IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF CLEANSING AND PREPARING GRAIN AND FLOUR FOR VARIOUS USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Henry Gray, of Grant Road, Clapham Junction,
in the County of Surrey, Bleacher, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MODE OF CLEANSING AND PREPARING GRAIN AND FLOUR FOR VARIOUS
USEFUL PURPOSES.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Henry Gray at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th June 1876.
THOMAS HENRY GRAY, of Grant Road, Clapham Junction, in the County of
Surrey, Bleacher. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF CLEANSING AND PREPARING
GRAIN AND FLOUR FOR VARIOUS USEFUL PURPOSES."
The object of my Invention is to treat cereals, such as wheat, oats, barley, rice,
and other grain, for the purpose of cleansing them and bringing them into a proper
state to produce (when ground) meal or flour of superior quality. The process
(hereafter described) will be found useful when applied even to grain of good
quality, but it is particularly applicable for the treatment of damaged wheat, rice,
or other cereals, the main object of the process being to cleanse the grain from im-
purities so that it may be rendered useful for purposes of food. The process may
also be employed for preparing grain for use in the industrial arts, and also for
treating damaged meal and flour and improving its quality.
My improved process consists in steeping the grain for from 24 to 72 hours in a
strong solution of common salt (chloride of sodium), using from 4 to 5 pounds of salt
to about 16 gallons of water. The solution should be used in such quantity as to
completely cover the grain in the steeping vessel so that the grain may be well
saturated, and it is advisable to stir the grain several times during the steeping
operation and then allow it to rest. After allowing it to remain in soak for a
proper time, as aforesaid, the liquor may be drawn off from the grain, which must
then be washed in clean water in order to dissolve out and remove the salt that
adheres to the grain. This washing operation must be repeated until all taste of
salt is completely removed. The water may then be drained off and the grain
properly dried, when it may be converted into flour in the usual way.
When the process is applied to damaged meal or flour the treatment is very
similar to that above described, inasmuch as the meal or flour is allowed to remain
for several hours in the saline solution, occasionally stirring the same, so that every
Pasine Al

page_text: particle of flour may be thoroughly wetted. The mixture must then be allowed to
remain quiescent for some hours in order to allow the particles of flour to become
deposited at the bottom of the vessel, after which the clear supernatant liquor may
be run off. The pasty residuum must then be well washed in clean water in order
to dissolve out the salt, and when this is effected the clean meal or flour must be
well drained and dried, in which state it may be crushed down again or ground
into the state of flour, when it will be found that any mildew, musty smell, or other
impurity will have been completely removed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Henry Gray in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th
December 1876.
THOMAS HENRY GRAY, of Grant Road, Clapham Junction, in the County of
Surrey, Bleacher and Starch Maker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF CLEANSING
AND PREPARING GRAIN AND FLOUR FOR VARIOUS USEFUL PURPOSES."
The object of my Invention is to treat cereals, such as wheat, oats, barley, and
other grains or the flour thereof, but more particularly rice, for the purpose of
cleansing and bringing them into a proper state to produce a meal or flour of
very superior quality for the purposes of food as well as for various useful purposes
in trades and manufactures. The process hereafter described will be found useful
when applied even to grain of good quality, but it is particularly applicable to the
treatment of damaged rice or other cereals, the innin object being to cleanse the
grain from all impurities so that it may be useful for the purposes of food. The
above process may also be employed for preparing grain for use in a great number
of trades, and also for treating damaged or undamaged flour, thereby improving its
quality.
Hitherto starch has been made from rice by laying it in a hopper with an alkaline
pickle for from twelve to twenty-four hours, after which it is passed through
inillstones and ground into a paste, it is then passed into a macerator and more
pickle is added. When well stirred from two to four hours it is allowed to become
quiescent. It is then drawn off by a syphon and passed through a bolting machine.
This is known as a strainer and keeps back the rough residuum from the starch
flour suspended in liquid which is run off to a depositing tank.
In carrying out my Invention I first steep the cereals for from one to seventy-two
hours in a strong solution of common salt (chloride of sodium), using. from four to
five pounds of salt to about sixteen gallons of water (more or less), or any quantity
of salt and water may be used that will completely saturate the cereals, and it is
advisable to stir the grain during the steeping process. After allowing the cereals
to remain in soak for a proper time as aforesaid the saline solution may be drawn
off from the cereals, when the grain or cereals inust be cleansed with pure water so
as to remove all the salt in the grain. This washing operation must be repeated
until all the taste of the salt is removed, then the grain is dried, when it may be
converted into flour.
When the salt is applied to meal or flour the treatment is very similar to that
above described, inasinuch as the meal or flour in either a wet or dry state is allowed
to remain for one or more hours in the saline solution, occasionally stirring the
same, when the mixture may be allowed to remain quiescent for some hours in
order to allow the particles of flour to become deposited at the bottom of the tank,
after which the clear liquor may be run off. The pasty residuum must then be
well washed in clean water in order to dissolve out the salt, and when this is effected
the meal must be well drained and dried, in which state it may be crushed or
ground in any suitable grinding machine into flour, when it will be found that any
inildew, musty smell, or other impurity will have been completely removed.

page_text: The above saline solution is useful when applied to the wet starch flour paste
by preventing or arresting fermentation in the present manufacture of starch where
alkali is employed. It also assists the brightness of ultramarine blue in starch by
combining with the alkali and removing the sombre colour caused by the alkali. I
apply the saline solution to the starch flour paste while in a wet or pasty state
either previous to its being precipitated or before being drained for boxing.
The flour of rice and other grains which have been subjected to the treatinent by
a saline solution, as above described, may be used as a starch without any further
preparation, and used either as food or starch will be useful in the following trades
and manufactures, viz., bakers, biscuit bakers, confectioners, flour for infant's food,
and biscuits for domestic consumption, potato meal, sago, farinaceous foods of all
kinds, and brewers or distillers, likewise paper makers, starch makers, linen and
calico bleachers, calenderers, yarn dressers, dressing linen and cotton yarns, or any
food or trade where starch is used. When the saline solution is applied in a dry
or wet state it may be added as it comes from the millstones. Likewise when
treating clean rise the soaking operation may be dispensed with, and a spray of
saline solution may be caused to play on the rice as it is being fed to the millstones
while lying on the floor previous to passing between the millstones.
And having now described my Invention for improvements in the mode of
cleansing and preparing grain for various useful purposes, and having explained
the manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim, steeping or mixing grain,
flour, or any cereal produit, such as starch, flour, with salt (chloride of sodium) in
a wet or dry state; or a saline solution as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Henry Gray, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
THOMAS HENRY GRAY. (L.S.)