IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WHEATEN FLOUR AND BREAD
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Palmer, of 35, Ovington Square, in the
County of Middlesex, and Henry Samuel Hird, of 1, Hurst Villas,
South Croydon, in the County of Surrey, trading under the Firm of
Chapman and Co., St. James' Mills, Hatcham, S.E., for the Invention
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Palmer and Henry
Samuel Hird at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 5th November 1867.
We, ROBERT PALMER, of 35, Ovington Square, in the County of Middlesex,
and HENRY SAMUEL HIRD, of 1, Hurst Villas, South Croydon, in the County
of Surrey, trading under the Firm of Chapman and Co., St. James' Mills,
Hatcham, S.E., do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WHEATEN FLOUR AND BREAD," to be
as follows:--
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
wheaten flour and bread.
As bread is at present manufactured the wheat is ground and the meal is
dressed to separate the bran from it. From the white flour thus obtained
white bread is commonly made, or if a brown bread be required the bran in
the flakes in which it comes from the millstones is remixed with the flour, or
in some cases the meal with the bran in it is used for the manufacture of

page_text: brown bread. In either case the the bran in the flour and in the bread is in
the form of flakes.
According to our Invention after separating the bran in the usual manner
we grind it to an impalpable powder and remix it with the white flour, and
from this mixture, the whole of which is an impalpable powder, we make
brown bread.
Our Invention thus consists in the production of a brown wheaten flour
which is a new manufacture differing entirely from any flour heretofore made
or sold, and also similarly in the production of bread made from this flour.
This bread is a new manufacture and article of commerce very different
and at once distinguishable from any bread heretofore made or sold.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Palmer and Henry Samuel Hird in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 5th May 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBERT
PALMER, of 35, Ovington Square, in the County of Middlesex, and HENRY
SAMUEL HIRD, of 1, Hurst Villas, South Croydon, in the County of Surrey,
trading under the Firm of Chapman & Co., St. James' Mills, Hatcham, S.E.,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
.said Robert Palmer and Henry Samuel Hird, Her special licence that we, the
said Robert Palmer and Henry Samuel Hird, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said Robert Palmer and Henry Samuel
Hird, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF WHEATEN FLOUR AND BREAD," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said Robert Palmer and Henry Samuel Hird, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or their hands and
seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or them, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner

page_text: the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Palmer, on behalf of myself and
the said Henry Samuel Hird, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is
to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
wheaten flour and bread.
As bread is at present manufactured the wheat is ground and the meal is
dressed to separate the bran from it. From the white flour thus obtained
white bread is commonly made, or if a brown bread be required the bran in
the flakes in which it comes from the millstones is remixed with the flour, or
in some cases the meal with the bran in it is used for the manufacture of
brown bread. In either case the bran in the flour and in the bread is in the
form of flakes.
According to our Invention after separating the bran in the usual manner
we grind it to an impalpable powder and remix it with the white flour, and
from this mixture, the whole of which is an impalpable powder, we make
brown bread.
Our Invention thus consists in the production of a brown wheaten flour
which is a new manufacture differing entirely from any flour heretofore made
or sold, and also similarly in the production of bread made from this flour.
This bread is a new manufacture and article of commerce very different and
at once distinguishable from any bread heretofore made or sold.
And in order that our Invention may readily be carried into effect we will
proceed to describe the arrangement of apparatus we prefer to employ for
reducing the bran to powder after it has been separated from the flour. We
would, however, bave it understood that edge runners or other arrangements
for grinding or reducing the flakes of bran to an impalpable powder might be
employed.
The apparatus we employ is similar to that now commonly employed for
breaking or reducing to powder linseed, peas, and beans, and such like seeds
or grain, and consists of a cylindrical case closed at both ends; through these
ends an axis passes which is concentric with the cylindrical case. Within the
case this axis has fixed upon it radial arms or beaters which extend from the
axis to within about an inch of the inner circumference of the cylinder. The
inner circumference of the cylinder is corrugated, and the flakes of bran being

page_text: brought violently in contact with this corrugated surface by the revolving
beaters the flakes of bran are broken down and reduced into powder. The
bran is fed into the cylindrical case through a pipe or shoot leading from a
hopper in which the bran is placed, the speed at which the bran is fed into
the case being regulated by means of a slide. Air is also allowed to enter the
case through an inlet pipe fixed near the centre of one of its ends. Each end
has also an opening formed through it which is closed by a slide fitted with a
fine sieve of wire gauze or other material. When the axis carrying the
beaters is caused to revolve the air in the case will by the beaters be forced
outwards against its circumference and will pass out from the case through the
fine sieves at its ends, carrying out with it all such parts of the flakes of bran
which have been reduced to a powder sufficiently fine to admit of passing
through the sieves. The powdered bran thus passing away from the case is
led away through a suitable pipe or channel and settles down from the current
of air which passes out with it, and is collected in heaps or int) sacks or
otherwise. In order that the beaters shall quickly break down. the bran fed
into the case into a powder we prefer that the axis carrying the beaters should
make from 3 to 4,000 revolutions a minute if the diameter of the cylindrical
case be about 15 inches, but other dimensions of apparatus and other speeds
may be employed. When the bran has thus been reduced to an impalpable
powder we mix it with the white flour, mixing in with the white flour by
preference as much bran in the form of powder as there was bran in the form
of flakes originally separated from it, but the flour and bran in the form of
,powder might, if desired, be mixed together in other proportions.
From wheaten flour manufacture as above described bread may be made
in the ordinary manner. Cakes, biscuits, and such like articles in which the
brown color would not be objectionable may also be made therefrom.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Palmer, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
ROBERT PALMER. (L.S.)