IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE DRESSING OR CRACKING OF MILLSTONES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Augustus Bryant Childs, of New Oxford Street,
London, Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS TO
BE EMPLOYED IN THE DRESSING OR CRACKING OF MILLSTONES."-A communi-
cation from abroad by David Monroe Childs, of Rochester, New York,
United States of America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Augustus Bryant Childs
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Fetition, on
the 23rd August 1861.
I, AUGUSTUS BRYANT CHILDS, of New Oxford Street, London, Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MEANS TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE DRESSING OR CRACKING OF MILLSTONES," being a
communication to me from abroad by David Monroe Childs, of Rochester,
New York, United States of America, to be as follows:-
The particulars of this Invention relates to the application of the diamond
or other mineral cutting substance in the production of the small lines (or
what is generally known as the cracking), in any required form upon the face
of millstones. The diamond or other mineral cutting substance (of which one
or more may be used) is to be drawn by the hand or by mechanical agency, so
that the cutting edge or edges may cut into the face of the millstone, the fine

page_text: lines or cracks instead of the ordinary metal mill bill now used. Although T
prefer the diamond to be drawn by the hand or by mechanical agency, I do
not confine myself to that particular mode in the application of the diamond
for the aforesaid purpose.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Augustus Bryant Childs in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 22nd February 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, AUGUSTUS
BRYANT CHILDS, of New Oxford Street, London, Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reigu, did, for Ierself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Augustus Bryant Childs, Her special licence that I, the said
Augustus Bryant Childs, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as J, the said Augustus Bryant Childs, ny executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might, make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
DRESSING OF MILLSTONES, OR WHAT IS GENERALLY KNOWN AS THE CRACKING OF
MILLSTONES," being a communication to me from abroad by David Monroo
Childs, of Rochester, New York, United States of America, upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Augustus Bryant Childs, my exc-
cutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Juvention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Augustus Bryant Childs, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, and by the Sheet of Drawings filed herewith,
and the figures and letters marked thereon:-

page_text: Figures 1 and 2 on the Sheet of Drawings are sections of the stone, shewing
the dress; Fig. 3 is a view of the plane or instrument, with which the dress is
executed, or put upon the grinding surface of the stone; Fig. 4 is a view of
the stone, completely dressed for work, a portion of the fine lines, however,
only being shewn as in red.
The following is the manner of preparing and dressing the stone. The face
of the stone is laid out according to the usual known modes of dressing, and
the deep furrows may be allowed to remain when my dress is to be executed,
or put upon a stone which has been previously dressed.
My first operation is to cleanse the surface of the stone by applying thereto
the following composition, videlicet, a quarter of a pound of saltpetre, a
quarter of a pound of tartaric acid, and half a pound of common salt dissolved
in one gallon of vinegar, and well mixed together. I then take pipeclay and
emery mixed together, and therewith polish the stone, planing out the furrows
as true as possible; two-thirds of the way up the inclined plane of the furrow
nt A the crack or grinding surface is commenced. When the whole of the
face has been thus polished as smooth as possible, the tool which I am about to
describe is used.
The tool is composed of one or more diamonds inserted in a bit or handle,
and when two or more diamonds are used they are to be firmly set in a row
at equal distances apart. The furrows or cracks A and B are produced by
running with adequate force the points or diamonds over the face of the stone
where the lines are intended to be cut, and such operation may be con-
veniently performed by running the tool containing the diamond along the edge
of a straight ruler. The curved lines, as represented at C, C, C, are made by
operating the same diamond points by the side of a curved ruler. The width
of the space separating the lines upon the grinding surface of the stone is
regulated by holding the points more or less diagonally across the line of
motion.
In order to shew the precise nature of my improvements I will explain the
ordinary modes of dressing millstones. In the ordinary mode the pick being
brought down upon the face of the stone produces the stellated fracture, and
thereby weakens or disintegrates the stone as far as the fracture extends, and
the edges of the crack which have been thus weakened by the blow from the
pick soon crumble away, and the particles thus detached are thrown out and
wear the face of the stone. Those disadvantages are prevented by my
improvements in dressing millstones.
The line cut by the diamond upon a glossy surface, which has never been
detonated or disintegrated by a blow from a pick is clear and distinct, having

page_text: its edges sharp and fine. Millstones will be more perfect when dressed again
according to my Invention, as the diamond will cut below the bruises occa-
sioned by the old mode of dressing with a pick.
In the old mode of dressing with a pick the furrow is rough and nearly flat
at the bottom, whereas furrows cut with the diamond are smooth, having the
side upon which the grain rises a regular smooth inclined plane. The passago
of the grain to the face is uniformly checked by the lines at A, where the bran
is taken off, and there is no crushing contact of the stone with the wheat, as
the sharp edges of the cracks or small lines cut or shave up the grain, and the
flour comes from the stone with all its nutrition. There is no perceptible
moisture generated in the operation of grinding with millstones dressed
according to my process, and the sprouts are clean and dry, which I attribute
to the fact that the grain is kept back or in towards the eye by the retarding
curved lines until well ground, and while the motion is less rapid and conse-
quently less liable to heat. When the flour has reached the extreme of the
breast circle it is rapidly thrown from the stone with few, if any, inequalities
to retard its egress, and it will be found that much less power is required for
grinding when my mode of dress is employed to produce the same amount of
a superior article of flour.
Having described the nature of my said Invention for an improvement or
improvements in the dressing of millstones, or what is generally known as the
cracking of millstones, I wish it to be understood that what I claim as my
Invention is,-
First, the combination and arrangement above described for dressing mill-
stones when operated, substantially as set forth.
Second, the lines A upon the upper portion of the incline plane of the
furrow.
Third, the curved or retarding lines C upon the breast circle.
In witness whereof, I, the said Augustus Bryant Childs, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
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