IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CRACKING and grinding GRAIN
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Yate Johnson at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th September 1883. Communicated
to him from Armand Decaup a person resident at Marseilles in the Republic
of France, broker.
"
JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CRACKING and grinding GRAIN
cominunicated to me from Armand Decaup a person resident at Marseilles in the
Republic of France. Broker
This Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for cracking and grinding
grain and it consists in the employment in combination with grindstones for
reducing grain into flour of an apparatus hereinafter described which cracks or
partially disintegrates the grain before it is introduced between the stones which
complete its reduction to the condition of flour. The said apparatus may bo
directly attached to and operated by the millstones as hereinafter described or it
may be used as a separate and independent machine for cracking and disintegrating
the grain.
By means of this Invention the rate of production is greatly increased in
proportion to the expenditure of motive power. The elevated temperature of tho
Hour on leaving millstones worked in the ordinary manner is due to the pressure to
which it is subjected and to the length of time during which it remains between
the stones. In the case however of millstones in connection with which this
invention is employed the operation of reducing grain to flour is performed in less
time and with less pressure than heretofore and the flour consequently leaves the
stones in a comparatively cool condition.
In mills with horizontal stones as ordinarily arranged the grain passes through
the eye of the upper or running stone and is not acted upon until it has reached a
certain distance from the axis of revolution. Hence the preliminary breaking of
the grain between the stones is performed at a disadvantage and with considerable
loss of power. In mills provided with apparatus according to this Invention the
first breaking of the grain performed at a comparatively short distance from the
axis of revolution and the motive force is consequently more advantageously
utilized
In carrying this invention into effect a conical case is firmly supported on the
fixed or bed stone so as to leave a passago beneath the lower edges of the said

page_text: The said case is provided internally with teeth of suitable form for cracking or
crushing the grain and contains a cone also provided with teeth on its circumference.
This cone is connected to the iron work of the upper or running stone and revolves
with the latter thereby cracking or effecting a preliminary disintegration of the
grain which is caused to pass between the cone and case before entering between
the stones.
It is necessary to connect the toothed cone to the running stone in such a
manner as to cause the cone to revolve with the stone and at the same time admit
of the adjustment of the said cone relatively to the toothed case independently of
the adjustment of the stones
For this purpose the eye of the upper or running stone is lined with a cylinder
provided with lugs to which is fixed a "rhind" or bearing piece forming the means
of mounting the running stone on the mill spindle on which is keyed a sleeve
having a fork engaging with the said "rhind." The inner toothed cone is slipped
over this sleeve and is capable of sliding vertically thereon being supported in a
suitable position (corresponding to the degree of breaking to which the grain is to
be subjected) by means of nuts on screwed rods attached to the said toothed cone
and capable of sliding vertically in eyes cast on the sides of the sleeve and bearing
against the nuts on the rods. Feathers on the sides of the sleeve engage with
corresponding grooves in the cone and compel the latter to rotate with the sleeve
but allow the cone to be adjusted vertically thereon when owing to a shifting or
displacement of the running stone or for other reason it becomes necessary to adjust
the position of the cone relatively with the case in which it revolves.
The grain falling from a shoot or hopper above the stones is received on a cup
shaped plate placed on and rotating with the sleeve herein before referred to. The
grain then falls or is thrown over the edges of this plate into a hopper or funnel
secured to the upper edge of the toothed case and which serves to direct the grain
between the teeth of the revolving cone and of the stationary case. Here the grain
is bruised, cracked, broken, and partially disintegrated and is delivered at the
lower part of the cone at the centre of the running stone where the centrifugal
force causes it to enter between the stones in the usual manner. Being thus
broken or partially reduced before being subjected to the action of the stones they
are enabled to complete the reduction of the said grain into flour with great ease
and rapidity.
•
The improved apparatus may be readily applied to flour mills of ordinary
construction and may be arranged cither in the eye of the running stone or in any
other convenient position.