IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED. THEREIN;
Year: 1885

page_text: Employed therein.
AND
MANUFACTURE OF STARCH
IN
I, BERNHARD HEINRICH REMMERS, of 189 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, in the
county of Lanark, Chemical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
APPARATUS EMPLOYED. THEREIN;" the said invention having been communicated
to me from abroad by Ladislaus von Wagner, Professor of Technology and
Adalbert Gillitzer, Civil Engineer, both of Buda-Pest, in the empire of Austria
:
This invention consists of an improved process of manufacture of starch from
maize, rice, or other grain, and in novel arrangements and applications of apparatus
employed in such manufacture.
In carrying out the improved process of starch manufacture, the maize, rice, or
other granular substance is subjected to a series of stages of treatment in the
following manner.
The maize, rice, or other grain is immersed in or moistened with a weak solution
of sulphurous acid with the object of softening the grain and preventing fermen-
tation by heating during the operation of crushing to which it is afterwards
subjected. This treatment by immersion in the acid solution is continued for a
period of from 24 to 72 hours according to the hardness of the grain. After
undergoing such treatment the softened and swollen grain is crushed between
plain or fluted rollers in such wise that every individual grain is equally acted
upon. For this purpose the grain is passed through a feeding hopper whose sides
converge towards each other at the lower end, which is placed over a roller as
usual, the lower feeding-in edge being formed with rake-like teeth which permit
only of the passage between each pair of teeth of a single grain or of an
approximately equal number of grains at a time. The teeth are also of such
thickness that they separate the grains in a row and prevent overcrowding. The
side of the hopper on which the rake-like teeth are fitted is made adjustable, so
that it may be moved towards or away from the roller, or an adjustable regulating

page_text: plate may be fitted to slide over the teeth to a greater or less extent. By means
of this apparatus the grain, which passes between the rollers is uniformly acted on,
and heating and consequent fermentation of the grain is avoided. This arrange-
ment of feeding apparatus is applicable in connection with roller grinding mills
generally.
The crushed grain is next subjected to the action of a disintegrator which finely
pulverises it, while it is also dried by the currents of air created by the motion of
the machine. The fine starch flour may then be separated from the coarser bran
and germs by means of suitable sieves, or it may be separated at a later stage as
hereinafter described. The flour produced by the action of the disintegrator
whether separated from the bran and germs or not is then subjected to treatment
by immersion in a tank containing a weak solution of sulphurous acid. The floury
liquor is therein stirred while the acid solution may be gradually added, the
stirring being continued for a short time. The liquor is allowed to stand for a
period extending in general from one to three days, by which time the acid has
dissolved out the gluten, and the taste of the solution is no longer acid but has
become floury. From the tank or vessel wherein this treatment. takes place, the
liquid mixture is then run into a rotating drum which is by preference carried on
a horizontal or slightly inclined axis and which is formed with a perforated casing
or with perforated sides through which the starch liquor passes, the grosser germs
and bran passing off by a shoot at the end of the drum. A stream of water is
discharged into the drum through a perforated tube, which may form the central
shaft by which the drum is rotated, and the water being discharged in jets or spray
on the flour within the drum facilitates the carrying through of the fine flour and
the separation of the grosser particles. A number of jets of water are also caused
to play on the outside of the perforated drum to prevent the perforations choking
up, by washing off the flour. The starch liquor which flows through the perforated
drum falls into a casing surrounding it, and from this casing it discharged by
pipes or ducts on to a series of horizontal sieves formed by stretching silk, hair-
cloth, or similar fabric over suitable frames or hoppers. These sieves allow the
fine starch milk to pass through, but retain the coarser flour, germs, or husks which
may remain.
In order to facilitate the passage through the sieves of all the fine
starch or starch milk, the material falling on to the sieves is stirred up by horizontal
arms or brushes while water is discharged over the sieves. The arms or brushes,
which may be hollow and perforated, are carried on vertical rotating hollow shafts
through which the water, which is employed to wash the starch Hour on the sieves,
may be led. The starch milk passing through this series of sieves is led by ducts
or shoots to a similar series of sieves whose meshes, should be finer, and it is there
subjected to further treatment with water and stirring or brushing, the fine starch
milk which passes through these sieves being led to the usual runs or to centrifugal
machines or similar apparatus by means of which the water and gluten may be
drained off or finally separated from the starch. The coarser starch flour or the
material which fails to pass through the sieves passes away from the sieves to ducts
or shoots and is collected in separate vessels. Instead of or in addition to the
brushing action which is applied for the purpose of facilitating the passage of the
fine flour through the sieves, the sieves may be carried on springs or other supports
and a jigging motion be imparted to them.

page_text: WH3
Employed therein.
I, BERNHARD HEINRICH REMMERS of 189 Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, Chemical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention a communication to me from abroad by Ladislaus Von Wagner Professor
of Technology and Adalbert Gillitzer, Civil Engineer, both of Buda-Pest, in the
Empire of Austria, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention consists of an improved process of manufacture of starch from
maize, rice, or other grain, and in novel arrangements and applications of apparatus
employed in such manufacture.
In carrying out the improved process of starch manufacture, the maize, rice, or
other granular substance is subjected to a series of stages of treatment in the
following manner..
The maize, rice, or other grain is immersed in or moistened with a weak solution
of sulphurous acid with the object of softening the grain and preventing fermenta-
tion by heating during the operation of crushing to which it is afterwards subjected.
This treatment by immersion in the acid solution is continued for a period of
from 24 to 72 hours according to the hardness of the grain. After undergoing such
treatment the softened and swollen grain is crushed between plain or fluted rollers
in such wise that every individual grain is equally acted upon. For this purpose
the grain is passed through a feeding hopper whose sides converge towards each
other at the lower end, which is placed over a roller as usual, the lower feeding-in
edge being formed with rake-like teeth which permit only of the passage between
each pair of teeth of a single grain or of an approximately equal number of grains
at a time. The teeth are also of such thickness that they separate the grains in a
row and prevent overcrowding. The side of the hopper on which the rake-like
teeth are titted is made adjustable, so that it may be moved towards or away from
the roller, or an adjustable regulating plate may be fitted to slide over the teeth to a
greater or less extent. By means of this apparatus the grain, which passes between
the rollers is uniformly acted on, and heating and consequent fermentation of the
grain is avoided. This arrangement of feeding apparatus is applicable in connection
with roller grinding mills generally.
The crushed grain is next subjected to the action of a disitegrator which finely
pulverises it, while it is also dried by the currents of air created by the motion of
the machine. The fine starch flour may then be separated from the coarser bran
and germs by means of suitable sieves, or it may be separated at a later stage as
hereinafter described. The flour produced by the action of the disintegrator
whether separated from the bran and germs or not is then subjected to treatment
by immersion in a tank containing a weak solution of sulphurous acid. The floury
liquor is therein stirred while the acid solution may be gradually added, the stirring
being continued for a short time. The liquor is allowed to stand for a period
extending in general from one to three days, by which time the acid has dissolved
out the gluten, and the taste of the solution is no longer acid but has become
floury. From the tank or vessel wherein this treatment takes place, the liquiḍ

page_text: mixture is then run into a rotating drum which is by preference carried on a hori-
zontal or slightly inclined axis and which is formed with a perforated casing or with
perforated sides through which the starch liquor passes, the grosser germs and bran
passing off by a shoot at the end of the drum. A stream of water is discharged
into the drum through a perforated tube, which may form the central shaft by
which the drum is rotated, and the water being discharged in jets or spray on the
Hour within the drum facilitates the carrying through of the fine flour and the
separation of the grosser particles. A number of jets of water are also caused to
play on the outside of the perforated drum to prevent the perforations choking up,
by washing off the flour. The starch liquor which flows through the perforated
drum falls into a casing surrounding it, and from this casing it is discharged by
pipes or ducts on to a series of horizontal sieves formed by stretching silk, hair-
cloth, or similar fabric over suitable frames or hoppers. These sieves allow the
fine starch milk to pass through, but retain the coarser flour, germs or husks which
may remain. In order to facilitate the passage through the sieves of all the fine
starch or starch milk, the material falling on to the sieves is stirred up by hori-
zontal arms or brushes while water is discharged over the sieves. The arms or
brushes, which may be hollow and perforated, are carried on vertical rotating
hollow shafts through which the water, which is employed to wash the starch flour on
the sieves, may be led. The starch milk passing through this series of sieves is led by
ducts or shoots to a similar series of sieves whose meshes should be finer, and it is
there subjected to further treatment with water and stirring or brushing, the fine
starch milk which passes through these sieves being led to the usual runs or to
centrifugal machines or similar apparatus by means of which the water and gluten
inay be drained off or finally separated from the starch. The coarser starch flour
or the material which fails to pass through the sieves passes away from the sieves to
ducts or shoots and is collected in separate vessels. Instead of or in addition to
the brushing action which is applied for the purpose of facilitating the passage of
the fine flour through the sieves, the sieves may be carried on springs or other
supports and a jigging motion be imparted to them.
The improved apparatus which I employ in carrying out my invention is
illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which figure 1, is a transverse vertical
section of part of a roller grinding mill showing the improved feeding hopper
applied, figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same and figure 3, is a
horizontal section at the line x-x in figure 2. Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional
elevation of the improved apparatus used for separating the starch flour from the
bran and grosser particles of the ground grain or amylaceous material passed there.
through, figure 5, is a sectional plan and figure 6, is a transverse vertical section of
the same.
The improved feeding hopper A, for delivering the rice or grain to the crushing
rolls B, B, is formed with its front and rear sides converging towards each other at
the lower end where the usual fluted feeding roller C, is fitted. The lower edge of
the hopper side A¹ is formed with rake like teeth a which are so spaced as to
permit the passage between each pair of teeth of a single grain or of an approxi-
mately equal number of grains whereby overcrowding is prevented and regularity
of the feed is ensured. A sliding plate al is fitted over the toothed side of the
hopper and is operated by racks and pinions D, D to bring it to a greater or less
extent over the teeth in order to further regulate the feed of the grain.
The apparatus for separating and recovering the starch flour from the bran germs
and coarser particles, as represented in figures 4, 5 and 6 comprises a drum E of
polygonal section which is carried by a hollow perforated spindle F slightly
inclined and rotating in suitable bearings on a framing G and provided with a
driving pulley F. Water is admitted through an inlet tube f to the interior of
the hollow spindle from which it is discharged in jets or in spray through the
perforations into the drum E whereinto the amylaceous material, resulting from
the earlier stages of treatment of the grain as herein before described, is admitted
by-a pipe H at the higher end of the inclined drum. The flour and finer particles

page_text: of the amylaceous matter pass through the perforated sides of the drum E their passage
being aided by the action of the water jets or spray playing from the spindle F and
they fall into a trough I carried at the upper part of the framing G, while the coarser
particles which do not pass through the perforated drum pass off through a central
orifice e, in the lower end of the drum and are discharged through a shoot e¹ into any
suitable receptacle. To prevent choking up of the perforations in the drum jets of
water may be made to play from a pipe i on the outside of the drum as it rotates.
From the trough or casing I the floury liquor is discharged through pipes or ducts J
into smaller troughs J1 fitted with pipes through which the liquor is run on to a series
of horizontal sieves K which consist of hoppers or basins over which silk, hair-
cloth or similar fabric is stretched. These sieves retain the coarser particles of the
flour which may flow over by the channels 1, but permit the passage of the fine
starch milk which passes through pipes in the lower sides of the hoppers K to a
second series of sieves Ļ of construction similar to the first series but provided with
finer straining silk or fabric. To facilitate the straining operation the material on
the surface of the strainers is stirred or agitated by means of rotating arms M which
may be provided with brushes or be perforated and arranged to direct water jets
or spray upon the surfaces of the strainers. The rotating agitators M are carried
by vertical spindles N which are of tubular forin and are connected by branches O
with a pipe from which the water is supplied to the perforated arms of the agitators.
The vertical tubular spindles N are driven by belts and pulleys P from rotating
shafts Q.
From the lower series of sieves L, the fine starch milk is carried by pipes or ducts
to the usual runs or to centrifugal machines or other apparatus employed for
separating the gluten and water from the starch.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
1 claim is
1. The manufacture of starch from maize rice and other grain in the improved
manner herein set forth.
2. The improved process for the manufacture of starch consisting in subjecting
maize rice or other grain to the following stages of treatment, namely (1) soaking
in a weak solution of sulphurous acid (2) uniformly crushing the softened grain by
means of rollers as set forth (3) drying and pulverizing the grain by means of a
disintegrator (4) soaking the flour so produced in a solution of sulphurous acid
(5) removing the bran, germs, and coarser particles from the starch milk by sieves
or strainers and (6) separating the water and gluten from the starch, substantially
as herein set forth.
3. In the manufacture of starch from maize, rice, or other grain treating the
granular matter with a solution of sulphurous acid as and for the purposes set forth.
4. The improved construction of feeding hoppers for roller grinding mills sub-
stantially as herein described with reference to figures 1, 2 & 3 of the drawings
annexed.
5. The improved construction or combination of apparatus for straining amyla-
ceous matters substantially as described with reference to figures 4, 5 and 6 of the
drawings annexed.