IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STARCH
Year: 1850

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
THOMAS BERGER, of Hackney, Gentleman, 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 Twenty-sixth day of
January, One thousand eight hundred and fifty, in the thirteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Thomas Berger, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said William Thomas
Berger, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Thomas Berger, 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, my Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STARCH;" in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said William Thomas Berger, shall
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 Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part

page_text: recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Thomas Berger, 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, that is to say :-
I would, at the outset, state that, although I shall hereafter describe the
use of caustic alkali upon rice, I do not claim the same, inasmuch as
Mr. Wickham of Nottingham, took out a Patent for this object in the
year One thousand eight hundred and twenty-four. In carrying out my
Invention, I find it advantageous to steep the rice, in the first instance, in
succession, in three or four separate solutions of the caustic alkali (soda pre-
ferred), of the following strength, videlicet, from one hundred and ninety to
two hundred and twenty grains of pure soda to every gallon of water. I then
proceed as follows:-A ton of rice having been thoroughly steeped in three or
four separate solutions (of about three hundred gallons each) of the caustic
alkali, and drawn off, it is now to be ground as fine as possible by means of
levigators, with cold water, to the consistence of thick cream or paste. To
this is to be added one pint of spirit or oil of turpentine, with sufficient cold
water to make up the bulk to about two thousand gallons. The whole is to
be well stirred for three hours, after which it is to be passed through a series
of coarse flannels, felt, or sponge,. until all the refuse is deposited upon the
flannel or filtering medium; or it may be left quiet for about half an hour,
when the starch suspended in the water may be drawn off from the refuse
matters. These starchy waters are always to be passed through fine lawn
sieves, prior to their being allowed to deposit the starch in the settling vessels..
The application of water may be repeated if it is thought desirable to separate
further quantities of starch from the refuse. As soon as the starch is perfectly
deposited in the settling vessels, it is to be collected, and, if alkaline, neutralized
with dilute sulphuric acid, adding eight ounces of sulphate of zinc to every one
hundred and twelve pounds of starch. It is now, after well stirring, to be
boxed and finished in the usual way.
The above is the process I prefer and have found most efficacious, simple,
and least expensive; but the metallic salts in general, also sulphate of soda
(especially if combined with lime water), turpentine, alum, and a current
of electricity will severally be found effectual in place of the turpentine and
sulphate of zinc. I do not, therefore, confine myself to the process described,
nor to the quantity of either of the agents employed, nor to any particular

page_text: combination of them. When currents of electricity (however produced) are
employed, the application should be continued for about two hours on each
occasion, and the same is to be passed through the fluid starch as electric
currents are commonly passed through fluids, and I stir the fluid starch all
the time of applying such currents. I use a Smee's battery of six cells
about five inches by seven inches when acting to produce five hundredweight
of starch; and I have found it desirable to apply the electricity, first to the
rice when ground with water, and lastly to the starch previous to its being
boxed.
Another part of my Invention consists of the application of a barrel or
vessel containing the rice and alkali solution, and caused to revolve by any
convenient means at the speed of about one revolution per minute, which I
have found to be very efficacious in extracting the gluton out of the rice; tho
size of the barrel I prefer is five feet in diameter and about five feet in length,
which will contain a ton of rice and three hundred gallons of alkali solution.
I have found allowing each solution to remain upon the rice three hours, while
the barrel is at work, to be amply sufficient.
I do not confine myself to the use of a barrel, as a vessel of other form will
answer the purpose, or in place of causing the vessel to revolve, a stirrer,
caused to revolve whilst the vessel stands still, will produce a like effect, but I
prefer the vessel to revolve. What I claim is,―
First, the manufacturing starch from rice by using turpentine and sulphate
of zinc, as described; and also the straining the starchy waters, and boxing
the starch in those stages.
Second, the use of metallic salts, also sulphate of soda, turpentine, alum,
and electricity, whether separately or in combination, in the manufacture of
starch.
Third, the use of flannel, felt, and sponge, as a medium for separating the
refuse matters from starch.
Fourth, the application of mechanical stirring or the rotation of the vessel
containing rice, when being steeped in a solution of caustic alkali, or other
solution used when making starch from rice.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thomas Berger, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty.
WILLIAM (L.S.) THOS BERGER.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-fifth day of July, in
the year of our Lord 1850, the aforesaid William Thomas Berger came before
our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to!
the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-fifth day of July, in
the year of our Lord 1850, the aforesaid William Thomas Berger came before
our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to
the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twenty-sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty.