Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1880-10-27
SCIENCE IN FLOUR MANU-
FA ACTURE.

/ Until recently 1t was believed that
the only thing to be sought for in the
production of good article of -four
was more or less fine disintegration
| of the kernels of wheat As long as
millers held to the theory that grind
ing was all that was required, large
percentage of the -four had its nutri-
tive powers greatly reduced by being
ground to an impalpable dust Science,
by aid of the microscope. has shown
that no really good bread can be made
from -four in which any large portion
of the starch globules have been tlu~
broken down. The rising of bread is
due to the starch globules which re-
main whole, while the dust from the
disintegrated ones, by souring, impairs
the lightness and sweetness of the
loaf 1t is but recently that these facts
have been made known to millers, and
since that time they have been dis
carding their old theories and machin-
cry and devising Improvements with
view of separating the starch globules,
rather than pulverizing them. Another
important advance iu this industry con-
sists of an improvement in bolting ma
chimes. Until recently the bran was
separated from the flour by powerful
air blast, which carries off the light
particles of bran. Considerable power
is required for this process, although
it is carried on in close room, there
is not only great waste of the finer
particles of -four, but the impalpable
dust penetrates every part of the mill
and often gives rise to destructive ex
plosions. By recent invention, elec-
tricity is made to take the place Of the
air blast. Just over the wire boiling
cloth, which has rapid reciprocal mo-
tion, number of hard rubber cylinders
are kept slowly revolving and rubbing
against strips of sheepskin, by which
large amount of fractional electricity is
evolved Then, as the middlings are
sieved by the reciprocal motion, the
lighter bran comes to the top, whence,
instead of being blown away by an air
blast, it is attracted to the electrically
charged cylinders. as light substances
are attracted to piece of paper, or a
stick of sealing wax which has been
smartly rubbed The removal of the
bran from the rollers, and its deposit
on one side, are readily effected, while
the -four is carried in another direction.
The separation is thus made complete,
with very little loss of dust. Still an
other device has been introduced, to
remove from the wheat, before being
ground, small pieces of iron, which,
despite the utmost care, will find their
way into the grain, working great in
jury to mill machinery This trouble
is now remedied by the use of a Sc
ries of magnets, directly under which
all the grain is made to pass. These
magnets readily capture all the stray
pieces of iron from the wire bands used
in binding and they have also revesl-
ed the singular fact that, of the scraps
of iron and steel which find their way
into the grain, fully one-third are
something besides the binding wire.
They are of larger proportions, of vary
ing character, and much more hurttul
to the machinery than the wire. Thus
it is that science is constantly coming
to the aid all the varied industries,
tightening the labor of the workmen,
decreasing the costs of products, and
in every way improving all the various
processes which are involved in the
improved and constantly advances CIV
ilization of the age.-The Weekly as
toridn.