby one
of the rolls of each pair is driven, and connecting gearing whereby the other roll
of each pair is driven substantially as described.