AN IMPROVED STEAM MILL
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Stevens, Manager of the British and Foreign
Office for Patents, No. 1, Welbeck Street, Cavendish Square, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED STEAM MILL."
_ A communication from abroad by Hypolitte Durand, of Bordeaux, in
the Empire of France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Stevens at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 17th
April 1860.
I, CHARLES STEVENS, Manager of the British and Foreign Office for Patents,
No. 1, Welbeck Street, Cavendish Square, in the County of Middlesex, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED STEAM
MILL," & that it has been communicated to me from abroad by Hypolitte
Durand, of Bordeaux, in the Empire of France, to be as follows:-
The Invention consists in an arrangement by means of which a locomotive
constructed for that purpose is made to run on a circular railroad, and to put
in movement a mill or other machinery which it may be required to set in
motion. The arrangement is as follows:-The locomotive adapted for running
on circular rails is attached to a lever arm, about 16 feet 8 inches in length.
which is keyed or otherwise fastened to a vertical shaft. This shaft extends
itself above a framework to which it is solidly attached, as well as to a cog

page_text: wheel having 72 teeth. This wheel gearing with a pinion having 12 teeth
gives to the latter a sixfold rate of speed, and as the pinion is mounted on the
same shaft as a second wheel (similar to that above mentioned), the 2nd
wheel will turn six times while the other turns once. The second wheel gears
with a pinion mounted on the axis of the millstones; this pinion likewiso has
12 teeth. The relative speed of the second wheel and pinion is as 1 to 6, that
is to say, the second pinion makes six revolutions while the second wheel
turns once, and the second pinion will turn 36 times in the period occupied by
the first wheel in making a single revolution. The locomotive which transmits
tho movement having only to move a distance of 71 ft. 8 in. in order to
produce a complete revolution, is regulated to go at the rate of 266 ft. 8 in.
per minute, and the millstone will turn 120 times in the same period, a
degree of speed superior to any hitherto obtained, and which increases the
quantity and improves the quality of the flour. An engine of 6-horse power
would do work equal to 10 horses, if placed at the end of the lever as above
described. By this mode of operation, which has not hitherto been employed,
a better quality of flour can be obtained, and the power being amply sufficient
a great economy in fuel is the result.
The means employed to enable the locomotive to run in so small a circum-
ference are as follows:-A locomotive can proceed perfectly well in a circle,
the diameter of which is 33 ft. 4 in., by means of the following precautions:-
The engine runs on rails placed 3 feet 4 in. apart, the outer rail is 16 ft. 8 in.
from the axis of the driving shaft, and the inner one 13 ft. 4 in. The differenco
in the diameter is therefore, thus the inner wheels being less in diameter
than the outer ones, they will run the distance in the same time as the latter
(and not before).
In order to regulate the working of the machine (which runs about 483 ft.
4 in. per minute), and to prevent any friction of the wheels or chance of
running off the rails, the axles are placed on a line with the driving shaft or
centre of the mill. The outer pistons thus increase in length in proportion to
the diameter of the wheels. This arrangement being made the machine runs
as well as one with equal wheels on straight rails. The following are the
means we employ to provent the heating of the millstones:-It is effected
by placing a certain number of air holes which draw in the air by the velocity
of the millstones, which moving in an opposite direction to the tubes of the
air holes draw in the air, the tubes are placed in various parts of the case or
cover of the millstones, and thus keep the several parts cool. By the position
in which they are placed all loss of flour is avoided.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed'
by the said Charles Stevens in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th September 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
STEVENS, Manager of the British & Foreign Office for Patents, 1º, Welbeck.
Street, Cavendish Square, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Charles Stevens, Her special licence that I, the said Charles Stevens, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles
Stevens, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agreu
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 IMPROVED STEAM
MILL," (a communication to me from abroad by Hypolitte Durand, of
Bordeaux, in the Empire of France,) upon the condition (amongst others).
that I, the said Charles Stevens, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
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 Charles Stevens, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :-
The Invention consists of an arrangement by means of which a locomotive
constructed for the purpose, is made to run on a circular railroad, and put in
movement a mill or other machinery which it may be required to set in
motion. This arrangement is as follows:-Fig. 1 represents plan of the
engine; Fig. 2, front view of do. The locomotive adapted for running on
circular rails is attached to a lever arm A, about 16 feet 8 inches in length,
which is keyed or otherwise fastened to a vertical shaft F. This shaft extends
itself above a framework to which it is solidly attached, as well as to a
cog wheel B having 72 teeth, which produces the movement. This whocl

page_text: gearing with the pinions C, C, which are armed with 18 teeth, gives to the
latter a fourfould rate of speed; and as the pinions are mounted on the same
shaft as the wheels D, D, which are equal to the wheel B, the wheels D, D,
perform four revolutions while the former is making one. The wheels D, D,
gear with the pinions E, E, each of which is mounted on the axis of the
millstones. The last named having each 12 teeth, the relative speed of the
wheels D, D, and the pinions E, E, is as 1 to 6, that is to say, the pinions
E, E, make 6 revolutions while the wheels D, D, turn once. Thus, as
the wheels D, D, turn four times while the wheel B is turning once, the
pinions E, E, make 24 revolutions in the time required by the wheel B to
accomplish one, and the millstones mounted on the same shafts as the latter
pinions, as already stated, complete the same number of revolutions. Fig. 3
represents a section of the mill with engine. The locomotive which transmits
the movement having only to move a distance of 71 feet 8 inches in order to
produce a complete revolution, is regulated to go at the rato of about 450 feet
per minute, and the millstones (of which we will speak further on) turn 120
times in the same period, a degree of speed superior to any bitherto obtained,
and which increases the quantity and improves the quality of the flour. By
this mode of applying steam power which has not hitherto been introducod,
the expenditure of fuel is also greatly diminished.
The surface of the millstones is perfectly level till within 8 inches of the
opening of the hole of the millstones, and from thence the cutting gradually
deepens (for the turning stone only) as far as the said hole, where, the stones
being ready to act, a small aperture only is necessary for the grain, which
being thrust forward by two small brooms attached to the crank case, is
immediately ground; and as this first operation takes place at the axis there is
also an economy of power. The grooves or furrows to the number of 36 are
arranged as represented in the plan. Fig. 4 represents the millstone. The
lower millstone is about 5 feet in diameter, and the revolving one rather
larger, the difference in favour of the latter causing it to act as fly; this part
not being subject to friction produces an important economy in power, and
maintains the impulsion given to the whole. By means of these several
improvements an engine of 6 horse-power does work equal to that hitherto
obtained by 12 horses.
The locomotive, by the various dimensions of the parallel pieces of which it
is composed and the position of the axles, as represented in the plan, proceeds
perfectly well in the space of 90 feet, even without any friction of the wheels
& rails.
Hitherto the means of preventing the heating of the millstones after some

page_text: hours of action has remained unknown. This, however, is accomplished in
the present Invention by placing a certain number of air holes, which draw in
the air by the velocity of the millstone. This latter itself aids in the operation
by revolving in the contrary direction. The tubes of the air holes are arranged
in various parts of the cover of the millstone, and by the position in which
they are placed all loss of flour is avoided, whilst the stones are kept per-
fectly cool.
Having thus described my Invention, what I claim and desire to secure
by Letters Patent are the arrangements and improvements in driving
machinery and flour mills, as above described and shown in the accompanying
Drawings. I also reserve the right of applying the above system of driving
machinery to any other purpose where it may be advantageously employed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Stevens, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
CHARLES STEVENS. (L.8.)