IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FLOUR, APPLICABLE TO THE MAKING OF BREAD, BISCUITS, AND PASTRY
Year: 1849

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
SMITH, of Hare Craig, Dundee, North Britain, Factor to Lord Douglas, of
Douglas, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Fourteenth day of
March, One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine, in the twelfth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Smith, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said John Smith,
my exors, adiñors, and assigns, and such others as I, the said John Smith,
my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in the Islands of Guernsey,
Jersey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and also in all Her said Majesty's Colonies
and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF FLOUR, APPLICABLE TO THE MAKING OF BREAD, BISCUITS, AND PASTRY;" in
which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said John Smith,
should cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court
of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date

page_text: of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto bad, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Smith, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being
had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say:-
My Invention consists of manufacturing flour from oats suitable for making
bread, biscuit, and pastry; and in order that my Invention may be most fully
understood, and readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the means
pursued by me.
Oats are to be first dried, divested of the husk, and then be ground in the
same manner as wheat has been heretofore ground when for making flour
therefrom. And I would state, that I have not found it necessary or desirable
to make any alteration in this part of the process. The oats having been
ground the products are to be subjected to a dressing engine or machine.
And I have found that in dressing oat flour, in order to accommodate the
process to the peculiar character of the grain and flour, that the engine should
revolve at a greater speed than is usually practised when dressing wheaten
flour. And I have found it desirable that there should be an agitator in the
feeding hopper to keep the ground products agitated as the same are fed into
the dressing engine.
The Drawing hercunto annexed shews a side elevation of an engine, such
as I employ for dressing oat flour, the wire gauze used thereon is not so fine
as that employed for dressing wheaten flour. I drive the engine at the rate
of about six hundred revolutions per minute. Internal brushes are used as
with wheaten flour, but the brushes scarcely touch the wire; and I do not
employ external fixed brushes, a narrow hand brush being used for that
purpose. The degrees of fineness of the wire cloth or gauze is marked in the
Drawing, and will not be required to be repeated here. The lower end of the
engine is left open round the axis for about eight inches diameter, to admit
a free
passage for air. The agitator in the hopper consists of numerous arms
around the axis, which are so fixed on the axis as not to come one under the
other. By these means flour from oats may be produced, of a very excellent
quality, suitable for being made into bread, biscuit, or pastry.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I would state, that although I have been
thus particular in describing the exact details as pursued by me, I do not

page_text: confine myself to the details or arrangement of such apparatus. But what
I claim is, the manufacture of flour from oats, suitable for the purposes
aforesaid.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Smith, have hereunto set my hand
and scal, this Thirteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-nine.