An Improvement in the Manufacture of Wheaten Flour.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd June, 1891
Complete Specification Left. 31st Mar., 1892-Accepted, 7th May, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in the Manufacture of Wheaten Flour.
I, JAMES AMOs, of Waverley, near Sydney, in the Colony of New South
Wales, Miller, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention is applicable to the several manufactures of wheaten flour
ordinarily known as the roller, the stone, and the combination processes, respec-
tively. It consists essentially in extracting or separating during the process of
manufacture as at present practised, products rich in germ and gluten, ageing the
same, submitting the aged product to a process of purification, and mixing it with
flour newly made with the object of imparting to such flour the strength and the
baking qualities which such products are capable of giving, and which are lost to
the flour by reason of their extraction from it.
Prior to the introduction of roller milling plant, the stone process was almost
solely employed for the manufacture of wheaten flour; it was the custom to sack
the ground products and store them for varying periods-millers of good repute.
usually allowed about a month before submitting them to dressing and finishing
processes. In the roller process, on the contrary, the manufacture is continuous
and the operation of dressing follows immediately upon that of grinding; the final
separation of the products is complete and immediate. In the stone process the
wheat berry was reduced by grinding to meal, in which operation the femperature
of the meal usually attained about 100° Fahr., and this meal was then packed or
stored for a considerable time as above mentioned; during this period the mass
cooled, and the flour particles (starch) absorbed a portion of the oil contained in
the bruised germ, whilst the gluten ripened and mixed with the starch.
which was thus made to absorb a proportion of the essence of the germ and
enriched by the admixture of ripened gluten is superior to flour in the manufacture
of which the processes of separation and purification follow immediately after the
grinding. The greatest drawback in the old system is, unless the miller has con-
siderable capital at his disposal, it becomes impossible for him to hold all his stock
for a month; even if he should be in a position to do so he must still suffer the
loss of interest, insurance, handling, warehousing expenses generally, and minor
charges. It is at the present time customary to deliver roller flour to the con-
sumer immediately after manufacture, and often whilst it is warm.
Flour
My invention has for its object the providing of means whereby the flour may
be seasoned and improved as aforesaid without entailing such delay and monetary
loss.
In the roller process, several reductions and dressings follow closely upon one
another and effect the immediate separation of germ, gluten and offal from the
starchy product. The germ is merely flattened, and an infinitesimal portion of it
only finds its way into the flour. The bran flour contains a considerable proportion
of gluten, but in consequence of its poor color, it is usually sold as a low grade
product, being deened to be of too bad a quality to mix with straight grade Hour.
In this way the finest and purest product is robbed of a valuable and prized flavour
derived. from the germ, and of a material-gluten --upon the presence of which the
baking qualities of flour to a great extent depend. It is known also that the
extraction of the gerin and gluten impairs the nutritive properties of the flour.
In carrying out my invention, I extract the flattened germ at the most convenient
stage in the manufacture and mix it with at least double its own bulk of flour. To
hasten the absorption of the flavoring properties and the oil of the germ, I may
raise the temperature, but not over 158° Fahr. I then pack the mixture in sacks,
and allow it to stand by to mature and cool. The period of this ageing may be

page_text: varied according to the experience of the miller. When the ageing is complete, I
carefully dress and purify the product and run it into straight grade flour. The
flour which is mixed with the germ may be straight grade flour or bran flour.
It is often found in practice that four which is "weak" immediately after
manufacture materially strengthens" when matured. To obtain this advantage I
take out during manufacture in the usual course, the bran flour, which contains a
large proportion of gluten, and put it by to age, and when the ageing is completed
purify it sufficiently for admixture with straight-grade flour. As before stated,
the ageing of both germ and gluten products may be effected simultaneously if so
desired, instead of separately. When a simultaneous ageing is being effected I
prefer to mix with the germ and bran flour a proportion of flour rich in starch.
In this way it beconies necessary to store only about five to ten per cent. of the
output of a mill to improve the whole product practically to the same or nearly to
the same extent as it was improved under the old process by the storing of the
whole product.
A saving in the necessary capital outlay for material and storage accommodation,
handling, insurance, and other charges of corresponding extent is thus effected.
There is the further advantage that the miller may gauge exactly what the strength
and the flavour of the finished product will be.
In old wheat, that is, wheat which has been harvested about nine months before
milling, the process of maturing the gluten has to a great extent been effected in
the berry, and flour produced from it does not, therefore, require such a large
admixture of gluten as does flour made from new wheat.
It may therefore be
found advisable to stock the overplus gluten obtained from old wheat or from wheat
rich in gluten, for admixture with the flour of new or weak wheat; thus flour of
very nearly uniform grade can be turned out throughout the year.
The ageing of the gluten product may be effected more speedily by heating as in
the case of the germ. The less time employed in maturing the products, the
greater does the saving become.
Various methods of heating the germ and gluten products will suggest them-
selves to a miller the simplest mechanical contrivance with which I am acquainted
is a revolving cylinder having its axis set inclined, and provided with a hot water
jacket or other such means of maintaining a constant temperature. If desired,
heated rolls might be employed such rolls being pressed against one another, and
the products undergoing treatment passed between them.
Dated 22nd day of June 1891.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in the Manufacture of Wheaten Flour.
I, JAMES AMOS, of Waverley, near Sydney, in the Colony of New South
Wales, Miller, 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 :-
This invention is applicable to the several manufactures of wheaten flour
ordinarily known as the roller, the stone, and the combination processes, respec-
tively. It consists essentially in extracting or separating during the process of
manufacture as at present practised, products rich in germ and gluten, ageing the
same, and submitting the aged product to a process of purification and mixing it
with flour newly made with the object of imparting to such flour the strength and
the baking qualities which such products are capable of giving, and which are lost
to the Hour by reason of their extraction from it.
Prior to the introduction of roller milling plant, the stone process was almost

page_text: solely employed for the manufacture of wheaten flour; it was the custom to sack
the ground products and store them for varying periods-millers of good repute
usually allowed about a month-before submitting them to dressing and finishing
processes. In the roller process, on the contrary, the manufacture is continuous
and the operation of dressing follows immediately upon that of grinding; the final
separation of the products is complete and immediate. In the stone process, the
wheat berry was reduced by grinding to meal, in which operation the temperature
of the meal usually attained about 100° Fahr., and this meal was then packed or
stored for a considerable time as above mentioned; during this period the mass
cooled, and the flour particles (starch) absorbed a portion of the oil contained in
Flour
the bruised germ, whilst the gluten ripened and mixed with the starch.
which was thus made to absorb a proportion of the essence of the gerin and
enriched by the admixture of ripened gluten is superior to flour in the manufacture
of which the processes of separation and purification follow immediately after the
grinding. The greatest drawback in the old system is, unless the miller has con-
siderable capital at his disposal, it becomes impossible for him to hold all his stock
for a month; even if he should be in a position to do so, he must still suffer the
loss of interest, insurance, handling, warehousing expenses generally, and minor
charges. It is at the present time customary to deliver roller flour to the con-
sumer immediately after manufacture, and often whilst it is warm.
My invention has for its object the providing of means whereby the flour may be
seasoned and improved as aforesaid without entailing such delay and monetary
loss.
In the roller process, several reductions and dressings follow closely upon one
another and effect the immediate separation of germ, gluten, and offal from the
starchy product. The germ is merely flattened, and an infinitesimal portion of it
only finds its way into the flour. The bran flour contains a considerable proportion
of gluten, but in consequence of its poor color, it is usually sold as a low grade
product, being deemed to be of too bad a quality to mix with the straight-grade
flour. In this way, the finest and purest product is robbed of a valuable and
prized flavor derivable from the germ, and of a material, gluten, upon the
presence of which the baking qualities of flour to a great extent depend. It is
known also that the extraction of the germ and gluten impairs the nutritive
properties of the flour.
In carrying out my invention, 1 extract the flattened germ at the most con-
venient stage in the manufacture, and mix it with at least double its own bulk of
flour. To hasten the absorption of the flavoring properties and the oil of the
germ, I may raise the temperature, but not over 158° Fahr. then pack the
mixture in sacks and allow it to stand by to mature and cool. The period of this
ageing may be varied according to the experience of the miller. When the ageing
is complete, I carefully dress and purify the product and run it into straight-grade
flour. The flour which is mixed with the germ may be straight-grade flour, or
semolina, or bran flour.
<<
It is often found in practice that flour which is weak immediately after
manufacture materially strengthens" when matured. To obtain this advantage,
I take out during manufacture in the usual course, the bran flour, which contains a
large proportion of gluten, and put it by to age, and when this ageing is completed
purify it sufficiently for admixture with straight-grade flour. As before stated the
ageing of both germ and gluten products may be effected simultaneously if so
desired, instead of separately. When a simultaneous ageing is being effected,
I prefer to mix with the germ and bran flour a proportion of flour rich in
starch.
In this way it becomes necessary to store only about five to ten per cent. of
the output of a mill to improve the whole product practically to the same or
nearly to the same extent as it was improved under the old process by the storing
of the whole product.
A saving in the necessary capital outlay for material and storage accommodation,

page_text: handling, insurance, and other charges of corresponding extent is thus effected.
There is the further advantage that the miller may gauge exactly what the
"strength" and the flavor of the finished product will be.
In old wheat, that is, wheat which has been harvested about nine months before
milling, the process of maturing the gluten has to a great extent been effected in
he berry, and flour produced from it does not therefore require such a large
admixture of gluten as does flour made from new wheat.
It may therefore be
found advisable to stock the overplus gluten obtained from old wheat or from
wheat rich in gluten for admixture with the flour of new or weak wheat; thus
flour of very nearly uniform grade can be turned out throughout the year.
The ageing of the gluten product may be effected more speedily by heating, as
in the case of the germ. The less time employed in maturing the products, the
greater does the saving become.
Various methods of heating the germ and gluten products will suggest them-
selves to a miller; the simplest mechanical contrivance with which I am acquainted.
is a revolving cylinder having its axis set inclined, and provided with a hot-water
jacket or other such means of maintaining a constant temperature.
If desired,
heated rolls might be employed, such rolls being pressed against one another and
the product undergoing treatment passed between them.
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 I claim is,--
65
1. In the manufacture of whenten flour, separating at a convenient stage pure
germ or products rich in germ, mixing the same with a proportion of starch flour
or semolina, ageing "the mixture either by natural or by artificial means, mixing the
product with straight-grade flour either at the commencement of or during or at
the completion of manufacture, and purifying the mixture.
2.In the manufacture of wheaten flour, separating at a convenient stage pure
germ or products rich in germ, mixing the same with a proportion of starch
Hour or semolina, "ageing" the mixture either by natural or by artificial means,
purifying the same, and mixing the purified product with straight-grade flour.
3. In the manufacture of wheaten flour, separating at a convenient stage
pure germ or products rich in germ, mixing the same with a product
containing starch and gluten, "ageing the mixture either by natural or by
artificial means, mixing the product with straight-grade flour or semolina, and
purifying the mixture, or otherwise purifying the germ-gluten product previously
to such admixture.
4. In the manufacture of wheaten flour, ageing" the bran flour or other
products rich in gluten, purifying the same, and mixing the purified product with
straight-grade flour or seinolina.
*
5. In the manufacture of wheaten flour, ageing" the bran flour or other
products rich in gluten purifying the same, adding the same to straight-grade flour
or semolina, and purifying the mixture.
בד
1049
J. AMOS,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.