Example of Photographic Documentation of a Mill, Black & White Photos of the Machinery of Diller-Heishman's Mill, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Photo #11.
Photo Number: #11. Floor Number-Item Numbers: 2/9. (See: Floor Level 2. Second Floor Plan) Items in Photo: Middlings purifier. Provenance - Manufacturer (if known): Wolf Company, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Dimensions, Yield, Capacity, Output, and Additional Information: No. 2047. Catalog Documentation: "Flour Mill Machinery (Corn, Feed, Cereal, and Alfalfa), Flour, Corn, Cereal, and Feed Mill Machinery, Complete Accessories, The Wolf Company (Established 1879, "Complete Modern Mill Builders and Engineers"), Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. U. S. A., 1922.
The Purifier has a definite function and good millers seek to purify the middlings before going to the rolls. The middlings, relieved of the fluffy, fibrous material, thus go to the rolls clean-cut and make possible the most nearly perfect reduction. The construction and appointments are all that can be desired. The suction fan receives a steady current of air from the adjustable sides in the panels at the head and sides of the machine. The slides are so accurately adjusted that the air currents may be regulated to a nicety. No matter what the condition of the stock, every requirement may be met by the Wolf Middlings Purifier. The suction fan is located over the tail end of the purifier and is encased by adjustable valves to assist in maintaining a properly balanced air current from every square inch of the sieve. These valves are adjustable from the outside and while machine is in motion. the sieve frame is suspended from the top rails of the purifier frame by four adjustable hangers. The hangers are adjustable vertically and any desired slant may be easily and quickly obtained. By intensifying or modifying these hangers the travel of the stock may be accurately regulated. The silk is tightened by an adjustable cloth stretcher which neither wears nor tears the silk. Motion to the sieve is imparted by eccentrics on the driving shaft which are mounted on ball bearings. Balance wheels are suitably located to counter balance the motion of the sieve. The brush cloth cleaner is located directly under the silk and travels automatically from side to side. At each end are stout rods for steadying and adjusting the brushes so that the pressure with which the silk is swept may be regulated to secure any degree of vigor or gentleness. A feed hopper carries the stock to the Wolf Automatic Shake Feeder. The feed door has an adjustable metal gate which is adjusted vertically, and governor weights are placed on the feed gate. With these provisions a regular flow of stock is guaranteed to the entire width of the sieve. Ýhe machine is equipped with double conveyors containing a series of valves, so that the stock may be turned into either conveyor. Conveyors are fitted with reversible wood flights, spiral steel conveyor, or Wolf Reversible steel flights. The tailings pass completley out of the machine and may be spouted where desired. The driving mechanism is simple indeed as is the entire process of purification. It consists of a main driving pulley, two balance wheels, pulley for driving the fan, and a pulley for driving the counter shaft which operates the conveyor. Both sides of the conveyor are connected to the counter shaft by iron bevel gears and a sprocket chain connects one of the conveyor shafts with the shaft by which the cloth cleaning device is operated. Glass paneled doors are placed on each side and across the head and tail ends. These doors are above the sieve, permitting the miller rot view the flow of stock, the lifting of the impurities, the movement of the cloth cleaners - all without disturbing the air current. The removable doors afford quick and easy access to the interior of the machine. The fan is located directly over the machine and, by means of adjustable valves, the intensity of the air current is regulated to suit the conditions of stock and the degree of purification or amount of fluffy, fibrous material desired to be removed. Another strong feature of the Wolf Improved Purifier is the absolute uniformity of "air-pull" over the entire cloth surface. There are no spots receiving undue "air-pull" while others are receiving too little. No possible chance to permit any part of the stock to pass thou the machine unpurified.
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