Improvements in Machinery for Pulverizing and Levigating by Means of Pestle and Mortar.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 31st May, 1898
Complete Specification Left, 16th Feb., 1839-Accepted, 25th Mar.,
1899
Improvements in Machinery for Pulverizing and Levigating by
Means of Pestle and Mortar.
I, CHARLES LAWRENCE TRUSLER, of 75, West Georgia Street, Indianapolis,
Marion County, Indiana, United States of America, Chemist, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
1
+
This invention relates to that class of grinding or levigating machinery or
apparatus in which a pestle or the like is employed to which motion is imparted
similar to that which is given to a pestle when grinding, mixing or levigating
substances by hand.
end
According to my invention I employ a mortar or vessel as hitherto in which
the substances to be operated on are placed, the said mortar being given a con-
tinuous rotary movement during the operation of grinding, etc. The upper
of the pestle or other grinding instrument is loosely held in an eye carried by a
fixed standard and is fastened to a chain or cable which passes over a superim-
posed pulley and thence down to the outer end of a horizontally rotating arm.
The pestle is elevated by the chain or cable and is suddenly released by a jointed
construction of the arm whereby a spring, acting on the pestle forces it down
with a pounding action to disintegrate larger lumps of harder material than could
be otherwise treated.
Motion is imparted to the pestle by a second horizontal arm or lever which has
one of its ends pivotally secured to the pestle. This arm or lever passes loosely
through an eye on the top of a fixed standard which forms a fulcrum for the arm,
and has its end opposite the pestle pivoted to a horizontally revolving crank-pin.
The center of the revolving mortar is at one side of a line drawn through the
center of revolution of the crank-pin and the fulcrum about which the arm
swings, whereby the path described by the pestle is in a different part of the
mortar from that immediately preceding it.
Dated this 31st day of Nav 1898
COMPIETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Pulverizing and Levigating by
Means of Pestle and Mortar.
I, CHARLES LAWRENCE TRUSLER, of 75, West Georgia Street, Indianapolis,
n the County of Marion and State of Indiana, United States of America,

page_text: Chemist, 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:-
Referring to the accompanying drawings in which similar letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts in the several figures, Figure 1 is a perspective view
of my invention with the exception of the cover for the mortar which is not
shown; Figure 2 a detail in plan view of the mortar and pestle, the arm for
actuating the same and the mechanism for raising and releasing the pestle to
impart a stamping movement to it; Figure 3 a detail in side elevation partially
in vertical section of the mortar and pestle and mechanism for operating the
pestle Figure 4, a detail in side elevation of a portion of the pestle-arm and
pestle-handle, the former being partially sectioned to show the construction of
the joint therein; Figure 5 a detail in side elevation of the mortar and the
scraper working therein; Figure 6 a top view of the cover for the mortar removed
and open; Figure 7 a section on the line 7, 7, of Figure and Figure 8 a view
in perspective of the spring extension bar in the pestle suspending chain.
A represents the bed-plate of my improved triturator and B the legs which
support it. A hanger a, is secured to the under side of the table and the near
pair of legs B have the cross-bar b. The shaft C is mounted in suitable boxes
on the cross-bar and hanger above mentioned and carries the pulley 1) which is
connected with a source of power in the usual manner. Mounted on the shaft C
are the two bevelled cog-wheels E and E which engage the cogs on
the bevelled wheels Fi and G₁ respectively. The bevelled wheel F¹ is
mounted on the lower end of the vertical shaft F (shown in dotted lines in
Figure 1), and the bevelled wheel G¹ is mounted on the lower end of the vertical
shaft G. H is a standard which is bolted to the upper side of the bed-plate and
supports the shaft F. The upper end of the shaft F terminates with the crank-
wheel I, which has the wrist-pin i.
The vertical shaft G is mounted in suitable bearings 61 (Fig. 1) and projects
above the table where it terminates with the horizontal rotary platform or plate J,
upon which the mortar K will be removably secured by means of the hooks k,
and the post having the set-screw, which engages the bottom flange j of
the mortar. By screwing the set-screw inwardly the mortar will be fastened to
the plate J, so as to rotate with it, and by loosening the set-screw the mortar can
be removed from the plate.
L are standards, two in number, which are bolted to the top of the bed-plate
and extend above the mortar and are connected by the arched cross-bar L. Near
the top and middle of the arch is the funnel L₁, into the small lower open end
of which the handle M¹ of the pestle M, projects, and forms the fulcrum or
centre around which the pestle-arm N and handle move, said pestle-arm being
hinged at one end to the handle of the pestle, and, at the other end, connected
with the wrist-pin i on the crank-wheel I. The sloping sides of the funnel L¹
gives the required freedom and play to the upper end of the pestle handle.
The post P, is bolted to the top of the table between the shaft F and the shaft G,
and is provided with the eye P¹, at its upper end having free horizontal rotary
movement. The pestle-arm N is projected through this eye which permits of the
longitudinal movement of the arm, and by acting as a fulcrum gives a horizontal
rotary movement to the pestle end of the arm in a contrary direction to the move-
ment of the end attached to the crank-pin. To permit the pestle to rise and fall
to suit the contour of the concave mortar the pestle-arm will have the hinge
joint N¹, and to allow of free lateral movement of the pestle to cause the pressure
from it to be delivered at right angles to the concave surface in all positions of
the pestle in the mortar the end of the arm will be provided with a swivel-joint
as illustrated in Figure 4, whereby the end section N3 will have rotary adjustment
on the reduced end N4 of the arm. If the weight of the pestle is not sufficient
to give the required pressure against the mortar the mortar I will add to the

page_text: force by means of a spiral spring S, which is placed around the handle M¹ of the
pestle, and is made to press against the funnel L' above, and against an adjustable
collar m, on the handle below the spring. The position of the collar on the
handle will regulate the pressure.
The
The eye on the top of the post P will preferably be made in two parts which
are bolted together to permit of the ready insertion of the pestle-arm.
lower section of the eye-piece will have the stem P2 which will be projected into
the opening in the top of the post. The stem will have a circumferential groove
which will give engagement to a set screw p, which will prevent the removal of
the stem from the post but will permit of free horizontal movement. The center
of the crank-wheel I, post P and mortar K, or opening in the funnel above the
mortar, will not be in alignment with each other, that is, all in the same vertical
plane, but will be out of alignment enough to cause the pestle to move across or
near to the center of the mortar at each sweep of the pestle. This path of the
pestle will keep the material in the mortar from accumulating at the center or
sides out of the reach of the pestle.
R is a scraper made from rubber, steel or other suitable material, depending
on the character of the matter being triturated. It is pivoted to the arm R₁
which is bolted to the standard L and has a hinged movement in a vertical plane.
It is pressed close against the inside of the mortar by the spring r.
It is often desirable to lift the pestle and let it down suddenly with a greater
force, so as to break up large particles, than could otherwise be produced by the
machine. This lift and sudden release by the pestle is accomplished by pivoting
a horizontal bar T to the top of the wrist pin i, and connecting it with the handle
of the pestle by means of a cable or chain. A pin t is extended up from, the
wrist-pin so as to engage the pivoted bar T and push the bar around with it from
the position shown by dotted lines to past the position shown by the full lines
in Figure 2. The chain W passes over the fixed pulley W₁ after it leaves the arm
and before it is fastened to the handle of the pestle, and the arm will pull on the
chain to raise the pestle during half of each revolution of the crank-wheel. As
this would keep the pestle out of contact with the mortar too much of the time I
prefer to interpose a spring W2 in the chain which will allow the arm to reach
about the position shown in full lines in Figure 2, before the lift of the pestle
begins. The height of the lift of the pestle will be regulated by providing a slot
in the bar T, for the attachment of an adjustable swivel t¹, to which the chain
is fastened and which can be moved in or out in the slot. The swivel t¹, is neces-
sary in order to keep the chain from becoming tangled. A slide Y, having a
positive stop to allow the spring to act only so far, will be used by inserting it
in the length of the chain.
z is a cover which is held in a stationary position over the mortar to keep par-
ticles of the contents from flying out under the pounding process, and also to
keep the foreign matters of all kinds from dropping into the mortar. It has
openings for the insertion of the pestle and scraper. The cover is removably
secured by means of the clamp on the end of the arm 7. The cover is split
from the margin to the middle opening, on one side, and the edges v, are bent so
they will hook into each other and lock when the cover is in place.
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 :-
1. In a triturator, the combination, with a revolving support and a mortar
detachably secured thereto, of a rotary swinging pestle, adapted to traverse the
inner surface of the mortar, the longitudinal axis of the pestle being always
approximately at right angles to the surface of the mortar at the point of con-
tact, a crank-wheel and a pestle lever connected with and actuated by the crank
wheel and provided with a pivotal bearing through which longitudinal movement
of the pestle lever is permitted and said pestle lever having a hinge joint per-

page_text: mitting vertical movement and a swivel joint permitting rotary movement, the
axis of revolution of the mortar being out of alignment with the centers of the
crank wheel and pivotal bearings of the pestle and lever, all substantially as
described and for the purposes specified.
2. In a triturating machine, the combination with a revolving mortar and a
rotary swinging pestie, of a pulley supported above the pestle, a wristpin having
a horizontally pivoted bar and a vertical pin to engage the bar and force it
around during part of each circuit of revolution of the wrist pin and a cable or
chain passing over the pulley and having one end connected by means of a swivel
with the pivoted bar and having the other end of the chain connected with the
top of the pestle handle, all substantially as described and specified.
3. In a triturating machine, the combination, with a revolving mortar, a
pestle having rotary swinging movement and mechanism for actuating the mortar
and pestle, of means consisting of a pulley elevated above the pestle, a cable or
chain passing over the pulley and connected at one end to the pestle and at the
other end to mechanism substantially as described, which will alternately pull
on the chain or cable and then release it whereby the pestle will be raised and
lowered.
4. The combination, with a revolving mortar of a funnel shaped collar above
and at one side of the center of the mortar, a pestle traversing the inner surface
of the mortar in an epicycloidal path and having a stem or arm projected up
through the funnel shaped collar, an adjustable collar on the pestle arm, a spiral
spring on said arm between the funnel shaped and adjustable collars, and means,
substantially as described, for compressing the spring and elevating the pestle
and then releasing it suddenly whereby a pounding movement will be imparted
to the pestle, all substantially as and for the purposes specified.
5. A cover for mortars having an opening through which the pestle arm will
be projected, said cover being split from its outside edge into the opening for
pestle arm, and having the edges made by said split, bent whereby they can be
jointed by hooking them together.
6. In a triturating machine, the combination with a revolving mortar, a
pestle having rotary swinging movement and mechanism for actuating the mortar
and pestle, a wrist-pin moving in a circular path, a horizontal bar pivoted to the
wrist-pin, and a vertical pin to engage the bar and force it around during part
of each circuit of revolution of the wrist-pin, of means consisting of a pulley
elevated above the pestle, a cable or chain passing over the pulley and connected
at one end to the pestle and at the other end to the horizontal bar, said cable or
chain having an elastic portion whereby the length of the cable or chain can be
increased within predetermined limits, all substantially as described and specified.
Dated this 16th day of February 1899.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.