IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR ÅDDADATHS FOR SCOURING WHEAT. RICE. OR OTHER Grain
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Higginbottom, Engineer, and Edward
Hutchinson, Rice and Corn Miller, both of Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
ÅDDADATHS FOR SCOURING WHEAT. RICE. OR OTHER Grain.”
Sealed the 27th July 1875, and dated the 25th May 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Higginbottom
and Edward Hutchinson at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 25th May 1875.
We, JAMES HIGGINBOTTOM, Engineer, and EDWARD HUTCHINSON,
Rice and Corn Miller, both of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SCOURING WHEAT, RICE, OR OTHER GRAIN,"
to be as follows :-

page_text: rice, or other grain, and to render our previous Specifications, Number
908, of 1875, and Number 1193, of 1875, for the same purpose more
complete, valuable, and useful; it consists,-
1st. In constructing the mill described in the aforesaid Specifications so
as to employ two or more discs in each case instead of one only as therein
described. To accomplish this satisfactorily we place the discs all on
the same shaft, and between each disc fastened to the case and forming an
integral part of the same; we place a stout solid or perforated diaphragm
dividing the case into as many chambers as there are discs. Each of
these chambers is freely connected with the hopper above, and has the
discharge opening on the periphery at an intermediate point between
the top and the bottom. Instead of diaphragms as above, a mechanical
equivalent or substitute therefor could be used, such as a network parti-
tion of stout wire, or even a series of studs projecting radially inwards
from the casing.
2nd. In the arrangement of oxit spout which is made with an
adjustable slide to regulate the discharge. In the plan we prefer tho
spout has a hood that dips into an orifice in the periphery of the casing,
the said hood being adjustable so as to approach the disc as near as may
be desirable, the slide is inserted underneath and projects upward into
the casing and under the hood, making an acute angle with tho
periphery of the disc and consequently regulating the discharge more
by the amount of distance between the side of the slide and the disc
than that between the slide edge and the hood, the grain passing
between the slide and the disc shoots up at a tangent and is guided by
the circular hood till it falls down the spout. There is by this arrange-
ment no horizontal part upon which any accumulation of rice dust
can gather and concrete and thus stop up the orifices.
3rl. In arranging the stones or discs in whatever manner they may
be constructed (whether of natural stone, homogeneous composition, or
built up of divers materials in the ordinary manner, with backing
of wood, metallic disc, or in concentric rings, or in any other manner)
with their surfaces in free contact with the grain being scoured, and
entirely immersed in the said grain.
We do not bind ourselves to the use of more than one disc in each
machine, but whether one disc or several are used we prefer to make

page_text: them of emery or other hard tough substance, granulated and mixed
with a suitable adhesive composition, and pressed or otherwise com-
pacted into a solid mass without any of the usual backing of wood or
metal, though we do not mind and may sometimes use a reasonable
admixture of fibrous material to toughen the mass.
5th. In all cases whether one or several discs are used we arrange the
spout or hopper leading to the machine without any slide or valve, so
that the grain may have free access to the machine and the casing
may always be full. We thus avoid the continual breakage that goes
on in other barley mills from the grain being violently thrown about.
6th. In all cases we make the casing stationary (and not revolving
as is usual in barley mills).
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Higginbottom and Edward Hutchinson in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th November 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, James
HIGGINBOTTOM, Engineer, and EDWARD HUTCHINSON, Rice and Corn
Miller, both of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said James Higginbottom and Edward
Hutchinson, Her special licence that we, the said James Higginbottom
and Edward Hutchinson, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said James Higginbottom and Edward Hutchin-
son, our 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 MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SCOURING WHEAT, RICE, OR

page_text: '
'
OTHER GRAIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
James Higginbottom and Edward Hutchinson, our executors or admi-
nistrators, by an instrument in writing under our, 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 in the Great Soal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said James Higginbottom and Edward
Hutchinson, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in 1
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had
to the accompanying Drawings and to the figures and letters of reference
marked thereon.
The object of this Invention is to improve the machinery or appa- 1
ratus well known in this country as the "barley mill" used for scouring
wheat, rice, and other grain, and to render our Invention described in
previous Specifications, Number 908, of 1875, and Number 1193, of 1875
more complete, valuable, and useful; it consists,-
1st. In constructing the mill described in the aforesaid Specifications 2
so as to employ two or more discs in each machine instead of one only,
as described in aforesaid Specifications. This is shown in detail in
Figure 4 of accompanying Drawing, drawn to a scale of one inch to
the foot (Figure 3 being a single machine). In Figure 4 T, T, T, are
the discs supported and held by washer plates F on the shaft C. Between 2
each disc fastened to the casing E and forming an integral part of the
same are diaphragms R, R. These can be made of any suitable
material and can be perforated or otherwise. We prefer cast iron, but
sheet iron, steel, wirework, or in some cases even wood can be made
available; the purpose for which they are designed being to form a 3
resisting frictional surface to the grain and thus counteract to some
extent the strong tendency of the latter to revolve with the discs. The
diaphragms are designed so as to nicely clear the washer plates without
leaving too much room for the free passage of grain. They divide the
casing into a series of chambers each of which is freely open to the 38
hopper or feed spout P, and has a discharge opening on the periphery,

page_text: by preference at an intermediate point between the top and the bottom.
Stout studs projecting radially from the casing could be substituted for
the diaphragms, being rather in the nature of a mechanical equivalent
thereto. This was our original idea, but after considerable experience
we have found the studs altogether inferior and have substituted the
diaphragms for them.
2nd. In arranging the exit spout with an adjustable slide to regulate
the discharge. In the plan we prefer the spout 8 has a circular hood H
that dips into an orifice in the periphery of the casing, the said hood
being abjustable by thumbscrew M so as to approach the disc as near as
may be desirable, being pivotted on spindle V (see Figure 2). The
slide K is inserted underneath and projects upwards at an acute angle
with the periphery of the disc, as shown, being capable of adjustment
and being held in the required position by the thumbscrew N. The
slide K aided by the hood H regulate the discharge to a nicety, and in a
far superior manner than either of them could alone, or than an ordinary
valve or slide could do placed in the discharge pipe at a short distance
from the casing. The grain in our arrangement passing between the
slide K and the hood H shoots up at a tangent and is guided by the
curved hood till it falls down the exit spout. There is by this arrange-
ment no horizontal surface for the grain dust to gather and concrete
upon and thereby stop up the orifice.
3rd. In the arrangement of the apparatus so that the stones or discs
are always immersed in and entirely surrounded by the grain (the object
of this being to avoid the continual and injurious dashing about of the
grains which takes places in the ordinary barley mill).
4th. We do not bind ourselves to the use of more than one disc in
each machine, but whether one or more be used we prefer to make them
of emery or other hard tough substance granulated and mixed with a
▸ suitable adhesive composition, and pressed or otherwise compacted into
a solid mass without any of the usual backing or core of wood or metal,
though we do not mind and may sometimes use a reasonable admixture
of fibrous material to toughen the mass.
5th. In all cases whether one or several discs are used we make the
5 casing stationary and arrange the spout or hopper leading to the
machine without any slide valve or regulator, thus giving the grain

page_text: with a regulated discharge, so as to keep the stationary case continually
full, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Higginbottom and Edward
Hutchinson, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
Twenty-third day of September, in the year of our Lord 1875.
Witness,
WILLIAM P. THOMPSON,
Patent Agent,
6, Lord Street,
Liverpool.
(L.S.)
JAMES HIGGINBOTTOM.
EDWARD HUTCHINSON. (L.S.)