A Process of and Apparatus for Treating Newly Ground Flour and the like with Air for the Purpose of Seasoning or Maturing it.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Jan., 1893-Accepted, 29th Apr., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Process of and Apparatus for Treating Newly Ground Flour and
the like with Air for the Purpose of Seasoning or Maturing it.
I, AXEL BAY of Nakskov, Denmark, Steam-mill Owner 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 :—
Freshly ground flour does not possess adequate qualities for nutrition and baking,
and these are only obtained after it has been stored a month or thereabouts. By a
series of researches made for the purpose of finding out the reason, it has become
clear that the flour if it is exposed to the influence of the air is freed from the said
defects. The flour can then at onco be used in the bakery and the newly ground
flour has then the same good properties as the seasoned flour.
The experiments led to the conviction that the flour was wanting in oxygen and
after that the experience of several years has yielded good results, it has become
apparent that it is an invention of great importance.
Besides the not unimportant advantages contingent upon this process especially
for large mills where the loss of space and interest on capital are involved by storing
the flour a long time before it can be used in the bakery, the working expenses are
considerably diminished in large mills when the articles is saleable immediately it
it is manufactured. This process has also the advantage that by its use the flour
store becomes a healthier placo of occupation for the workman during the
3 or 4 hours that he has to work therein, whilst the store therefore always contained
air poor in oxygen because the flour absorbed the oxygen. The workman therefore
was compelled to strain his lungs in order to obtain the oxygen necessary for
inhalation and tliis circumstance in conjunction with the bodily labour so tired
and oppressed him that he left the flour store in an exhausted and weakened
condition.
In the accompanying drawing I have shewn an apparatus suitable for carrying
out this process, Figures 1 and 2 being vertical trausverse and longitudinal
elevations partly in section. Figure 3 is a plan section of a centrifugal flour drying
apparatus and Figure 3* vertical section of the game for the case where cooled air
is used.
The dryer A consists of a vessol which by partitions is divided into several
compartments viz. the air spaces o, the drying spaces baud the pure air врасо d.
The dryer communicates with the outer air by preference high up in the mill by
means of the vessel F and pipe I. In the vessel F is provided a usual flannel filter
which can be cleaned by heating. a is an iron wire grating in the pipe I to keep.
out birds and insects. The spaces 6 contain frames covered with iron wire
gauze and have zinc funnels below the bottom compartment. Upon the frames is
placed a water absorbent as for instance chloride of calcuim which deprives the air
of its moisture the latter being caught by the zinc funnel and by a pipe led down
to a water syphon or trap in the vessel h.
The air may also be dried by providing in the spaces ba number of thin metal
pipes through which air is passed which has been cooled down below the freezing
point. The moisture of the fresh air will then be thrown down upon the outside of
the cold pipes drop-wise and collect in the funnel. If the fresh air is very cold and
if the cooled air has a very low temperature, the moisture of the fresh air will form
snow on the pipes, but then a warm current of air may temporarily be led through
the pipes so as to melt it and let the water run down into the funnel.
In the spaces b at top and bottom the metal boxes are provided and these aro
united by three pipes t.
are pipes leading from one upper box r to the lower
box in the adjoining space & theso pipes s have the collective area of the three

page_text: "
pipes. The last pipes is connected to the exhauster which puts the cooled air in
motion whilst the first pipe leads the cooled air directly from the cold producing
machine to the upper box in the first space b. When the apparatus is started the
cooled air enters the upper box in the first space 'b, is there split up into three parts
and continues its path in the direction of the arrows through the pipes until it
leaves the dryer from the last space b. The fresh air passes through the apparatus
in the same manner when a water absorbent is applied.
The zinc pipe e to the oxydizing chamber B terminates in the space d. On the
pipe e is fixed a round flannel hoso S which is kept taut by means of a round
wooden disc and a weighted cord passing over guide pulleys thus facilitating
cleaning the dust off same by boating.
Small openings are provided in the upper and lower part of the spaces and c
as indicated by the small arrows so that the air can circulate through the whole
apparatus.
G is a vessel separated from the oxydizing apparatus and like the vessol F pro-
vided with an ordinary flannel filter. By the pipe fit is connected with the
oxydizing chamber B and by the pipe with the centrifugal exhaustor H. When
the latter is started the oxydizing apparatus works. The flour comes tolerably
warm from the sieves and runs by the pipe m down into a quickly rotating centri-
fugal thrower Q which flings it out finely divided into the chambers B. The
thrower Q consists of an iron cylinder with disc u mounted on a vertical spindle
which by bevel wheels is rotated quickly from the shaft . The apparatus is
suspended under the floor beams or joints by means of four iron rods.
The warm air from the flour rises as shown by the long arrows into the pipe f,
passes up through the filter which retains the flour dust, especially the light dirty
Hour; this dust is caught in a sack under the vessel G whereupon it, by means of
the pipe and the centrifugal exhauster H, is led away.
The air attenuation thus produced in the chamber B causes fresh air to enter
as shown by the small arrows through the pipe I and the filter in the vessel F
keeps back dust, seeds, and the like, which are caught into a sack under the
vessel F; the air then passes through tho chloride of calcium vessels b and the
air flues c; then the air passes through the flannel hose pipe S and through
the pipe e into the oxydizing chamber B wherein it being comparatively cold sinks
down and thus continually traverses the falling flour.
In order to control the drying action of the water absorbent inaterial on the air,
hygrometers R are provided in the vessel F and space d.
The bottom of the oxydizing chamber B is corrugated and in the lowest parts
suction flaps are provided the spindles of which by means of wormwheel,
worm gear and hand wheels g. can be turned so as to admit of the flour falling
down properly upon the divider board P and being distributed in the mixing
reservoir C.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the pature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.
First. Process for direct oxydation of newly ground flour and the like consisting
in that the flour in a finely divided state is influenced by a current of dried fresh
air or oxygen for the purpose of rendering the flour suitable for baking immediately
after the grinding.
Second. For the process claimed an apparatus consisting of a drying appliance A
charged with a moisture absorbent such for instance as chloride of calcium, in
combination with an oxydizing chamber B in which the flour is carried downwards
and by means of a centrifugal throwing appliance is scattered so as to fall down in
a finely divided state and which chamber communicates with an exhauster H or
equivalent appliance for the purpose of attaining the object that the fresh air
through the suction produced by the exhauster shall enter the pipe I in the
drier A. wherein it deposits its moisture, then flows into the oxydizing chamber .B

page_text: wherein it cools and oxydizes the falling finely divided flour and lastly flows off by
the exhauster H, substantially as described and shown.
Third. In an apparatus as secondly claimed the application of a drying appliance
in which a pipe system such as is used through which air of very low
temperature is passed for the purpose of cooling and drying the air used in the
oxydizing chamber B.
Dated this 31st day of JauuSI Y
1000
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.