IMPROVEMENTS IN DISINTEGRATING MACHINERY
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hayton Greenhill, of Belfast, in the County
of Antrim, in Ireland, Miller, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN DISINTEGRATING MACHINERY."
Sealed the 22nd March 1872, and dated the 16th January 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hayton Greenhill
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 16th January 1872.
I, JOHN HAYTON GREENHILL, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim,
in Ireland, Miller, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN DISINTEGRATING MACHINERY," to be as follows:―
My improvements relate to machinery employed. for the purpose of
disintegrating or pulverizing bark, bones, grain, nuts, ores, and other
materials which it is desired to reduce to particles of small size.
In the construction of my improved machinery I use two or more
discs, drums, naves, pulleys, or wheels furnished with either plane or

page_text: also the bars, blades, pins, ribs, snugs, or spokes upon the contiguous
disc, drum, nave, pulley, or wheel and the periphery or rim and sides of
the casing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Hayton Greenhill, in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 15th July 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HAYTON GREENHILL, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, in Ireland,
Miller, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Hayton Greenhill, Her
special licence that I, the said John Hayton Greenhill, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Hayton Greenhill, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN DISINTEGRATING MACHINERY," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Hayton Greenhill,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument 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 he
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Hayton Greenhill, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, that is to say :-
The said Invention relates to machinery constructed as herein-after
described and employed for the purpose of disintegrating or pulverizing

page_text: bark, bones, grain, nuts, ores, and other materials by violent concussion
or crushing.
I use two or more discs, drums, naves, pulleys, or wheels furnished
with either plain or transversely or obliquely corrugated, fluted, gouged,
ribbed, rippled, toothed, or otherwise roughened radial bars, blades, pins,
ribs, snugs, or spokes, which may be attached to or fixed upon or into,
and are placed so that the faces thereof would form oblique angles with
the plane of such discs, drums, naves, pulleys, or wheels.
I have found that with machines of the dimensions of about two feet
in diameter, especially when intended for the purpose of disintegrating
or pulverizing grain, it is preferable to use discs carrying from cighteen
to thirty plain radial bars or blades with a series of concentric ribs
extending across the interstices left by the bars or blades which are
connected thereby. The number of bars or blades used should depend
upon the size of the disc, a smaller disc requiring fewer and a larger one
more bars or blades and concentric ribs. The concentric ribs upon each
disc are placed at alternate distances from the axial line of the disc or
dises, so that each rib is opposite to an interstice left by the ribs upon
the other disc, and the sides or faces of such concentric ribs also form
oblique angles with the plane of the discs.
In some cases I use as a substitute for one of the discs a casing
furnished with bars or blades and ribs similarly to such substituted disc
as herein-after provided.
I have also found that in other instances, and especially for the
purpose of disintegrating or pulverizing bones or nuts, it is preferable
to use two discs carrying, when the same are of the dimension of about
two feet in diameter, from eighteen to thirty roughened radial bars or
blades, and with a series of concentric grooves or teeth extending across
the interstices left by the bars or blades. In this modification of my
Invention I in some cases use as a substitute for one of the discs a
casing furnished with bars or blades and grooves or teeth, similarly to
the substituted disc as herein-after provided.
It may be found desirable in some cases to cause the bars, blades,
pins, ribs, snugs or spokes to be steeled or chilled for action upon hard
or coarse materials, but in most cases they may be cast or wrought with
or upon the disc or casing,
=

page_text: I place the discs, drums, naves, pulleys or wheels in proximity to each
other and with their centres in the same axial line, and I cause one or
more of them to rotate in one direction at a high velocity, and the other
or others of them to rotate either in the opposite direction and at any
desired velocity, or in the same direction but at a different velocity, or
to remain without motion and stationary.
In some modifications of my Invention I cause a periphery or rim to
be attached to or fixed upon one or more of the discs in order to serve
for a casing; but in others and generally I use a separate periphery or
rim or a case to cover the said machinery.
And in some instances I attach to or fix upon the inside of such case
or cover one or more of the oblique radial or other bars, blades, pins,
ribs, snugs, spokes, or teeth above described, thus employing the case
as a substitute for one or several of the discs, drums, naves, pulleys,
or wheels above mentioned. In some modifications of my Invention the
inside of the casing may be fluted, gouged, ribbed, or toothed radially,
and the inside of the periphery or rim may be corrugated, fluted,
gouged, ribbed, or toothed transversely, or they may be plain and
smooth.
For disintegrating bark and other fibrous materials I use radial bars,
blades, or spokes attached to or fixed into or upon and projecting from
and beyond naves or drums or discs of small diameter, and for dis-
integrating or pulverizing grain, nuts, and bones I use discs of large
diameter carrying bars, blades, or ribs which project beyond the same
only so much as to keep the material from lodging about the inside of
the periphery of the casing, and in order also to prevent the material
being operated upon from lodging within the sides of the casing, I
furnish the outer edge of the discs at the back with short radial strips
of metal.
In machines having the radial bars, blades, or spokes projecting from
or beyond the naves, drums, or discs, as herein-before described, I cause
the materials intended to be operated upon to be introduced above the
naves, drums, or discs; but in machines having discs extending to near
the extremity of the bars, blades, or ribs I cause an orifice or orifices to
be left at or near to or around the axial point of such discs through
which said machines are fed, and in order that the material to be
operated upon may not fall between the casing (if any) and the disc

page_text: while being introduced into the machine, I cause a thin circular ring of
metal to be attached to or fixed upon such disc near the edge of the
orifice and so as to enter a groove made in the casing to receive same;
or I furnish the casing with a separate ring which fits into the ring
upon
the disc.
The said machinery may be made to operate either in a vertical or in
a horizontal position.
A grating or screen, or valve or door may be inserted if desired in onc
or more portions of the periphery, rim, sides, or under plate of the
casing, as will be found most convenient and suitable, for the purpose of
allowing the material when sufficiently reduced to pass out or be
removed.
The disintegration is effected by the concussion or crushing of the
particles of the material being operated upon, which are violently
projected from the oblique faces of the radial bars, blades, pins, ribs,
snugs, or spokes upon one disc, drum, nave, pulley, or wheel, so as to
strike each other, and also the bars, blades, pins, ribs, snugs, or spokes
upon the contiguous disc, drum, nave, pulley or wheel and the periphery
or rim or sides of the discs or casing, or are crushed between them.
And in order that the said Invention may be more fully understood
I shall now proceed to refer to the Drawings on the several Sheets
hereunto annexed, the same letters of reference being used throughout
all the Figures to indicate the same or corresponding parts of said
machinery.
or
Figure I.-is a front view of a beater, consisting of a vertical circular
disc a' of small diameter, having eight radial bars, blades, or ribs b, b,
rivetted or bolted to or cast or wrought upon and projecting from and
beyond it.
The faces of these bars, blades, or ribs are shewn to be
transversely or obliquely fluted, gouged, ribbed, rippled, toothed,
otherwise roughened, or plain and smooth respectively, and to form a
more or less oblique angle with the plane of the disc. In connexion
with the beater shewn in Figure I. I use another similar beater or other
similar beaters, and I prefer to drive them in opposite directions at a
high velocity. The discs are enclosed in a suitable casing of iron.
Figure II. is an internal and external view of a large circular disc a²,
the upper half of the Drawing being the internal view, and showing

page_text: smooth radial bars or blades b, b, and concentric ribs c, c, extending
across the interstices, as herein-before described, to be preferable for the
disintegration or pulverization of grain, and also the orifice through
which the material is introduced into the machine. The lower half of
the Drawing is the external view, showing the radial strips of metal d, d,
next the periphery of the disc. The radial bars, blades, or ribs b, b, are
shewn projecting slightly beyond the periphery of the discs, as herein-
before mentioned.
'
Figure III. is an external and internal view of the same discs as
shewn in Fig. II., the upper half of the Drawing being the internal
view of the disc shewn externally on the lower half of the previous
Figure, and the lower half being the external view of the disc shewn
internally on the upper half of the previous Figure. The ring e is
apparent on this Drawing.
Figure IV. is an clevation of a horizontal modification of my
Invention, having one revolving disc a furnished with bars or blades
b, b, and ribs c, c, similar to those shewn in Figures II. and III. of the
Drawings hereunto annexed, the casing 9 being similarly furnished and
used as a substitute for a second disc; orifices are provided in the
periphery for the removal or discharge of the material when dis-
integrated.
Figure V. is a vertical section of the same modification as is shown in
Figure IV., and shows the orifice ƒ by which the material to be dis-
integrated is introduced.
Figure VI. is an internal view of half of a casing g with a circular
disc a³ having the bars or blades roughened and a series of concentric
grooves or teeth extending across the interstices, as herein-before
described, to be preferable for the disintegration or pulverization of
bones or nuts. The other half of the casing is similar to the part
shewn on this Drawing, and is bolted to it. The periphery or rim h
above and below the discs is cast with and forms part of the casing, the
intervals being provided for the escape of the material after dis-
integration. At the lowermost point in the under portion of the
periphery or rim a receptacle k is provided for any heavy foreign
substance, such as a piece of iron, which may have been introduced by
accident into the machine, and an orifice is provided at the side of the
casing for removing such foreign substance.

page_text: Screens or gratings may be placed in the intervals left in the periphery
or rim to prevent the material escaping before it has been sufficiently
pulverized. One of these screens is shewn in position by the Drawing.
The material to be operated upon is introduced through the orifice f
near the axial centre of the casing.
The two ends of the casing are covered by plates bolted or keyed to
each side. The casing is so constructed or cast that the outer surface of
the portion circumscribed by the periphery or rim and gratings or
screens and the inner surface of the remaining portion lic in the same
plane, and the inner surface of the portion so circumscribed as aforc-
said and the inner surface of the sides of the gratings or screens are
also in the same planc, so as to give the greatest available breadth to
the bars of the gratings or screens if such is required.
Figure VII. is a section upon the line A, B, of the same half casing g
and the disc a³ as shewn by Fig. IV., and a grating or screen 7 in
position. The feed spout m by which the material is conducted to the
orifice, and the shaft and pulley in section are also shewn upon this
Drawing.
Figure VIII. is a view of the complete casing g, and shows the pulleys
n, n, by which the discs or naves with radial blades or spokes are caused
to rotate. This casing is shewn to contain two of the discs or naves
with radial blades or spokes rotating in opposite directions and at the
same or different velocities. On one side is placed the feed spout m to
receive the material to be disintegrated and to conduct it to the orifice
through which it will pass into the machine. The shaft or axis o of
cach disc or nave carries a pulley n by which the discs or naves are
caused to rotate. One of these shafts is furnished with an endless
worm p that acts upon a spur wheel fastened to an upright shaft s on
which is attached a beater that acts upon the "shoe" of the apparatus
for feeding the machine, as in the ordinary way of feeding grain to
millstones; or a bevel wheel may be fixed upon an upright shaft
working into another bevel wheel fastened to a shaft with a screw for
taking the grain from a hopper to the feed spout.
Figures IX., X., and XI. represent gratings or screens in perspective.
They are made to form segments of circles and exhibit various modes
of construction, Figure XI. having a series of transverse steel bars on
the concave face through which the material when sufficiently dis-

page_text: integrated will escape. Figure IX. has a segment of a periphery or
rim with a slot at each side, and Figure X forms portions of a periphery
or rim with a central opening for the escape of the material. The
screens when used are held in position by pinching screws.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I would have it to be understood
that I do not claim the use of discs, drums, naves, pulleys, or wheels,
or casings with radial bars, blades, pins, snugs, or spokes or teeth, except
when the same are constructed specially and employed as herein
described, nor of any of the parts thereof, nor the movements thereof,
nor do I claim the use of gratings or screens, nor any of the separate
mechanical parts which form the compound disintegrating machine
used by mc, but I claim,-
First. The use in disintegrating machines of beaters constructed as
described and shewn in Figure I. of the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Secondly. The construction and application of disintegrating apparatus
such as is shewn in Figures II. and III. of the Drawings hereunto
annexed, in the manner and for the purposes above described.
Thirdly. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the
self-acting disintegrating machines constructed in the manner and
applied for the purposes herein-before described, and illustrated in
Figures IV., V., VI., VII., and VIII. of the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
In witness whereof the said John Hayton Greenhill has hereunto
set his hand and seal this Twelfth day of July in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
JOHN HAYTON GREENHILL. (L.S.)
Signed and sealed in the
presence of
HUGH HYNDMAN,
Belfast,
Patent Agent & Solicitor.