IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WHEAT AND OTHER GRAIN INTO FLOUR, AND IN THE MACHINERY CONNECTED THERE WITH
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas James Baker, of Farndon, near Newark, in
the County of Nottingham, Miller, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WHEAT AND OTHER GRAIN INTO FLOUR, AND IN THE
MACHINERY CONNECTED THERE WITH."
Sealed the 28th April 1868, and dated the 7th November 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas James Baker
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th November 1867.
I, THOMAS JAMES BAKER, of Farndon, near Newark, in the County of
Nottingham, Miller, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WHEAT AND OTHER GRAIN INTO FLOUR,.
AND IN THE MACHINERY CONNECTED THEREWITH," to be as follows, that is to
say-
My first improvement consists in forming an air and moisture trap in the
meal spout by inserting therein in a suitable case a wheel having vanes at
short distances around it and moving at a slow velocity, the case at one side
being open into the meal spout both above and below, the connection between

page_text: the top and bottom of the spout being cut off by the vane wheel so that as the
meal or products of the grinding descend in the spout, they are caught by it
and permitted to advance only at the rate and in the direction of the said
vane wheel.
I give the before-mentioned vane wheel motion in the direction
contrary to the descending meal so that the meal is by its action first beaped
upon one side of the meal spout and the passage sealed against the descent of
air and moisture, and is then carried round the top of the wheel at a velocity
so slow as to seal the passage at the other side of the case and around the top.
against the escape there of air and moisture. An air and moisture trap such
I have described may be made of two such vane wheels, attention being paid
to the velocity of the wheels and the superficial dimensions of the acting vanes.
Such a trap may also be formed approximately efficient by a small screw in a
short horizontal tube, one end of which is open above into the top of the meal
spout, the other communicating with the lower portion thereof. Such a trap
may also be formed of a pair of corrugated nipping rollers made of elastic
material so as to affect deleteriously the meal passing between them as slightly
as possible. In any form of rotating trap which may be adopted whether
perfect or approximately so attention must be paid to have the surface of the
vane, or corrugation, or diameter, and pitch of the screw such as will admit
of a velocity so slow as in no degree to agitate the air or permit the escape of
air or moisture.
My next improvement consists in lowering the trough in which the worm
or creeper by which the products of the grinding are carried to the dressing
apparatus to the floor; the space I thus gain, I utilize as follows:-I form
therein a bin in which I place two or more shelves slightly shortened length-
wise at opposite ends thereof; through this bin I carry a continuation of the
meal spout having a break or opening at the part constituting the former
termination of it, whereby the meal may be handled and tested by the
operative miller. The meal spout so continued carries the meal direct to the
worm which communicates with the lowest recess of the bin. Along side of
the meal spout and parallel with it I place an air and moisture pipe being
connected to the meal spout above the air and moisture trap above described,
and carrying away the air and moisture cut off thereby from descending the
meal spout. This pipe goes through the bin shelves and delivers its air and
moisture and whatever dust may accompany them into the lowest recess
thereof also; it then arises round, the end of the first shelf into the second
recess, then into the third, and so on, and when the dust has been separated
therefrom, the air and moisture escape into the atmosphere. To prevent the

page_text: air and moisture from rising through the continuation of the meal spout in
the bin I contract its dimensions so that the meal fills the pipe and produces
by its weight and velocity a counter current downwards equal to the current
in the air and moisture pipe. The bin may be variously formed, but I desire
to say that a circuitous route of a certain length is all that is necessary to
separate dust from air and moisture, and in whatever way this is obtained in a
bin so formed and placed as above described, I regard as embraced in my
Invention.
It is obvious that the above arrangement may be connected with an ordinary
millstone which naturally drives its air and moisture down the meal spout, but
this power may be increased either upon the stone itself or aided by a separate
fan of moderate power.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas James Baker in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 6th May 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
JAMES BAKER, of Fr ndon, near Newark, in the County of Nottingham,
Miller, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors; give and grant unto me, the
said Thomas James Baker, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas
James Baker, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Thomas James Baker, my 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WHEAT AND OTHER GRAIN INTO FLOUR, AND IN THE
MACHINERY CONNECTED THEREWITH," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Thomas James Baker, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, 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
6:

page_text: in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas James Baker, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
My first improvement consists in forming an air and moisture trap in the
meal spout by inserting therein in a suitable case a wheel having vanes at
short distances around it, and moving at a slow velocity, the case at one side
being open into the meal spout both above and below, the connection between
the top and bottom of the spout being cut off by the vane wheel, so that as
the meal or products of the grinding descend in the spout they are caught by
it and permitted to advance only at the rate and in the direction of the said
vane wheel. I give the before-mentioned vane wheel motion in direction
contrary to the descending meal, so that the meal is by its action first heaped
upon one side of the meal spout, and the passage sealed against the descent
of air and moisture, and is then carried round the top of the wheel at a
velocity so slow as to seal the passage at the other side of the case and around
the top against the escape of air and moisture. An air and moisture trap
such as I have described may be made of two such vane wheels, attention
being paid to the velocity of the wheels and the superficial dimensions of the
acting vanes. Such a trap may also be formed approximately efficient by a
small screw in a short horizontal tube, one end of which is open above into
the top of the meal spout, the other communicating with the lower portion
thereof. Such a trap may also be formed of a pair of corrugated nipping
rollers made of elastic material, so as to affect deleteriously the meal passing
between them as slightly as possible. In any form of rotating trap which
may be adopted, whether perfect or approximately so, attention must be paid
to have the surface of the vane or corrugation or diameter and pitch of the
screw such as will admit of a velocity so slow as in no degree to agitate the
air or permit the escape of air or moisture.
My next improvement consists in lowering the trough in which the worm
or creeper by which the products of the grinding are carried to the dressing
apparatus to the floor; the space 1 thus gain I utilize as follows:-I form
therein a bin, in which I place two or more shelves slightly shortened length-
wise at opposite ends thereof; through this bin.I carry a continuation of the
meal spout, having a break or opening at the part constituting the former
termination of it, whereby the meal may be handled and tested by the

page_text: operative miller. The meal spout so continued carries the meal direct to the
worm which communicates with the lowest recess of the bin. Alongside of
the meal spout and parallel with it I place an air and moisture pipe, being
connected to the meal spout above the air and moisture trap above described,
and carrying away the air and moisture cut off thereby from descending the
meal spout. This pipe goes through the bin shelves and delivers its air and
moisture and whatever dust may accompany them into the lowest recess
thereof also, it then rises round the end of the first shelf into the second
recess, then into the third, &c. &c., and when the dust has been separated
therefrom the air and moisture escape into the atmosphere. To prevent the
air and moisture from rising through the continuation of the meal spout in
the bin I contract the dimensions, so that the meal fills the pipe and produces
by its weight and velocity a counter current downwards equal to the current
in the air and moisture pipe. The bin may be variously formed, but I desire
to say that a circuitous route of a certain length is all that is necessary to
separate dust from air and moisture, and in whatever way this is obtained in
a bin so formed and placed as above described I regard as embraced in my
Invention.
It is obvious that the above arrangement may be connected with an ordinary
millstone, which naturally drives its air and moisture down the meal spout,
but this power may be increased either upon the stone itself or aided by a
separate fan of moderate power.
And in order that my Invention may be more fully understood and more
readily carried into effect I will proceed to describe the same, reference being
had to the accompanying Drawing, in which Figure 1 is a plan of my Inven-
tion; Figure 2 is a front sectional elevation; Figure 3 is a side sectional
elevation; Figure 4 is a modification of the air and moisture trap shewing
the screw form thereof.
B is a portion of the bedstone; C, the flooring of the millstone room;
D, the usual opening in the flooring for the escape of the products of the
grinding downwards, communicating with the recess g underneath the floor.
Into this all the products of the grinding are thrown together with the
air thrown over the back of the stones, either by the action of the
stones themselves, or by a fan, as described in a Patent granted to me
dated the Ninth day of August One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven,
Number 2291. The recess 9 is closed at the bottom by the vane wheel g¹
on which the meal is accumulated, and also on the block 92, the face of
which is curved towards the vane wheel, so as just to allow it to turn

page_text: with freedom and make a joint, sealed by the meal against the passage
of air and moisture. An opening upwards is made by the duct g³ to the
trunk, by which the air and moisture prevented from passing the vane
.wheel and block have a free escape. Motion is given to the vane wheel from
the screw by means of the strap 9 and pullies q, q, at a rate which, while
permitting the accumulation above described, is sufficient to carry round the
meal as it is delivered into the recess by the grinding stones, and to deliver it
into the meal spout 95, which it descends in the usual way. By this arrange-
ment a considerable portion of the meal which would be carried either up or
down by the current of air is thrown into the recess 9 and delivered to the
meal spout by the vane wheel, and a complete separation is effected between
the solid matters delivered from the grinding stones and the air and aeriform
matters, and such solid material as floats therein, as are either passed between
the stones or passed into the millstone case down the back of the running
stone, or thrown into it by the action of a fan, as above referred to. It is
evident that instead of the wheel g¹ and block g² two wheels and two blocks
may be used, care being taken to make the rate of motion imparted to them
so slow as to seal the joints whilst it is proportioned to the delivery of the
meal, so that there will always be upon them a quantity great enough to
resist the pressure of the air.upon them. Instead of straight leaved vanes
corrugations may be used, or elastic surfaces, which would permit the meal to
pass between them without material injury.. I prefer the vanes as I have
shewn them, because the meal is passed by them perfectly free, being subjected
to no pressure but of air upon the surface of the accumulation shewn upon
the vane wheel g¹ and the block 92. Such an air trap may also be formed by
inserting a small screw 9' in the bottom of the recess g, the top of one end of
which communicates with the recess, the bottom of the other end of it with
the meal spout g5 (see Figure 4). In this case also attention must be given
that the rate of motion imparted to the screw will correspond with the delivery
of the meal, as in each of the cases mentioned the accumulation of meal is the
means of sealing the joint. Both the streams above described, that is to say,
the stream of air and moisture with such material as is floated therein and the
stream of meal in the spout descend into a large bin E by two separate ducts.
The bin E has three partitions, marked 1, 2, 3, and it fulfils three distinct
functions.
First. It separates the air from solid materials floating therein. The air
pipe, trunk, or duct g is carried nearly to the bottom of the said bin, from
the bottom of which there is no outlet, except by the worm or screw v.
It is

page_text: divided into separate compartments by vertical divisions, which communicate
with each other by apertures increasing in width from the end at which the
pipe genters. The area of these apertures will depend very largely upon
the rate at which the air enters, but taking the circumstances detailed in'
the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me on the Ninth of August
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, Number 2291, in which a
fan is placed on the top of the runner, and revolves of course at the same
rate, I make the area of the opening between the first and second division
sixty square inches, between the second and third seventy square inches, and
between the third and fourth eighty square inches, and I recommend that
the bin should rather exceed the dimensions shown in the Drawings than
otherwise. At the top of the last division a pipe or duct E2 carries off the air
to a large pipe E³, which carries off the air from a series of millstones to the
open air. So far as permitting floating material to settle is concerned the
result is very much the same whether the partitions are vertical or horizontal,
but vertical partitions keep themselves clean and they communicate directly
with the worm.
Second. The second function of this bin is to receive the meal and to
contain the meal screw. The meal spout 95 passes the meal into the pipe v',
which I make of tin, and of small diameter at the upper part, and attach a
continuation of cloth to the end of it leading to the screw. The object of
the cloth continuation is that though when filled with meal it remains
distended, whenever the meal becomes decreased in quantity it contracts
proportionately under the pressure of air in the bin and prevents the escape
of air at the meal spout. I introduce this meal spout continuation into the
second division, as the pressure is there slightly reduced, and the action of the
cloth pipe is steadier, which affords another reason for having the partitions
vertical, as shewn in the Drawings.
Third. The third function of this bin is to subject the meal as it is turned
over continuously by the screw to the action of a current of air. This is
obvious from what has before been stated, and this last function of the bin is
of great importance, inasmuch as the meal is in a more perfect condition for
the after processes upon leaving the bin.
Having now described my Invention, and the manner in which the same is
to be performed, I declare that I claim as secured to me thereby,-
Firstly. The air and moisture traps, herein-before described and shewn, and
any modification of the same by which the air is separated from the meal, the
one being passed by the meal spout, the other by the air pipe g*.

page_text: Secondly. The bin E, its position, tubes, partitions, and openings by which
the meal is received and is subjected to the constant action of a stream of
air, and the dust floating in the air is separated therefrom, as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas James Baker, have. hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of April, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-eight.
THOMAS JAMES BAKER. (L.S.)
Witness,
WILLIAM ROBERTSON,
Engineer and Patent Agent,
17, Queen's Chambers, Market Street,
Manchester.