606 
HEBERrS FLOUR-MAKING MACHINE. 
has, in a very ingenious and simple manner, 
effectually guarded against all these diffi- 
culties. 
The invention is shown at fig. 3, Plate 5, 
which represents a vertical section of the 
instrument, consisting of a glass tube a, 
open at both ends, and firmly fastened, by 
means of cement, in the cast iron tube h : 
c, is the graduated scale of fathoms ; d, is 
an air chamber communicating with the 
external atmosphere by the short pipe e; f, 
is a crooked pipe, fastened on to the top of 
the glass tube a, and communicating with it. 
When the instrument is to be brought 
into operation, the stop cock g, at the lower 
end of the glass tube, is closed, so as to 
stop up the end of the tube, and prevent the 
escape of the water. As the instrument 
goes down, the water presses upon the air 
in the short tube e, and compresses the air 
in the chamber d ; and as the air is com- 
pressed, the water rises in the chamber, 
and when it reaches the top of the bent 
tube/, it will run dovm into the glass tube 
fl, and in this manner register the number 
of fathoms to which the instrument has 
gone. The use of the bent tube /, is to 
prevent the water, when it has once got 
into the glass tube, from returning into the 
air chamber d, except it is literally turned 
bottom upwards, which it is not very likely 
to be, though it may, by the current, be 
turned on one side. It will be evident, that 
the pressure of the water cannot have any 
destructive effect upon the instrument, as it 
is subject to the pressure of the air and 
water inside, and by that means the exterior 
pressure is neutralised. When the instru- 
ment is drawn up, the depth is ascertained 
by referring to the height of the water in the 
glass tube ; the water is then let out of the 
glass tube by means of the stop cock g, and 
the instrument is again ready for use. — \_In- 
rolled in the Inrolment Office^ May, 1836.] 
—Ibid, 
HEBERT’S FLOUR-MAKER. 
{See Flate vi, Figure 1.) 
We fulfil our engagement made in a former 
Number (665), of giving a description of the 
larger kind of “ Hebert’s Patent Flour- 
makers and we adopt for this purpose, the 
machine which we stated was in successful 
operation at the workhouse of All Saints, 
near Hertford, in preference to another ma- 
chine on the same principle, which the pa- 
tentee assui’cs us is greatly improved — be- 
cause, in the first place, we fulfil our pro- 
mise to the letter; and, in the second place, 
because the practical demonstration of actual 
advantages has move weight with us than 
any deductions from theory, however plausi- 
ble. And until the inventor shall have given 
to us equal proofs to those which we are 
about to submit to our readers of the success 
of his more recent improvements, we shall 
rest satisfied with what is before us. 
We live in an age when improvements are 
occurrences of every day, yet it is singular 
that the process of grinding and dressing 
wheat is nearly the same as it has been for 
centuries. The French burr stones, awkward, 
massive, and troublesome, have hitherto 
been free from the inventive assaults of enter- 
prise and genius ; and when we reflect how 
long the miller has been wedded to his upper 
and nether millstone, we can hardly expect 
this invention to attract his attention, but 
we think it a subject wmrthy of consideration 
to those who are friendly to manual labour, 
either as employment or punishment, to in- 
quire how far a cheap process can be intro- 
duced in the manufacture of an article of the 
first consumption; and should it appear that 
England possesses within herself the means 
of effectually superseding the French burr 
stones, the greater honour will rest on those 
who are the means of its introduction. 
The engraving fig. \,) exhibits a 
perspective sketch of the flour-maker con- 
structed by Mr. Hebert, for the workhouse 
at All Saints, where it has been constantly 
at work, without the slightest deterioration 
of the grinding surfaces, for a period of time, 
that would, in ordinary mills, have required 
a renewal of them many times. For the pur- 
pose of ascertaining the efficacy of this new 
machine, the followdng questions were ad- 
dressed to the Guardians of the Union and 
the Master, to which the former replied in 
general terms that they were “ satisfied with 
the working of the machine,” while the 
latter answrede each question categorically in 
the w'ords which we subjoin. 
1. How/ao men are competent to work the 
machine, so as properly to grind and dress 1 
— One. 
2. How many men can you efficiently 
employ in working the same.^ — Fourteen. 
3. Can you employ bogs equally as well as 
men ? — Yes. 
4. What is the opinion of the millers at 
Hertford of the quality of the flour produ- 
ced ? — Their opinion is, that the quality of the 
flour is good. 
5. Do you find that the number of persons 
at work makes any difference in the quality 
of the flour or other products ; or does that 
circumstance affect only the quantitg of work 
done } — It makes no difference in the quality, 
but only afl’ects the quantity. 
6. Do you find any difficulty in making the 
necessary adjustments, especially as relates 
to the means of proportioning the work ac- 
cording to the number of labourers employed } 
— No difficulty. 
7. Do you find the superintendence and 
management of the machine absorb much of 
your time ? — No. 
8. Has your experience in the working of 
the new ” Patent Flour-maker” convinced 
