DELIVERIES TO MILL

Tractor trailers or trucks loaded with grain pull up to the trough (seen at left). The auger inside turns and moves the grain up a chute to the top of the mill. Here (at right) are some of the outdoor storage bins at the mill.

WHOLESALE DELIVERIES

Trucks are loaded with bulk product to be taken to local customers such as farmers.		Large bins at the side of the mill can unload the product to the truck below.		Blowers are also found on the back of the truck which assist in the delivery of the product.

ELEVATORS and CHUTES

A chute is a shaft or tube used to move grain in the mill. An elevator is a mechanical device (often cylindrical) for storing, lifting, and discharging grain. In this three story building, grain products are moved above the roof line, to all three floors, and to the basement for different operations.

The elevators that are seen far above the roof line contain augers. The auger is shaped like a drill and lifts the grain as it spirals upward.		On the roof chutes can be repositioned to divert to grain to many different parts of the mill using the openings seen here. One chute is for millet, one for oats, etc.

Due to the possibility of explosion of the fine dust in a mill precautions have to be taken to avoid any type of sparks when moving or working with the products. Today magnets are used to as part of the safety precautions. Also, certain materials that can cause friction (such as corn cobs) are not processed at this mill.

INSIDE THE MILL

A variety of methods are used to move grain inside the mill. Similar methods to those used outside the mill are found in use inside the mill.

Some of the chutes and elevators in this mill are made of metal, others are made of wood. Diagonal chutes such as these allow the product to fall without other mechanical working parts.		This elevator that moves vertically is made up of a series of cup-like containers attached to a fabric belt. As the belt moves up it lifts the grain in the containers.		Bagged products can be moved from the third floor to the first for a customer, using a slide that runs down the stairs.