Descriptive Pamphlet of the Richmond Mill Furnishing Works All sizes of mill stones and complete grinding and bolting combined husk or portable flouring mills, portable corn and feed mills; smut and separating machines; zigzag and oat separators, dustless separators, warehouse separators, water wheels; mill shafting; pulleys; spur and bevel, iron and core, gearing....

Part 3

Chapter 33,988 wordsPublic domain

All should know that the most important item in converting wheat into flour, is the _Grinding Mill_. Grain cannot be properly floured without burrs of good quality, dressed expressly for the purpose. Although a Miller of not much experience may sometimes make a pretty fair article of flour, yet those having the most experience will always find something to learn on this subject. It is best that the skill of an expert Miller be employed to prepare the face and furrows of the burrs and put them in order for grinding. Our mills, when properly dressed and in order, make a quality and yield of flour unsurpassed by any other mill, as the letters from our customers testify. Nevertheless, some of our mills, run and managed by unskillful hands, are making a tolerable article of flour, without much care to dress the burrs and keep in order, and sometimes are run a long time without any dressing. In grinding wheat, the burrs should be adjusted with precision, and should always occupy the attention of the Miller. In grinding grists, some damp and others dry, and of different qualities of wheat, the stones require close attention. The runner should be raised slightly for damp wheat; if not, the burrs are liable to heat the chop, and clog their grinding surfaces. If allowed to run too close on dry wheat, the bran will be cut and the flour made dark. These are common difficulties, but can be avoided by a careful miller who wants to make a fine article of merchantable flour, and good yield. The several qualities of wheat and its conditions, as well as the particular quality of flour required to meet the demand of any particular market, must be observed and understood in order to determine the best mode of grinding.

AN IMPORTANT ITEM.--Be sure to keep the _furrows sufficiently deep_, and _especially so for corn_, and see under heads of “Setting up and Starting” and “Keeping in Order.” Burrs are apt to throw out unground grain if run too slow, when, if the speed is increased, this difficulty is obviated.

GRINDING CORN.--The dress is not that required for wheat. For corn, let every part of the surface be sharp, and the _furrows cut deep_; thus, with a high speed, the meal will not be heated. _When the meal is ground hot, the stones are dull or the furrows not deep enough._ It requires much more power to grind with dull stones or shallow furrows. Every stroke with a sharp pick makes a great number of sharp cutting edges upon French Burr, which cut easy, like a sharp tool in wood.

Be careful to keep the burrs well balanced and in tram. See observations elsewhere under this head.

In reference to the capacity of our mill we will give our opinions from the practical knowledge and experience we have had with them. Having a number of water and steam mills of our entire make and completion near our works and in our city, some having been built with special reference to having all first-class, our opportunities have been good near at hand for constant improvement. While much depends upon the power and condition of grain, our mills are made of the kind of burr stone, carefully selected, with furrows drafted and shaped in the most approved style, that the greatest attainable results may be accomplished. Under favorable circumstances our three feet mills have ground to make good flour and yields 14 bushels per hour, which, when in moderate condition as to sharpness, would do but 8 or 10 bushels. Our under-runner mills average a greater capacity than the upper-runner kind.

The amount our mills and mill stones will grind to do it well, is as great as that successfully obtained by any mill in existence, and always has been entirely satisfactory, oftentimes astonishing old and experienced millers. On one occasion two of our three feet upper-runner mills with two single reel bolts have made 100 bbls. of merchantable flour in 24 hours. With the larger sizes we could point to proportionally greater results.

Our three and three and a half feet mills are often found grinding faster than the four feet sizes of the old style of mills, at the same time doing as good and better work. These are facts, and the reasons why are simply because the stones are run at a greater speed, while the furrows are shaped to avoid heating, and properly drafted to distribute the grain evenly over the grinding surfaces. Also, much is owing to a good selection of the burr stock of which the stones are made. We conclude this subject by reference to some who have given us their views, carefully expressed in writing, and here published for the benefit of all those interested in milling.

Keeping in Order.

The face of the bed stone must be kept level and the spindle in perfect tram with it. To tram, take off the hoop and runner stone, and if a _Pulley Mill_, put on the belt the same as when grinding; then place on the spindle a wooden arm with a hole in one end to fit tight on the upper end of spindle, so that it will traverse the face of the bed stone, having before made a small hole through the projecting end to receive a quill or piece of whale-bone to trace the surface of the bed-stone about two inches in from its skirt. On turning the spindle, it can now be readily seen which way the step is to be moved in order to throw the spindle in tram; if it is properly in tram, the quill will traverse the bed-stone evenly around its face. To tram our _geared mills_, the toe of the spindle must _not be moved out of line_ with the shaft holding the driving gear wheel; the proper way is to tram it in the bush, which is provided with suitable keys. However, when the toe of the spindle or step is required to be moved length-ways of this shaft, no bad results will follow, provided the cogs are all the time in proper depth--even on their back or large end, and not too deep in gear. The spindles of our mills are not apt to get out of tram, but in all mills they should be closely watched and frequently tried in this particular. When the _spindle is in perfect tram_, and the _runner in balance_, the _burrs will not wear out of face_, but the reverse, they will naturally _wear in face_. The followers should not be forced too hard against the spindle by the wedges in the iron bush, as it will make the spindle heat.

The space under the leather, on top of the bush, should be well supplied with tallow rolled up in a woolen cloth and laid immediately around the spindle. The oil cup in the bush should be supplied with good sperm or lard oil every time the burrs are taken up. Place some candle-wick in this cup, with one end against (_not around_) the spindle. This keeps the spindle supplied with a continual flow of oil in addition to the tallow. Oil the spindle step with good sperm or lard oil, clean out once a month, and keep out dirt.

In geared mills, pay particular attention to the adjustment of the gear wheels. If they are _too deep or not deep enough_ in gear, they will not run so smoothly and will cut out. As the wooden cogs wear, in time a shoulder will be formed on them by the iron cogs in the pinion. In order to obviate the tremble or rough running that this shoulder would cause, it should be trimmed off from time to time. Grease the cogs with tallow, and see observations on keeping stones in order, under head of “Setting up and Starting.”

WE REQUEST as a favor of any of those using our machinery, mills, bolts, &c., to inform us if they are not working satisfactorily; in such a case, state plainly as you can in what particular, as we will take pleasure in correcting the defect or giving advice concerning it. Some of our mills and mill stones that have been used constantly for 8 to 12 years may require some changes, such as re-setting the irons, improving the dress, &c., that would make them as good as new; when written to or interviewed on the subject, will state to the best of our ability what should be done.

In Ordering, or when a Correct estimate of Cost is Wanted,

It will be quite a help both to our customers and to ourselves to observe the points mentioned below. A plain statement of the situation and what is wanted, together with a rough sketch will often save much delay and trouble.

1st. Give location of Mill, _i. e._, its relation to road, railway, and power; where it is most convenient to receive grist work and where merchant grain.

2d. State size of mill house; height of stories from floor to floor; pitch of roof, and which way comb of house runs; which way the joist and timbers of the mill run, and their size.

3d. If there is a basement under the grinding floor, and how high.

4th. If water power is to be used, state size and kind of water wheel and its speed. If a turbine wheel, give height of head, which way wheel runs, and location of mill-house.

5th. If the power has not been improved, state the fall that can be obtained, and give the amount of water in depth and width running over a weir. See “Measurement of Water in a Stream.”

6th. If the power used is steam, give the diameter of cylinder and length of stroke of engine; number of revolutions per minute made by engine; diameter and width of face of band wheel on engine; which way the engine runs--whether top of band wheel runs to or from the mills.

7th. Make a sketch showing the location of engine bed plate and shaft to the mills.

8th. State whether the mills are wanted to run with or against the sun. We build them to run with the sun unless otherwise ordered.

9th. Name the place to which the machinery is to be shipped and, if thought best, by what route. It often happens that we can judge best the way to ship. Also, your name and post office plainly and in full.

We deliver our goods on board cars at the proper depot here, free of charge, and take a contracted through receipt with rate of freight stated in it, and send to the purchaser, thus guarding our customers against over-charges or high rates of freight. For 5 per cent. added to our prices, we will pre-pay freight on one half and full car load lots to Buffalo, Philadelphia, Baltimore, St. Louis, Quincy, Rock Island and Memphis. 3 per cent. will cover it to Chicago, Pittsburgh, Toledo, Louisville and Evansville. On boat or cars at any depot in Cincinnati we will pre-pay freight at 10 cents per 100 lbs., (weights are given on list.) Great care is taken to inclose such parts of our supplies and mills when necessary in strong boxes, iron bound at the corners, so that they can be conveyed safely to any part of the world.

Setting up and Starting.

We have often found it to the advantage of our customers to have one of our own men assist in _setting up and starting_. Their experience and familiarity with our machinery enables them to expedite the setting up. They are employed on this important part of our work constantly. Our charges for their services are reasonable. In some of the far western States we have skilled mill-wrights for this purpose, thus saving time and expense to the purchaser. From drafts and explanations we send (when requested to do so) with our mill work and mills, mill-wrights can generally succeed in giving good satisfaction.

The burrs of all our mills are faced true and furrowed, but do not have as smooth a grinding or flouring face as is necessary for flouring wheat. A few days work by the miller with pick and rub stone is of great advantage. To do this important work _correctly_ requires one skilled in the use of the red staff, with a good true iron proof staff close at hand. We are sorry to be compelled to say that the millers are few that know how to correctly handle the red staff on the face of a mill stone. It is a difficult matter to explain the manner of doing it without a personal interview and the implements in readiness. However, we are ready to give on this point of _great importance_ all the information we can by sketches and writing.

Some of the Reasons why the Eureka Should be used in preference to any other Smut and Separating Machine now offered for Sale:

1st. The scourer used in the Eureka is constructed of the best imported _cast sheet_ steel, manufactured and rolled expressly for this purpose. The scouring is done on an entire smooth surface, and by direct action on the grain, thoroughly scours and polishes the berry without waste, and at the same time retains its scouring qualities until the scouring case is entirely worn out. As the beaters or fan blades of the revolving scouring cylinders are chilled cast-iron, they will last for years without perceptible wear, and when the steel case is worn out by severe friction of the grain, can be replaced at a small expense. All machines are so strongly and permanently built, and the revolving cylinder so perfectly balanced, that they will, with ordinary care, last for years, with the small additional expense of renewing the scouring case, once in from three to five or eight years, as the case may be.

2d. For its entire reliability in cleaning the worst samples of smutty wheat; the preliminary or first separator is attached to all the No. 0, 1, 2 and 3 Ordinary sizes, which removes smut balls, dust, chaff, chess or cheat, and light and worthless grains, before the wheat goes to the scourer. As the scourer is thoroughly ventilated, supplied by air at the bottom, and discharging the smut and dust loosened from the grain during the process of scouring, through the perforations of the scouring case, and the fan at the same time drawing a strong current of air through the revolving cylinder, there is no possibility of the grain coming in contact with smut and dust during the process of scouring. Most of the so-called close scouring machines that are now being urged upon millers are destitute of this important principle, and hence worthless.

3d. The Eureka, so far as we know, is the only machine that has a perfect shoe attachment, and where the machine is the best known is always invariably ordered. It requires little or no attention, being driven by a belt from main shaft of the machine and a spring pitman; it makes no noise, and with the improved double screen, takes out more headings, straw joints, rat filth, corn and oats, than can possibly be taken out with the rolling screen, while the cockle screen takes out cockle, sand, etc., and we earnestly advise all persons ordering the No. 0, 1 or 2 machines, to order the shoe in all cases. It is now very seldom that we have an order for either of the three sized machines above referred to without the shoe, and in nine cases out of ten when machines are so ordered, the shoe is afterwards ordered, thereby causing extra expense and trouble.

The last reason we shall give is that this is, in all respects, the best wheat cleaning machine in the world; this to millers is an important consideration, and cannot well be overlooked.

In Ordering Smut Machines,

First, decide the size or number of machine wanted, and in deciding this, it will be well to remember that the machines will do all claimed for them. If a machine is wanted to clean twenty-five bushels per hour, a No. 1 machine, run to the motion designed for it, will do it much better than a No. 2, and either size machine run to the motion and fed to the full capacity, will do much better work than if run at a less motion and with a less feed. Some have thought that if a No. 3 machine, for instance, will clean one hundred bushels per hour well, that it will clean sixty bushels better. This is a mistake.

Warranty.

All machines are warranted to be built of the very best material and perfect in all their parts, and any defect in the material or construction will be made good to the purchaser without charge; and further, to give entire satisfaction, when put up and run according to directions attached to all machines.

Terms.

When the cash is remitted with the order, or within thirty days from date of shipment, a discount of five per cent. will be allowed, or list price at the end of ninety days. If longer time is required, approved notes on interest after ninety days from date of shipment, payable in bank, will be required.

DUSTLESS OAT SEPARATOR AND ZIGZAG.

With two or four Wheat Riddles and Cockle Riddle.

Patented April 9, 1861; Re-issued, April 19, 1871.

This Machine is named “Dustless Separator,” because the _Dust_ is separated from the wheat, conveyed out of the mill, and deposited in a dust room, before the grain passes to the riddles; the wheat and screenings are left free from dust.

Its operation is as follows:--The grain enters the Machine at the hopper, which is shown, where it receives the _first_ blast; then passes through two to four wheat riddles in succession, and over a cockle riddle into the _second_ blast. The riddles deposit oats, sticks, weeds, ergot, rat-balls, etc., in suitable spouts; the heavy screenings fall into a hopper and are spouted off. This Machine has none but _suction blasts_, and is offered to the milling community as a _first-class Separator_.

Dimensions and Capacity.

----+--------------+-------+----------+-------+--------+------------- No.| Capacity |Size on| Extreme |Pulley.|Rev. per| | per hour. |floor. | Height. | |minute. | ----+--------------+-------+----------+-------+--------+------------- 2 |30 to 40 bush.| 33×34 |5 ft. 4 in| 6 in. | 440 |2 riddles for 3 |60 to 80 bush.| 45×34 |5 ft. 5 in| 6 in. | 440 |winter wheat ----+--------------+-------+----------+-------+--------+------------- 2 |30 to 40 bush.| 33×34 |6 ft. 2 in| 6 in. | 440 |4 riddles for 3 |60 to 80 bush.| 45×34 |6 ft. 3 in| 6 in. | 440 |spring wheat -----+-------------+-------+----------+-------+--------+-------------

FLOUR PACKERS.

MATTISON’, TAGGART’ and other well known Packers, ready for shipment on short notice. For some situations one kind may suit better than another, and when we know the purpose it is designed for can advise which would suit best. The advantages of them are, that they are ready for use when shipped by merely setting up and attaching power, and suited to a variety of work in the packing line. The MATTISON kind will pack in barrels or paper sacks of different sizes.

When a cheap Packer is wanted we have the _Portable Conical Roller Flour Packer_.

Capacity, 3 barrels per hour--12 to 18 revolutions per minute. Weight, 250 pounds.

HUNTLEY & HOLCOMB’ EXCELSIOR BRAN DUSTER.

ADJUSTABLE WHILE RUNNING.

This cut shows the Duster as completed, with shoe attached, with part of the outer case and part of the wire gauze cylinder removed, to show the interior of the Machine. The lower section of the outside case containing the spouts never being removed after once set up in the mill; the shoe can be turned to any position required, by turning the top plate with it which can be done by slacking the tie rods that bind all together.

The manufacturers have recently improved their already celebrated and widely-known Machine. They say in their latest circular, “We have had thirteen years experience on Bran Dusters, and nearly eleven years of the time on our present Machine, and think we understand the wants of Millers in this line perfectly. Our aim has been to make as perfect a Duster as could be made, and think we now have a perfect one to offer the milling public.

“Ours is a vertical Machine and so constructed that it can be run either with or against the sun, as may be required.

“The Wire-cloth Cylinder is made in halves, and can be unbolted and taken out one-half at a time, and can be turned around for examination _on all sides_ while the Machine is running.

“We put on all sizes, a shoe to throw off dough balls or any foreign substance that would injure the wire-cloth, making it a perfect Machine without any other device than the Machine itself.

“We have had Machines running side by side with all the other kinds of Dusters and have always beaten them in quantity and quality of flour, and are ready at any time to put one to a test with any other Machine.

“This Machine has a Revolving Cylinder of pure Bristol Brushes and has nothing but the Brush Cylinder to drive, making it run extremely light, requiring less than one-half of one-horse power to drive the largest sized Machines.

“There are now over seven hundred of them running, and as far as we know all are giving perfect satisfaction, and we defy any man to show us where one has been superseded by any other Machine; further, we will say that we have put our Machine in place of several other kinds, and have given satisfaction in all cases where others have failed. We find in other Circulars statements that their Machines will make ten per cent. of flour; _we say this is exaggerated_; we have made five and one-fourth per cent., and say this is more than any other Duster can do with a fair test. We do not make statements that are exaggerated, but only such as we are willing to guarantee.

“For cleaning Cracked Wheat, Pearl Barley, and all this class of material, there is no better Machine, and we can give the best of testimonials of their work on this kind of material.”

This cut is a sectional view of the Machine showing the entire construction, except the Shoe, which will accompany all of the Machines. The Flour and Bran Spouts can be turned to any direction required, independently, to adjust them to any location in a mill.

Dimensions.