The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-01-12
Grinding Wheat Without xinstones.

A very remarkable psrer, the con-
tents Of which are ofespecical interest
to that large portion of cur readers
In the manufacture of -four, was read
at q late meeting in Edinburgh Of the
British Association of Science, by Mr..
Thomas Carr. 1t consisted of q de-
description of new mill for grinding
wheat, called q disintegrating flour
mill and claimed to possess such ex-
traordinary advantages as to entirely
supersede the use of burrs. The wheat
Is reduced to -four by percussion instead
of grinding, being projected through
the air unsupported and with extreme
velocity. In passing through the ma
chine 1t is struck by q series OF bars
moving swiftly ia opposite directions;
and Mr.. Carr asserts that by the &C
ton of these bars the wheat is so in
simultaneously reduced to proper con-
dition for boiting that no injurious
heat Is caused. One of these disln-
tegrating'' mills is in use by an Edin-
burg firm and has been some time IN
operation; and Mr.. Carr describes IN
his paper the advantages it is claimed
to nOssess over the millstones which
IL Is expected TO supersede. 1t is said
to be much less frequently In need of
repairs than millstones, to require the
labor of fewer men occupy less space
and call for less driving powder. To
the saving i'm wages and incidental ex-
peuse is added by Mr.. Carr the ex.
emption from loss by scorching sad
consequent saving of fire insurance
the latUor item being, we Judge, of
more theoretical than practicalimpor-
tance. The distinguishing feature,
however, of the recommendation
which, is offered of this novel device, is
that by the avoidaace ofinjurious heat
claimed as q result of the peculiar
method Of reducing the wheat by per-
cussion, superior quality of flour is
produced. The theory is-uuless, in
deed, the practical experiment has
been carried so far as to establish ii as
q fact-that the instantaneous nature
OF the process prevents the evolving
of heat an object which it is certainly
very desirable to obtain.
1t is not easy to gainsay an ascer-
tanned and demonstrated fact; and if
Mr.. Cars representation of the work
ing of this remarkable machine is
founded throughout on actual trial,
we can only wait for an explanation
Of what now appears very surprising
statement. That no heat il produced
In the reduction Of the wheat to -four,
simply because the process is swift and
sudden, is q circumstance which GER
tainiy does not harmonic with other
manifestations of the effect of instan-
taneous force. A bullot fired from q
musket strikes q wall with as sudden
contact as can readily be imagined,
but it does not follow that no heat is
evolved In the concussion. The
amount Of the force applied In reducing
the wheat determines the amount of
heat generated; and 1t does not ap-
pear that in the process above de- |
ecrll,ed the force exerted Is less than |
n the ordinary method. In point of |
act, 1t might be reasonably expected |
that the more sudden and instantane- |
GUS the conclusion, the higher will be |
the degree of temperature observed. |
The real virtue of the new disinteg- |
rating process after all consists, not In |
preventing the evolvment of heat, but |
In speedily and completely remedying |
while passing swiftly through the air,
this rapid motion and exposure to the
air may serve as an immediate anti
dote to the effect of the heat upon the
-four, preventing, according to the
claim .of Mr.. Carr, any injurious re-
suits to the product of the mill. As
"the proof of the pudding is the eat
ing," and practical test the only con-
conclusive argument-a fact which
holds good i'm the manufacture of -four
rs strikingly as in any branch of in-
dustry with which we are acquainted
we shall wait with some eagerness
for further reports of the working OF
the process which is to revolutionize
the Touring business and make the
familiar mill-burr an obsolete relic OF
the past.