IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF RESTORING FOUL OR SMUTTY WHEAT, AND RENDERING THE SAME FIT FOR USE
Year: 1826

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
HUGHES, of Newbury, in the County of Berks, Miller, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-third day of May, One thousand eight hundred and
twenty-six, in the seventh year of His reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Hughes, His especial
licence, that I, the said Thomas Hughes, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Thomas Hughes, my exors, adññiors, 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 METHOD OF
RESTORING FOUL OR SMUTTY WHEAT, AND RENDERING THE SAME FIT FOR USE;" in
which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said
Thomas Hughes, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, par-
ticularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be
inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, referenco being thereunto had, will more fully
and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE; that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said,
Thomas Hughes; do hereby declare that the nature of my aforesaid Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be carried into effect, is herein-after
particularly described, that is to say:
The foul and smutty wheat must be well washed in water by stirring about
in tubs or proper vessels, changing the water and using every precaution to
scour and cleanse off the smut balls and impurities, which being light will
float upon the top, and must be carefully skimmed off the water and removed;
but to this process of washing the wheat I make no claim under my aforesaid
.Patent, because the same thing has been done before in various ways, and I
therefore merely mention it as a necessary preparatory step towards carrying
my aforesaid Invention into effect, such Invention consisting in my improved
process of drying and preparing the wheat for use after it has been so washed
as aforesaid.
My Invention consists in the new process of employing the absorbent
power of certain materials with additional friction to complete the scouring
or cleansing of the wheat after it has been so washed as aforesaid, and this
I do by rubbing it by or between cloths made of wool, hair, flax, hemp,
or other materials which are previously rendered moist in a slight degree
in order to increase their absorbent power, because it is found that a mode-
rately damp cloth or rubber of any material will take up moisture more
readily when damp than when it is quite dry. In the washing of the wheat,
particularly if new, it should be kept as short a time as possible in the water,
and the whole operation should be conducted with all possible rapidity to pre-
vent the wheat from becoming soft or soddened, and the process which I find
the most convenient for carrying my aforesaid Invention into effect is as
follows: The wheat after being washed is to be drained as much as possible
of its water, by straining the same through a basket or coarse bag of flannel or
canvas, it may then be spread upon a cloth, on a floor or not, to make it
rather more dry; I then remove it, 'taking about from one to two bushells at
a time, according to the size of the trough, and place it in a long trough with
sides, but made to open at one end, in which trough a large cloth or cloths
has been previously spread, and I then cause the wheat to be rubbed and
stirred in all directions with woollen, linen, cotton, or other cloths which have
been previously wetted and wrung as dry as possible, until all the wet or
moisture that can be taken from the wheat has been removed, the friction and
motion at the same time most effectually removing any smut or impurity that
may have remained after the washing, until the grain is rendered as pure and
bright as possible; when so sufficiently rubbed, the cloth or cloths that were

page_text: under it are to be removed from the trough by drawing them away, and the
wheat being removed through the open side of the trough, is 'to be spread in
the sun, either in the open air or upon a covered floor in fine weather, or else
must be carried immediately to a moderately heated kiln to be dried. I
recommend that it should be dried on the kiln, or otherwise, as soon as possible
after the washing and rubbing, as laying in a damp state is highly detrimental
to it. In case of necessity, dry bran or pollards may be rubbed up with the
wheat after it has been cleaned by the cloths, as this will absorb most of the
remaining moisture and assist in the drying; but in this case the wheat will
require screening or sifting to cleanse it, which is not otherwise necessary. I
have mentioned a trough for holding the wheat while rubbing, because I find
such an implement the most convenient; but the operation may be very well
performed in shallow tubs; these as well as the troughs should have flat
bottoms, about a yard over, to allow good room for the rubbing, and the
trough is described as having one side to draw up or open for the convenience
of removing the wheat at the open end or side. The bottom of the trough or
tub is best made of strips or laths laid close together, but not water-tight, so
that the water may escape, but the wheat cannot pass; this acts as an addi-
tional strainer for getting rid of the water. The rubbing aforesaid is per-
formed by hand, but may also be performed by machinery if required; and as.
the principle of my aforesaid Invention is that of rubbing, drying, and cleansing
the wheat after it has been washed, as aforesaid, and then drying it for use as
speedily as possible, so I claim, under my aforesaid Patent, the application
of all materials capable of being used and applied to the above-mentioned
purpose, although the same may not have been mentioned by name; and also
the various ways in which the said materials may be so used and applied to
produce the effects herein-before specified.
The time usually occupied in the process is about one hour from the com-
mencement of the washing to the complete drying on the kiln, in which time
from one to two sacks (more or less) may be cleansed, dried, and made
fit for grinding by a single trough.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Hughes, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and twenty-six.
THOMAS (L.S.) HUGHES.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twentieth day of November,
in the year of our Lord 1826, the aforesaid Thomas Hughes came before
our said Lord the King in His 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.