IMPROVE. MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SIFTING FLOUR AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE.
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SIFTING FLOUR AND OTHER SUBSTANCES."-A com-
munication from abroad by Joseph Wells, of New York City, in the State
of New York in the tinbred States of America.
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SIFTING FLOUR AND OTHER SUBSTANCES."-A com-
munication from abroad by Joseph Wells, of New York City, in the State
Sealed the 12th October 1866, and dated the 16th April 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th April 1866.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SIFTING FLOUR AND OTHER SUBSTANCES," a
communication to me from abroad by Joseph Wells, of New York City,
in the State of New York, in the United States of America, to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
apparatus for sifting flour, sugar, and other similar substances, or for sepa-
rating the smaller from the grosser particles in sauces and condiments, and
consists in the employment for that purpose of one or more curved wings or
blades hinged to one or more horizontal revolving radial arms which are
rotated upon or over a finely-perforated or wire gauze surface forming the

page_text: bottom of the receptacle in which the substance or substances to be sifted is
or are placed. The wings are curved in transverse section, and are kept in
uniform contact with the wire gauże or perforated sifting surface by means of
springs carried by the radial arms and bearing against the wings or blades:
In order to prevent the wings or blades from passing too far under the radial
arms, stops are placed or formed upon the under side of the radial arms
next to the hub or central boss thereof, against which stops the wings or
blades rest. By hinging the wings or blades of the arms, and by the use of
the springs above-mentioned, the wings or blades are enabled to rise or yield
slightly, and
pass over any hard substances that would otherwise injure the
wire gauze or other sifting surface. A rotatory motion is imparted to the wings
or blades by means of a vertical spindle, the lower square end of which fits into
a square socket in the central boss of the horizontal radial arms.
piece provided with a collar, bearing, or socket serves to maintain or support
the vertical spindle in its proper central position; this cross piece is fixed in its
place by being sprung into the interior of the receptacle, and is provided with
pins or studs at its opposite extremities which enter corresponding holes in the
side of the receptacle. A winch handle is fitted on to the upper end of the
spindle for the purpose of rotating the same, and thereby keeping the sub-
stances well stirred or rubbed over the sifting surface.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th October 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said John Henry Johnson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, or 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
inake, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain

page_text: and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SIFTING FLOUR AND OTHER SUBSTANCES," a
communication to me from abroad by Joseph Wells, of New York City, in
the State of New York, in the United States of America, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 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 John Henry Johnson, 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, reference being. had to the accompanying. Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:
The said Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
apparatus for sifting flour, sugar, and other similar substances, or for sepa-
rating the smaller from the grosser particles in sauces and condiments, and
consists in the employment for that purpose of one or more curved wings or
blades hinged to one or more horizontal revolving radial arms which are
rotated upon or over a finely-perforated or wire gauze surface forming the
bottom of the receptacle in which the substance or substances to be sifted is
or are placed. The wings are curved in transverse section, and are kept in
uniform contact with the wire gauze or perforated sifting surface by means
of springs carried by the radial arms and bearing against the wings or blades.
In order to prevent the wings or blades from passing too far under the radial-
arms; stops are placed or formed upon the under side of the radial arms next
to the hub or central boss thereof, against which stops the wings or blades
rest. By hinging the wings or blades to the arms, and by the use of the
springs above-mentioned, the wings or blades are enabled to rise or yield
slightly and pass over any hard substance that would otherwise injure the wire.
gauze or other sifting surface. A rotatory motion is imparted to the wings or.
blades by means of a vertical spindle, the lower square end of which fits into..
a square socket in the central boss of the horizontal radial arms.
A cross
piece provided with a collar bearing or socket serves to maintain or support
the vertical spindle in its proper central position; this cross piece is fixed in
its place by being sprung into the interior of the receptacle, and is provided
with pins or studs at its opposite extremities which enter correspond-
ing holes in the sides of the receptacle. A winch handle is fitted out to the

page_text: upper end of the spindle for the purpose of rotating the same, and thereby
keeping the substances well stirred or rubbed over the sifting surface.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now,
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same
letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in both the Figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings. is a sectional view, and Figure 2
is a sectional plan view of the sifter showing the wire gauze L, hinged wings
G, G, G, radial arms F, F, F, and springs H, H, H. The adjustable cross
piece C for supporting the crank shaft B is constructed with the nipples fitting
into corresponding perforations in the sides of the receptacle E, which may be
made of tin plate or other sheet metal, thereby obviating the necessity of
riveting or other more expensive mode of securing the said cross piece to
the said receptacle, and at the same time to permit its removal from the said
receptacle at pleasure. When thus constructed, the said cross piece may be
adjusted in its position in the said receptacle by compressing the sides of the
said receptacle (thereby causing an elongation in the direction of the said
perforations) and presenting the said nipples to their respective perforations,
through which they will be forced and firmly retained by the springing of
the said receptacle to its former shape on removing the pressure from its
sides.
The crank shaft B passes through a socket in the cross piece C, its lower
end terminating in a square socket in the hub or central boss J. From the
said boss there radiate the arms F, F, F, which carry the hinged wings G, G, G;
these arms are constructed with short counter arms K, K, K, which serve the
double purpose of holding one end of the springs H, H, H, and of retaining
the hinged wings G, G, G, in their proper positions. The hinged wings are
constructed with lips L, L, L, which form the hinges upon the said arms
F, F, F.
The faces of the hinged wings have a slight longitudinal convexity termi-
nating in an acute curve at their lower edges, and have a slight backward
twist, by which means a more effective contact with the substance to be sifted
is obtained.
The springs H, H, H, serve to maintain a uniform contact of the said
hinged wings and the wire gauze I, and also to allow the hinged wings to
raise up and pass over any hard substance that would otherwise injure the
wire gauze.
The pressure of the hinged wings upon the substance to be
sifted may be graduated at the pleasure of the operator by pressing upon the
crank A,, the shoulder O preventing the. shaft B from descending so low as to.

page_text: result in injury to the wire gauze. In order to prevent the hinged wings
from passing too far under the said arms stops S are placed beneath the arms
and next to the hub or central boss.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, the employment of the hinged wings G and radial arms F when the
sanie are constructed and combined so as to operate substantially in the
manner and for the purpose herein-before described.
Second, the combination of the radial arms F, hinged wings G, springs H,
and wire gauze I, substantially as and for the purpose herein-before specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of October, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-six.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)