IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR GRINDING CORN, GRAIN, AND OTHER SIMILAR SUBSTANCES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to the Reverend Arthur Rigg, of the City of Chester,
Clerk in Holy Orders, Master of Arts, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR GRINDING CORN, GRAIN, AND OTHER SIMILAR
SUBSTANCES,"
Sealed the 3rd September 1867, and dated the 23rd April 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Rigg at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd April 1867.
I, the Reverend ARTHUR RIGG, of the City of Chester, Clerk in Holy
Orders, Master of Arts, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR GRINDING CORN, GRAIN, AND OTHER SIMILAR
SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
Heretofore in grinding grain and other substances various contrivances
have been used to induce cold or heated air to pass from the eye of the stones
between the grinding surfaces.
Now this Invention consists in applying to the eye of the top stone (which
I close) an exhaust fan or other contrivance for the purpose of creating a
vacuum or partial vacuum in the aforesaid eye, and supplying the millstone
case or the periphery of the stones with heated or artificially dried air, so that
by the action of the aforesaid fan or other contrivance the heated or artificially

page_text: dried air is induced to pass from the periphery or outer edges between the
grinding surfaces towards or into the eye of the stones.
The Invention also consists in an arrangement for the discharge of
any superfluous water or moisture which may be accumulated in the eye or
other part of the stones, or stone cases or ducts leading therefrom, which I
accomplish by means of a tube connected to the bottom or near to the bottom
of the eye of the stone, the discharge of water or moisture from such tube
being rendered self-acting by an inverted syphon inserted therein, or other
known contrivance.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Arthur Rigg in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd October 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, the
Reverend ARTHUR RIGG, of the City of Chester, Clerk in Holy Orders, Master
of Arts, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her beirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Arthur Rigg, Her special licence that I, the said Arthur Rigg, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Arthur
Rigg, 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 APPA-
RATUS FOR GRINDING CORN, GRAIN, AND OTHER SIMILAR SUBSTANCES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Arthur Rigg, 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 be 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 Arthur Rigg, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
Heretofore in grinding grain and other substances various contrivances have
be used to induce air to pass from the eye of the millstones between the
grinding surfaces.
Now this Invention consists in applying to the eye of the top stone (which
I close) an exhaust fan or other contrivance for the purpose of creating a
vacuum or partial vacuum in the aforesaid millstone eye and supplying the
millstone case or the periphery of the stones with heated or artificially dried
air, so that by the action of the aforesaid fan or other contrivance heated or
artificially dried air is induced to pass from the periphery or outer edges
between the grinding surfaces towards or into the eye of the stones.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a vertical section, Figure a plan, and Figure 3 a side
view, partly in section, of an apparatus for grinding corn and other similar
substances constructed in the manner I prefer for carrying out my Invention.
In these Figures A, A, are the pair of grinding stones, which are enclosed
in a casing B; C is the hopper through which grain is fed to the stones by
an ordinary arrangement; D is the eye of the stones cased from the outer air
or air in the casing B by a tube of iron, leather, or other material; E is a
pipe connected with an exhaust fan or other contrivance for causing a vacuum
or partial vacuum in the eye D; F is a trunk or pipe by which heated or
artificially dried air or dried and heated air is permitted to enter the casing B,
and so to pass to and between the millstones K; L are two rings, one within
the other, and arranged to fit as closely together as is consistent with easy
running, the outer ring K is attached to the top of the casing B, and the
inner ring to the top of the upper stone; the main object of these rings is to
prevent the heated or dried air having free access to the eye or tube at the
centre. G is a radial partition or stop to check the centrifugal flow of the
meal and air and divert them into the meal spout H, from which is taken an
ascending pipe I which may be led out under or through the roof or at some
other point of the building in which the grinding mill is placed. In the pipe E
a damper or regulator is applied to regulate the passage of air through it.
By the arrangement or combination of apparatus above described heated or
dried or heated and dried air is caused to enter the millstone case, and part

page_text: of the air passes between the grinding surfaces into or towards the eye of
the millstones, and part passes away by the meal spout H and the pipe I.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the precise construction of apparatus herein described; but that which I claim
is, the constructing or combining apparatus for grinding corn, grain, or other
similar substances in such manner that air, which may be heated or dried, or
heated and dried, may be caused to pass between the grinding surfaces into
or towards the eye of the stones.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Rigg, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirtieth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
ARTHUR RIGG. (L.S.)