IMPROVEMENTS IN MILLS WITH VERTICAL RUNNERS USED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GUN- POWDER
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Carl Pieper, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, of 74, Belle-
Alliance-Strasse, Berlin, S.W., Prussia, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MILLS WITH VERTICAL RUNNERS USED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GUN-
POWDER." A communication from Hermann Gruson, Councillor of Commerce
and Engine Manufacturer, of Buckau, Kingdom of Prussia.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Carl Pieper at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th February 1880.
CARL PIEPER, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, of 74, Belle-Alliance-Strasse,
Berlin, S.W., Prussia. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MILLS WITH VERTICAL RUNNERS USED
FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GUN-POWDER." A communication from Hermann
Gruson, Councillor of Commerce and Engine Manufacturer, of Buckau, Kingdom
of Prussia.
This Invention relates to an improvement in mills with vertical runners used in
the manufacture of gun-powder for the purpose of mixing the materials of which
the powder is to be made.
Each runner rotates on one shank of a cranked axle, whose other shank is secured
in a bearing attached to the vertical main shaft of the mill, and forming together
with the bearing of the second cranked axle a sort of cross-head or rectangular boss
on the said shaft. The free end of the web of the cranked axle rests on a wedge,
which itself is supported by a projection on the aforesaid boss. This wedge can be
adjusted by a screw or otherwise, and serves as means for raising or lowering the
corresponding runner independently of the other one.
The shank of each cranked axle on which the runner rotates is morcover borne
by two suspension-rods, whose upper ends are connected to a cross-head fixed to
the upper end of the vertical main-shaft, whereas the lower ends of the said
suspension-rods form rings which encircle the said shank. The suspension-rods are
arranged in such a manner that they will allow the runner to rise to a certain
extent, but not to descend below the limit to which they have been adjusted. For
this purpose the rings encircling the shank of the axle may be made oval.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Carl Pieper in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th August
1880.
CARL PIEPER, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, of 74, Belle-Alliance-Strasse,
Berlin, S.W., Prussia. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MILLS WITH VERTICAL RUNNERS USED
FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GUN-POWDER." A communication from Hermann
Gruson, Councillor of Commerce and Engine Manufacturer, of Buckau, Kingdom
of Prussia.
This Invention relates to an improvement in mills with vertical runners used in
the manufacture of gun-powder for the purpose of mixing the materials of which
the powder is to be made.
In mills of this kind it is necessary always to maintain the runners at a certain
small distance from the bed-plate or table against which they operate, even when
there is no material on the latter, so that every danger of an inflammation of the
substance under treatment, which might otherwise accrue from an accidental con-
cussion of a runner against the bed-plate, may be prevented.
In the mills at present in use the common axle of the two runners is for this
purpose suspended by rods to a cross-head fixed to the vertical shaft of the mill, so
that the runners are free to rise, but that they can never descend below the limit
determined by the length of the rods. With this arrangement however both runners
when being adjusted must always be raised or lowered by the same amount, as
otherwise the common axle would assume an oblique position, wherefrom the space
between one edge of either runner on the bed-plate would become greater than the
space below the other edge. It is however advantageous if each runner can be
adjusted independently of the other one, as the runner before which the outer
scraper collects the material from the periphery, while it at the same time stirs it in
a considerable degree, should be further apart from the bed-plate than the other
runner, to which the inside scraper delivers but a small quantity of material. The
two runners may also happen to be of different diameter, in consequence whereof
an independent adjustment of either of them would be necessary.
The improved arrangement by which this object inay be attained is represented
on the annexed Sheet of Drawings by Figs. 1, 2, and 3.
The mill is provided with two cranked axles b, b, one for either runner. Each of
the latter rotates on one shank of the corresponding axle, while the other shank b¹
is secured in a bearing attached to the vertical main shaft a, and forming together
with the bearing of the second cranked axle a sort of cross head or rectangular
boss c on the said shaft. This arrangement itself is however not new, but it renders
possible the desired independent adjustment of the runners, which is attained mainly
by means of the wedges g. Each of these wedges rests on a projection f on the
boss or cross head c (and by preference in a groove cut into the said projection),
whereas the wedge supports by its upper surface the free end of the web of tho
corresponding cranked axle at the point . d, Fig. 2, is an intermediate piece fitting
to the round end of the web of the axle, so as to give a true bearing to the latter,
whichsoever may be the position of the wedge.. i is a screw serving to shift the wedge
forward or backward, and to keep it in its place during the working. The part d
and the screw i do not however constitute essential parts of the Invention, and
may be varied if desired. It will be understood without further explanation that
by means of the wedges g, together with the described arrangement of axles, each
runner may be raised or lowered independently of the other one, and may thus be
adjusted with the greatest nicety, and without the slightest disturbance of the
parallelism between its geometrical axis and the surface of the bed-plate against
which it operates.

page_text: Considering that a runner has a considerable weight, and that the shank of the
axle on which it rotates is very long, it is necessary to provide the axle with another
support besides the wedge. For this purpose the suspension-rods are used,
terminating at their lower end in a ring which encircles the outer shank of either
axle or the bushes with which it is fitted, while the said rods are connected at the
top to a cross-head & fixed to the upper end of the vertical main-shaft a. Certainly
the arrangement of either of these rods is not new, but between the former con-
structions and the one shown by the Drawing there is this difference that in the
present case each runner is provided with two suspension rods, whereas formerly
only one was used. The space between the runner and the bed-plate having been
regulated by the wedge g, the nuts e are drawn sufficiently tight as to cause the
greater part of the weight of the runnor to be borne by the rods. After such
adjustment the axle can neither be bend nor twisted by the runner in case the latter
should during its motion meet a point upon its road having no material upon it.
The suspension-rods h are arranged in such a manner that they will allow the
runners to rise to a certain extent from the lowest point to which they have been
adjusted. For this purpose the rings encircling the shank or the bushes on the
same may be made oval.
The described arrangement presents the advantage that the fixed minimum space
between the runner and the bed-plate will be maintained unaltered under all
possible circumstances, and moreover that this space will always remain equal for
both edges of either runner. In consequence the security against contact between a
runner and the bed-plate will be much greater than in existing mills of this kind.
The said minimum space may therefore even be reduced without danger. It may
finally be mentioned that with the new arrangement any concussions occurring from
one runner are not transmitted to the other one; the machine therefore works
inore smoothly.
Having thus described the nature and object of this Invention, and the manner
in which it is to be carried out in practice as communicated to me by my corre-
spondent, I hereby claim as new and important features of the same,-
In a mill with vertical runners the combination with each runner of a cranked
axle b, of an adjusting wedge g, and of two adjustable suspension-rods h, h, substan-
tially as and for the purpose described.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty
seventh day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
1 L
CARL PIEPER. (L.S.)