CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MILLS FOR GRINDING WHEAT AND OTHER GRAIN, AND WHICH IMPROVEMENTS RENDER THEM ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1834

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MILES
BERRY, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the Parish of
Saint Andrew's, Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer
and Mechanical Draftsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the
Fourth, by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain,
bearing date at Westminster, the Thirteenth day of September, in the fourth
year of His reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Miles Berry, His especial license, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Miles Berry, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Miles Berry, my executors, administra-
tors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times during the term of years therein mentioned,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, the Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN MILLS FOR GRINDING WHEAT AND OTHER GRAIN, AND WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS RENDER THEM ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES," being a
communication from a certain Foreigner residing abroad; in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Miles Berry, shall cause a
particular description of the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner

page_text: the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His said Majesty's High Court
of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Miles Berry, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, is particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon
(that is to say):
These improvements in mills for grinding wheat and other grain apply to a
peculiar construction of mill, in which the grinding or pulverizing of the grain
takes place between the periphery of a revolving cylindrical grinding stone
(mounted upon a horizontal axle) and the hollow cylindrical surface of a
bed stone placed nearly in contact with the periphery of the grinding stone,
and extending round a segment of one quarter of its circumference. The
improvements consist particularly in the modes or methods of adjusting the
situation of the bed stone in connexion with or in reference to that of the
grinding stone, in order to regulate the grinding or pulverizing of the wheat
or other grain into flour, of fine or course qualities, as may be required,
and though securely and steadily retaining the bedstone in its proper place,
while the mill is in operation, yet affording the means of easily removing
it when required for dressing or clearing. The several Figures in the
accompanying Drawings explain these improvements, and the various methods
of constructing the adjustable parts of the mill, the same letters of reference
being marked upon corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Sheet 1 exhibits one of the methods of adjusting the bed stone by means of
rototary excentrics or cams, which construction I prefer to those herein-after
described as possessing considerable advantages.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a mill construction above alluded to, the outer
casing of the grinding stones being removed to expose them to view.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the stones detached from the framing, the
bed stone being shewn enclosed in its metal casing, and with its adjusting
excentrics.
Figure 3 is a vertical section taken longitudinally through the two stones,
and Figure 4 is an elevation of the back part of the metal casing of the bed
stone, with its rotary excentrics and shafts. A is the cylindrical grinding stone
or runner. B, the hollow bed stone. The grinding stone or runner is securely
mounted upon the axle or shaft a, which turns in bearings or plummer boxes

page_text: upon the top part of the framework b, b, and is actuated by any convenient means
as a band passed from a steam engine, water wheel, or any other first mover, to
a rigger mounted on a separate shaft in a frame placed between two of these
mills; from thence the rotatory motion is communicated to the grinding stone
by clutches on the ends of the shafts in the ordinary manner, in order to
prevent any twist or strain between the bearings of the axle or shaft of the
grinding stone. The bed stone is enclosed in a metal casing c, c, and is
supported at the lower part by the adjusting excentrics d, d, mounted on the
shaft or axle e, e, turning in bearings on the framework, and at the top part
by the excentrics f, f, mounted upon the shaft g, turning in bearings on
brackets projecting from the end of the frame, the excentrics working between
the hinder part of the casing and the frame h. It will be perceived that the
metal casing of the bed stone projects beyond it over a part of the side of
the grinding stone, and between them a slight packing may be placed to
prevent the escape of the grain or flour from between the surfaces of the
stones before it reaches the proper exit. It will be observed, that the part
of the metal casing of the bed stone at i, i, embraces the excentrics, by
which means the bed stone is prevented from moving laterally, and is kept
steady in its proper position in whatever situation these excentrics are placed.
It will also be perceived that by turning round either of the excentrics d and f
the inner surfaces of the bed stone can be brought nearer to or withdrawn
further from the grinding stone, and its proper position for grinding various
qualities of flour adjusted to the greatest precision. In order to facilitate this
operation I adopt the following mechanism, by means of which the excentrics
are prevented from shifting out of their proper situations, when adjusted, at
the same time they can be more readily regulated to grind any particular
quality of flour required:-Upon one end of each of the shafts e and g are
placed the two toothed segments k, k, the teeth of which take into the endless
screws 1, 1, formed upon the ends of the rods m, m, which are mounted in
proper bearings at the side of the frame. By turning the rods m, m, round
by means of a key or winch, the endless screws are made to act upon the
toothed segments, and thereby cause the shafts and excentrics to revolve.
Upon the sides of the toothed segments small graduated scales are placed
corresponding to indices or hands n, n, fixed on the framework. By theso
means the stones can be brought to any required adjustment or distance
apart in order to grind any required quality of flour, the person attending
the mill knowing the proper graduations of the scales to be indiced by
the fixed hands, when the stones will grind the required quality. The

page_text: a
vibratory motion of the shoot of the hopper required to feed the grain properly
may be obtained in the manner shewn in Figure 1, or in any other con-
venient way.
o is a double tappet placed upon one end of the axle of
the grinding stone or runner, which acts upon a lever p, turning on
pin as its fulcrum, the reverse end being connected by a link to an arm
extending from the vertical shaft 7, from which shaft another arm also
extends, having its end connected to a horizontal adjustable rod attached to
the shoot. is a spring connected to the horizontal rod, for the purpose of
returning the shoot to its former position after it is moved to one side by
the tappets and levers. The shoot is suspended by straps, chains, or cords,
in the usual way. For the purpose of regulating the feeding of the grain to
the mill, and of crushing it if necessary, previously to its coming under the
operation of the stones, there are a pair of small rollers placed at the bottom
of the feeding hopper, with toothed pinions on their axles, taking into gear
with each other, which are driven by a band passed from a small drum in the
end of the axle of the grinding stone to a pulley on the end of one of their
shafts. When it is desired to withdraw the bed stone for the purpose of
dressing or clearing it, the upper excentrics f. f, with the toothed segment,
must be removed by taking the shaft g out of its bearings. The lower-
excentrics d, d, must then be turned round so as to bring their longer radii
into the position shewn by dots in Figure 3, which will allow the bed stone to
drop away from the grinding stone, the small rollers s, s, bearing upon the
rails t, t, as shewn in Figure 5, Sheet 2. The bed stone is then free to be
drawn away from the lower excentrics, the rollers running along the rails,
and after the bed stone is dressed or cleared it can be replaced by the same
incans.
Figure 6 is a vertical section taken longitudinally through the grinding
stones of a mill constructed on the principle above alluded to, in which the
adjustment of the bed stone is obtained by means of screws in place of the
excentrics or cam rollers before described, the same letters being marked upon
parts corresponding in their objects to those of the former Figures. A is
the grinding stone. B, the bed stone, which, in this instance, is supported at
the lower part by the adjusting screw d, which turns in a female screw formed
in the cross bar c. One end of this screw works in a socket in the lower
part of the casing of the bed stone, and the other end is furnished with
levers, by which it can be turned for the purpose of raising or depressing the
The upper part of the bed stone is supported and adjusted by the
screw turning in a female screw formed in the cross bar g. By turning the
stone.

page_text: g must
screw d round, the inner surface of the bed stone can be brought nearer to
or removed further from the grinding stone, and the required adjustment
obtained. When it is desired to withdraw the bed stone, the cross bar,
be detached from the frame, and the screw d lowered, intil the rollers s, s,
bear upon the rails t, t, and the end of the screw leaves the socket of the
casing; when this is done the bed stone is free to be carried away, as before
described.
Figure 7 is another similar section, shewing a method of adjusting the bed
stone by means of wedges instead of the screws or eccentrics, as before
described. In this arrangement the bed stone is supported at the bottom part by
wedges d, d, placed in the box e formed upon the cross bar of the framework.
The wedges are moved by adjusting set screws u, u, working in female screws
placed in the sides of the box e. The upper part of the stone is adjusted by
similar wedges f, f, and set screws u, u, placed in a box g formed on the
other cross bar of the framework. When it is required to withdraw the bed
stone of this mill the cross bar and box g must be removed from the framing,
as before described, and the wedges d, d, slidden back to the extremities of
the box c, which will allow the bed stone to descend until the rollers s, s, bear
upon the rails t, t, when the bed stone will be at liberty to be removed. It
will of course be understood that there should be guides or steady pins work-
ing in slots at the sides of the casing of the bed stone, to keep it in the
required position, without shifting laterally or otherwise.
Figure 8 is another section, shewing the adjustment obtained by single
wedges shifted by screws, instead of double wedges, as last described; and as
the same letters are marked upon corresponding parts, as in Figure 7, no
further description will be necessary.
In conclusion, I would observe, that these mills, when constructed capable
of adjusting the bed stone, as above described, are applicable to various other
useful purposes; for instance, they may be adapted, when under proper
management and adjustment, to removing the husk or shell from hemp and
other oil seeds, and preparing them for pressing, also removing the husks
from oats and paddy or rough rice, the indentures on the grinding
surfaces being formed according to the description of work the mill has to
perform.
In witness whereof, I, the said Miles Berry, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-five.
MILES (L.s.) BERRY.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Thirteenth day of March, in
the fifth year of the reign of His Majesty King William the Fourth, the said
Miles Berry came before our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and
acknowledged the Instrument aforesaid, and all and every thing therein
contained and specified, in form above written. And also the Instrument
aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made in the
fifty-fifth year of the reign of His late Majesty King George the Third.