Improvements in Machines for Breaking Up Spices.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Apr., 1890-Accepted, 24th May, 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Breaking Up Spices.
1, HENRY NEWEL WATROUS, of 1105 North Water Street, in the City of Bay
City, County of Bay, State of Michigan, one of the United States of America, manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to new and useful improvements in machines for breaking up
spices, especially designed for cinnamon, ginger root and other spices which have
beretofore been found difficult to crush and grind, owing to their size, shape and
fibrous structure, and the invention consists in the peculiar construction of crushing
rolls in combination with a crushing plate.
Further in the peculiar construction, arrangement and combination of the various
parts, all as more fully hereinafter described.
In the drawings which accompany this specification,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved machine.
Fig. 2 is a vertical, central, longitudinal section thereof.
Fig. 3 is a top plan view with the hopper removed.
Fig. 4 is a detached top plan view of the crushing plate.
A is the frame of the machine, which may be of any suitable construction, and
in this frame are journalled two crushing rollers B B¹, both of which are live
rollers.
The roller B has preferably a plain surface, while the roller B is provided with
corrugations.
C is the driving pulley which is secured upon the shaft D of the roll B¹. This
shaft is provided within the frame with the gear pinion F which meshes with the
gear wheel G upon the shaft H of the roll B, so arranged that the roller B¹ is driven
at a considerably greator speed than the roller B.
In practice I drive the corrugated roll at about five times the speed of the
smooth roll.
I is a corrugated segmental crusher plate provided with rearwardly extending
arms I which are secured to the cross-bar J of the frame, having a yielding
bearing J¹ between.
K is a yielding cushion or bearing arranged beneath the crusher plate, one on
each side of the machine. This crusher plate has a point a which extends up between
the rollers to near the point at which they meet, and preferably bears against the
smooth roller B slightly, to clean it of any particles that might have a tendency to
cling to it. From this point to the forward point b the space between the crusher
plate and the roller B1 gradually decreases, forming a V-shaped crushing space
between.
The roller B¹ is journalled in horizontally yielding bearings. This I preferably
accomplish by forming the slots c in the bearing blocks, through which the bolts d
secure the block to the frame.
e is a rubber cushion or spring bearing against the end of the block to allow it to
have a limited lateral motion. The object of this is to prevent damage to the rollers
in case a nail or other hard substance should get in with the spices between the rolls.
To this end, also the yielding bearings K are arranged beneath the crusher plate.
Above the rolls I secure a suitable hopper L which is preferably provided with the
guard plates M covering the rollers, so that dust or dirt cannot get in during the
operation.
N is a spout secured at its rear end to the crusher plate and extending out from the
frame to deliver the broken spices.
It will be seen that one side of the machine is entirely free from driving mechanism.

page_text: This is done so that the operator may approach the machine from that side for feeding
the spices etc., without interfering with the driving mechanism.
By inclining the corrugations upon the crushing plate at an angle to the
corrugations upon the roller B', I effect a more complete crushing of the spices.
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
1. In a machine for breaking spices, the combination with smooth and corrugated
crushing rollers, journalled 'in the frame, of a concave crushing plate below the
corrugated roller, substantially as described.
2. The combination with a smooth and corrugated crushing roller, journalled in the
frame, of a yielding bearing for one of said rolls, the concave crushing plate journalled
below the corrugated roller, and a yielding bearing below said crushing plate,
'substantially as described.
3. In a machine for crushing spices, the combination with the crushing rollers of
the concave crushing plate below said rollers and having a V-shaped crushing space
between the plate and the roller, substantially as described.
4. In a machine of the kind described, the combination of the hopper L, the
rollers B B¹, yielding bearings for the roller B, the concave crushing'plate I having.
the elastic cushions J¹ and K, and the spout N, substantially as
an extension
described.
α,
HENRY NEWEL WATROUS.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
'
45, Southampton Buildings, London; Agents for the. Applicant.