New or Improved Corn or Grain Products and Method for Manufacturing the same.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 3rd Jan., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Corn or Grain Products and Method for
Manufacturing the same.
A communication from abroad by FRANK LANKOFF, of Detroit, in the State of-
Michigan, United States of America, Inventor.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S. M.I.M.E. of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors 6, Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street, Manchester both in
the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
.The invention relates to certain preparations of cereals more particularly of corn as
for example more fully hereinafter described and claimed, the same having particular
reference to a reduction of the corn and other cereals to a superior product adapted
for food brewing or distillation as may be desired. To this end the invention relates
both to the new article of manufacture so produced and also to the method whereby
said article is attained. The invention will be explained as applied to corn, although
other cereals may be treated in the same manner as that here set forth, within the
scope of the invention.
In carrying out the invention the corn or other cereal in its dry, raw, normal
condition is first crushed into suitable granules, or reduced to grits. It is preferred
to first reduce the corn to the form of coarse meal. The hulls, germs and any other
impurities may then be removed. The removal of the same is preferably accomplished
by suction.
When this has been accomplished the grits or granules still retained in their dry,
raw, normal condition without any cooking, steaming, soaking or other softening are
subjected to compression, without the necessity of heat being therewith employed.
To most thoroughly reduce the crushed material to the required product it may be
subjected to a drawing compression whereby the granule is both compressed and at
the same time drawn out into a very light, thin, tender curled film. To effect this the
said crushed materials are passed between smooth rollers, one of which travels faster
than the other. In so doing the slower roll tends to hold the cereal, while the faster
roll draws it out simultaneously with its compression into light thin curled film
having a large exposed surface.
By this method all the cells of the cereal are most effectually laid open ready to be
quickly and thoroughly dissolved as required while every particle of nutriment is
retained, without the slightest loss or diminution of its strength. The retention of the
full and entire strength of the cereal in this manner is a most important feature and is
effectually accomplished in a perfect degree in the reduction of the material, as above
described, by a drawing compression while yet in its dry and raw condition. It is
obvious that when the material is soaked, steamed or otherwise softened as has
heretofore teen found indispensable, much of the strength of the cereals is inevitably
lost. Moreover in the subjection of the cereals in a softened, moist condition to hot
compression rolls as has heretofore been done, the surface of the flattened product is
hardened cooked and glazed not only diminishing the strength of the product but also
rendering it less readily soluble. The drawing out of the dry, raw material simul-
taneously with its compression, not hitherto accomplished, reduces the material to a
more attenuated form without powdering the same, more fully exposing the contents
of the cells, so that they may be more fully and more quickly dissolved, saving both
waste and time.
The production, therefore, of a flattened, curled product or film from the cereal, the
material being retained and left in the same dry raw state continuously as that in

page_text: which the process first found it, is a matter of much importance an attainment far in
advance of all others heretofore known, and one of largely increased utility.
For edible purposes such a product is readily prepared and is exceedingly tender,
while retaining also all its sweetness and other nutritious properties, likely to be more
or less dissipated by cooking, soaking and heating heretofore employed in the process
of manufacture.
The method it will be seen is very simple, thereby cheapening also the cost of
production.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. As a new article of manufacture the herein described product from cereals, said
product consisting of hulled and purified compressed films made from the raw material
retained in its cormally dry character, substantially as described.
2. As a new article of manufacture, the herein described product from, corn,
consisting of compressed films formed from the corn, retained continuously in its
normally dry and raw condition, substantially as described.
3. The herein described method of producing films from cereals consisting in first
crushing the cereals in their normally dry condition to granules and subsequently
subjecting said granules in their normally dry condition to a drawing compression,
substantially as described.
Dated this 28th day of November 1890.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.