IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER MILLS FOR CRUSHING WHEAT AND OTHER GRAIN, AND TREATING MEAL, MIDDLINGS, SEMOLINA, AND SIMILAR SUBSTANCES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Augustus Bryant Childs, of No. 70, Fenchurch Street,
London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER MILLS FOR CRUSHING
WHEAT AND OTHER GRAIN, AND TREATING MEAL, MIDDLINGS, SEMOLINA, AND
SIMILAR SUBSTANCES." A communication from abroad by Friedrich Wegmann,
of Zurich Switzerland.
Sealed the 19th December 1879, and dated the 23rd June 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Augustus Bryant Childs
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd June 1879.
"IMPROVE-
AUGUSTUS BRYANT CHILDS, of No. 70, Fenchurch Street, London.
MENTS IN ROLLER MILLS FOR CRUSHING WHEAT AND OTHER GRAIN, AND TREATING
A communication from
MEAL, MIDDLINGS, SEMOLINA, AND SIMILAR SUBSTANCES."
abroad by Friedrich Wegmann, of Zurich, Switzerland.
A portion of my improvement relates to the manner of working the rollers of
porcelain or metal roller mills by means of gear wheels for crushing and grinding
wheat and other grain, and treating portions of the ground products thereof.
Heretofore the usual manner of working such roller mills is to place the rollers side
by side in a horizontal or vertical position, and affix the gear wheels of the required
diameter to the ends of the roller shaft, for working the surface of the rollers at an
uniform or differential speed, as may be desired, and so that the teeth of the gear
wheels properly gear into each other. As a rule the teeth of gear wheels are made
so that there is but one relative position or point of contact for the proper and
smooth working of the gearing, but owing to the difficulty of making porcelain
rollers and expense of turning and finishing them to an uniform diameter, they are
often used in the same pair of different diameters, which requires gear wheels of a
particular size to suit each pair or set of rollers, thereby causing much expense and
trouble in having a great number of slightly different sized gear wheels for the same
purpose. By the use of my improved arrangement of gear wheels with the rollers
this difficulty is overcome, and the manner of working them admits of rollers of the
same or different diameters in the same pair being used, or both rollers in the same
pair may be made smaller or larger without in the least interfering with the
smooth regular working of the rollers and moving parts of the machine, and thereby

page_text: save the expense of making rollers of uniform diameters. The size of the rollers
can vary half an inch more or less in diameter without in the least interfering with
their proper working. Again, there is a lateral motion of the rollers required for
admitting an increased or diminished quantity of material between the rollers to be
treated, which cause a constant variation in the depth of the mesh of the gear teeth,
and consequently a jarring motion which brings a great strain on the teeth, causing
them to break, and an undue wear on the working parts of the machine. Further-
more, the surface of the rollers are subject to wearing, which causes the gear wheels
to move out of their true working position, and thereby causes all the defects in the
working of the machine hereinbefore described. To remedy these defects the gear
wheels are so arranged and worked that any difference in the diameter, lateral
adjustment, or movement of the rollers do not interfere with their smooth working.
My improvement in applying gear wheels is applicable to mills containing one or
two sets of rollers, but I prefer using but one set in the same machine, and of rather
larger dimensions than usually made, say about 16 inches in diameter, and 14
inches long, more or less, to suit the material being treated. This improvement
consists in furnishing the machine with a counter shaft a, as shown in the accom-
panying Drawings, Fig. 1, Sheet 1, which is usually worked under one of the
rollers on the frame of the machine. This shaft is provided with a driving pulley b
for imparting motion to the machine through the medium of a belt worked from
any suitable prime mover. The counter shaft a is furnished with a gear wheel con
the opposite end to the pulley; this wheel gears into a wheel d attached to the end
of the roller or roller shaft d¹; the wheel c also works an adjustable intermediate
gear wheel e at its side, which is made to work a gear wheelf on the end of the
roller shaft f. The gear wheel c, d, e, and fare denoted by circles. The direction
of the motion of the gear wheels and other parts are indicated by the arrows marked
thereon, showing the motion of the two rollers. It will be readily seen in this
arangement of gearing for giving motion to rollers that any difference in their
diameter or lateral movement of the rollers d'and f¹ caused by the increase or
diminishing of the quantity of the feed or the wearing of the rollers does not interfere
with the proper working of the gear wheel, the teeth of which mesh into each other
at the proper point at all times owing to the distance of the centre of the gear
which works into each other being practically retained at the same distance apart
at all times, while the distance between the centre of the roller may be varied by
increasing or diminishing the feed or wearing of the rollers, which does not interfere
with their smooth steady working, as the lateral movement of the rollers does not
effect the proper working position of the gear wheels. An uniform or differential
speed of the surface of the roller is obtained by using a large or small wheel on the
roller shaft f. The gear wheels are usually placed on one side of the machine and
the driving pulley on the other, but both may be placed on the same side if desired;
or gearing may be used on both sides of the machine for large size rollers. The
driving pulley may consist of a single friction pulley provided with a frictional
clutch of any known form, for throwing it in and out of gear; or instead of a
friction pulley the counter shaft a may be provided with a loose and fixed pulley
for stopping and starting the machine.
د
One of the rollers & is worked in stationary bearings, while the other is worked
in adjustable bearings, and automatically held against the stationary roller & by
weights, levers, or springs applied in any known manner; but for this purpose I
prefer to use the mechanism described in my application for a Patent dated 16th
day of January 1879, No. 180, for adjusting and keeping the axis of the rollers
parallel, in order to bring the working surfaces of the rollers uniformly together at
all points for producing the same and an uniform squeezing action on the material
being treated. The adjustable roller f, Fig. 2, works in bearings attached to adjust-
able arms g capable of being adjusted in all directions for raising or lowering the
ends of the adjustable rollers, and allowing the roller shaft journals to work on the
whole surface or length of the bearings in the adjustable arms g placed on each sido

page_text: of the machine, and acted on by levers h and weights i for automatically holding
the surface of the rollers together. The lovers h are provided with elbows j or
projection for connecting it to the arm 7 by the rods /. It will be seen that the
weight i, acting on the lever h and projection ; causes the rod k, by taking hold of
the arm g, to automatically press the adjustable roller f' against the roller d; the
adjustable arms g, in which the rollers work in suitable bearings, are attached to
the frame of the machine on a revolving adjustable pivot capable of raising or
lowing the arm g, together or separately, and holding them in any required
position for causing a parallel position of the axis of the two rollers. Provision is
made for increasing or diminishing the automatic pressure on the roller by moving
the end of the rod k attached to the projection j nearer to or further from the
fulcrum to which the lever his attached is provided with notches for attaching
the rod k, as shown in Fig. 2. A spring may be used instead of the weight i,
which may be attached to any convenient part of the frame, and connected
to the lever h. When the mill is not in use, and while the rollers are in
motion, the pressure is taken off the rollers by an arm m with its ends provided
with an eccentric which is made to work on the short inner end of the lever h, and
thereby press it down and lift the weight i, which prevents the rollers from pressing
together when not at work and while in motion.
The machine is provided with a hopper, feeding roller, and means for adjusting
the quantity of feed admitted to the squeezing rollers according to any known plan
of such parts.
Another portion of my improvement consists in providing roller mills with an
arrangement of an intermediate driving counter shaft, and driving, guide, and
automatic tightening pulleys for working the rollers by means of belts or driving cords
instead of gear wheels as hereinbefore described. These different parts, consisting
of counter shaft, driving, and guide pulleys, are all attached to the machine, for
making it complete in itself. Figs. 3 and 4 represent this portion of my improve-
ment. The direction of the motion of the parts are indicated by arrows marked
thereon. The mill is this case is provided with two sets of rollers d, d, as repre-
Bented; one of the rollers in each set have pulleys c, c', affixed larger than the
diameter of the rollers on one side of the machine, and the other rollers are provided
with similar pulleys c², c³, Fig. 4. On the opposite side of the machine two belts
g', g, are used for working the rollers, one on each side of the machine. The inter-
mediate driving counter shaft is driven by a belt 8, partly shown, from any suitable
prime mover. The following is a description of the action of the two belts g and g'
for working the two sets of rollers. The belt g, g, Fig. 3, is worked off of the
pulley b, passing up over the pulley c attached to the roller shaft, and down under
the tightening pulley f, and then up and over the pulley c¹ on the roller shaft, and
down around the side of the tightening pulley f, and back to the pulley b, as repre-
sented. Fig. 4 shows how the belt g¹, g', is applied and works on the other side of
the machine, which is driven off of the pulley b' on the counter shaft a; this belt
passes up over the pulley c³ on the roller shaft, down under the tightening pulley f
and up over the pulley c on the roller shaft, and back to the right of the driving
pulley b. The tightening pulleys f, f, and f¹ are constructed and applied to yiel
automatically by springs, weights, or levers, or in any other known manner not
represented in the Drawings, acting on a sliding box or bush carrying the axis of
the tightening pulleys, which are made to work in slots or guide pieces for taking
up the slack in the belts and keeping them sufficiently tight to do the work at all
times.
An uniform or differential speed of the working surface of the rollers is obtained
by varing the diameter of the driving pulley on either side of the machine. The
machine represented on Sheet 2 is provided with means for automatically holding
the working surfaces of the rollers together by adjustable arms 9 carrying the
bearings of the adjustable roller shaft in the manner represented on Sheet 1, and
hereinbefore described.

page_text: I am aware belts have been used before for working the rollers of roller mills for
crushing grain and treating middlings, &c., but the whole mechanism has not been
employed in the manner I use it. By arranging the intermediate counter driving
shaft, driving, and guide pulleys to parts of the machine in such a manner as to
make the machine, complete in itself, ready for applying the driving belt for
working it as soon as it is set in position for working, without having to attach
the counter driving shaft and other parts at suitable positions independent of the
machine, before it can be set in motion, as a rule, I attach the counter shaft a to
the frame of the machine, to one side of the discharge hopper or spout, and arrange
the guide and tightening pulleys f, f, and f¹, to suit the position of the counter
shaft a; however, I do not confine myself to so connecting the counter shaft, as it
may be attached to the machine to work through the discharge hopper, and the
guide and tightening pulleys shifted and attached to such other parts of the frame
of the machine, if required, to suit the position of the counter shaft when placed in
any suitable position to the frame of the machine.
.
•
:
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 20th
December 1879.
AUGUSTUS BRYANT CHILDS, of No. 70, Fenchurch Street, London. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ROLLER MILLS FOR CRUSHING WHEAT AND OTHER GRAIN, AND TREATING
MEAL, MIDDLINGS, SEMOLINA, AND SIMILAR SUBSTANCES." A communication from
abroad by Friedrich Wegmann, of Zurich, Switzerland.
A portion of my improvement relates to the manner of working the rollers of
roller mills by means of gear wheels for crushing and grinding wheat and other
grain, and treating portions of the ground products thereof. Heretofore the usual
manner of working such rollers mills is to place the rollers side by side in a horizontal
or vertical position and affix the gear wheels of the required diameter to the ends
of the roller shafts for working the surface of the rollers at an uniform or differential
speed as may be desired, and so that the teeth of the gear wheels properly gear into
each other. As a rule the teeth of gear wheels are made so that there is but one relative
position or point of contact for the proper and smooth working of the gearing, but
owing to the difficulty of making porcelain rollers, and expense of turning and
finishing them to an uniform diameter, they are often used in the same pair of
different diameters, which require gear wheels of a particular size to suit each pair
or set of rollers, thereby causing much expence and trouble in having a great
number of slightly different sized gear wheels for the same purpose. By the use of
my improved arrangement the gear wheels with the rollers this difficulty is over-
come, and the manner of working them admits of rollers of the same or different
diameters in the same pair being used, or both rollers in the same pair may be mado

page_text: smaller or larger without in the least interfering with the smooth regular working
of the roller and working parts of the machine, and thereby save the expense of
making rollers of uniform diameters. The size of the rollers can vary one half to
three quarters of an inch (more or less) in diameter without in the least interfering
with their proper working. Again, there is a lateral or side motion of the rollers
required for admitting an increased or diminished quantity of material between the
roller surfaces to be treated, which cause a constant variation in the depth of the
mesh of the gear teeth, and consequently a jarring motion which brings a great
strain upon the teeth, causing them to break, and an undue wear on the working
parts of the machine; furthermore the surface of the rollers are subject to wearing
which causes the gear wheels to move out of their true working position, and thereby
causes all the defects in the working of the machine herein before described. To
remedy these defects the gear wheels (in my improvement) are so arranged and
worked that any difference in the diameter, lateral adjustment, or movement of the
rollers do not interfere in the least with their sinooth regular working. My improve-
ment in applying gear wheels is applicable to mills containing one or two sets of
rollers, but I prefer to use but one set in the same machine, and of rather larger
dimensions than usually made, say about 16 inches in diameter and 14 inches
long, more or less, to suit the materials being treated.
Fig. 1, Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawings, is an end elevation of the machine
or mill with my improvements attached; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same;
and Figs. 3 and 4 are detached and enlarged views of that portion of the machine
showing the roller gear wheels and one of the bearings in which the adjustable
roller works. Part of this improvement consists in furnishing the machine with a
counter shaft a, as shown in the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1, Sheet 1, which is
usually worked under one of the roller on the frame of the machine. This shaft
is provided with a driving pulley b for imparting motion to the machine through
the medium of a belt worked from any suitable prime mover.
The counter shaft a
is furnished with a gear wheel c on the opposite end of the pulley shaft. This
wheel gears into a wheel & attached to the end of the roller or roller shaft d¹; the
wheel c also works an adjustable intermediate wheel e at its side which is made to
work a gear wheel fon the end of the roller shaft f¹; the gear wheels c, d, e, and f
are denoted by circles in Figs. 1 and 3. The direction of the motion of the gear
wheels and other parts are denoted by the arrows marked thereon showing the
motion of the two rollers. It will be readily seen in this arrangement of gearing
for giving motion to rollers that any difference in their diameter or lateral move-
ment of the rollers d' and f' caused by increasing or diminishing the quantity of
the feed or the wearing of the rollers do not interfere with the proper working of
the gear wheel, the teeth of which mesh into each other at the proper point at all
times owing to the distance of the centre of the gear wheels which work into each
other being practically retained at the same distance apart at all times, while the
distance between the centre of the roller may be varied by increasing or diminishing
the feed or wearing of the rollers which does not interfere with their smooth steady
working, as the lateral movement of the rollers do not effect the proper working of
the gear wheels. An uniform or differential speed of the surface of the rollers is
obtained by using a large or small wheel ƒ on the roller shaft f¹. The gear wheels
are usually placed on one side of the machine, and the driving pulley on the other,
but both may be placed on the same side if desired, or gearing may be used on both
sides of the machine for large size rollers.
The intermediate wheel e is worked on a movable stud 8 which is held in its
place by the screw nut o in the slot n; the curved slot u is made sufficiently long
to adjust the intermediate wheel e to suit the diameter of any required sized wheel
that inay be placed on the roller shaft f' in order to give the rollers an uniform or
differential motion. The screwed eye bolt P, Figs. 3 and 4, attached to the wheel
stud a and the screwed wheel R on the eye bolt is for adjusting the stud 8 to the
proper position to suit the various diameters of gear wheels f that may be used.
The driving pulley b may consist of a single friction pulley provided with a fric-

page_text: tional clutch of any known form for throwing it in and out of gear; or instead of
a friction pulley the counter shaft a may be provided with a loose and fixed pulley
for stopping and starting the machine:
One of the rollers & is worked in stationary bearings while the other is worked
in adjustable bearings and automatically held against the stationary roller d by
weights, levers, or springs applied in any known manner, but for this purpose I
prefer to use the mechanism described in my application for a Patent dated the
16th day of January 1879, No. 180, for adjusting and keeping the axis of the
rollers parallel in order to bring their working surfaces of the rollers uniformly
together at all points for reducing the same, and an uniforin squeezing action on
the material being treated. The adjustable roller f, Figs. 1 and 3, work in bearings
attached to adjustable arm g capable of being adjusted in all directions for raising
or lowering the ends of the adjustable rollers and allowing the roller shaft journals
to work on the whole surface or length of the bearings in the adjustable arms g
placed on each sides of the machine, and acted on by levers h and weights i for
automatically holding the surface of the rollers together; the levers h are provided
with elbows or projections for connecting it to the arm g by the rods k; it will be
seen that the weight i acting on the lever h and projection J causes the rod k by
taking hold of the arm g to automatically press the adjustable roller f' against the
roller d; the adjustable arms g in which the rollers work in suitable bearings are.
attached to the frame of the machine on a revolving adjustable pivot capable of
raising or lowering the arm g together or separately and holding them in any
required position for causing a parallel position of the axis of the two rollers; pro-
vision is made for increasing or diminishing the automatic pressure on the roller by
moving the end of the rod attached to the projection ; nearer to or further from
the fulcrum to which the lever h is attached, which is provided with notches for
attaching the rod k, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3; a spring may be used instead of
the weight which may be attached to any convenient part of the frame and con-
nected to the lever h; when the mill is not in use and while the rollers are in
motion the pressure is taken off the rollers for the arm m with its ends provided
with an eccentric which is made to work on the short inner end of the lever and
thereby press it down and lift the weight i, which prevents the rollers from pressing
together when not at work and while in motion.
The machine is provided with a hopper N, feeding roller, and means for adjusting
the quantity of feed admitted to the squeezing rollers ƒ and d, according to any
known plan of such parts.
Another portion of my improvement consists in providing roller mills or treating
grain with an arrangement of an intermediate driving counter shaft and driving
guide, and automatic tightening pulleys for working the rollers by means of belts
or driving cords instead of gear wheels as before described. These different parts,
consisting of counter shafts, driving and guide pulleys, are all attached to the
machine for making it complete in itself.
Figs. 5 and 6, Sheet 2, are end views of a machine representing this portion of
my improvement; Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the machine, partly shown in
section; and Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the frictional clutch attached to the
driving pulley. The direction of the motion of the parts are indicated by arrows
-marked thereon; the mill in this case are provided with two sets of rollers d, d, as
represented; one of the rollers in each set have pulleys c, c¹, affixed, larger than the
diameter of the rollers on one side of the machine, and the other rollers are provided
with similar pulleys c³, ³, on the opposite side of the machine; two belts g' and g
are used for working the rollers, one on each side of the machine. The inter-
mediate driving countershaft a is driven by a belt 8, partly shown, from any suitable
prime mover. The following is a description of the action of the two belts g', g,
for working the two sets of rollers:-The belt g, g, Fig. 6, is worked off of the
pulley b, passing up over the pulley c attached to the roller shaft, and down under
the tightening pulley f, and then up over the pulley c¹ on the roller shaft, and down
under the side of the tightening pulley ', and back to the pulley b, as represented.

page_text: Fig. 5 shows how the belt g¹, g¹, is applied and works on the other side of the
machine, which is driven off of the pulley b' on the counter shaft a; the belt passes
up over pulley on the roller shaft, down under the tightening pulley f, and up
over the pulley c² on the roller shaft, and back to the right of the driving pulley b'.
The tightening pulleys f', ff, are constructed and applied to yield automatically
by springs, as represented, weights, or levers, or any other known means may be
used to act on the sliding box or bush carrying the axis of the tightening pulleys,
as represented, which are made to work in slots or guide pieces for taking up the
slack in the belts and keeping them sufficiently tight to do the work at all times.
An uniform or differential speed of the working surface of the rollers is obtained by
varying the diameter of the driving pulley on either side of the machine. The
machine represented on Sheet 2 is provided with means for automatically holding
the working surfaces of the rollers together by adjustable arms g carrying the
bearings of the adjustable roller shaft, in the manner represented on Sheet 1, and
hereinbefore described.
I am aware belts have been used before for working the rollers of roller mills for
crushing grain and treating middlings, &c., but the whole mechanism has not been
employed in the manner I use it by arranging intermediate counter driving shaft
driving and guide pullies to parts of the machine in such a manner as to make the
machine complete in itself, ready for applying the driving belt for working it as
soon as it is set in position for working without having to attach the counter
driving shaft and other parts at suitable positions independent of the machine
before it can be set in motion. As a rule I attach the counter shaft a to the frame
of the machine to one side of the discharge hopper or spout, and arrange the guide
and tightening pulleys f, f¹, f³, to suit the position of the counter shaft a; how-
ever I do not confine myself to so connecting the counter shaft, as it may be
attached to the machine to work through the discharge hopper, and the guide and
tightening pulleys shifted and attached to such other parts of the frame of tho
machine, if required, to suit the position of the counter shaft when placed in any
suitable position to the frame of the machine.
Fig. 9, Sheet 3, is an end view of a machine, showing several improvements
attached, and Fig. 10, Sheet 4, is a side view of same.
When it is desired to stop the feed of the machine while it is in motion, mechanism
is employed for throwing the feed rollers d and fout of gear in the following
manner: The arm m, Fig. 9, for raising the lever h and weight i to separate the
surface of the squeezing rollers d and while in motion is provided with a short
arm k, which is made to act on the inside gear wheel g, not fully shown in the
Drawing, in such a manner that it unships the gearing that works the feed rollers f
and d, and thereby stops the feed while the other portions of the machine are in
motion. The feed roller d is fluted longitudinally for taking hold of the feed for
delivering it regularly to the machine at all times. The feed is delivered to the
squeezing rollers through the spout s from the hopper N, which is made to fall on
the roller d' and down between the surfaces of the two rollers. Part of the machine
is shown in section in Fig. 9, including the hopper N, feed rollers d and f, one of
the squeezing rollers d', and a portion of the casing of the machine. Instead of
using one scraper to each of the rollers d¹ and fi three scrapers A, A, A, are
employed, as represented in Fig. 9, provided with levers and weights; the levers
are notched for placing the weights nearer or further from their fulcrums. When
the scrapers A wear to a perfect bearing on the rollers the weight is placed nearer
the fulcrum to prevent the scraper wearing away as much as possible. Both
rollers are provided with three scrapers, but they are only shown attached to one
of them.
The manner of working the squeezing rollers by means of gear wheels, herein-
before described, and shown in Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawings, has a
tendency to forcing the two squeezing rollers together at their geared ends, which
prevents the material from being treated in an uniform manner between the entire
surface or length of the rollers as regards the pressure on it. To prevent this defect

page_text: I use an adjustable spiral spring B on the geared side of the machine, which is
attached to a screwed spindle in such a manner that the spring B is made to act on
the bearing arm g, and thereby force the surface of the squeezing rollers &¹ and g¹
asunder on their geared ends, for counteracting the action of the driving gear wheels,
which has a tendency to force them together, and counteract the weight i on the
lever sufficient to cause an uniform pressure between the two rollers at all points
of contact.
The screwed spindle for carrying the spiral spring B may be attached to the
frame of the machine in any manner so that it acts on the bearing arm g that
carries the roller shaft f¹. The spindle is provided with a wheel or crank for
turning it to give the spiral spring M the proper tension for acting on the bearing
arin g.
Having thus described the nature of my improvement and the manner of con-
structing the same, what I claim is,―
1st. In connection with a roller mill the gear wheels c, d, c, and f for working
the squeezing rollers d¹ and f¹ of the same or different diameters, and at an uniform
or differential speed, in the manner and for the purpose substantially as hereinbefore
mentioned.
2nd. In connection with a roller mill the levers h and m, weight i, and rod V, for
pressing, regulating the pressure, and releasing the pressure between the surfaces of
the two squeezing rollers by acting on the bearing arm g, in the manner and for
the purpose herein before mentioned.
3rd. In connection with a roller mill the counter shaft a provided with a fric-
tional clutch driving pulley b for gradually starting and stopping the machine, in
the manner hereinbefore stated.
4th. In connection with a roller mill the manner of working the rollers by two
belts g and gl, and guide and tightening pulleys f, f¹, f, Sheet 2, from the counter
shaft a attached to the machine, and the means employed for working the roller
surfaces at an uniform or differential speed, as described and represented in the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Augustus Bryant Childs, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
AUGUSTUS BRYANT CHILDS. (L.S.)