What is "flour dresser"

Flour \Flour\ (flour), n. [F. fleur de farine the flower (i.e., the best) of meal, cf. Sp. flor de la harina superfine flour, Icel. fl["u]r flower, flour. See Flower.] The finely ground meal of wheat, or of any other grain; especially, the finer part of meal separated by bolting; hence, the fine and soft powder of any substance; as, flour of emery; flour of mustard.

Flour bolt, in milling, a gauze-covered, revolving, cylindrical frame or reel, for sifting the flour from the refuse contained in the meal yielded by the stones.

Flour box a tin box for scattering flour; a dredging box.

Flour dredge or Flour dredger, a flour box.

Flour dresser, a mashine for sorting and distributing flour according to grades of fineness.

Flour mill, a mill for grinding and sifting flour.

A flour dresser is a mechanical device used in grain mills for bolting, which is the process of separating the finished flour from the other grain components following milling. The milling of grain into flour has been termed the oldest continuously conducted industry in the world. Flour dressers appear in water-powered mills in the United Kingdom dating to the 17th century and their use continued into the 20th Century in the UK and other countries as the grain milling industry converted from water power to steam and other forms of power to drive mill machinery.