An Improved Flour Bin and Shoot.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Feb., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Nov., 1892-Accepted, 31st Dec., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION,
An Improved Flour Bin and Shoot.
I, FREDERIC SMITH, of 29 Bridgewater Chambers, Brown Street, Manchester,
Architect, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The improvements relate to flour bins which are provided with shoots for
supplying the same with flour, and have for object greater cleanliness, durability,
and convenience in use than at present obtains.
To accomplish this and to effect my improvements, I form the bin of a special
shape, that is to say, the front portion thereof is curved towards the bottom so that
there shall be no sharp angle formed in the interior where portions of flour can
remain until it becomes musty or bad, as is sometimes the case with the present
arrangement. The back and sides are preferably curved in similar manner at their
connection with the bottom, but to a less degree.
By preference, the bin and combined shoot are composed of metal, such as
galvanized or tinned iron, which lends itself readily to the special formation herein-
before described, and which is more proof against the encroachments of vermin and
the like.
The shoot which is attached to the top or back of the bin, as may be found most
convenient, is made wider at the bottom end than at the top, that is to say at the
point where it is connected with the feeding hopper, whereby any tendency to
choke up
with flour is avoided.
The front portion of the bin is by preference divided from the back by a
partition in which is a sliding door or shutter, which is capable of cutting off all
communication between the two compartments.
In ordinary flour bins with shoots, there is a great tendency to drive out flour
dust when the bin is being supplied through the shoot, in consequence of the
column of air filling the shoot being compressed in front of the falling flour. To
obviate this evil, I carry a tube from one or both compartments of the bin to the
top of the shoot, so that the compressed air can escape, and, by this means be
directed on to the upper portion of the falling body of flour. This tube may or
may not be provided with a weighted valve, and may be of such dimensions as is
found most convenient in practice.
In constructing the bin, I find it most convenient to form the front and bottom
all in one piece of sheet metal, with a curve between them of considerable radius,
but this and other details of the apparatus may be varied without departing from
the peculiar character of the invention.
Dated this 23rd day of February 1892.
WILLIAM GADD, C.E.,
64, Barton Arcade, Manchester, Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Flour Bin and Shoot.
I, FREDERIC SMITH, of 29 Bridgewater Chambers, Brown Street, Manchester,
Architect, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
saine is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The improvements relate to flour bins which are provided with shoots for
supplying the same with flour, and have for object greater cleanliness, durability,
and convenience in use than at present obtains.

page_text: To accomplish this and to effect my improvements, I form the bin of a special
shape, that is to say the front portion thereof is curved towards the bottom, so that
there shall be no sharp angle formed in the interior, where portions of flour can
remain until they become musty or bad, as is sometimes the case with the present
arrangement. The back and sides are preferably curved in similar manner at their
connection with the bottom, but to a lesser degree. By preference, the bin and
combined shoot are composed of metal such as galvanized or tinned iron, which
lends itself readily to the special formation herein before described, and which is
more proof against the encroachments of vermin and the like.
The shoot, which is attached to the top or back of the bin as may be found most
convenient, is made wider at the bottom end than at the top, that is to say, at the
point where it is connected with the feeding hopper, whereby any tendency to
choke up
with flour is avoided.
The front portion of the bin is by preference divided from the back by a partition,
in which is a sliding door or shutter, which is capable of cutting off all communi-
cation between the two compartments.
In ordinary flour bins with shoots, there is a great tendency to drive out flour
dust when the bin is being supplied through the shoot, in consequence of the column
of air filling the shoot being compressed in front of the falling flour.
To obviate this evil, I carry a tube from one or both compartments of the bin
to the top of the shoot, so that the compressed air can escape, and by this means be
directed on to the upper portion of the falling body of flour. This tube may or
may not be provided with a weighted valve, and may be of such dimensions as is
found most convenient in practice.
In constructing the bin, I find it most convenient to form the front and bottom
all in one piece of sheet metal, with a curve between them of considerable radius;
but this and other details of the apparatus may be varied without departing from
the peculiar character of the invention.
But that the improvements may be better understood, I will with the aid
of the accompanying drawings proceed more fully to describe means employed
by me.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1, is a vertical section, and Fig. 2, a front elevation, partly in section, of a
flour bin and shoot arranged in accordance with my improvements.
The same letters indicate corresponding parts wherever they occur.
a, a, is the shoot, in this case attached to the top of the bin, which shoot is shown
provided with a feeding hopper b, b, at the top, and is formed wider at the bottom
that at the portion where it is connected with such hopper, to prevent any tendency
to become choked with flour.
c, c, is the bin, of the special shape referred to, the front portion being greatly
curved towards the bottom, and the back and side corners also curved to some
extent, to avoid the accumulation of bad and musty flour dust, therein, as is some-
times the case with ordinary flour bins.
d is a partition dividing the upper portion of the bin into two parts; and e, e, is
a sliding door or shutter, which, when in its lowest position, as shown in the
drawing, completes the division, causing one part of the bin to be entirely shut off
from the other. In Fig. 2, a portion of the front of the bin is shown broken away,
to disclose this sliding door or shutter e, e, and the bin lid e¹ is shown partly open in
both views.
g, is a tube connecting the interior of the bin with the upper portion of the shoot,
or, as in this case, with the hopper itself. When flour is passed into the shoot, the
column of air therein-which ordinarily drives out a quantity of flour dust from the
bin is caused to pass through the aforementioned tube g, and is directed on to
the upper portion of the falling body of flour. The tube may, if required, be
provided with a valve such as h, which is a small flap valve, of simple character.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The flour bin of the special character described, combined with a shoot wider at
the bottom than the top; such bin being connected with the upper part of the shoot
by an air tube or passage, for the purpose and in manner substantially as herein
shown and described.
Dated this 22nd day of November 1892.
WILLIAM GADD, C.E.,
64, Barton Arcade, Manchester, Agent.