BREAKING DOWN THE MILL CAKE.
Breaking down the mill cake.
The mill cake, after it comes off the bed of the incorporating mill, is placed in wooden tubs, and taken to small-expense magazines, and from there, in about twelve hours, to the breaking-down house; Object of mealing.the object of the machine from which this takes its name, is to reduce the cake to a convenient size for the hydraulic-press box, and also that, by being crushed again to meal, it may get a more even pressure. It consists of a strong gun-metal framework, in which are fixed two pairs of fine-toothed or plain rollers, which revolve towards each other, working in spring collars, so that on any hard substance getting in by mistake, they would open, and allow it to pass through, thereby preventing the dangerous friction which would otherwise result. A hopper, or upright wooden funnel, capable of holding about 500 lbs. is fixed at one end of the machine, and an endless canvass band 2ft. 6in. wide, having strips of leather sewn across at intervals of four inches, passes over one roller at the bottom of the hopper, and one at the top of the machine. When set in motion, this conveys the cake from the hopper to the highest point of the band; it then falls through the first pair of rollers, and from thence through the second, passing in the form of meal into small wooden carriages underneath, which, as they are filled, move forward by a self-acting motion, making room for others. The mill cake thus broken down, is fit for the press.