IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STARCH
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Gemmell, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim,
Ireland, Starch Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF STARCH."
Sealed the 10th March 1858, and dated the 11th June 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Gemmell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th
June 1858.
I, JAMES GEMMELL, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, Ireland, Starch
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STARCH," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to the manufacture of starch in such manner that a
superior yield of first quality starch is obtained by a more simple process or.
mode of operation than is now practised. According to these improvements
the grain or vegetable substance used for the manufacture is steeped in water
and otherwise treated in the usual manner. The water and
The water and the partially
dissolved starchy matters are then passed through sieves to separate the
coarser particles therefrom. The strained product is run from the sieves or
to an inclined plane, or what is technically termed a "runner," and hitherto
only used for separating the starch from the "slimes." In this operation the
water is run off and the whole of the amylaceous product is precipitated upon

page_text: the face of the incline or "runner." The starch is now removed to be dried
or otherwise disposed of, the whole operation of what may be termed the wet
The "runners" or
part of the process being effected in one apparatus.
inclined planes used for the purpose may be modified in construction to suit
the object in view, and may be arranged in series, so as to carry on the process
continuously. By means of this simplification of the manufacture, the yield
of starch is of uniform quality, the ordinary waste of material is avoided, and
time, labour, and plant economised.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Gemmell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th
December 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
GEMMELL, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, Ireland, Starch Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of June, 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 James Gemmell, Her special license that I, the said James Gemmell,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Gemmell, 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 MANUFACTURE OF STARCH," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said James Gemmell, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Gemmell, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to the manufacture of starch in such manner that

page_text: a superior yield of first quality starch is obtained by a more simple process or
mode of operation than is now practised. According to these improvements
the grain or vegetable substance used for the manufacture is steeped in water,
and otherwise treated in the usual manner. The water and the partially
dissolved starchy matters are then passed through sieves to separate the
coarser particles therefrom. The strained product is run from the sieves on
to an inclined plane, or what is technically termed a "runner," and hitherto
only used for separating the starch from the "slimes." In this operation the
water is run off, and the whole of the amylaceous product is precipitated upon
the face of the incline or "runner." The starch is now removed to be dried
or
or otherwise disposed of, the whole operation of what may be termed the wet
part of the process being effected in one apparatus. The "runners
inclined planes used for the purpose may be modified in construction to suit
the object in view, and may be arranged in series, so as to carry on the process
continuously. By means of this simplification of the manufacture, the yield
of starch is of uniform quality, the ordinary waste of material is avoided, and
time, labour, and plant economised.
And in order that my Invention may be properly understood, I shall now
proceed to describe in detail one modification under which my improvements
may be judiciously carried out in practice.
In preparing starch according to my present Invention, the grain or other
vegetable substance from which the starch is to be prepared is primarily
crushed or roughly pulverized in a mill or other suitable grinding apparatus.
If the grain of wheat is used for the purpose of obtaining the starch there-
from, it may be crushed or granulated between iron rollers, or the grain in its
unbroken state may be steeped in water until it has become soft; in this state
it may be crushed by means of rollers or an edge runner. Or instead of the
foregoing mode of treating the steeped and softened grain, it may be subjected
to other mechanical arrangements or apparatus for the purpose of mashing or
pounding the grains, and dividing them into smaller particles. The crushed
grain is put into a suitable vessel, and a quantity of pure water added thereto,
in order to separate as far as possible the starchy matters from the gluten and
the husks of the grain. After the crushed grain has remained a sufficient
time in the steeping vessel, the contents of the vessel are passed through a
sieve or sieves for the purpose of separating the coarser particles and insoluble
matters from the fluid portion in which the starch is suspended. Or the
crushed grain may, after being softened and liquified, be at once put through
the subsequent process without steeping. The water containing the starchy
matters, as it leaves the sieve or strainer, is allowed to run down a gradual

page_text: slope or inclined plane, technically termed a "runner."
"
These inclined
surfaces or "runners are ordinarily used in the manufacture of starch, but
hitherto only for the purpose of separating the starch from the "slimes" or thin
stuff which collects upon the surface of the deposited starch. But according
to my improvements the whole of the amylaceous matters are deposited upon
the gradually inclined face of the "runner." During the deposition of the starch
upon the "runner," the clear supernatant water is run off from the surface
when it no longer holds any of the starchy matters in suspension. The
deposited starch is allowed to remain upon the "runner" until the whole or
nearly the whole of the water is drained away, or until it has become
sufficiently solidified to admit of its being easily removed from the runner.
Instead of allowing the deposited starch to remain upon the runner, it may be
removed therefrom if preferred at any moment the supply or feed of the
starchy fluid is stopped. The removal of the starch from the runner being
regulated according to the capacity of the runner, or the time suitable to other
arrangements connected with the process. The partially solidified starch is
now to be dried in an oven or stove as ordinarily practised in this branch of
the manufacture and finally, is put up into suitable packages for sale. In
the foregoing description of my improvements in the manufacture of starch I
have spoken of the starch as being deposited upon a single inclined plane or
"runner," but this has been done to exemplify the principle or nature of the
improvements, since it is intended to use a series of these "runners," on the
surfaces of which the starch may be in different stages of deposition. By
means of this arrangement the manufacture may be carried on uninterruptedly,
so as to economise time, avoid waste, and produce starch of a superior and
more uniform quality than can be obtained by the processes at present
employed.
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 may 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 Invention; but what I
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the system or mode of manufacturing or preparing starch in which
the water containing the starch in suspension is allowed to flow over the
surface of an inclined plane or "runner," in order that the starch may be
deposited, drained, and partially solidified thereon, as herein-before described.

page_text: Second, the system or mode of manufacturing starch, in which a series of
these inclined plaues or "runners" are used in succession for the purpose of
receiving the deposited starch, in order that the manufacture may be carried
on continuously to avoid loss of time, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Gemmell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of December, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-eight.
JAS. GEMMELL. (L.S.)