AN IMPROVED BOLTING OR SIFTING MACHINE
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
"
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
'AN IMPROVED BOLTING OR SIFTING MACHINE." A communication from
abroad by Charles John Shuttleworth, of Springville, Joseph Delos Larabee,
of Ashford, George Parker Kellogg, of East Pike, Edward Wilhelm, of Buffalo,
and John Joseph Bonner, of Buffalo, all in the State of New York, United
States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd March 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "AN IMPROVED BOLTING OR SIFTING MACHINE."
[A communication from abroad by Charles John Shuttleworth, of Springville,
Joseph Delos Larabee, of Ashford, George Parker Kellogg, of East Pike, Edward
Wilhelm, of Buffalo, and John Joseph Bonner, of Buffalo, all in the State of New
York, United States of America.]
This Invention relates to a bolting apparatus in which an inclined screen or sieve,
is employed instead of the rotating reels which are now generally used. These
reels are ordinarily composed of a six-sided frame covered with bolting cloth, and
the meal bolted or sifted therein rests upon the lower section of bolting cloth and
is gradually lifted up as the reel rotates, and held by the rib of the reel frame until
the angle of the section supporting the meal becomes so steep that the rib is unable
to retain the meal any longer, when the whole mass of meal slides off and drops down
upon the lowest section of the reel. This operation is repeated six times during
each revolution of a six-sided-reel, and the bolting-is effected-by-only-one-section-
of the reel at a time and only during the short time in which the meal is in motion
The object
as very little flour passes through the meshes when the meal is at rest.
of this Invention is to construct a bolting apparatus in which the process of bolting
can be carried on more expeditiously, more conveniently, and at less expense than
in ordinary bolting reels; and the said Invention consists chiefly in providing a
bolting apparatus containing an inclined surface and elevating mechanism, s0
arranged that the meal is delivered by the elevating mechanism directly at or

page_text: above the upper end of the inclined bolting surface, and caused to pass repeatedly
over the bolting surface, whereby the meal is rapidly bolted or sifted. The said
Invention consists further in various details of construction, as hereinafter set
forth.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I provide an inclined bolt or screen
which consists of one or more frames covered with bolting cloth, and is arranged
in inclined guides or ways in one side of the case of the machine so that the screen
can be readily removed from the machine when required. I also provide an
elevating wheel composed of a suitable number of long buckets or wings connected
with the shaft of the wheel by spiders. The bottom of the case is made concave
so that the wings or buckets of the said elevating wheel run in close contact with
this bottom, and pick up the meal as it falls on the same. The said inclined screen
is arranged to face the lower portion of the elevating wheel, so that the meal as it
escapes from the buckets is delivered against the side portion of the case at or
above the upper edge of the inclined screen. I employ a conveyor of any suitable
and well known construction which is arranged underneath the said inclined
screen, and collects the flour and middlings which pass through the meshes of the
screen and conducts the same to the proper discharge openings. I provide knockers
or hammers which jar the screen by striking against the upper bar of the frame.
The knockers are secured to a rock-shaft, which is supported in bearings and
operated by a cam or projection on the outer end of the conveyor-shaft. The latter
is driven by a cross belt from a pulley mounted on the shaft of the elevating wheel
or by any other suitable device. The frame of the screen is preferably provided
on its bottom edge with a strip of india-rubber or other elastic material to facilitate
the jarring of the screen. The side of the case opposite the underside of the screen
is made open and is provided with a removable panel or door, so that by opening
the latter the attendant can examine the underside of the screen and apply a brush
to remove any material that may adhere thereto. The elevating wheel and the
screen are arranged in a slightly inclined position in the manner of an ordinary
flour bolt to impart to the material a motion towards the tail end of the machine.
The feed-spout enters the top of the case at the head of the machine, and the bran
discharge spout is arranged at the tail end of the concave bottom of the case.
The
The ground meal or other material to be separated is fed into the machine
through the entering spout, and falls either upon the buckets of the elevating wheel
or upon the bottom of the case where it is scooped up by the buckets and elevated.
As the elevating wheel revolves the material elevated by the buckets is discharged
against the upper end of the screen at the head of the machine, and is caused to
roll over the inclined surface of the screen back to the concave bottom of the case
by reason of the inclined position of the wheel and screen, the material travels at
the same time towards the tail end of the machine. The said screen is provided
with bolting cloth of different degrees of fineness in any approved and well known
order. Assuming that the finest cloth is placed at the head of the machine the
superfine flour will pass through the cloth at the head of the screen, and the inferior
grades of flour will pass through the cloth nearer the tail end of the screen.
last portion of the screen will be sufficiently coarse to permit the passage of the
middlings, and the bran will be discharged through the discharge-spout. A.
conveyor trough is provided with a suitable number of cut-offs, so that any desired
portion of the flour bolted through may be returned to the case for re-bolting. If
desired the different grades of bolting cloth may each be mounted on a separate
frame, so that each may be removed independently of the others and be replaced
by any other desired grade, thereby enabling the miller to adapt the bolting surface
to the particular work required to be performed. Upon removing the screen from
the case both sides of the screen can be thoroughly cleaned, while in a reel only
the outside of the cloth can be reached. The space underneath the screen into
which the flour is bolted is entirely separated by the bolting surface from the space
containing the meal, thereby preventing the floating specks which occur in every
bolting operation from coming in contact with the flour as they do when ordinary

page_text: reels are used, and doing away with the speck-boxes used in ordinary reels for
collecting these floating specks.
The bolting screen is preferably made of the same size as one of the sections of
an ordinary bolting reel, and the elevating wheel somewhat larger so as to deliver
the meal at the top of the screen.
In the said improved bolting apparatus the meal to be bolted is divided into a
large number of small parts according to the number of wings or buckets employed,
and the meal is in consequence brought in contact with the bolting surface in an
almost continuous thin stream, whereby the bolting surface is kept almost con-
tinually in operation and the operation of bolting is performed very rapidly.
The granules of flour strike the meshes of the stationary bolting surface always
in the same direction, so that granules of the same size only will pass through any
given portion of the bolting surface, while in rotating reels the granules of flour
strike the bolting surface at various angles according to the position which the
section of the reel may occupy at the moment when the granule of flour strikes the
same, hence the flour bolted by this improved machine is more uniform than that
bolted through rotating reels and consequently works better in baking.
In the said improved machine the same amount of work performed by a rotating
reel is accomplished with a small portion of the bolting cloth required in a reel,
and this improved machine is consequently produced at considerably less
expense.
The elevating mechanism operates at the same to cool the meal, and prevents the
bolting surface from becoming clogged. The buckets or wings of the elevating
mechanism may be secured to the periphery of a tight drum or cylinder which is
closed at its head, or they may be attached to endless belts or chains running over
suitable pulleys as may be preferred.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st
September 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "AN IMPROVED BOLTING OR SIFTING MACHINE."
A communication from abroad by Charles John Shuttleworth, of Springville,
Joseph Delos Larabee, of Ashford, George Parker Kellogg, of East Pike, Edward
Wilhelm, of Buffalo, and John Joseph Bonner, of Buffalo, all in the State of New
York, United States of America.
This Invention relates to a bolting apparatus in which an inclined screen or
sieve is employed instead of the rotating reels which are now generally used.
These reels are ordinarily composed of a six-sided frame covered with bolting cloth,
and the meal bolted or [sifted therein rests upon the lower section of bolting cloth
and is gradually lifted as the reel rotates, being held by the rib of the reel frame
until the angle of the section supporting the meal becomes so steep that the rib is
unable to retain the meal any longer, when the whole mass of meal slides off and
drops down upon the lowest section of the reel. This operation is repeated six
times during each revolution of a six-sided reel, and the bolting is effected by only
one section of the reel at a time and only during the short time in which the meal
is in motion, as very little flour passes through the meshes when the meal is at rest.
The object of this Invention is to construct a bolting apparatus in which the process
of bolting can be carried on more expeditiously, more conveniently, and at less
expense than in ordinary bolting reels; and the said Invention consists chiefly in
providing a bolting apparatus containing an inclined bolting surface and elevating
mechanism, so arranged that the meal is delivered by the elevating mechanism
directly at or above the upper end of the inclined bolting surface, and caused to
pass repeatedly over the said bolting surface, whereby the meal is rapidly bolted or
sifted. The said Invention also consists in various details of construction, as
hereinafter fully set forth.
In the accompanying Drawings,
Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a machine constructed according
to this Invention.
Figure 2 is a plan or top view thereof with a portion of the cover removed..
Figure 3 is a detail view, shewing the deflecting boards in an oblique position.
Figure 4 is an elevation of the tail end of the machine, and
Figure 5 is an elevation of the head end of the same.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of the said machine.
Figure 7 is a transverse section on the line x, x, Figure 2.
Figure 8 is a longitudinal section of the feed mechanism drawn to an enlarged
scale.
Figure 9 is an end view partly in section, shewing the device whereby the screen
of the feed mechanism is agitated.
Figure 10 is a side elevation of a modified form of the machine with a portion of
the outer casing broken away, and
Figure 11 is a transverse section of the same.
Figure 12 is a plan with the top of the case removed, and
Figure 13 is an end view of the said machine.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawings.
Referring to Figures 1 to 9, A represents the case of the machine supported by
a suitable framework B; C is the elevating mechanism of any suitable construction.
It is shewn in the Drawings as consisting of a wheel or drum, provided with
longitudinal buckets c applied to the periphery of the wheel. D represents the

page_text: inclined bolting surface arranged on the descending side of the elevating mechanism,
and consisting of a suitable number of frames d covered with bolting cloth of
various degrees of fineness. These frames & are held between parallel guides or
ways E running lengthwise of the machine, openings e being. formed through the
tail-board of the machine for the introduction and removal of the said frames d.
D' represents an inclined bolting surface arranged on the ascending side of the
elevating mechanism and composed of frames d covered with bolting cloth and
secured removably between parallel ways E like the frames of the bolting surface D.
The bolting surface D¹ which faces the ascending side of the elevating mechanism
operates upon all of the material which is spilled or dropped from the elevating
mechanism, thereby increasing the bolting capacity of the machine and shortening
the length thereof. F represents a knocker applied to the tail-end of each series of
frames d and actuated by a cam or crank f mounted on a horizontal shaft f¹ which
is driven by bevel gear-wheels from the rear end of the shaft of the elevating
mechanism; G is a screw conveyor arranged underneath each bolting surface and
provided with suitable slides 9, g¹, which permit different parts of the bolted
material to be drawn off separately or to be re-mingled as may be desired;
H represents the feed chamber arranged upon the cover of the casing A of the
machine, preferably over the ascending side of the elevating mechanism; it is
provided in its bottom with a number of openings h, h1, h2, h3, h', through either of
which the material to be bolted may be introduced into the machine, and which are
provided with slides i, i¹, i, i³, i, for opening and closing them; J represents a
screw conveyor arranged on the bottom of the feed chamber H so as to convey the
material from the head towards the tail end thereof. The conveyor flights do not
extend quite to the head of the feed-chamber, so as to leave above the first feed-
opening a space j in which the material is not moved horizontally by the
conveyor. This space is preferably separated from the rest of the feed-chamber by
a concave partition k placed transversely upon the bottom of the feed-chamber
between the first and second openings h, h¹. L represents a spout which conducts
the material to be bolted to the space j at the head of the feed-chamber; M is an
inclined screen arranged in the feed-chamber above the head portion of the
conveyor J so as to discharge the material which passes through the meshes of the
screen into the conveyor-trough at the rear of the partition k, while the tailings
pass over the screen into the space j in front of the partition k. The screen M is
pivotted or otherwise held at its upper end and rests with its lower end upon the
conveyor shaft which is provided at that point with cams or projections m whereby
the screen is jarred or agitated. The screen M is made readily removable from the
feed-chamber through a slot m¹ formed opposite the upper end of the screen or in
any other suitable manner.
N represents the spout which delivers the material to be bolted to the head of
the screen M; the latter is so clothed that it effects a separation of the coarser
particles of bran from the rest of the ground meal, the coarser particles passing
over the tail of the screen into the chamber j and the rest of the ground meal
passing through the meshes of the screen into the trough of the conveyor J.
0, 0, represent deflecting boards arranged in the rear portion of the case A
opposite the upper descending side of the elevating mechanism. These boards O
are arranged at suitable distances apart and secured with their sides to a strip of
canvas p which is tacked to the inner side of the case A, or they may be pivotted
or hinged at their outer sides to the case of the machine in any other suitable
manner. The said boards O are connected at their inner ends and simultaneously
operated by a rod or bar p¹ which projects through the tail board of the case A and
is provided with a suitable handle at its outer end. When the boards O are placed
at right angles to the axis of the elevating wheel C they do not effect the movement
of the material through the apparatus, but when they are inclined towards the
head of the machine, as shewn in Figure 3, the material discharged from the
buckets of the reel is deflected towards the head of the machine and its discharge
from the machine is accordingly retarded. The elevating mechanism is inclined

page_text: towards the tail of the machine like an ordinary bolting reel to give the material a
tendency to work from the head towards the tail of the bolting surface. Sometimes
it becomes desirable to retain the material longer in the rear portion of the machine
than it would stay therein by reason of the inclination of the apparatus. This is
readily accomplished by properly adjusting the deflecting boards O. Q represents
a spout, chute, or inclined conduit, arranged against the underside of that portion
of the bolting surface through which pass the middlings of the first separation.
In small mills it is sometimes not possible to provide a separate bolting apparatus
for the treatment of the reground middlings. When this is the case I clothe the
head of the bolting surface with cloths through which the fine flour, and then the
middlings of the reground materials are bolted, and arrange the spout Q under that
portion of the cloth through which the middlings of the reground materials are
bolted. The spout Q collects these middlings and delivers the same into a separate
receptacle, and the flour from the reground middlings is collected by the head
portion of the conveyor G and discharged through the first slide g. In this manner
the products derived from the bolting of the reground middlings at the head of the
bolting surface, and the bolting of the ground wheat through the remainder of the
bolting surface are kept separate. The spout Q is so arranged in the machine
that it can be readily applied or removed as circumstances may require. The
conveyors G, G, J, are driven from a pulley R mounted on the shaft of the
elevating wheel C by an endless belt running over pulleys S on the conveyor
shafts, or in any other suitable manner. When the machine is intended to be
used for the bolting of ground wheat or other material in a single operation
the spout is removed and the ways E are provided with frames & having
cloths of the requisite degree of fineness in the proper order as inay be necessary
or suitable for the particular kind of work which the bolt is intended to perform.
The material to be bolted is introduced into the feed chamber H through the spout
L, and passes thence into the case of the machine through the first opening h.
When the material to be bolted is less in quantity than the capacity of the machine
it becomes desirable to shorten the passage of the material through the machine in
order to prevent the layer of the material which passes over the bolting surface
from becoming so thin that specks will pass through with the flour. This is
accomplished by removing the bran sieve M. and introducing the material through
the spout N, when the material is delivered into the trough of the conveyor J, and
may be admitted into the case A through either of the openings h¹, h², h³, h², at a
greater or less distance from the head of the machine. When it is desired to bolt
both reground middlings and ground wheat on the same machine simultaneously
the bran sieve M and the spout Q are replaced and the bolting surface is arranged
for bolting reground middlings from the head to and including the surface covered
by the spout Q, and ground wheat from the spout Q to the tail of the machine.
The ground wheat is introduced into the feed chamber H through the spout N, and
the reground middlings through the spout L. The coarse bran is separated from
the ground wheat by the sieve M, and passes over the tail thereof into the space j,
and thence together with the reground middlings through the first slide h into the
machine. All the finer portions of the ground wheat pass through the sieve M into
the trough of the conveyor J, which conducts this material to the last slide h. The
latter is located further from the head of the machine than the spout Q, and admits
the ground wheat into the machine at a point when the bolting of the reground
middlings is completed, the intermediate slides being closed. By this means the
coarse bran is made to traverse the entire bolting surface, and is utilized first during
the bolting of the reground middlings (this operation being greatly facilitated by the
pressure of the bran), and then commingled with the ground wheat from which it
was separated by the sieve M, and which it accompanies in its passage through the
rest of the machine. When the machine is so used the bolted middlings flour is
drawn off through the slide g¹, and the bolted wheat flour, middlings, and the like
through the slides g.
In Figures 10, 11, 12, and 13 this improved machine is represented in a simpler

page_text: form, in which but one bolting surface is employed and the feed mechanism is
replaced by a single feed-spout q. In this construction the frames to which the
bolting cloth is attached are inserted into the machine from the side instead of from
the end, as previously described, and the knockers are arranged to strike against
the upper edge of the frames. The general operation of the machine in bolting is
however the same as that hereinbefore described.
The screen frames are provided on the side opposite that against which the
knockers strike with a strip or blocks of rubber or other elastic material to facilitate
the jarring of the screen.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,-
First. In a bolting machine or apparatus, the combination with the elevating
mechanism, constructed substantially as described, of an inclined screen facing the
said elevating mechanism, and composed of sections having different degrees of
fineness and arranged side by side, whereby the material fed into the machine is
separated into fine and coarse portions from the head towards the tail of the
machine, substantially as above set forth.
Second. In a bolting apparatus, the combination with the elevating mechanism
provided with buckets or wings of the inclined screen arranged to face the elevating
mechanism, substantially as shewn and described.
Third. In a bolting apparatus, the combination with the elevating mechanism
arranged in the meal chamber of the inclined screen, which completely separates
the flour chamber from the meal-chamber, and prevents the floating specks from
entering the flour-chamber, substantially as above set forth.
Fourth. In a bolting apparatus, the combination of the mechanism whereby the
material to be bolted is elevated, the inclined bolting surface facing the descending
side of the elevating mechanism, and a similar bolting surface facing the ascending
side of the said elevating mechanism, substantially as above set forth.
Fifth. In a bolting apparatus, the combination with the mechanism whereby the
material to be bolted is elevated of the inclined bolting surface arranged to face the
elevating mechanism, and divided into two independent sections arranged side by
side, each section being provided with independent discharge-devices for the material
bolted through each section, substantially as above set forth.
Sixth. In a bolting apparatus, the combination with the elevating mechanism of
the inclined bolting surface facing the elevating mechanism and feed. mechanism,
whereby the material to be bolted can be introduced into the machine at a greater
or less distance from the head thereof, substantially as above set forth.
Seventh. In a bolting apparatus, the combination with the elevating mechanism
and an inclined bolting surface composed of two independent sections arranged side
by side, of feed-mechanism provided with a separating screen, whereby the coarse
bran is separated and conducted to the head of the first section of the bolting
surface, together with the reground middlings, and the material passing through the
screen is admitted to the machine at the head of the second section of the bolting
surface, all substantially as above set forth.
Eighth. In a bolting apparatus, the combination with the elevating mechanism
of an inclined bolting surface facing the said elevating mechanism and deflecting
boards, whereby the motion of the material through the machine is regulated,
substantially as above set forth and for the purpose specified.
Ninth. The combination with the elevating mechanism of the inclined bolting
surface, composed of two sections arranged side by side, and the spout Q for
receiving the material bolted through the tail portion of the head section,
substantially as above set forth.
Tenth. The combination with the elevating mechanism of the inclined bolting
surface, the feed-chamber provided with a series of discharge-openings in its bottoni,
and the conveyor J arranged on the bottom of the said, feedchamber, substantially
as above set forth and for the purpose specified.

page_text: Eleventh. The combination with the elevating mechanism and the inclined bolting.
surface of the feed-chamber, the screen M arranged in the said chamber, the
opening which admits the tailings of the screen to the head of the machine, the
conveyor J for receiving.the material which passes through the said screen, and one
or more discharge (openings, substantially as above set forth and for the purpose
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.