IMPROVEMENTS, IN MACHINERY. FOR PREPARING OR MANUFACTURING GRANULATED POTATOES FOR PRESERVATION. A communi
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to M. Diosy, of 123, Fenchurch Street, London, Agent
for Chollet & Co., of Paris, Patentees of Compressed; Vegetables,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS, IN MACHINERY. FOR PREPARING OR
MANUFACTURING GRANULATED POTATOES FOR PRESERVATION. A communi-
cation.
Sealed the 9th November: 1858, and dated the 12th May 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said M. Diosy at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 12th May
1858.
i
I, M., Diosy, of 123, Fenchurch Street, London, Agent for Chollet & Co.,
of Paris. Patentees of Compressed Vegetables, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING OR MANU-
FACTURING GRANULATED POTATOS FOR PRESERVATION,, to be as follows
F
Until recently potatos were prepared by dessication for preservation, in the
same manner as other vegetables, such as carrots, turnips, &c. The potato
when washed and peeled, was divided into small squares or prisms; these
were washed in water, and, afterwards submitted to the action of steam, and
then dried in stoves. ..Potatos thus prepared would, keep good for a long
period. When steeped in water for a little while, this prepared potato re-
assumes much of its, original form and appearance, but it cannot well be
mashed, and it requires to be boiled for an hour and a half, and the peeling
and washing cause a considerable loss, which of course enhances, the cost of
the article. A more improved method of preparing the potato for preservation
is that called the granulating.method, which has hitherto been effected by
[Price Sd

page_text: manual means in the following manner:-After being twice washed, the
potato is boiled in steam of about 60, and then peeled by hand by women,
who take off the skin, and unavoidably a considerable portion of the pulp
with it. When peeled, the potato is put into the tub.of a screw press, in
which is a plate perforated with a number of holes, and the pulp is, by
pressure applied to the screw, forced through these small holes, and comes
out in the form of vermicelli of a somewhat larger size than ordinary. This
potato vermicelli is then placed on a drying stove, and dried, and is fit for use.
In this way an article of food is obtained which can be easily converted into
mashed potatos by the addition of as much boiling water as the potato had
lost by dessication, or four times the weight of the granulated dried potato.
No further boiling is required, but simply the addition of water, a little salt,
and the usual mashing. Potato so prepared and preserved is a great luxury
on board ship & in other places where fresh vegetables cannot be had. The
only drawback to this mode is the high price of the article, resulting partly
from the manual operations required in its preparation, & because there is
much loss attending the drying of the vermicelli, owing to their smallness and
liability to break; this renders their dessication slow and expensive. The
improvements communicated to me by Messrs. Chollet & Co., & for which I
seek Letters Patent, have for their object the production of granulated potatos
by a quicker process, so that large quantities of this useful edible may be pre-
served at that season of the year when fresh gathered from the earth, and
before they are much handled, and may be rendered available food for the
poorer classes in winter, and for the sick in hospitals, prisons, &c. And the
Invention consists in the machinery herein-after described for producing
granulated potatos. The machinery is placed in three rooms situated one
above another; the annexed Drawing shewing these three rooms, and the
machinery which is placed in them.
Fig. 1 represents a vertical section, indicated by the line M, N, of Fig. 3;
Fig. 2 represents another section, following the line P, Q, R, S, T, shewn in
Fig. 1, and giving a different view; Fig. 5 represents a plan of the machinery
shewn in the ground floor; Fig. 4. represents a section of the machinery on
the ground floor, taken through the line O, O, shewn in Fig. 3. The same
letters of reference denote the same parts in all the Figures. By following
the progress of the potato through the different parts of the machinery, the
nature of the machinery will be easily & clearly understood.
After having been boiled in the same manner as though the granulation was
to be performed by hand, the potatoes are put into a trough, which is placed
at the bottom of the endless chain B, shewn in Fig. 2; this trough is placed

page_text: below the level of the ground floor, and the endless chain B, B, passing into it
and revolving round a wheel placed at the bottom of the trough, carries up in
each of its links a quantity of potatos to the top of the whole machinery, the
links of the endless chain being furnished with scoops or bowls to contain the
potatos; these scoops or bowls attached to the endless chain fill themselves
Successively with potatos out of the trough, and empty their contents into
another trough C, which is placed upon two wooden cylinders I), D. These
cylinders revolve like a laminating machine, driving each other by means of
toothed wheels placed on their axes; they are placed about 20 millimetres
from each other, and bruize the potatos, and reduce them to pieces. Twosteel
scrapers F scrape off the potatos which might adhere to the cylinders; these
scrapers can be advanced to a distance more or less near to the cylinders D, D,
The broken potatos then fall between two cylinders G, G, revolving against
each other at a distance of about two millimetres, and driving each other by
means of toothed wheels H, I, which are placed on their axes. These
cylinders are inclined at an angle of about 30 degrees; they are hollow, formed
of yellow brass, and of from 4 to 5 millimetres thick, pierced on all their
surfaces with holes of 4 millimeters in diameter placed very near to each other;
the ends of these cylinders are open. When the potatos already broken by the
cylinder D fall between the cylinders G, they are then completely bruized, and
the pulp traversing the holes with which the cylinders are pierced, passes into
them, and goes out by the lower end I. The peel, on the contrary, remaining
in larger or smaller leaves, cannot pass through the holes of the cylinders, is
forced beyond the line of contact of the cylinders, aud remains on the surface
of the same.
A steel scraper K, K, standing on wooden bearings cloans the
outside surface of the cylinders G, G, and carries away the peel which remained
sticking to the surface. This peel, which yet contains pulp, falls upon a
second pair of cylinders L, L, which are exactly similar to the cylinders G, G,
but pressed closer together, and the holes with which their surfaces are studded
are of less diameter; the operation is the same as in that of the cylinders G, G,
the pulp of the potatoes being pressed between the two cylinders penetrates
into the interior, whilst the peol remaining on the surface, passes, by the effect
of the rotary motion, beyond the line of contact of the cylinders, and is detached
by means of two steel scrapers M, M, which are fixed in wooden bearings.
These scrapers M, M, as well as those K and F mentioned above, are not
When the peel comes out of the
indicated in Fig. 1, but only in Fig. 2.
cylinder L, L, it contains only very little pulp; it theu falls down on to the
endless screw N, N, and is gathered for the purpose of drying and distilling,
and to be used as food for cattle.

page_text: The potato pulp going out of the interior of the cylinders, by mixing itself
with that coming out of the interior of the cylinder L, they both together fall
into the trough O of the vermicelli machinery. This machinery is composed
of two cast-iron cylinders P, P, Fig. 4., turned perfectly true and polished,
placed on a level, one by the side of the other, and carry two screws which
allow the cylinders to press more or less against each other; they are con-
necied and driven by each other by means of toothed wheels placed on their
shafts. The pulp having thus been reduced to paste by the preceding
operations, and arriving in the trough O, is dragged by the rotary, motion
of the cylinder P, P, and is in this way laminated in a more or less thick
stratum, and is then detached from the cylinder P, P, by means of two steel
scrapers Q, Q.
The following are the prominent features of this machinery:-The two
steel scrapers Q, Q. form part of a cast-iron box R, the ends of which
embrace the extremities of the cylinders P, P, and the bottom of which is
formed of a metal plate S, pierced with holes. The paste dragged by the
cylinders P, l', is detached from the cylinders by the scrapers Q, Q, and
accumulates in the cavity of the box K; and when the box is full, the paste
which fills it being compressed by that which has been carried up by the
cylinders P, P, and not being able to come out through the ends of the
box, is forced to pass through the holes of the plate, and in doing which it
takes the shape of a large vermicelli.
Under the box R are two endless chains T, each carried by two wheels, &
attached to one another by the brackets U, U; on these brackets are placed
the frames V, V, covered with linen, on which the vermicelli coming out of
the plate S falls. These frames when loaded are carried to the dessicating
apparatus. The frames carried by the chains T go in the direction X, Y,
and arrive at Y more or less loaded with vermicelli, according as their progress
has been more or less rapid, or according to the rate of their progression.
Two girls placed before the machinery at the end X take the empty frames
coming out of the stoves or trycicle chariots, and lay them successively upon
the chain T, whilst two other girls placed at the end Y take off the frames
filled with vermicelli and put them on a chariot.
"
The distance between the cylinders varies as the paste is more or less
compact. The quantity of paste which is introduced into the box R, and theu
goes out in vermicelli and covers the frames V, distributes itself on these
franes with perfect regularity. This offers a great advantage upon the manual
labour, for the dessication is then effected with promptitude and regularity,
and consequently with economy. This advantage alone would give much

page_text: superiority to our vermicelli machinery, because double the amount of
products is obtained from the dessicating apparatus than would be obtained
if the frames were loaded by hand."
Four girls to place and replace the frames, and a conductor to inspect the
movement of the machinery, are all the workpeople required for the manage
ment of the apparatus. A machine can be constructed according to tho
dimensions shewn on the Drawing. The movement of the different parts of
the machinery is derived from a shaft parallel to the shaft of the cylinders P,P.
The chain B,B, which is carried by four double crouisillions derives its move-
ment from the upper one a, which is driven by means of the fast and loose
pulley; the cylinders D, D, derive their movement from the shaft of the
pulley c.
The shaft of the double crouisillion a and that of the wheels and
pulley c, d, g, are carried on a moveable frame c', which can be shifted by the
screw d'; by these means the chain B, B, can be stretched at pleasure. The
axle is driven by the two pullies m, m, and motion is communicated to the
axle K by means of the pulley n & o, by which means the cylinders G, G, arc
driven, and by means of the pulleys p, q, the endless screw N, N, is actuated.
The vermicelli machinery on the ground floor derives its movement directly
from the prime moving pulley, by means of a leather belt acting on the fast
and loose pullies, r, carried by the shaft s of the cylinder P. The same
shafts carries a pulley » which propels the chain Tby the intermediate means
of the pullies x, y, &, and by the wheels a¹ &61; the pulley is on the
same shaft as the cone pulley y, and a leather belt gives motion to a second
cone pulley. This last cone pulley is connected to the wheel a fixed on
the same shaft as the wheel 6', which carries the chain T and propels it round,
By varying the position of the leather strap on the cone pulleys y &, the
speed of the hurdles or frames can be controlled, and the thickness of the
vermicelli stratum which they carry can be regulated. are screws designed
so as to stretch the chain T; el, el, are two pieces of cork shaped so as suitably
to embrace the cylinders P, P; they serve the purpose of preventing the paste
compressed in the box R from passing out at the extremities. The alimentary
chain B, B, and the cylinders D on one side, and the two cylinders G & L,
and the screws N, may be pat in motion separately as well as in connection
with the vermicelli machinery, or the vermicelli machinery may be actuated
alone. The disposition of the machinery in different stories depends upon the
locality; certain circumstances may necessitate that all parts of the mechanism
should be upon one floor, in this case a larger number of workmen would be
required.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said M. Diosy in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th November
1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, M. DIOSY,
of 123, Feuchurch Street, London, Agent for Chollet and Company, of Paris,
Patentees of Compressed Vegetables, send greeting.
"WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors; give and grant unto me, the
said M. Diosy, Her special licence that I, the said M. Diosy, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said M. Diosy,
my 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 MACHINERY FOR
PREPARING OR MANUFACTURING GRANULATED POTATOS FOR PRESERVATION," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said M. Diosy, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and scals,should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner 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.
un har
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said M. Diosy, do hereby declare the
ས་ནའj
nature of the said Invention,cominunicated to me by Messieurs Chollet & Co.,
of Paris, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
"Until recently potatos were prepared by dessication for preservation in the
same manner as other vegetables, such as carrots, turnips, &c. The potato
when washed and peeled, was divided into small squares or prisms; these
.were washed in water, and afterwards submitted to the action of steam of
about 60, and then dryed in stoves. Potatos thus prepared would keep good
for a long period. When steeped in water for a little while this prepared
potato re-assumes much of its original form and appearance, but it cannot well
be mashed, and it requires to be boiled for an hour and a half,and the peeling
and washing cause a considerable loss, which of course enhances the cost of the

page_text: article. A more improved mode of preparing the potato for preservation,
is that called the granulating method, which has hitherto been effected by
manual means in the following manner:-
After being twice washed, the potato is boiled in steam of about 6), and
then peeled by hand by women, who take off the skin, and unavoidably a
considerable portion of the pulp comes with it. When peeled, the potato is
put into the tub of a screw press, in which is a plate perforated with a
number of holes, and the pulp is by pressure applied by the screw forced
through these small holes, and comes out in the form of vermicelli of a some-
what larger size than ordinary vermicelli. This potato vermicelli is then
placed on a drying stove and dried, and is fit for use. In this way an article
of food is obtained, which can be easily converted into mashed potatos by the
addition of as much boiling water as the potato had lost by dessication, or
four times the weight of the granulated dried potato. No further boiling is
required, but simply the addition of water, a little salt, and the usual mashing.
Potato so prepared and preserved is a great luxury on board ship. and in
other places where fresh vegetables cannot be had. The only drawback to
this mode is the high price of the article, resulting partly from the many
manual operations required in its preparation, and because there is much loss
attending the drying of the vermicelli, owing to their smallness and liability
to break. This renders their dessication slow and expensive.
The improvements communicated to me by Messieurs Chollet, for which
the herein-before recited Letters Patent have been granted to me, for their
object the production of granulated potatos by a quicker process, so that
large quantities of this useful edible inay be preserved at that season of the
year when it is dug from the earth, and before it is much handled, and
may be rendered available food for the poorer classes in winter, and for the
sick in hospitals, prisons, as well as for military and naval purposes, &c.
And the Invention consists in the machinery hercin-after described for
producing granulated potatos.
The machinery is placed in three rooms situated one above another; the
annexed Drawings showing these three rooms, and the machinery which is
placed in them.
Fig. 1, Sheet I., represents a vertical section indicated by the line M, N,
of Fig. 3; Fig. 2, Sheet II., represents another section, following the line
P. Q, R, S, T, shewn in Fig. 1, and giving a different view. Fig. 3,
Sheet I., represents a plan of the machinery shewn in the ground floor;
Fig. 4, Sheet II., represents a section of the machinery on the ground
Hoor, taken through the line 0, 0, shewn in Fig. 3. The same letters deuote

page_text: the same parts in all the Figures. By following the progress of the potatos
through the different parts of the machinery, the nature of the machinery
will be easily and clearly understood.
After having been boiled in the same manner as though the granulation
was to be performed by hand, the potatos are put into a trough, which is placed
at the bottom of the endless chain B, B, shewn in Fig. 2. This trough is
placed below the level of the ground floor, and the endless chain B, B, passing
into it, and revolving round a wheel placed at the bottom of the trough,carries
up in each of its links a quantity of potatos to the top of the whole machinery,
the links of the endless chain being furnished with scoops or bowls to contain
the potatos. These scoops or bowls attached to the endless chain fill them-
selves successively with potatos out of the trough, and empty their contents
into another trough C, which is placed upon two woodden cylinders D, D.
These cylinders revolve like a crushing machine, one driving the other by
means of toothed wheels placed on their axes; they are placed about twenty
millimetres from each other, and braize the potatoes, and reduce them to
pieces. Two steel scrapers F scrape off the potatos which remain sticking
to the cylinders. These scrapers can be placed to a distance more or less
near to the cylinders D, D. The broken potatos then fall between two
cylinders D, D, revolving against each other at a distance of about two
millimetres, or '0787 inches, and driving each other by means of toothed
wheels H, H, which are placed on their axes. These cylinders are inclined
at an angle of about 30 degrees; they are hollow, formed of yellow brass,
and of from 4 to 5 millimetres thick, pierced on all their surfaces with
holes of 4 millimetres in diameter placed very near to each other. The
ends of these cylinders are open. When the potatos already broken by the
cylinder D, fall between the cylinders G, they are theu completely bruised,
and the pulp traversing the holes with which the cylinders are pierced
passes into them, and goes out by the lower end J. The peel on the
contrary,remaining in larger or smaller leaves, cannot pass through the holes of
the cylinders, is forced beyond the line of contact of the cylinders, and remains
on the surface of the same. A steel scraper K, K, standing on wooden
bearings, cleans the outside surface of the cylinders G, G, and carries away the
peel which remained sticking to the surface. This peel. which yet contains pulp,
falls upon a second pair of cylinders L. L. which are exactly similar to the
cylinders G, G, but pressed closer together, and the holes with which their
surfaces are studded are of less diameter. The operation is the same as in
that of the cylinders G, G, the pulp of the potatos being pressed between the
two cylinders penetrates into the interior, whilst the peel remaining on the

page_text: surface passes by the effect of the rotary motion beyond the line of contact of
the cylinders, and is detached by means of two steel scrapers M, M, which
are fixed in wooden bearings. These scrapers M, M, as well as those Kand F,
mentioned above, are not shown in Fig 1, but only in Fig. 2. When the
peel comes out of the cylinders L, L. it contains very little pulp, it then falls
down on to the endless screw N, N, and is gathered for the purpose of being
dried and distilled; to be used as food for cattle.
The potato pulp going out of the interior of the cylinders G, mixing itself
with that coming out of the interior of the cylinders L, they both together fall
into the trough O of the vermicelli machinery. This machinery is composed
of two cast-iron cylinders P, P, Fig. 4, turned perfectly true, and polished,
placed on a level, oue by the side of the other, and carry two screws which
allow the cylinders to press more or less against each other. They are con-
nected to each other, and driven by means of toothed wheels placed on their
shafts. The pulp having been thus reduced to paste by the preceding
operations, and arriving in the trough O, is dragged by the rotary motion of
the cylinder P, P, and is in this way converted into a more or less thick
paste, and is then detached from the cylinders P, P, by means of two steel
scrapers Q, Q.
The following are the prominent features of this machinery:-The two
steel scrapers Q, Q, form part of a cast-iron box R, the ends of which
embrace the extremities of the cylinders P, P, and the bottom of which is
formed of a metal plate S pierced with holes. The paste dragged by the
cylinders P, P, is detached from these cylinders by the scrapers Q, Q, and
accumulates in the cavity of the box R, and when the box is full, the paste
which fills it being compressed by that which has been carried up by the
cylinders P, P, and not being able to come out through the ends of the box,
is forced to pass through the holes of the plate, and in doing which it takes
the shape of a large vermicelli.
Under the box R, Fig. 1, Sheet I., are two endless chains T, each carried
by two wheels, and attached to one another by the brackets U, U; on
those brackets are placed the frames V, V, covered with linen, on which the
vermicelli coming out of the plate S falls. These frames when loaded are
carried to the dessicating apparatus. The frames carried by the chains T go
more or less loaded with vermicelli,
in the direction X, Y, and arrive at
according as their progress has been more or less rapid, or according to the
rate of their progression. Two girls placed before the machinery at the end X
take the empty frames coming out of the stoves on wheeled trucks, and lay
them successively upon the chain T, whilst two other girls placed at the end Y

page_text: take off the frames filled with vermicelli, and then put them on a truck. The
distance between the cylinders varies as the paste is more or less compact.
The paste which is introduced into the box R, and then goes out in vermicelli
and covers the frames N, distributes itself on these frames with perfect
regularity. This offers a great advantage over manual labour, for the
dessication is then effected with promptitude and regularity, and conse-
quently with economy. This advantage alone would give much superiority
to the vermicelli machinery, because double the amount of product is
obtained from the dessicating apparatus that would be obtained if tho
frames were loaded by hand.
6. Four girls to place and replace the frames, and a conductor to inspect the
movement of the machinery, are the only work people required for the
management of the apparatus. A machine can be constructed according to
the dimensions shewn on the Drawings. The movement of the different parts
of the machinery is derived from a shaft parallel to the shaft of the cylinders
P, P. The chain B, B, which is carried by four double radial arms, derives
its movement from the upper one a, which is driven by means of the fast and
loose pulleys. The cylinders D, D, derive their movement from the shaft of
the pulley c. The shaft of the double radial arms a, and that of the wheels
and pulley c, d, g, are carried on a moveable frame c', which can be shifted
by the screw d'; by this means the chain B, B, can be stretched at pleasure.
The axle is driven by the two pullies m, m, and motion is communicated to
the axle K by means of the pulleys n and o, by which means the cylinders G,G,
are driver, and by means of the pulleys p, 2, the endless screw N, N, is
actuated.
:
The vermicelli machinery on the ground floor derives its movement directly
from the prime moving pullies, by means of a leather belt acting on the fast
and loose pullies r, r, carried by the shafts of the cylinder P; the same
shafts carries a pulley e, which propels the chain T by the intermediate means
of the pullies x, y, and z, and by the wheels a¹ and b; the pulley r is on the
same shaft as the cone pulley y, and a leather belt gives motion to a second
cone pulley. This last cone pulley is connected to the wheel a' fixed on
the same shaft as the wheel b, which carries the chain Tand propels it round.
By varying the position of the leather strap on the cone pulleys y and z; the
speed of the hurdles or frames can be controlled, and the thickness of the
vermicelli stratum which they carry can be regulated. d" are screws designed
for stretching the chain T; e" are two pieces of cork, shaped so as suitably to
embrace the cylinders P, P; they serve the purpose of preventing the paste
compressed in the box R from passing out of the extremities. The endless

page_text: chain B, and the cylinders D on one side, and the two cylinders G and L, and
the screw N, may be put in motion separately, as well as in connection with
the vermicelli machinery; or the vermicelli machinery may be actuated
alone. The disposition of the machinery in different storys depends upon
the locality; certain circumstances may necessitate that all parts of the
mechanism may be disposed upon the same floor. A larger number of
workinen would then be required to work the machinery, and to carry the
potato from one stage to another.
In the machinery above described, several of the parts are old, and I only
claim the use of them when employed in the manner and for the purposes
herein-before described; but I claim separating the pulp of the potato from
the peel by pushing it through one or two cylinders pierced with holes, whether
of a conical or cylindrical shape; I claim this process and the combination
& arrangement of the machinery herein-before described and shown for
preparing or manufacturing granulated potatos for preservation.
In witness whereof, I, the said M. Diosy, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eleventh day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-oight.
M. DIOSY. (L.S.)