IMPROVEMENTS IN THE GRINDING AND FEEDING APPARATUS OF MILLS FOR GRINDING CORN AND OTHER SUBSTANCES, AND IN THE COMBINATION OF SUCH MILLS WITH FLOUR DRESSING MACHINES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Robert Riches and Charles James Watts,
both of Norwich, in the County of Norfolk, Engineers, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE GRINDING AND FEEDING APPARATUS OF MILLS FOR
GRINDING CORN AND OTHER SUBSTANCES, AND IN THE COMBINATION OF SUCH
MILLS WITH FLOUR DRESSING MACHINES."
Sealed the 30th May 1865, and dated the 24th January 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Robert Riches
and Charles James Watts at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 24th January 1865.
We, RICHARD ROBERT RICHES and CHARLES JAMES WATTS, both of
Norwich, in the County of Norfolk, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE GRINDING AND FEEDING
APPARATUS OF MILLS FOR GRINDING CORN AND OTHER SUBSTANCES, AND IN THE
COMBINATION OF SUCH MILLS WITH FLOUR DRESSING MACHINES," to be as
follows:-
Our Invention relates to mills in which the grinding surfaces are composed
of a horizontal corrugated cylinder combined with a similarly corrugated

page_text: concave or under grinding surface, and consists, in the first place, in forming
the teeth or corrugations in the concave with an extended grinding surface. For
this purpose, instead of making the teeth or corrugations with their grinding
and cutting edges in a straight line, parallel with the axis of the cylinder, we
arrange the same along the concave in either a zig-zag, serpentine, or diamond-
shaped direction.
Our Invention consists, in the second place, in dividing the concave into two
or more separate parts lengthwise (but by preference into three parts) for the
purpose of adjusting each of such parts separately to the proper distance
from the convex grinding surface of the cylinder, as required, instead of
adjusting the concave formed in one piece as usual.
Our Invention consists, in the third place, in the combination with mills of
the construction referred to, of a flour dressing machine, so as to constitute
together a portable grinding and dressing machine, such combined machine
being mounted either on a carriage or on a portable frame. In this case the
mill or grinding machine is mounted on suitable framework, the basement
of which forms a chamber in which the sifting or dressing apparatus is
enclosed, such sifting or dressing apparatus being worked by pulleys and
ordinary driving gear from the axle of the grinding cylinder.
Our Invention consists, in the fourth place, in arranging the interior of the
hopper and feeding apparatus of such mills in such a manner that two or more
kinds of grain or other substance may be mixed and afterwards operated upon
together in any required relative proportions. For this purpose the interior
of the hopper is divided by partitions, in which are mounted feed rollers,
which may be driven by means of pulleys or other suitable gear, at such
relative speeds as may be required to cause the mixing in the shoe
at the bottom of the hopper of the several materials in their respective
proportions.
And our Invention consists, in the last place, in forming the concave and
the cap in one casting, and fixing the same to the frame, combined with a
mode of mounting the cylinder so as to admit of its being moved lengthwise,
in order to adjust the grinding surfaces to their required distance apart. Or
the concave and cap may be made separate and each fixed to the frame.
Also the concave and cap may be mounted so as to admit of adjustment
lengthwise, instead of the roller being moved as above stated.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Robert Riches and Charles James Watts in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 22nd July 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, RICHARD
ROBERT RICHES and CHARLES JAMES WATTS, both of Norwich, in the County
of Norfolk, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Richard Robert Riches and Charles James Watts, Her special licence that
we, the said Richard Robert Riches and Charles James Watts, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Richard Robert
Riches and Charles James Watts, 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 GRINDING AND FEEDING APPARATUS OF MILLS FOR GRINDING
CORN AND OTHER SUBSTANCES, AND IN THE COMBINATION OF SUCH MILLS WITH FLOUR
DRESSING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
Richard Robert Riches and Charles James Watts, our executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly 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 I, tho said Charles James Watts, on behalf of
myself and ef the said Richard Robert Riches 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,
reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
:-
Our Invention of "Improvements in the Grinding and Feeding Apparatus of
Mills for Grinding Corn and other Substances, and in the Combination of such
Mills with Flour Diessing Machines" relates to mills in which the grinding
surfaces are composed of a horizontal corrugated cylinder combined with a

page_text: similarly corrugated concave or under grinding surface, and consists, in the
first place, in forming the teeth or corrugations in the concave with an
extended grinding surface. For this purpose, instead of making the teeth or
corrugations with their grinding and cutting edges in a straight line, parallel
with the axis of the cylinder, we arrange the same along the concave in either
a zig-zag, serpentine, or diamond-shaped direction.
Our Invention consists, in the second place, in dividing the concave into two
or more separate parts lengthwise (but by preference into three parts for the
purpose of adjusting each of such parts separately to the proper distance from
the convex grinding surface of the cylinder, as required, instead of adjusting
the concave formed in one piece, as usual.
Our Invention consists, in the third place, in the combination with mills of
the construction referred to of a flour dressing machine, so as to constitute
together a portable grinding and dressing machine, such combined machine
being mounted either on a carriage or on a portable frame. In this case the
mill or grinding machine is mounted on suitable framework, the basement of
which forms a chamber in which the sifting or dressing apparatus is enclosed,
such sifting or dressing apparatus being worked by pulleys and ordinary
driving gear from the axle of the grinding cylinder,
Our Invention consists, in the fourth place, in arranging the interior of the
hopper and feeding apparatus of such mills in such a manner that two or more
kinds of grain or other substance may be mixed and afterwards operated upon
together in any required relative proportions. For this purpose the interior
of the hopper is divided by partitions, in or underneath which are mounted
feed rollers, which may be driven by means of pulleys or other suitable gear
at such relative speeds as may be required to cause the mixing in the shoe
at the bottom of the hopper of the several materials in their respective
proportion. Or instead of the feed rollers a screw conveyer may be
employed to raise the mixed materials from a receptacle at the lower part
of the machine.
And our Invention consists, in the last place, in forming the concave and the
cap in one casting, and fixing the same to the frame, combined with a mode of
mounting the cylinder so as to admit of its being moved lengthwise in order
to adjust the grinding surfaces to their required distance apart.
Or the concave and cap may be made separate, and each fixed to the frame,
Also the concave and cap may be mounted so as to admit of adjustment
lengthwise instead of the roller being moved, as above stated.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention, we will proceed to
describe more particularly in what manner the same is to be performed by

page_text: of apparatus above referred to.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents a portion of the concave with our improved mode of
forming and arranging the cutting edges of the teeth or corrugations therein.
It will be seen that these are formed and arranged in a zig-zag direction,
varying in the angles at which they are placed in different parts of the length
of the concave A (that is to say), the angles are less obtuse as the teeth or
corrugations approach the larger end of the concave. But this arrangement
may be varied, and the cutting edges of the teeth or corrugations may be
formed and arranged in serpentine or in diamond-shaped lines instead of as
represented. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the concave.
parts being
B' is a lever
made in one
and B³ are
Fig. 8 is a transverse section of the concave shewn as divided into three
separate parts A1, A3, and A, so as to admit of each of such
separately adjusted as required by means of levers and screws.
which is ordinarily used for the purpose when the concave is
piece; C¹ is the adjusting screw commonly used therewith; B
levers for adjusting the two parts A³ and A³ of the concave. C and C³ are
screws for acting upon such levers respectively; D is a plate, fixed to wooden
stretchers E, E, such plate being bevilled as shewn, in order to receive the
upper ends of the concave, and act as a guide for the same when it is moved
upwards by the action of the adjusting screws and levers; F, F, are elastic
cushions of india-rubber, inserted in sockets, as shewn, for the purpose of
regulating the raising of the levers as required. By the means described
either of the parts A1, A2, or A³ can be separately adjusted, so as to regulate
the distance between the grinding surfaces as required.
Fig. 4 is an elevation, on a reduced scale, of a mill fixed on a wooden
frame or box, in the lower part of which the sifting or dressing apparatus is
intended to be mounted, and which is, driven by a strap and pulley from the
pulley G. The sifting and dressing apparatus is not shewn in the Figure, but
it will be evident that the mill and dressing machine will be thus combined, so
as to be worked from the same driving shaft.
Figures 5 and 6 are transverse and longitudinal sections of the hopper through
which the material to be ground is introduced into the mill. The upper part
of the hopper is divided by partitions H, H, underneath which are mounted
feed rollers I, I, which are worked at the required speed from a pulley J,
fixed on the axis of one of the feed rollers, the others being set in motion by
the toothed wheels K, K, on the axes of the several rollers. The different

page_text: materials required to be mixed and ground are suppled into the divisions
between the partitions H, H, in the required proportions, and admitted to the
feed rollers I, I, through apertures in a plate a fixed over the rollers, the
passage of the material through such apertures being regulated by means of
a sliding plate (worked by a screw) with apertures in it corresponding with
those in the fixed plate a, and the rollers being driven at the required speed
carry the mixed material forward into the shoe Lat the bottom of the hopper.
Or the hopper may be provided with one roller fixed at right angles to those
shewn, with three or more apertures in the fixed plate fitted with three or
more sliding plates and screws actuated as before described. Or instead of
this arrangement the receptacle for the different materials required to be
mixed may be fixed at the lower part of the foundation frame or box of the
machine, such materials being supplied separately through divisions formed by
partitions, and conveyed from the receptacle by means of a screw conveyer M,
worked by a strap and pulleys from the main driving shaft into a hopper c
leading into the mill. This screw conveyer is shewn detached in vertical
section and elevation in Figs. 7 and 8.
Fig. 9 is a horizontal section of the mill shewing the mode of adjusting the
grinding surfaces to their required distance apart by means of a horizontal
movement of the grinding cylinder. N is a horizontal screw working through
a nut in a cross-head O, such screw being connected at one end within a
collar P to the end of the main driving shaft; Q is a small hand wheel on
the end of the screw, by turning which the screw will be turned and will
cause the shaft and with it the cylinder N to be moved horizontally so as to
increase or diminish the distance between the grinding surface of the cylinder
and that of the concave A. There is another wheel R on the screw, by
means of which the cylinder can be kept in its required position as adjusted.
The collar is fitted so as to be capable of turning with the shaft but loosely
on a journal on the end of the screw.
Instead of moving the cylinder by the means described the concave A
and cap A may be mounted so as to be susceptible of movement in a
horizontal direction, the cylinder in such case being not susceptible of such
movement. In this case the shaft or axis of the cylinder would revolve in
bearings fixed to the framework of the machine, the concave being provided
with lugs to which two guide rods would be fixed, such guide rods passing
through corresponding lugs cast on each of the said bearings or to any
suitable part of the framework of the machine, and the extreme ends of such
rods being fastened to a cross bar provided with a screw and hand-wheel
adjustment as before described.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, we hereby declare that we do not claim as of our
Invention any of the parts represented and described otherwise than as herein-
after stated; but what we do claim as of our Invention is,-..
First, the formation and arrangement of the cutting edges of the teeth or
corrugations in the concave, in the manner herein-before described.
Secondly, the division of the concave into two or more parts so as to admit
of the separate adjustment of such parts, as herein-before described.
Thirdly, the combination of mills with dressing machines, in the manner
herein-before described.
Fourthly, the apparatus described for mixing and feeding the material into
the mill.
And, lastly, the mechanism described for adjusting the distance between
the grinding surfaces of the cylinder and concave by moving the one or the
other in a horizontal direction.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles James Watts, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twentieth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
20 Witness,
MARTYN WILLIAMS,
21, Sussex St., Norwich.
Clerk.
CHARLES JAMES WATTS. (L.B.)