The American miller, and millwright's assistant

Front matter

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Contents

PAET FIRST.

PAGE

Introduction 7

PART SECOND. Remarks on the Culture of Grain, &c 63

Table of Grain grown in the United States 65

On the Quality of French Burr, as best adapted for

Grinding Wheat and Corn 66

The Raccoon Burr Stone 69

Directions for Preparing new Stones for Grinding. 70

Directions for laying out the Dress in Millstones 73

A special Treatise on the different Millstone Dresses now

in use, with practical remarks on their action 74

Directions for making Furrows on the most approved

plan , 80

Directions for Staffing and Cracking the face of the

Millstone 81

On the best size of Millstones for different water powers 83

Practical remarks on Grinding Wheat and Corn ''84

Remarks on Indian Corn, as an article of foreign consumption 87

CONTENTS. 5

On the Construction of Merchant Bolts on the old plan.. 88 Description of a new arrangement of the Merchant Bolts

on the most approved plan 89

Directions for making Bolting Cloths of all descriptions... 91

On the proper size of Mill Picks for Dressing Stones 91

Composition for Tempering Cast-steel Mill Picks 92

Ontheuse of the Proof Staff 93

On the amount of help necessary to be employed in a Mill

of four run of Stones, with their duties respectively... 94

Hydraulics, as pertaining to the practical Millwright 96

Powers of Gravity, Percussion or Impulse, with the reaction attachment ;. 99

Remarks to the Millwright on the necessity of economy

in planning and arra,nging the Machinery of Flouring

and Grist-Mills 103

On Bedding the Stone 105

To find the number of revolutions of the Water-Wheel per

minute 108

To find the velocity of the Stone per minute 108

Rule to find the Diameters of all Pitch Circles 109

To find how many revolutions the Stone makes for one of

the Water- Wheel 109

On Machinery 110

Rule for constructing the Conveyor 110

On the construction of the Mill-Dam Ill

On the different kinds of Smut Machines now in use, with

rules for making the same 115

Remarks on a late invention for introducing air between

Millstones when Grinding 118

Description of the Author's Grain Dryer, patented 1850 120

Rules for the purchase of Wheat for Millers' use 123

The proper method for fitting the Bale and Driver to the

Millstone 127

Remarks on Packing Flour 129

Table for Packing Flour 130

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6 CONTENTS.

Remarks on branding Flour in Barrels 130

Mauk's Patent Bolt 131

On the Inspection of Flour 132

Report on the BreadstuflFs of the United States, their relative value, and the injury which they sustain by transportation, warehousing, &c. &c. — By Lewis C.

Beck, M. D 134

Analysis of Wheat Flour 160

Results of the Analyses 166

Table for Reckoning the price of Wheat 170

Steam, as applied to Propelling Mills 183

On the Construction of the Saw-Mill 184

Table for Measuring Saw-Logs 187

Harrison's Patent Mill 189

Troy French Burr Mill-Stone Manufactory 190

Lafayette Burr Mill Manufactory 192

Utica French Burr Mill-Stone Manufactory 192

Improved Patent Balance 194

Rochester French Burr Mill-Stone Establishment 196

Remarks on a New Description of Bolting Material for

Grist Mills 197

Brown's Wheat Scale, with Hopper 198

Brown's Patent Smut Machine 199

Bran Dusters and Separators Combined 200

Bonnell's Improved Process of Flouring 202

Analysis of Wheat Flour 204

A new and perfect Machine for Cracking Corn in the Cob 215

Troy (New York) Mill-Gearing Establishment 216

Clasp Coupling Joint 217

Introduction

The motto which we have adopted on the title page of this work, is purely American in sentiment, and one of those original ideas of our distinguished Senator, emanating from the depths of profound intellectual greatness, and standing as the star of the nineteenth century, to illuminate the path of the down-trodden and oppressed. And when time has passed with those of this generation, these immortal sentiments will ever stand out in bold relief, to perpetuate his name with the sovereignty of the American people. And, although expressed on a very different subject from which it is here introduced, as a doctrine which we fully believe in, we cannot observe any reason to forbid its adoption into the science of mechanics, as well as that of politics, or any other science beneficial to mankind.

In its practical application to this work, we have been guided entirely by its principles, drawn from an advanced state of improvement which marks the age in which we live; and by contrasting the

INTRODUCTION.

past witii the present age, we can recognise that march of improvement, stamping as it does all branches of our national industry ; and none with more satisfactory results than the Milling business of the United States. The Milling business occupies a respectable portion of our national industry, and gives employment to a large investment of capital in all the principal wheat-growing States of this Union, which contributes largely to the benefit of our American farmers, in making a home market for Wheat and Indian Corn, the two principal staples of American produce.

The author of this work, having spent the best portion of his life in the pursuit of his calling as a practical Miller, begs to say, in preparing this work for the milling public, that his object is to establish a correct guide to a business which so little is known about, in a shape of substantial reference, instead of speculative theories, and that confined to the minds only of those who are attached to the business, either by the employment of capital or otherwise.

Special regard has also been paid to most of the essential improvements which have, of late, been introduced for the benefit of the miller. And we can also say, that we have omitted a large number of late inventions, from the belief of their utter worthlessness for a great many of the purposes for which they were designed ; and those of our friends

• INTRODUCTION. 9

who furnished us with drafts and long statements of their peculiar views on milling, will please accept our thanks for the same, and this, our apology for not giving them a place in these pages.

We have thought proper to insert in this work a Report made to the Commissioner of Patents of the United States, in the year 1848, on Breadstuffs, their relative value, and the injury which they sustain from various causes, by Lewis C. Beck, M. D., an article which, of itself, highly sustains that gentleman's character, for the task he had to perform ; and also reflects much credit on the Commissioner of Patents, Mr. Burke, for the selection he made of a person fully competent to perform the same.

The Report contains a scientific chemical analysis of wheat and wheat flour, with other important information, highly useful to all engaged in milling, as well as dealers in breadstuffs ; and we consider it one of the most useful and important public documents ever distributed from the Patent Office of the United States.

With a full assurance and hope that this work may prove useful to all engaged in milling, I respectfully subscribe myself,

Wm. C. Hughes.

EXPLANATION

OF TECHNICAL WORDS USED IN THIS WORK.

Aperture, the opening or passage through which water is received or discharged.

Area, the plain surface of superficial contents.

Cubic, equation in algebra, an equation in which the highest or only power of the unknown quantity is a cute. Cube root is the number or quantity which, multiplied into itself and then into the product, produces the cube. A cubic foot of water weighs 62 J lbs.

Equilibrium, equipoise, equality of weight or force ; a state of rest produced by the mutual counter action of two bodies.

Friction, the act of rubbing the surface of one body against another.

Gravity, weight, heaviness — the tendency of matter towards its central body. Weight is the measure of gravity.

Specific gravity means the weight of a body compared with another of equal bulk, taken as the standard. Water is the standard for solids and liquids, and air for gas.

12 EXPLANATIONS OF TECHNICAL WORDS.

HydronamicSj that science wbicH treats of the properties and relations of water and other fluids, either at rest or in motion.

Hydraulics, the science of fluids in motion ; pertaining to hydronamics.

Impuhej force communicated instantaneously.

ImpetuSj force of motion.

Momentum, the quantity of motion in a moving body proportioned to the product of the quantity of matter, multiplied by its velocity.

Percussion, the shock produced by the instant striking of bodies; the centre of percussion is that point in a moving body about which the impetus of the parts is balanced, and when stopped by any force, the whole motion of the revolving body is stopped at the same time.

Quiescence, a state of rest.

Radius, in geometry, a right line drawn from the centre of a circle to the periphery, the semi-diameter of the circle.

Right Angle, in geometry, an angle of ninety degrees or one-fourth of a circle.

Squared, is any number multiplied by itself.

Theory, an exposition of the general principles of any science; the science distinguished from the art, and without practice.

Urgent, pressing with necessity.

Velocity, is that effection of motion by which a body moves over a certain space in a certain time.

Viscosity, a glutinous tenacity which inclines soft bodies to stick closely together.

THE

AMERICAN MILLER,

MILLWRIGHT'S ASSISTANT.