IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT AND GRINDING OF GRAIN AND THE PRODUCTS THEREOP
Year: 1854

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Jolin Currie at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 2nd March
*1854.
I, JOHN CURRIE, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Miller, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE TREATMENT AND GRINDING OF GRAIN AND THE PRODUCTS THEREOP" to be as
follows:-
These improvements relate primarily to the washing and cleansing of
Egyptian wheat and other grain, by passing it from a screen or riddle into one
end of a long narrow water trough, having a perforated false bottom of semi-
circular section; above this is a horizontal longitudinal shaft, with a series of
inclined blades or paddle arms upon it, such arms being fitted to work just
clear of the false bottom, and at a considerable depth beneath the water sur-
face. The paddles are adjustable at any angle with their axis of revolution,
and as they revolve they agitate the grain in the water, and convey it to the
opposite or delivery end of the trough, whence it is lifted out by dipping

page_text: chain or perforated buckets, by which chain also the paddle shaft is driven.
The clean washing water enters the trough at the end where the grain is
taken out, and a constant current flows off at the end where the grain enters,
carrying with it the floating refuse, whilst the heavier foreign matter escapes
through the perforated false bottom, the space beneath being occasionally
cleaned out by a powerful current of clean water injected into it. The bottom
of the space beneath the false bottom may be inclined downwards towards the
end at which the grain enters, and it may be provided with a sluice door at
that end for cleaning it. The dipping chain for lifting the grain out of the
water may be dispensed with, the screw shaft being set at an angle so as to
rise out of the water at one end and deliver the grain over the edge of the
trough, the trough being shaped to correspond to this. The end of the shaft
which rises out of the water may have a greater number of blades fitted to it
than at the lower part, or it may be made at the upper end with a continuous
screw thread, to insure the delivery of the grain over the edge of the trough.
The grain is delivered into a duct with a wire gauze or perforated bottom, in
order that the water may drain off. In the new grinding arrangements the
improvements relate to the drawing of air through the upper stone of a pair of
millstones, whether it be the runner or not. For this purpose the upper
stone is made with a number of openings completely through its thickness,
which openings may be conveniently formed by leaving spaces between the
"burrs" or segments of which the stone is built up. The top of the stone is
covered with a casing communicating with an air drawing apparatus, and if
the upper stone is stationary, this casing is simply fixed to it, whilst, if it is the
runner, the casing is fixed in contact with the stone, or a loose joint may be
formed between the two, it being immaterial to make the joint perfect. In
connection with this system of working, the eye of the stone is to be covered
in and provided with an adjustable entrance for air, so that this can be regu-
lated with accuracy. The air may be exhausted or drawn through the stone
by means of a screw fan revolving immediately above the stone.
In dressing
flour, arrangements are made for the introduction of air at the longitudinal
centre of the flour dressing machine. For this purpose, a portion of the
dressing drum or cylinder is cut away at the centre, and a casing is introduced
into the opening so made. This casing is fixed, and carries a bearing for the
centre of the shaft of the revolving brushes, thereby considerably reducing its
tendency to vibrate. The air is admitted to the casing by a side entrance, or
it may be forced in by a blowing machine if necessary. The two separate ends
of the drum are driven at the same rate by suitable gearing. This arrange-

page_text: ment permits the employment of a much greater speed of the revolving
brushes, which will improve the action of the machine by drawing in more air,
and thereby blowing the flour through the wire gauze more effectually, and so
reduce the wear on the brushes.