AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR THE EXTRACTION OF OIL AND THE PRODUCTION OF MEAL FROM FLAX AND OTHER SEEDS
Year: 1884

page_text: I HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the naturo
of my invention for "AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR THE EXTRACTION OF OIL AND
THE PRODUCTION OF MEAL FROM FLAX AND OTHER SEEDS" to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved process, chiefly designed for the extraction
of linseed oil and the preparation of linseed flour which is not liable to injury by
exposure to the atmosphere or like causes; but the said process is also applicablo
to other oleaginous-seeds.
Instead of completely grinding the dried linseed I simply divide it into coarse
powder by means of the mills ordinarily used for the preparation of linseed meal
intended for medical purposes; I thus avoid the formation of a magma deleterious
to the extraction of the oil, and I render possible the separation of the greater
portion of the non-oily matters by sifting.
In carrying the said invention into practice I proceed in the following manner,
that is to say -
The seed is fed, in the ordinary manner, into mills which reduce it to coarse
powder; below the said mills is placed a sloping or inclined receptacle which
conducts the powder, as it is formed, into sieves, riddles or hydro-extractors of
metal gauze, horse-hair or other material, with meshes or holes sufficiently small
to only permit the passage through it of the parenchyma which contains the whole
of the oil. The sieves should be of the required dimensions and may be of any
desired form, but a very elongated form is preferable under all circumstances.
In order to separate the largest possible quantity of the non-oily portions, I
arrange, either beneath or at the end of the first sieve, a finer siove. These sieves
are slightly inclined in the direction of their length, and a to-and fro movement,
together with an up and down motion is imparted to them in the direction of their
width. The result of these arrangements is that the movement being imparted, all
the work is effected at the same time; the powder fed into the elevated end of the
sieve always falls upon a surface which has been cleared by sifting and by the

page_text: sliding of the material towards the lower part of the sieve, where an aperture is
formed to permit the unsifted powder to pass into a suitable receptacle.
Motion is imparted to the mills and sieves by any suitable motor, and is regulated
according to requirements and the dimensions of the sieves; the more elongated
the form of the sieves, the more perfect is the sifting. A receptacle larger than the
sieves, because of the motion imparted to the latter, is placed beneath them to
receive the sifted material. By the sifting the whole of the powder is divided into
two parts nearly equal in weight, viz:-1st The sifted portion containing all the
oil. 2nd The portion not passed through the sieves and containing no oil. By this
separation the relative proportions become reversed, that is to say, the oil which
only formed about one third part of the whole of the seed, forms at least two thirds
of the mass to be pressed; this mass, either crushed or not by means of mill-stones,
is put into the press without further preparation; nearly the whole of the oil is
thus extracted in a cold state, and in some cases the whole of it with a strong
pressure. The costly and injurious roasting is avoided, and also the water which,
by dissolving a large quantity of mucilage, forms, with the oil, an emulsion which
renders the purification long and difficult.
The oil-cakes produced by my process are two thirds less than those obtained by
the ordinary processes, consequently the second working of the material, if deemed
_useful, is-as-much diminished. The portion of the material which has not passed
through the sieves does not undergo any change, but as it might be contaminated
with small quantity of oil, I-free-it entirely therefrom by sifting it (after it has
been slightly impregnated or not with an essence solvent.in oils) upon-an absorbent
fabric stretched over the sieves which are used for the sifting, or in-bags-made_of
_ such fabric. I thus obtain an improved linseed meal from which the oil has been
removed and-containing all the mucilage desired, and not liable to be affected by
the-atmosphero, because the parenchyma is totally eliminated therefrom. This
linseed meal is very superior to all those heretofore-known, and is the bran of
the linseed..
The advantages of-my-improved process aro as follow, viz:-Great economy is
effected as regards time, manual labour, and-the wear and tear of the apparatus,
whatever be the mode of extraction employed, since for the extraction of the oil
the total quantity of material for the same quantity of oil is reduced by one half-
as compared with other processes; the greater part of the oil can be obtained in a
cold state; the second working of the material is reduced to two thirds of that
formerly required; the cost of roasting is avoided; the purification is facilitated;
and I obtain a linseed meal not affected by the atmosphere and the quality of
which is unimpaired, containing the whole of the mucilaginous properties in a
volume one half less than that of the linseed meal heretofore employed for medical
purposes and therefore superior thereto.
"
Dated this 18th day of August 1884.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
I HENRY HARRIS LAKE of 45 Southampton Buildings London, in the County
of Middlesex Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN
IMPROVED PROCESS FOR THE EXTRACTION OF OIL AND THE PRODUCTION OF MEAL
FROM FLAX AND OTHER SEEDS (a communication from Gérin Gabriel Boggio Casero
of St Etienne France) and in what manner the same is to be performed, to bo
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
Instead of thoroughly grinding the dried linseed or flax seed, I simply divide or
separate it into a coarse powder, by means of the mills used for the preparation of
the linseed meal intended for medical uses, I thus avoid the formation of a magma
or pasty mixture prejudicial to the extraction of the oil, and render possible the
separation of the major part of the non oily matters by sifting.
I proceed in the following manner-The seed is brought by the ordinary means
into the mills which reduce it to a coarse powder, beneath these mills is placed a
receiver very much inclined, leading the powder, as it is produced, into the sieves,
aifters, screens or hydroextractors, of wire gauze, horsehair, or others material with
meshes or holes small enough to give passage only to the parenchyma which
contains the whole of the oil. These sifters will be of dimensions regulated by
requirement and may be of any shape, but a very elongated form is preferable in
every respect. In order to separate the greatest possible quantity of the non oily
parts, I adapt either beneath, or following the first a second finer sifter. These
Bifters are slightly inclined lengthwise, and a to and fro beating motion is given to
them in the direction of their breadth. The result of these arrangements is that,
motion being given, the whole of the work is effected at the same time; the powder
brought into the upraised part of the sifters always falls upon a surface continually
freed by the sifting and the sliding of the material to the lower part, where
an opening is provided by which the unsifted powder passes into any suitable
receiver.
Motion is given to the mills and to the sifters by any available motive power
Engine; it is regulated according to the requirements and the dimensions of the
sifters, the more elongated their form the moro perfect the sifting. A receiver
larger than the sifters, because of the movements given to them, is placed beneath
them to receive the sifted part of the powder. The whole of the powder is divided
by the sifting into two parts about equal in weight,
1° That which is sifted containing all the oil.
2 That which has not passed through the sifters containing no oil, but the major
part of the mucilage. By this separation the relative proportions become reversed,
that is to say the oil, which forms not more than about a third of the entire seed,
forms about two thirds at least of the mass to be pressed, this mass whether
ground or not ground by the stones is without other preparation put into press,
nearly all the oil is thus obtained by cold extraction, even the whole of the oil, if
a powerful press be used.

page_text: The expensive and hurtful torrefaction is eliminated and also the water, which,
in dissolving a large quantity of mucilage, forms with the oil, an emulsion which
renders the purification longer and more difficult. The cakes obtained are two
thirds less than those produced by the ordinary processes, and consequently the
secondary or subsequent work (travailen rebas) may if desired be diminished to
that extent. The part which has not passed through the sifters has not undergone
any deterioration; but as it may be contaminated with a small quantity of oil-
I free it entirely therefrom by sifting, after having slightly impregnated it, with an
essence dissolvant of the oils, or without such impregnation, upon absorbant textile
fabrics stretched over the seives serving for the sifting or in sifters made with such
fabrics. I thus obtain a novel linseed meal, well freed from oil, containing all
the mucilage sought for, the more unalterable or unchangeable, from the total
elimination of the parenchyma, and which I deem superior to all those hitherto
known and for the preparation of which I claim priority, it is the bran of
linseed.
The advantages resulting from this process may be stated as a great saving in the
cost of extraction, labor, time, wear and tear of apparatus and accessaries, whatever.
may have been the means of extraction hitherto employed, because to obtain an
equal quantity of oil by my process only one half of the seed is operated upon, the
other half being separated by the sifting, reduction of the entire cost of torrefaction
this being-entirely done-away with, easier extraction of the oil and a larger
quantity obtained by reason-of-the elimination-of two thirds of the encumbering
matters, superior quality of oil because it is obtained almost entirely cold, easier
and less expensive purification, nearly the whole of the mucilage-being eliminated
before the extraction-Production of a superior and unalterable linseed meal-
which may-be-termed the bran of Linseed.
Having now particularly described-and-ascertained the nature of the invention,
as communicated to me by my-foreign Correspondent, and-in what manner the
same is to-be-performed-I declare that what I claim is
1. The extraction of Linseed oil-and the oil of other oleaginous seeds. by, a
partial grinding of the seed, a sifting of the coarse powder-thus obtained to produce
the separation of the oily parts from the slightly oily or non oily parts, and-finally
the pressure of the oily parts thus obtained, substantially as above described.
2. Obtaining an unalterable meal from Linseed and other oleaginous seeds, by a
partial grinding of the seed, a sifting separating the powder thus obtained into oily
and non oily or but slightly oily parts, and if required a sifting of these latter parts
to free them entirely from oil, with or without impregnation with essence, the whole
substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this Fifteenth day of May 1885