A NEW OR IMPROVED PROCESS OF PREPARING OR TREATING MAIZE OR INDIAN CORN FLOUR, TO RENDER THE SAME CAPABLE OF BEING BAKED IN COMBINATION WITH OTHER FLOURS OR MATERIALS, AND IN MACHINERY FOR THE PURPOSE
Year: 1880

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to John Guy Wilson, of the Office for British & Foreign
Patents, 71, Market Street, in the City of Manchester, Mechanical Engineer
and Patent Agent, for an Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED PROCESS OF
PREPARING OR TREATING MAIZE OR INDIAN CORN FLOUR, TO RENDER THE
SAME CAPABLE OF BEING BAKED IN COMBINATION WITH OTHER FLOURS OR
MATERIALS, AND IN MACHINERY FOR THE PURPOSE." A communication from
abroad by P. Bahr and R. Brock, both of Hamburg, in the Empire of
Germany.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Guy Wilson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd July 1880.
JOHN GUY WILSON, of the Office for British & Foreign Patents, 71, Market
Street, in the City of Manchester, Mechanical Engineer and Patent Agent. "A NEW
OR IMPROVED PROCESS OF PREPARING OR TREATING MAIZE OR INDIAN CORN
FLOUR, TO RENDER THE SAME CAPABLE OF BEING BAKED IN COMBINATION WITH
OTHER FLOURS OR MATERIALS, AND IN MACHINERY FOR THE PURPOSE." A com-
munication from abroad by P. Bahr and R. Brock, both of Hamburg, in the.
Empire of Germany.
During the baking of maize or Indian corn flour when mixed into dough in its
natural state such flour has a tendency to absorb the humidity or moisture
contained in other flour (say, of corn or wheat) with which it may be mixed, and
consequently only a shaky, indigestible, and unsatisfactory compound or product
has hitherto been obtainable.
This objection to the use of this flour is entirely overcome by preparing the
maize dough in accordance with this Invention, and which consists in transforming
the starch contained in the maize flour (before being mixed with the corn or wheat
flour or other materials) into gluten by means of heating in suitable vessels and
treating the same, as hereinafter described.
The apparatus employed for the purpose consists of a tank or vessel treated by
being provided with a surrounding jacket or steain space, into which either live
steam is introduced, or which may contain water to be heated by a furnace

page_text: arranged beneath. Into this vessel the maize flour is placed, and is therein heated
to a temperature of about 104° Farenheit, after which boiling water is added in the
proportion of 100:105; the flour is then kneaded into dough either by revolving
blades or shovels of a suitable shape and fixed at a proper angle with regard to
each other, or the kneading operation is performed by a tool or shovel worked by
hand. As soon as a homogeneous compound is produced, and the temperature of
the same has risen to 176° Farenheit, the compound is taken out of the apparatus
and is placed to cool in troughs for twelve hours, or until the temperature has
fallen to from 82 to 86° Farenheit, when one half is mixed with the leavened dough
whilst the other half is added afterwards.
The proportion of maize flour is from 30 to 33 to 100 parts of wheat or corn
flour.
8
By mixing 100 parts of maize flour, so treated as aforesaid, with 100 parts of
corn bran and baking the mixture a suitable food for horses or other cattle is
produced.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Guy Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd
January 1881.
-
JOHN GUY WILSON, of the Office for British and Foreign Patents, 71, Market
Street, in the City of Manchester, Mechanical Engineer and Patent Agent. "A NEW
OR IMPROVED PROCESS OF PREPARING OR TREATING MAIZE OR INDIAN CORN
FLOUR, TO RENDER THE SAME CAPABLE OF BEING BAKED IN COMBINATION WITH
OTHER FLOURS OR MATERIALS, AND IN MACHINERY FOR THE PURPOSE." A com-
munication from abroad by P. Bahr and R. Brock, both of Hambury, in the Empire
of Germany.
During the baking of maize or Indian corn flour when mixed into dough in its
natural state such flour has a tendency to absorb the humidity or moisture
contained in other flour (say, of corn or wheat) with which it may be mixed, and
consequently, only a shaky, indigestible, and unsatisfactory compound or product
has hitherto been obtainable.
This objection to the use of this flour is overcome by preparing the maize dough
accordance with this Invention, and which consists in transforming the starch
contained in the maize flour (before being mixed with the corn or wheat flower or
other materials) into gluten by means of heating in suitable vessels and treating
the same, as herinafter described.
And in order that the said Invention may be the more readily understood and
carried into practical effect, I have hereunto annexed a Drawing illustrative of the
apparatus employed in performing the said Invention, and will now proceed to
describe the same by the Figures and letters of reference marked thereon.
Fig. 1 represents a front vertical section of the apparatus to be operated by hand;
Fig. 2 is a vertical front section, and Fig. 3, a sectional plan of an apparatus
designed to be used with motive power, and Fig. 4 represents a side view of one
of the shovels or blades employed in Fig. 2 and 3.
The hand apparatus, Fig. 1, consists of a metallic tank or vessel A heated by
being provided at the sides and bottom with a surrounding jacket or steam space
fitted with a safety valve c, into which space either live steam is introduced or
which may contain water to be heated by a furnace R arranged beneath.
The apparatus represented by Fig. 2 and 3 consists of a similar tank A with
surrounding steam jacket, and which is supplied with steam from any convenient
supply by means of the stop cock or valve h, the steam in this case being produced
in a separate generator; e is a safety valve, and h³, a draw off cock for condensed
water; R is a driving pulley gearing with a vertical shaft by bevil gearing, as
illustrated. This vertical shaft carries on its upper end the cross head & provided
with four suitable shovels or blades 8, 8, 81, s², which revolve within the annular
space formed between the cylindrical partitions a and a¹, and thus subject the
maize-flour-dough which is placed therein to the necessary kneading operation, the
shovels s¹, s¹, serving together and work the dough in to a central track, whilst
the shovels 8, 8, by their front edges coming together (as seen in plan, Fig. 3, spread
such dough out again. The shovels are of the shape shown by Fig. 4, the cut
away portion serving to tilt the dough over its upper edge, and in such a manner
that a horizontal mixing or kneading of the same is obtained in addition to the
stirring action.
:-
The different methods of preparing flour may be described as follows:-
1st. For a compound of maize and wheat flour, the maize flour is put into either
of the apparatus hereinbefore described and subjected to a constant and thorough
mixing or kneading, either by a hand shovel or by the kneading mechanism
hereinbefore described, until the flour has attained a temperature of 104° Fahrenheit.

page_text: There is then added to the heated maize flour boiling water in the proportions
of 100: 105. As soon as a homogeneous compound is obtained, and the temperature
of it has reached to 170° Fahrenheit, the compound is taken out of the apparatus.
It is then placed in troughs to gradually cool, say, for twelve hours, until the
temperature has fallen to from 82° to 86° Fahrenheit, when one half of the compound
is mixed with the leavened dough, whilst the other half of it is mixed with the
dough during the final preparing of the dough. If, for example, in accordance with
this Invention 30 parts of maize flour are prepared, there is mixed with this
quantity the dough prepared from 100 parts of wheat flour.
2nd. If it is required to prepare the dough for corn-bread to be mixed with
maize the same proceeding is to be observed, but the addition of maize may be
increased to 331/, per cent. As soon as the maize flour has reached the temperature
of 86° Fahrenheit the boiling water is added to it in the same proportion as
aforesaid. The homogeneous compound thus produced is taken out of the apparatus
at a temperature of 150° Fahrenheit. It is evident that at the moment of taking out
the maize dough the steam supply must be stopped to prevent any increase of
temperature.
3rd. By mixing maize flour, treated as aforesaid, with corn bran a new product
is obtained, which is especially useful as food for horses and cattle. The proceeding
is the same as with the second case, except that 100 parts of maize flour are mixed
with 100 parts of corn bran.
Having thus particularly described the nature of the said Invention so
communicated to me from abroad, as aforesaid, I wish it to be particularly under-
stood that I claim,―.
First. The improved method of preparing maize flour, so as to deprive it of the
quality of absorbing humidity from the dough of other cereals mixed with it,
substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
Second. The use and application of the improved apparatus, substantially as and for
the purposes herein before described and illustrated on the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Guy Wilson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty first day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
JOHN G. WILSON. (L.S.)