IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR ADJUSTING THE ROLLERS OF ROLLER MILLS FOR TREATING GRAIN, MEAL, MIDDLINGS, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Augustus Bryant Childs, of No. 70, Fenchurch Street,
London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR ADJUSTING
THE ROLLERS OF ROLLER MILLS FOR TREATING GRAIN, MEAL, MIDDLINGS,
AND OTHER SUBSTANCES." A communication from abroad by Friedrich
Wegmann, of Zurich, Switzerland.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Augustus Bryant Childs
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th January 1879.
AUGUSTUS BRYANT CHILDS, of No. 70, Fenchurch Street, London. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR ADJUSTING THE ROLLERS OF ROLLER MILLS FOR
TREATING GRAIN, Meal, MiddliNGS, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES." A communica-
tion from abroad by Friedrich Wegmann, of Zurich, Switzerland.
My improvement is more particularly intended for that class of roller mills for
treating meal, middlings, and grain, in which the bearings or pillar blocks of one of
the roller shafts are fixed while the bearings of the other roller are made adjustable.
The object of my improvement is to adjust the axis of the rollers parallel in order
to bring the working surfaces of the rollers uniformily together at all points of
their surfaces to produce the same and a uniform squeezing action on the material
being treated, which can only be obtained by constantly keeping the axils of the
rollers parallel, and also readily retain them in a parallel position at all times, and
to construct and apply the adjusting mechanism in such a manner that it allows
the bearings of the roller shaft to automatically adjust themselves to the journals
of the shaft under any condition while working.
The roller bearings or pillar blocks are made according to any of the known
forms of the required dimensions, and composed of any suitable metal, and bolted
together as usual. The top and bottom portions of the pillar block when the
rollers are worked in a horizontal position are made in halves, and have cast or
otherwise attached to them projections of metal of suitable shape and length. The
adjusting mechanism is attached to the main frame of the machine, and made to
hold and to act on the projection from the underside of the pillar block for adjusting
either end of the roller by raising or lowering its ends to bring it parallel with its
brother roller working in fixed bearings. The adjusting mechanism for elevating
or lowering the pillar block at each end of the roller consists of an eccentric or its
mathematical equivalent properly arranged and working in the main frame of the
[Price 6d.1

page_text: machine; one eccentric is placed on each side of the machine for adjusting either
pillar block as may be required in order to keep the axils of the rollers parallel
under all working conditions after the rollers are properly adjusted parallel by tho
action of the eccentric on the pillar block as before described; the blocks are then
held to their proper position by the use of screw bolts and spiral springs attached
to the end of the lower projection pieces which is made to clamp the eccentric, and
thereby prevent the roller from rising, jarring, or otherwise moving out of its
parallel position, but at the same time allows of sufficient lateral motion of the
adjusting rollers to allow any foreign or hard substance to pass between their
surfaces without being crushed, and without their surfaces being damaged by such
substances.
The eccentrics for adjusting the rollers parallel have two bearings provided for
them in the main frame of the machine in which they work; provision is made on
the eccentric pieces or shafts for turning them to adjust the rollers in their proper
position, and means are provided for holding the eccentric in any required position,
consisting of a jam or tightening-screw-nut on one end of the eccentric-shaft.
This nut is prevented from jarring loose by a cutter which is driven in a groove
made on the inside face of the nut, the cutter presses against the frame of the
machine and nut, and owing to the friction of the cutter against the frame and of
the nut against the screw itself the nut is prevented from jarring or working
loose.
The rollers or squeezing rollers are held together by automatic pressure produced
by weights and levers, or springs and screws combined with suitable mechanism for
applying them, which is attached to or applied to the projection piece extending
from the upper half of the pillar box.
The essential part of my improvements is to have the adjusting mechanism
where it acts on the lower projection of the pillar block, and the part of
mechanism where it acts on the upper projection for automatically holding the
rollers together, so placed that the points of contact of the adjusting and automatic
pressure mechanism will be in line with the centre of the adjustable roller shaft at
all times, which is absolutely necessary in order to give the pillar blocks the
requisito lateral freedom of movement for self adjusting themselves to the roller
shaft under all circumstances, and at the same time to prevent the roller shaft from
getting hot by any twists between the bearing boxes and the journals of the roller
shaft. The points of contacts, when the adjusting and automatic pressure mechanism
comes in contact with the pillar block projection at top and bottom, are made
convex or ball shaped in order to give the pillar box freedom to move laterally, so
that their working surfaces may at all times adjust themselves to the shaft
bearings.
My improvements are applicable to any known forms of roller mills in which
rollers of metal, stone, china, porcelain, or any other known material is used for
treating meal, middlings, and other substances for squeezing, crushing, tearing, and
grinding when it is required that the axils of the two rollers working against each
other should be parallel and the bearings of the shaft be released from any strain
produced by the pillar blocks not being mathematically adjusted to the axis of the
roller shaft, although my improvement is more particularly intended for roller mills
containing four rollers, in which two of the rollers are stationary, and the bearings
of the two others adjustable, and the axis of the four rollers worked in a horizontal
position, but, if desired, it can be applied to roller mills containing 2, 3, 4, or
more rollers with their axis worked in an inclined, horizontal, or vertical position.
I do not confine myself to the precise form of pillar blocks hercinbefore described.
The mere shape of its parts may be changed to suit the general structures of the
mill and the adjusting device and automatic pressure apparatus to which it is
attached; for instance, the whole pillar block may be cast or made in one piece and
provided with suitable openings to receive bearing boxes for the roller shaft to
work in, and be held in their place by set screws or their mechanical equivalent,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Augustus Bryant Childs in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th
July 1879.
AUGUSTUS BRYANT CHILDS, of No. 70, Fenchurch Street, London.
"IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ROLLERS OF ROLLER MILLS FOR TREATING GRAIN, MEAL, MIDDLINGS,
AND OTHER SUBSTANCES." A communication from abroad by Friedrich Wegmann,
of Zurich, Switzerland.
My improvement is more particularly intended for that class of roller mills for
treating meal, middlings, and grain, in which the bearings or pillar blocks of one of
the roller shafts are fixed, while the bearings of the other rollers are made adjustable.
The object of my improvement is to adjust the axis of the rollers parallel, in order
to bring the working surfaces of the rollers uniformly together at all points of their
surfaces to produce the same and an uniform squeezing action on the material being
treated, which can only be obtained by constantly keeping the axis of the rollers
parallel, and also readily retain them in a parallel position at all times, and to
construct and apply the adjusting mechanism in such a manner that it allows the
bearings of the roller shaft to automatically adjust themselves to the journals of the
shaft under any condition while working.
The accompanying Drawings, Sheet 1, represents a roller mill drawn about one
quarter size provided with two sets of rollers A, A¹³, and A³, A³, with the adjusting
improvements applied. Fig. is an end elevation of a portion of the mill, and
Fig. 2 is a side elevation. The rollers are worked in the usual way common to
such mills, through the medium of belts and gearing attached to the ends of the
roller shafts, and applied in such a manner as to give the surface of the roller an
uniform or differential motion. Each set of rollers are provided with the ordinary
feeding apparatus for feeding the material to the rollers.
Sheet 2 represents several detail views of the improved apparatus drawn about
half size. Fig. 3 is an end view of one set of rollers, showing portions of the
adjusting and pressure mechanism partly in section, and the manner of applying it
to the roller and main frame of the machine; Fig. 4 is a separate side view of one
of the adjustable pillar blocks and a portion of the main frame of the machine;
Figs. 5 and 6 aro different views of a portion of the apparatus for automatically
holding the roller surfaces together. Similar letters of reference on the different
Drawings refer to corresponding parts.
The roller bearings or pillar blocks E, E', are made according to any of the known
forms of the required dimensions, and composed of any suitable metal, and bolted
together as usual. In this case the top and bottom portions of the adjustable pillar
block, when the rollers are worked in a horizontal position, are made in halves, and
have cast or otherwise attached to them projections of metal C, D, of suitable shape
and length. The adjusting mechanism is attached to the main frame B on both
sides of the machine, and made to hold and to act on the projection D from the
underside of the pillar block E', for adjusting either end of the roller by raising or
lowering its ends to bring it parallel with its brother or stationary roller A' working
in fixed bearings E. The adjusting mechanism for elevating or lowering the pillar
blocks E at each end of the roller consists of an eccentric a or its mechanical
equivalent, properly arranged and working in the main frame B of the machine,
as represented in the different Drawings. One eccentric is placed on each side of
the machine for adjusting either pillar block E', as may be preferred, see Figs. 1
and 2, in order to keep the axils of the rollers parallel under all working conditions.
After the rollers are properly adjusted parallel by the action of the eccentrics a on
the pillar block E', as before described, the blocks are then held to their proper
position by the use of screw bolts and spiral springs attached to the end of the
lower projection pieces D, which is made to act on the piece to clamp the
eccentric, and thereby prevent the adjustable roller A from rising, jarring, or other-

page_text: wise moving out of its parallel position, but at the same time allows of sufficient
lateral motion of the adjustable rollers to allow any foreign or hard substance to
pass between their surfaces without being crushed and their surfaces being damaged
by such substances.
The eccentrics a for adjusting the rollers parallel have two bearings provided for
them in the main frame B of the machine, as represented, in which they work.
Provision is made on the eccentric pieces or shafts for turning them to adjust the
rollers in their proper position, and means are provided for holding the eccentric a
in any required position, consisting of a jam or tightening screw nut b on one end
of the eccentric shafts. This nut is prevented from jarring loose by a cutter d,
which is driven in a groove made on the inside face of the nut b. The cutter d
presses against the frame B of the machine and nut, and owing to the friction of
the cutter & against the frame, and of the nut against the screw itself, the nut b is
prevented from jarring or working loose.
The squeezing rollers A, A', are held together by automatic pressure produced by
the springs g and screws i, combined with suitable mechanism for applying the
spring power to the projecting piece C extending from the upper half of the pillar
block E'.
The essential part of my improvement is to have the adjusting mechanism where
it acts on the lower projection D of the pillar block, and the part of the pressure
mechanism where it acts on the upper projection C for automatically holding the
rollers together, so placed that the points of contact of the adjusting and automatic
pressure mechanism will be in line with the centre of the adjustable roller shaft at
all times, which is absolutely necessary in order to give the pillar blocks the
requisite lateral freedom of movement for self adjusting themselves to the roller
shaft under all circumstances, and at the same time to prevent the roller shaft from
getting hot by any twist between the bearing boxes and the journals of the roller
shaft. The points of contact where the adjusting and automatic pressure mechanism
comes in contact with the pillar block projection C and D at top and bottom are
made convex or ball shaped, in order to give the pillar blocks E' freedom to move
laterally, so that their wearing surfaces may at all times adjust themselves to the
whole length of the shaft bearings.
The automatic pressure mechanism applied to each end of the adjustable roller A
for holding tho working surface of the rollers together will be readily understood
by referring to the Drawings. The spiral spring g attached to a portion of the
frame B, as represented in Fig. 3, and the yokeh, is acted on by the scrow i working
through one end of the yoke h, as represented. The screw i is made to act on the
projection C, and consequently the adjustable pillar block E', through the medium
of the sliding piece k working in the yoke h, and thereby holding the surfaces of
the adjustable roller A against the stationary roller A' with the required force by
the action of the spiral springs g. Any other known form of spring may be used
for this purpose, if desired, instead of the spiral spring 9.
It will be seen that the adjustable pillar blocks E' are made to rest on the
adjusting eccentric a, which perform the functions of a pivot for the pillar block
to move on, as well as the means for adjusting the axis of the two rollors parallel.
Fig. 7 represents a portion of the frame B in section, in which the adjusting
eccentric works, showing the eccentric in place. The journals n at each end of the
eccentric a revolves in bearings made in the frame B, as shown. S is a square
head on the end of the eccentric shaft for revolving it to adjust the roller. The
nut holds the eccentric in place, and the cutter prevents it from jarring looso, as
before stated.
My improvements are applicable to any known forms of roller mills in which
rollers of metal, stone, china, porcelain, or any other known material is used for
treating meal, middlings, or other substances, for squeezing, crushing, tearing, and
grinding, when it is required that the axils of the two rollers working against each
other should be parallel, and the bearings of the shafts released from any strain
produced by the pillar blocks not being mathematically adjusted to the axis of the

page_text: roller shaft, although my improvement is more particularly intended for roller mills
containing four or two sets of rollers, in which the bearings of two of the rollers
are stationary and the bearings of the two others adjustable, and the axis of the
four rollers worked in a horizontal position; but if desired it can be applied to
roller mills containing 2, 3, 4, or more rollers, with their axis worked in an inclined,
horizontal, or vertical position.
I do not confine myself to the precise form of pillar blocks hereinbefore described.
The mere shape of its parts may be changed to suit the general structures of the
mill and the adjusting device and automatic pressure apparatus to which it is
attached; for instance, the whole pillar block may be cast or made in one piece, and
provided with suitable openings to receive bearing boxes for the roller shaft to work
in, and held in their place by set screws or their mechanical equivalent.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of constructing
and working the same, what I claim is,-
1st. The adjustable pillar blocks E' in which the adjustable rollers revolve and
eccentrics a, or their inechanical equivalents, with their attachments and parts,
constructed, arranged, and worked in the manner herein before described for
adjusting the axis of the rollers in cach pair parallel for the purpose mentioned.
2nd. The arrangement of parts for automatically holding and pressing the rollers
of each pair together by acting on the adjustable pillar blocks E' through the medium
of the levers or arms C by means of the spring g, screw i, and their attachments,
or their mechanical equivalents, worked in the manner and for the purposes herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Augustus Bryant Childs, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this 10th day of July, in the year of our Lord 1879.