IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING AND SEPARATING THE MIDDLINGS' OF FLOUR
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Redwood, of Macclesfield, in the County of
Chester, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING AND SEPARATING THE MIDDLINGS' OF FLOUR."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Redwood at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th February 1876.
"
CHARLES REDWOOD, of Macclesfield, in the County of Chester. IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING AND SEPARATING THE
'MIDDLINGS' OF FLOUR."
$6
This Invention relates to apparatus used for purifying coarse kind of flour called
middlings" by removing or separating the dust, bran, and other extraneous matters
therefrom.
"
I dispense entirely with the "silks or sieves hitherto employed in such
machines, and I effect the purification or separation by a series of air currents in
combination with an inclined shaking lattice platform made of laths, the flour being
caused to pass evenly over the inclined lattice platform, whilst the air currents
coming through the interstices pass through the flour or middlings and carry away
the dust and bran.
7
Each lattice or lath of the inclined platform rests on the. top of a long box or
trough provided with a long narrow slit or opening, through which the air is
drawn or forced upwards by a fan or fans, and the width of this air slit or opening
can be regulated by means of a rack and pinion. The lattices or laths extend
above the openings between the boxes or troughs, and they can be caused to
project more or less, so as either to close the opening entirely or to open the same
partially, and thus regulate the practical width of the opening through which the
air current ascends as the flour falls from one lattice or lath on to the other, a
portion of the purified flour or "middlings" finding its way down through the
opening, whilst the dust and fine bran are carried away by the air current.
The boxes or troughs are fixed, whilst the lattices or laths are attached to a
frame to which a shaking motion is imparted. The flour is supplied through a
hopper into a trough at the top above the highest lattice or lath. This trough is
attached to the shaking frame, so that by the time the flour has filled the trough
[Price 6d1

page_text: and commences to run over the side on to the lattice it is evenly distributed from
one end to the other. Before the flour has arrived at the bottom or lowest lattice
all the heavy flour or "middlings" will have passed through the openings into a box
beneath, whilst the dust and fine bran will be carried away by the air current.
The coarse bran and the low quality flour then falls from the [lowest lattice or lath
into a separate receptacle.
<6
At the bottom of the box or receptacle into which the heavy flour or
middlings" falls is a revolving worm or screw, which delivers the purified flour
or middlings from an opening in the end of the box.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Charles Redwood in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th August
1876.
CHARLES REDWOOD, of Macclesfield, in the County of Chester. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MIDDLINGS' PURIFIERS OR SEPARATORS."
i
This Invention relates to apparatus used for purifying coarse kinds of flour
called "middlings" by removing or separating the dust, bran, and other extraneous
matters therefrom.
I dispense entirely with the "silks" or sieves hitherto employed in such
machines, and I effect the purification or separation by a series of air currents in
combination with an inclined shaking lattice or platform made of laths, the flour
being caused to pass evenly over the inclined lattice or platform, whilst the air
currents coming through the interstices pass through the flour or middlings and
carry away the dust and brans.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention I will now proceed to
describe in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect, and in order that the same may be clearly understood
I have hereunto annexed two Sheets of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have
marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with thoso
in the following explanation thereof:-
-
In Sheet 1 of the Drawings Fig. 1 is a transverse section of the machine;
Fig. 2, a longitudinal section of the same. And in Sheet 2, Fig. 3 is a transverse
section, and Fig. 4 a front view, of detached portions of the same drawn to a larger
scale.
Each lattice or lath a, a, of the inclined platform rests on the top of a long box
or trough b, b, provided with a long narrow slit or opening c, c, through which the
air is drawn or forced upwards by a fan or fans d, d, and the width of this air
slit or opening can be regulated by means of a curved rack and pinion f, f, by
means of a lever g, g, which is fixed when adjusted by means of a screw h, h,
moving in the slotted quadrant i, i, (see Sheet 2). The lattices or laths a, a, extend
above the openings between the boxes or troughs b, b, and they can be caused to
project more or less, so as either to close the opening entirely or to open the same
partially, and thus regulate the practical width of the opening through which the
air current ascends as the flour falls from one lattice or lath on to the other, a
portion of the purified flour or "middlings" finding its way down through the
opening, whilst the dust and fine bran are carried away by the air current. This
regulating of the width of the opening is effected by means of straight racks k, k,
actuated by pinions 1, 1, and levers m, m, fitted with a screw. pin n, n, working in
a curved slot o, o, (see Sheet 2). In order to modify to a certain extent the effect
of the fan d, d, on the lighter portions in some cases I attach to the laths or
latices "check boards z, z," which are so arranged that the heavier matter can pass
beneath them.
The boxes or troughs b, b, are fixed; whilst the lattices or laths a, a, are attached

page_text: to a frame p, p, to which a shaking motion is imparted. The flour is supplied
through a hopper q, y, into a trough r, r, at the top above the higheset lattice or
lath a, a
This trough, r, is attached to the shaking frame p, p, so that by the
time the flour has filled the trough 7, 2, and commences to run over the side on
Before the
to the lattice a, a, it is evenly distributed from one end to the other.
flour has arrived at the bottom or lowest lattice all the heavy flour or "middlings"
will have passed through the openings into a box 8, 8, beneath, whilst the dust and
fine bran will be carried away by the air current. The coarse bran and the low
quality flour then falls from the lowest lattice or lath into a separate receptacle at t, t.
At the bottom of the box or receptacle into which the heavy flour or "middlings
falls is a revolving worm or screw u, u, which delivers the purified flour or
"middlings" from the opening in the end of the box.
"
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention, together
with the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into
practical effect, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention the novel
construction of middlings purifier or separator without sieves, as above described
and illustrated by the annexed Drawings, and more especially I claim the con-
struction of the inclined shaking platform or lattice, and troughs or boxes with
adjustable slits or long narrow openings, through which currents of air are forced
or drawn, substantially in the manner and for the purposes described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Redwood, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-third day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
CHARLES REDWOOD. (L.S.