An Improvement in Flour Milling Machinery.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Oct., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 24th June. 1897-Accepted. 7th Aug., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Flour Milling Machinery.
WE, SIDNEY LEETHAM, of Hungate, York, Miller, and HENRY SIMON, of 20, Mount
Street, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Civil Engineer. do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In many machines employed in flour milling the presence of moisture is
detrimental as, by giving particles a pasty consistence, it often causes the stoppage
of the fine meshes or perforations of the dressing surfaces.
This invention relates to means of providing against this, which we effect as
follows:-
We provide a steam or other heating apparatus by which we heat air to a
moderate temperature such as 90° to 100° Fahr. By means of a blowing fan we
cause this heated air to pass preferably through porous diffusing surfaces-arranged
in the milling machines, preferably in their lower parts, and we provide for escape
of the air from these machines, which may be aided by a suction fan.
Deted this 2nd day of October 1896.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.
An Improvement in Flour Milling Machinery.
We, SYDNEY LEETHAM, of Hungate, York, Miller, and HENRY SIMON of 20
Mount Street, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Civil Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
atement :-
In dressing machines employed iu flour milling in which the flour or similar
material passes through the dressing surface the presence of moisture is detrimental
as, by giving particles a pasty consistence, it causes stoppage of the fine meshes
or perforations of dressing surfaces and accumulation of humid deposits liable to
decay or putrefaction.
The object of this invention is to provide an artificial atmosphere in dressing

page_text: machines, which will absorb or take up moisture or condensation liquid produced
in the process in such dressing machines, and thuis by minimising the presence of
moisture will increase the effective work of these machines improving the
quality of the product and increasing the quantity of work done in any given
time.
These results are attained by the presence of the drier atmosphere with which the
machines are supplied and which to some extent takes up the superfluous moisture in
the material treated.
The presence of air laden with moisture in these machines considerably reduces
their efficiency and this may be obviated and the dressing machines may be clothed
with silks or perforated surfaces very much finer than at present if the machines are
not only supplied with a dry atmosphere but if also they have this atmosphere,
after it has taken up some of the superfluous moisture, constantly changed or
renewed.
'
:
For any kind of dressing sieve, plan sifter or similar machine or for a centrifugal
or reel type of dressing machine either vertical, inclined or horizontal, heated air
may be applied through suitable openings to one side or both sides of the silk, wire
or perforated surface: The heated air should preferably be evenly diffused, but
fairly good results may be obtained, even without special diffusing apparatus and
also by providing a special opening in the feed spout of the machine for the
introduction of the hot air, the amount of air being preferably regulated by valves,
slides or their equivalents. Outlets, preferably adjustable, are provided for the air
from either or both sides of the perforated surface, and the outflow of the air may
be aided by a fan or its equivalent. The use of such a fan may in some cases be
dispensed with by making the outlets of suitable sectional area and connecting
them to a suitable collecting chamber.
For carrying the invention out in practice, as shewn in the accompanying
drawings, we provide a steam, hot air, or other heating apparatus A by which we
heab air. By means of a propelling fan B we cause this heated air to pass
preferably through porous or perforated diffusing surfaces arranged in the dressing
machines, preferably in their lower parts. In the drawings we have shown the
heated air supplied to the casing C of two pairs of rollers, the casing D of a pair of
rotary sieves, and that of a centrifugal machine E, but the application of heated air
to the rollers forms no part of our invention, although, it may be applied in
conjunction therewith as shown. As indicated by the arrows, each of these machines
is supplied by a branch pipe from the main discharge pipe of the fan, each branch
being furnished with a valve or damper. Branch pipes also furnished with valves
or dampers lead the air from the machines to an outlet, the escape being aided by a
suction fan F, and such dust as may be carried by the air being separated by a dust
collector which may be of the kind known as the "Cyclone' dust collector
or its equivalent: In some cases the suction fan may be dispensed with,
the propelling fan alone being employed, or the suction fan may be used alone
without the propelling fan.
We are aware that heated air has been supplied to and withdrawn from millstones
and their casings and we make no claim to the application of heated air in the
process of grinding. We are also aware that currents of air are employed in purifiers
and similar machines to carry off the lighter particles; and we make no claim to
the use of heated air in such flour milling processes. Moreover we wish it to be
understood that we only claim the application of heated air to sieving or dressing
surfaces of machines in which the flour or similar material passes through the
sieving or dressing orifices in the process of dressing thereby tending to clog the
orifices. We do not claim the application of heated air to purifiers and similar
machines in which the material separated is carried up from the sieving surface by
air passing up through the sieve orifices when there is practically no tendency to
elog, and we do not include such apparatus in the term dressing machines as herein
used.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. In combination with flour dressing machines an air heating apparatus, an air
propelling or air exhausting fan, or both, and air supply and discharge pipes
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.