IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STARCH." MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STARCH
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Tucker, of Belfast, in the County of
Antrim, Ireland, Starch Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STARCH."
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STARCH."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Tucker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 2nd
May 1857.
I, EDWARD TUCKER, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, Ireland, Starch
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STARCH," to be as follows, that is
to say:
This Invention relates, in the first place, to the manufacture or production
of starch from wheat, barley, rice, and all or most of the other kinds of grain,
excepting maize or Indian corn, by primarily steeping the whole or uncrushed'
grain in water or other solution, heated to a temperature not higher than '200'
degrees of Fahrenheit's thermometer. This steeping is continued for from
six to ten day's, more or less, and the grain is, thus softened in readiness for
being reduced, ground, or triturated, either with or without the aid of a stream
of water, hot or cold.. After this second operation. the starch and slimes are

page_text: separated from the reduced mass in the usual way; or the separation may be
effected by other chemical and mechanical processes.
Under the second head of the Invention, the improvements relate to the
manufacture or production of starch from maize or Indian corn, in an whole
or unreduced condition. In this process the grain is primarily subjected to
the action of steam or vapour, or is steeped in hot water heated to a tempora-
ture of from 140 to 200 degrees of Fahrenheit's thermometer, to soften it
and prepare it for fermentation. Or instead of this procedure, Indian corn
meal is fermented by subjecting it to the action of hot water and a warm
alkaline solution, so as to cause the separation of the starch from the other
constituents of the grain, the final starch convertive process being pursued in
the ordinary manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said 'Edward Tucker in the 'Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd November 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
TUCKER, of Belfast, in the County of 'Antrim, Ireland, 'Starch Manufacturer,
sond greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Edward Tuckor, Her special license that I, the said Edward Tucker, my
executors, -administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward
Tucker, my executors, administrators, or 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 MANUPAC-
TURE OF STARCH," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward
Tucker, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the 'nature of the said Invention, and in what
mánner the same was to bo performed, and cause' the same to be filed in
the Great Seal Patent Office 'within' six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Tucker, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed; to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates, in the first place, to the manufacture or produc-
tion of starch from wheat, barley, rice, and all or most of the other kinds
of grain, excepting maize or Indian corn, by primarily steeping the whole or
uncrushed grain in water or other solution, heated to a temperature not higher.
than 200 degrees of Fahrenheit's thermometer. This steeping is continued
for from six to ten days, more or less, and the grain is thus softened in readi-
ness for being reduced, ground, or triturated, either with or without the aid
of a stream of water, hot or cold. After this second operation, the starch
and slimes are separated from the reduced mass in the usual way; or the
separation may be effected by other chemical and mechanical processes.
Under the second head of the Invention, the improvements relate to the
manufacture or production of starch from maize or Indian corn, in a whole or
unreduced condition. In this process the grain is primarily subjected to the
action of steam or vapor, or is steeped in water heated to a temperature of
from 140 to 200 degrees of Fahrenheit's thermometer, to soften it and prepare
it for fermentation. Or instead of this procedure, Indian corn meal is
fermented by subjecting it to the action of hot water and a warm alkaline
solution, so as to cause the separation of the starch from the other constituents
of the grain, the final starch convertive process being pursued in the ordinary
manner.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I shall
now proceed to describe in detail certain modifications under which improve-
ments may be judiciously carried out in practice.
:
The first modification of my improvements consists of a system or mode
of treating wheat, barley, rice, or other kind of grains, excepting however
maize or Indian corn, in order to obtain starch therefrom. The grain in its
whole or uncrushed state is, in the first place, put into a trough or other vessel
suitable for steeping the grain, which is then covered with water or with an
alkaline or other solution. This steep water or solution I prefer to be heated
to a temperature of 120 to 160, but never exceeding 200 degrees of
Fahrenheit's thermometric scale. The grain is allowed to remain in the
heated steep water or solution for a period of time varying from six to ten
days, until the silicious coating or husk of the grain is sufficiently softened to
admit of its being easily crushed. Instead of-steeping the grain in water or

page_text: other fluid solvent, the softening process may be effected by submitting the
grain to the action of a jet of steam or vapor at a suitable temperature,
which may. be allowed to permeate the mass of grain under operation. The
moistening and softening of the grain by means of the steam or vapor may
be facilitated by keeping the grain in motion so as to thoroughly expose it
to the action of the vapor. This object may be effected by means of an
agitator or other mecbanical means. for moving or turning the grain over,
care being taken to avoid heating it to such an extent as will cause the
granules of starch to burst. The softened grain is reduced or crushed by
passing it between rollers, or triturated by means of an edge runner, or by
other arrangements of crushing machinery. The reducing operation may be
facilitated by passing a stream of cold or heated water through the grain,
whilst it is undergoing the crushing process. The crushed grain is now to bo
passed through sieves, or otherwise strained, in order to separate the farina or.
albuminous matter from the bran. This separation of the farina. from the
bran is effected by means of a stream of water, which carries the starchy.
matter with it through the interstices of the sieves. The water and elutriated
matter flow into a trough or other vessel suitable for the deposition of said.
matter. When the fluid which holds the starch, &c. in suspension has
remained at rest for about an hour, the supernatent fluid is run off into
another depositing frame or cistern, leaving the coarser matter at the bottom
of the trough or original receiving vessel. After a time the granules of
starch become more compactly deposited, and a thin starchy fluid, technically
termed "slimes," collects upon the surface of the starch. The "slimes" arc
removed in the ordinary manner by means of trays, and a further quantity of
starch may be obtained therefrom by washing, so as to separate the gluten
from the starch granules. The starch deposited in the trough or receiving
vessel is then dried, and treated according to the usual mode of preparing this
article after undergoing the preliminary processes.
The second part of my Invention has reference to an improved mode of
preparing starch from maize or Indian corn.
Under this modification the grain in its natural or unreduced state is sub-
jected to the action of steam or vapor of a suitable temperature, or it may be
steeped in water heated to a temperature of from 140 to 200 degrees of
Fahrenheit's scale, or in an alkaline solution at a lower temperature than 140
degrees. The grain is allowed to remain in this heated vapor or steep water
until it is sufficiently softened for the secondary process of fermentation.
After passing the reduced grain through sieves to separate the bran from the

page_text: farina, the starchy matter is converted into the commercial article by the
usual mode of procedure.
Another modification of these improvemonts consists in obtaining starch
from Indian corn meal, instead of from the whole or uncrushed grains. The
meal is primarily placed in a suitable operating vessel, and subjected to the
action of heated water or warm alkaline solution. If care be taken to keep
the heat of the steep water or alkaline solution sufficiently below 200 degrees
of Fahrenheit's scale, the granules of starch will not be injured thereby.
This steeping of the meal in the heated water or alkaline solution
separates the starch granules from the gluten which is separated from the
starch by successive washings. The starchy matter thus obtained from the
Indian corn meal is subsequently dried and prepared for the market in tho
manner followed in preparing wheaten starch.
By following the modes of procedure herein-before described, the manu-
facture of starch from all kinds of grain may be carried out in a very
efficient manner.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of my said Invention; but
what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the system or mode of manufacturing starch, as herein-before
described.
Second, the system or mode of treating uncrushed grain, excepting Indian
corn, by steeping it in water or in an alkaline solution heated to a tempera-
ture of from 120 to 200 degrees of Fahrenheit's scale, for the purpose of
obtaining the starch therefrom, as herein-before describe.
Third, the system or mode of treating uncrushed grain by subjecting it to
the action of steam or vapor, for the purpose of softening it and of partially
disintegrating the grain, in order to reduce the same prior to separating the
starch therefrom, as herein-before described.
Fourth, the system or mode of treating the grains of maize or Indian corn,
so as to obtain starch therefrom, by subjecting the grain to the action of steam
or vapor, or to water heated to above 140 and not exceeding 200 degrees of
Fahrenheit's scale, as herein-before described.

page_text: Fifth, the system or mode of treating maize or Indian corn meal or whole
grain by means of heated water and alkaline solutions, for, the purpose of
obtaining the starch therefrom, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Tucker, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-ninth day of October, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-seven.
EDWARD TUCKER. (L.S.)