IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FLOUR AND MEAL MILLS."
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stephen Blake and Thomas Lee, of Chester, in the
County of Chester, Millers, and Robert Dutton, also of Chester aforesaid,
Millwright, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
FLOUR AND MEAL MILLS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Stephen Blake, Thomas
Lee, and Robert Dutton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 4th June 1863.
We, STEPHEN BLAKE and THOMAS LEE, of Chester, in the County of
Chester, Millers, and ROBERT DUTTON, also of Chester aforesaid, Millwright,
do bereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF FLOUR AND MEAL MILLS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to that class of mills known as horizontal mills, that
is, those mills in which the driving spindle is vertical and the stones horizontal,
and consists,
Firstly, in forming between the peripheries of the stones and the outer
egress from
casing an annular space, so that the ground grain shall have free
the stones all round and space to fall downwards below the stones, to which
position the casing is carried.
And, secondly, in the employment of a fan, which may be driven by the
mill shaft, to keep the stones and ground grain cool, and to force or carry
such ground grain to any desired place or receptacle.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Stephen Blake, Thomas Lee, and Robert Dutton in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th December 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, STEPHEN
BLAKE and THOMAS LEE, of Chester, in the County of Chester, Millers, and
ROBERT DUTTON, also of Chester aforesaid, Millwright, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Stephen Blake, Thomas Lee, and Robert Dutton, Her special licence
that we, the said Stephen Blake, Thomas Lee, and Robert Dutton, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Stephen
Blake, Thomas Lee, and Robert Dutton, our 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FLOUR AND MEAL MILLS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Stephen Blake, Thomas
Lee, and Robert Dutton, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 we, the said Stephen Blake, Thomas Lee, and
Robert Dutton, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to that class of mills known as horizontal mills, that
is, those mills in which the driving spindle is vertical and the stones horizontal,
and consists,
Firstly, in forming between the peripheries of the stones and the outer
casing an annular space, so that the ground grain shall have free egress from
the stones all round, and space to fall downwards below the stones, to which
position the casing is carried.

page_text: And, secondly, in the employment of a fan, which may be driven by the
mill shaft, to keep the stones and ground grain cool, and to force or carry
such ground grain to any desired place or receptacle.
The loss of flour and meal taking place in horizontal mills of the ordinary con-
struction by the forming of the "mill ring" and the heating of the ground grain
and working parts of the mill by an insufficient current of cool air are entirely
prevented by our improvements, as will more clearly appear, reference being
had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, shewing one of our improved
mills, Figs. 1 and 2 being vertical sections taken through the mill at right
angles to each other, and Figs. 3 and 4 plan views, the cover being removed
in Fig. 4. In all the views the same letters indicate like parts.
a represents the supporting and other framework, with the usual appliances
for adjusting; b, the driving shaft, to which motion is communicated in any
convenient way; c, the running stone, secured to the shaft by the piece d;
e, the bed or stationary stone, here shewn capable of being adjusted to its
horizontal position by the bolts with lock nuts f passing across the annular,
free, or open space g above referred to; h, the cover with the usual shoot,
opening, or hopper i, for supplying the grain to the mill; j, the casing with
stuffing gland k and opening l in the bottom thereof; m, the fan, here shewn
as consisting of two blades fastened by bolts and nuts to a centre piece or boss
secured to the driving shaft b. As the flour and meal falls from the stones
down the annular space g, this fan carries it to the delivery shoot or spout n,
but at the same time it, the fan, draws a current of air in through the delivery
shoot or spout m, and forces it upwards through the mill and out through the
air discharge shafts o. In some cases it may be found that the current of air
drawn in through the delivery shoot or spout by the fan might be insufficient
to keep the flour and meal and the mill cool enough, and when this is
discovered a separate air supply could be connected.
A fan could be worked from another source than the vertical shaft, but the
arrangement bere shewn we consider the most advantageous.
Having now described the nature and particulars of our said Invention, and
shewn on the Drawings such details as would enable a mechanician to carry
the same into practical effect, we would have it understood that we do not
confine ourselves to all the details, as various modifications could be made
without departing from the leading features of our improvements; but what
we claim is,
Firstly, constructing horizontal flour and meal mills with annular free open
spaces around the bed or stationary stones, substantially as herein described
and shewn on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.

page_text: And, secondly, the use or employment of a fan in horizontal mills constructed
with the annular space above claimed, to cause a circulation of air, substantially
as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said Stephen Blake, Thomas Lee, and
Robert Dutton, have hereunto set our hands and affixed our seals,
this Second day of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-three.
In the presence of
JOHN THOMSON KING,
Patent Agent,
4, Clayton Square,
Liverpool.
STEPHEN BLAKE. (L.B.)
THOMAS LEE.
+
(L.S.)
ROBERT DUTTON. (L.S.)