and Re-engaging the Rollers of Roller Mills, Applicable to Regulating the Feed or Supply of other Machinery.
Year: 1885

page_text: and Re-engaging the Rollers of
Roller Mills, Applicable to Regulating the Feed or Supply
of other Machinery.
We, JOHN HOLGATE and JACOB BELL HOLGATE, both of 1, Junction Street,
Burnley, in the County of Lancaster, Millers, do hereby declare the nature of our
said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE FEED AND
AUTOMATICALLY DISENGAGING AND RE-ENGAGING THE ROLLERS OF ROLLER MILLS
APPLICABLE TO REGULATING THE FEED OR SUPPLY OF OTHER MACHINERY to be as
follows:-
This invention of improvements is designed to actuate automatically the feed
gates of roller mills or other machinery, by a novel arrangement of apparatus,
which apparatus-is also capable of disengaging or re-engaging the surfaces of the
crushing rollers or their equivalent the driving strap, in the event of the material
in the hopper running short or becoming choked, so as to prevent an undue grinding
of the surfaces of the rollers.
The apparatus consists essentially of a shaft or spindle, which may pass upwards
through the hopper in a vertical or other suitable direction, and is provided with
a scroll or worm, which revolves within the hopper, in such a manner, that the
incline or curvature thereof may have a tendancy to raise the shaft, as it windṣ o
worms itself to the surface of the material in the hopper.
"
or
It will be obvious, that by the action above described, the worm and its spindle
will rise and fall with the ebb and flow of the material entering the hopper. The
upper end of the worm shaft or spindle is in communication with a lever, which is
connected by a link to a pair of tooth quadrants, acting upon the feed gates,
opening or. closing them in a most effective manner, and in accordance with the
quantity of material in the hopper.
The worm spindle is caused to revolve by a pair of bevel wheels, or in any other
suitable manner; and to allow the spindle to move upwards or downwards according
to requirements; the spindle is grooved so as to slide upon a key fitted in the
ocket of the bevel wheel, in which the spindle is inserted.

page_text: When the apparatus is used in combination with roller mills, the rising and
falling of the worm spindle beyond a given point, may be made to serve the
purpose of a detective, and a drop catch which moves to and fro from an inde-
pendant moving part of the apparatus, into the teeth of a ratchet wheel which in
combination with an eccentric disengages or re-engages the surfaces of the rolls or
driving strap as the case may be, of a deficient or excessive charge of material in
the hopper.
Improvements in Apparatus for Regulating, the
Feed and
Automatically Disengaging and Re-engaging the Rollers of
Roller Mills, Applicable to Regulating the Feed or Supply
of other Machinery.
We JOHN HOLGATE and JACOB BELL HOLGATE, both of 1, Junction Street,
Burnley, in the County of Lancaster, Millers, do hereby declare the nature of our
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE FEED AND
AUTOMATICALLY DISENGAGING AND RE-ENGAGING THE ROLLERS IN ROLLER MILLS,
APPLICABLE TO REGULATING THE FEED OR SUPPLY OF OTHER MACHINERY," and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention of improvements is designed to actuate automatically the feed
gates of roller mills or other. machinery, and to disengage the surfaces of the
crushing rolls, when the hopper is empty, and to re-engage the rolls, when the
hopper again refills with material.
And in order that our invention may be properly understood, and readily carried
into practical effect, we have hereunto attached the accompanying sheets of drawings,
marked with figures and letters of reference; the same letters referring to the same
parts in the various figures.
Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively longitudinal and end elevations in section of a
roller mill, in which views are represented our improved feed apparatus, and the
mode or manner of disengaging the rolls, should the material in the hopper run
short, and of the re-engaging of the rolls, when the hopper again refills with
material.
Figs. 3 and 4 are detached views, shewing more clearly the construction of the
disengaging and re-engaging mechanism. Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively side and

page_text: end views in section, and Fig. 7 is an elevation reverse to Fig. 5, in which views
are represented a modification of our improved feed governing apparatus, in which
arrangement or modification & scroll, persian wheel, or similar wheel, or drum is
substituted for the worm represented in Figs. 1 and 2, in which views,-A is the
framework of a roller mill; B, a drum, which actuates the lower crushing rolls C,
whilst the upper roll C¹ is actuated by the drum D, and supported in bearings in
the movable arms E, which are jointed to the bracket E. The mechanism for
adjusting the rolls may be thus described :-F is an eccentric provided with a
pitman F, which passes through a hole at the extremity of the movable arm E,
and projects sufficiently above the said arm, that the spiral spring G and boss G¹
may be placed thereon, and tightened by the nut G, so as to apply sufficient
downward pressure to the roll C₁, as will properly crush or grind the material under
treatment, yet capable of yielding to allow any hard substance, such as iron, to pass
between the rolls C and C, which would otherwise be seriously damaged.
•
In the earlier stages of the reduction of the berry or wheat, the surfaces of the
rolls are prevented from coming into immediate contact with each other. The
distance between the rolls being regulated by the hand wheel H, which is provided
with lock nut H. The material from the feed roller I is conveyed by the guide
boards I and I³, between the crushing rolls C and C¹ for reduction.
The parts above enumerated are old and well understood, and are represented on
the drawings, to render more intelligible the action of the mechanism, for effecting
the automatic disengagement of the rolls.
Our improvements for regulating the supply or feed of materials to milling and
other machinery, consist of a revolving instrument, so arranged within the feed
box or hopper, as to grapple with the material therein contained, for its level; and
by its connection with the feed gates, the flow of the material from the hopper will
be governed most effectively, ensuring an uniform stream of material to the rolls
and purifiers. The least fluctuation of the material being instantly regestered on
the feed gates, which open and close with the rise and fall of the material within
the hopper.
In the accompanying drawings, this apparatus is shewn in combination with a
roller mill, as in this class of machinery the feed apparatus may be employed not
only to regulate the feed to the rolls, but to disengage the surfaces of the rolls
automatically, when the hopper is empty; the rolls immediately, re-engaging as the
hopper again refills with material as hereinafter described. The importance of this
arrangement will be obvious, as all tendancy of such rolls to heat is thereby
avoided. Figs. 1 and 2 represent a roller mill, on which is mounted a double feed
apparatus, constructed in accordance with our invention. K, is the hopper, in
which is situated shaft N, carrying worm O, and mounted in the bearings M. This
shaft is actuated slowly by a pair of bevel wheels Jand J¹ beneath the bopper;
and to allow the shaft to move vertically, it is grooved as at T, so as to slide upon
a key fitted in the socket of the wheel J.
The rotary movement of the worm in the surrounding material is somewhat
similar to that of a screw propeller, propelling or thrusting upwards the shaft N,
until the worm O is raised to the level of the material, which position it maintains,
whatever may be the hieght of the material, and will therefore rise and fall as the
material ebbs and flows in the hopper.
↓
To the upper end of the shaft N is connected one end of the lever U, the other
end of which is connected by the link U to the handle of the quadrant L', in gear
with toothed rack of the feed gate L, which is thereby governed most effectively.
The horizontal link U is provided, so as to connect and actuate the quadrants L'
and L, simultaneously with a corrisponding effect on their respective feed gates.
We will now describe the mode or manner of effecting a disengagement and
re-engagement of the rolls. For this purpose, we employ two ratchet wheels P
and P. (seen in Fig. 1) fixed to the eccentric shaft F, with the teeth of one wheel
reversely desposed to those of the other,
·
J 33 J.

page_text: Each wheel has at one point of its circumference, one, two, or more teeth,
.removed to form a dwelling place, beyond which neither end of the pallet or catch
(hereinafter described) is capable of actuating its respective wheel. Upon the
eccentric shaft F, and between the two wheels P and P¹ is mounted a lever, having
two arms at right angles to each other. The extremity of the horizontal arm P2 is
connected by pitman P³, to an eccentric fixed to shaft P, (seen in Fig. 1) which,
.revolving through the medium of driving wheel P, causes a to and fro movement
to to the short arm Po (seen in Figs. 1 and 2,) to which is attached a catch or pallet
lever P', having one end weighted. To this end is attached a cord or chain V,
which is led over the pulley V., and partially round the guide pulley V³, and secured :)
to shaft V.3.
When the feed gates close for want of material, the end of the worm shaft N is
lowered against the head of the short spindle V, which is now caused to revolve
by frictional contact with the lower extremity of the worm shaft N, and tighten
the cord or chain V, so as to raise the weighted end of the pallet or catch P, out
of contact with the wheel P, and thereby cause the opposite end of the pallet to
engage with the teeth of the ratchet -wheel P', (shewn in Fig. 1) which is now
pushed forwards, tooth by tooth, until the "dwell," on its circumference, arrives
and arrests the forward movement of the wheel; at which time the eccentric F¹,
seen in Fig. 2, will have attained its highest position, and the disengagement of the
rolls C and C¹ effected.
The importance of the disengagement of the rolls will be obvious, as the surfaces
of the rolls would, if in actual contact when the material has ceased to flow,
immediately commence and grind each other, and produce a succession of sparks,
causing a great risk of fire; the rolls also in many cases being irretreivably
damaged.
Upon the refilling of the hopper with material, the worm N is again propelled or
thrust upwards by the action of the worm in the material, whereby the short
spindle V³, is liberated, and the weighted end of the pallet P', allowed to engage
with the teeth of the ratchet wheel P, which is now pushed backwards, tooth by
tooth, until the last tooth is moved out of contact, and the blank space or dwell
(which is diametrically opposite to that of the wheel P¹) is brought under the
weighted end of the pallet or catch, which now fails to actuate the wheel P, at which
time the eccentric Fis in its lowest position to re-engage the rolls, and again resume
the process of reduction.
Figs. 5 and 6 represent a modification of our improved feed governing apparatus.
In which arrangement a scroll, persian wheel, or similar wheel, or drum is substi-
tuted for the worm, and fixed to shaft N, which is horizontally disposed and
supported in bearings at the extremity of the levers or arms R, fixed to shaft L³,
to which are attached tooth quadrants L1 and L2, in gear with the racks of the feed
gates L.
A groove pulley R', which is loosely mounted on shaft L³, imparts through the
medium of the endless cord R³, and groove pulley R³, a slow revolving movement
to the scroll or persian wheel W, in front of which, as seen in Fig. 5, the material
descending down shoot S is deposited, whilst the curved blades of the wheel or
drum W, in succession, one after the other, bearing against the material thus
deposited, and having a tendancy to mount and reach the level or surface of the
same, cause the arms. R to partially, rotate with the shaft L³, and open the feed
gates L in accordance with the height of the material within the hopper; but in
the event of the material becoming exhausted, the arms R gradually fall to the
position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 7, and at the same time, bring the
pulley Y into frictional contact with the rim of the pulley V, which is thereby
caused to revolve, and act upon the chain V and pallet P', in a similar manner and
for the like purpose, described in the foregoing description.
'
In cases where the material falls from a sufficient height down pipe S, as to
strike the blades and propel the wheel or drum W, the cord R. and its actuating
medium may be dispensed with,
i:

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
Firstly, a revolving instrument within an hopper, acting upon the material,
substantially in the manner described for the purpose specified.
Secondly, the combination of the revolving instrument with the feed gates,
substantially as described and set forth.
Thirdly, the disengaging and re-engaging mechanism, substantially as, and for
the purpose specified.