Srofping-Beetx.—The handle the break-roll crochets, suttees sivelv sep,tralin Hie break flour mid middlings frown the material after each break. The reel-frame is made either hexagon or round in form. In the former the tail end is larger than the head in the latter the shaft is depressed at the tail end to carry the material through. The reel shaft is of iron, and the wooden ribs are attached to iron spiders on the shaft. The wooden head is provided with the usual opening, through which is introduced a feed-spout with the customary conveyor-spiral to feed the material into the reel. The round reels, in scalping as in flour-dressing, are receiving much attention as to detail, and are gaining in popular favor. Scalping-reels are clothed with wire cloth, silk cloth, or perforated steel, and are from 18 to 36 in. diameter and from 4 to 9 ft. long. They are now commonly driven by belt or chain direct from the line or counter shaft, and are rim about 28 revolutions per min. for a 32-in. reel. The slant is from to in. per foot. The reel-chests are usually made to con form to the style and sizes of those of the centrifugal and round reels for flour-dress ing described later. The speed should be about 50 revolutions per min. for 18-in. reels to 28 revolutions for a 32-in, reel.
Centrifugal Reels.—In recently erected flour-mills the old hexagon bolting-reel has been supplanted by the centrifugal and round reels, and especially has the latter been favorably received. The hexagon reel and its chest, the former 32 in. in diameter and from 12 to 16 ft. long, the latter ex ceeding these dimensions, have been found too cumbersome for modern purposes, es pecially in America, and reels considerably smaller and of far greater capacity are now found taking their places. Fig. is a perspective view, and Fig. 11 a cross-sec tion of a centrifugal reel, as made by the E. P. Allis Co., of Milwaukee, Wis. Re ferring to the cross-section. it will be seen that on the beater-shaft are placed the spiders to which are attached the heaters, the lat ter running lengthwise of the reel and inclined to a radius from the center of shaft, act ing thus to throw the material against the bolting cloth, which. mounted on a reel-frame, surrounds the beaters, etc. The latter are set close to the cloth to keep the stock tiler ()uglily in motion, preventing accumulation and thereby giving full action to the reel. They run spirally lengthwise of the reel, thus carrying the material gradually toward the tail end, retaining it long enough on the cloth to do the work properly. The silk reel is mounted on trunnions which surround the beater-shaft at the head and tail of the reel, and rotates at a less speed and in the same direction as the beater-shaft. A revolving brush, as shown, is used to keep the cloth clean. The silk reels are made 21, 27, and 82 in. diameter and from 4 to 8 ft. long. The outside dimensions for a 32-in. reel-chest are: 11 ft. 7 in. long. 3 ft. 6 in. wide, and 5 ft. 3 in. high. The conveyers are placed side by side with partition between, as shown, to which the cut-off tongues are hinged, the latter extending up to the hoppering. Material is directed into either conveyer by placing the tongues against either side of the hopper. With the centrifugal it is necessary to provide some safeguard to prevent foreign substances from entering the reel. This should be a basket of wire-cloth or other suitable material which can be readily cleaned. In this class of machines the speed of silk reel should not be so great
that the material is held against the cloth by the centrifugal force due the speed. The speed of beater-shaft is usually 10 or 12 times that of the silk reel, a usual speed for the latter being 18 to 20 revolutions per min. It is the aim of makers of eentrifugals at the present time to direct the material against the silk at a very acute angle, so that sliding of the material over the surface of the cloth shall take place, fully recognizing the value of this action as ob tained with the now old style hexagon reel.
Roam! lieels.—A later machine, and one. it is claimed, that overcomes the alleged defects of the centrifugal, is shown in cross-section at Fig. 12. This class of machine has rapidly gained in favor since its introduction, about four years ago, and is said to have fully demonstrated the superiority of the round-reel bolting system. The cut shows a flour-dresser made by the Allis Co., the perspective view of which is almost identical with that of the centrifugal already noticed. The reel, mounted on the main shaft, consists of a substantial casting at each end, upon which wooden rings are placed, to which the cloth is attached. Round rods connect the head and tail end castings, and to these are attached rib-rings for the cloth and carriers, preventing contact of cloth with the rods. Within these rods is placed a light sheet-iron drum, fastened firmly to the shaft. The carriers are pitched spi rally toward the tail, leading the stock continually in that di rection. Sufficient space is left between the outer edge of the carriers and the cloth, also between the inner edge of the carriers and the drum, to enable the stock to bolt properly without heating or rough hand ling. thus avoiding flouring of the stock. The flouring of the material, as alleged to take place with the centrifugal reel, as also the increased quantity of bolting-cloth necessary, are factors against the centrifugal ; while the great capacity and effectiveness of the round reel has led to its extended adoption. The room occupied and power required are greatly de creased as compared with the hexagon reel—the round reel, it is claimed, doing the same work as the hexagon, with from one half to one third the length of reel. Inventors have striven to produce a reel in which the full circumference could be utilized for sifting. in place of only the lower portion, as is the case with the hexagon reel. The centrifugal and round reels are intended to do this, the latter appearing to have ac complished the object in a more satisfactory manner. The difference in the action of these two machines is readily un derstood by an inspection of Figs. 11 and 12. In erecting new mills a great saving in millwright work is effected by the use of this (dims of reel. They come from the manufacturer complete and ready to be set in position, one being readily placed on top of another. In mills using the complete sys tem of centrifugal or round reels the saving in room is stated to be about one half, and the saving in first cost of machines nearly one third. The reels are driven by belts, and arc usually made from 21 to 32 in. diameter, and the cloth is from 6 to 8 ft. long. the approximate power, as given by the makers, being 0.2 horse-power and 0.6 horse-power respect ively.