Improvements in and relating to the Treatment of Alimentary Substances.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Apr., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 28th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 24th Apr., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Treatment of Alimentary
Substances.
I. JAMES HOGARTH, of West Mills, Kirkcaldy, Fifeshire, Miller, and Corn
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to treat alimentary substances, such as flour and
granular materials, fermented or fermentable liquors or substances, and the like,
with "Rontgen" or like rays, so as to improve their properties.
As applied to the treatment of flour and granular materials, the improvements
would be carried into effect by feeding the substances by gravity down an angled
or vertical shoot in which are fitted one or more, preferably a series of "Crookes"
vacuum tubes connected with an electric current to give forth "Rontgen" rays
which will act on the travelling material to improve its properties. Or these tubes
can be so fitted as to give forth the "Rontgen" rays on the material when travelled
on a spiral conveyor, endless travelling band, reciprocatory or rotary sieve and
the like, or these rays may act on the materials in a stationary state when placed
in sacks or other holders. Or the alimentary materials whether of the granular
nature or in the form of fermented or fermentable liquors or substances may be
forced through tubes or conduits by pneumatic or other pressure and the "Orookes"
tubes be fitted through orifices in these conduits for the rays to act on the material.
Or the material may be drawn by the suction action of a fan through chambers in
which the "Rontgen" rays act. Or the materials may be placed in barrels or
other stationary containers fitted with "Crookes" tubes for the rays to act.
For the purpose of improving the baking properties of flour and like granular
materials and applicable also to the treatment of fermented or fermentable liquors
or substances.
Dated this 28th April 1896
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96 Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Treatment of Alimentary
Substances.
I, JAMES HOGARTH, of West Mills, Kirkcaldy, Fifeshire, Miller and Corn
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, that is to say :-
This invention has for its object to treat alimentary substances, such as flour
and granular materials, fermented or fermentable liquors or substances, and the
like, with "Rontgen" or like rays, so as to improve their properties.

page_text: As applied to the treatment of flour and granular materials, the improvements
would be carried into effect by feeding the substances by gravity down an angled
or vertical shoot in which are fitted one or more, preferably a series of "Crookes"
vacuum tubes connected with an electric current to give forth "Rontgen" rays
which will act on the travelling material to improve its properties, or these tubes
can be so fitted as to give forth the "Rontgen" rays on the material when
travelled on a spiral conveyor, endless travelling band, reciprocatory or rotary
sieve and the like, or these rays may act on the materials in a stationary state when
placed in sacks or other holders, or the alimentary materials whether of the
granular nature or in the form of fermented or fermentable liquors or substances
may be forced through tubes or conduits by pneumatic or other pressure and the
"Crockes" tubes be fitted through orifices in these conduits for the rays to act
on the material. Or the material may be drawn by the suction action of a fan
through chambers in which the "Rontgen" rays act. Or the materials may be
placed in barrels or other stationary containers fitted with "Crookes" tubes.for
the rays to act.
For the purpose of improving the baking properties of flour and like granular
materials and applicable also to the treatment of fermented or fermentable liquors
or substances.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of carrying same into
practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended two sheets of
explanatory diagram drawings representing views in elevations and in which the
same reference letters are used to indicate like parts in the several figures where
shown.
Figure 1 represents grain falling by gravity from a shoot a through a wooden
or other vertical box chamber a¹ on to an angled delivery board a². Lamps with
Crookes vacuum tubes bare mounted in front of the chamber a' which may be
fitted with a glass or other suitable front, and the electric current conducting
wires lead to and from said tubes b. By this means the Rontgen rays
generated in the Crookes tubes b are made to shine through the grain so as to
improve its properties. In Figure 2 the grain is represented as passing over
angled shelves or baffle plates a fitted on opposite sides within the conduit
chamber a' and the lamps b with Crookes tubes as fitted within the chamber.
The arrangement shown in Figure 3 is analogous to that shown in Figure 1, the
modification being that the casing a' is placed at an angle and a series of angled
shelves as are fitted therein to retard the downward progress of the grain. If
liquids be treated in the arrangements shown in Figures 1 to 3, a fibrous web
would be employed to cover the casing a'. Figure 4 is also analogous to Figure 1
the modification being that the interior of the chamber a' is formed as or fitted
with a spiral deflecting passage for the grain to pass slowly through, the walls of
the chamber being formed of wood, glass, gauze or other suitable material through
which the rays will penetrate.
In Figure 5 the chamber a' is placed horizontally and the grain fed along in
front of the Rontgen rays by means of a spiral or worm conveyor c mounted on a
shaft carried in bearings in the ends of casing a¹ and supported by a bracket c
outside, this shaft being driven through fast and loose pulleys c c. The Rontgen
rays will shine through the top and bottom of the casing a from the Crookes tube
lamps b.
In Figure 6 the grain is carried from the shoot a to the delivery board a³, by
an endless travelling band d driven and carried over pulleys d' d³, and the Rontgen
rays play on the grain from the lamps b.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 7 the grain is fed from a shoot a on to an
ordinary reciprocating sieve a suspended by rods d', and which may or may not
have an additional oscillatory motion imparted to it, the Rontgen rays shining on
to and treating the grain before it escapes at the exit a².
In the arrangement shown in Figure 8 an ordinary rotary sieve a' is used fitted
with outer gauze sieve or it may be wooden cover a and with shelves a' inside to

page_text: ift the grain and allow it to fall by gravity, or the shelves a need not be used it
sufficient speed is applied to lift the grain and scatter it over the inside. This
otary sieve may be driven by bevel gear and the end A be raised up or down for
low or quick feed. The grain would be fed into sieve by the shoot a, and in its
rotary motion get acted on by the Rontgen rays from the lamps b.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 9 a sack a¹ is represented as carried on a
trolley or carriage A'. This sack a¹ may contain granular material or the like,
and the Rontgen rays from the Crookes tube lamps 6 play on same.
Instead of a
sack, a wooden barrel containing liquid may be fitted on the trolley A' and be
acted on by the Rontgen rays.
b
In the arrangement shown in Figure 10 grain from a hopper a is elevated through
receiving
the pipe a which would preferably be made of glass or wood, into a
chamber B, by means of a fan or suction pump connected by the pipe B' to the
chamber B, while the elevated grain would be periodically delivered through a
discharge door at B. Air would be admitted to pass up with the grain through
the annular space formed between the lower part of pipe a' and a surrounding
sleeve A2, which would regulate the velocity of ascending grain. In passing up
the pipe a¹ the grain would be subjected to the Rontgen rays from the Crookes
tube lamps b, while one or more of these lamps 6 may be placed in the receiver B.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 11 a regulated quantity of liquid would be
passed from the shoot a through the tube a' into the receiver B, and in passing
through the tube he acted on by the Rontgen rays from the Crookes tube lamps b,
which may be located as shown in the drawing. In the arrangement shown in
Figure 12 liquid is elevated from a tank Bs through a pipe B into the vertical
stand pipe a¹, from whence it is delivered into a cistern B. This is effected by a
current of compressed air from an air compressor or blower through the pipe B,
and in passing through the pipe a' the mixture of liquid and air is subjected to
the Rontgen rays from the Crookes tube lamps 6 located as shown. A pipe B' is
provided for the escape of air from the cistern B. The arrangement shown in
Figure 13 is analogous to that shown in Figure 12, the modification being that
cocks B B are fitted on the liquid and compressed air pipes B* B* respectively
to regulate the volume passing through these, while the pipe B' would be connected.
to a vacuum pump, and the liquid would thus be subjected to combined air pressure
and vacuum. In the arrangement shown in Figure 14 liquid would be fed from a
cistern e through a pipe e and regulating cock e to a closed in chamber a¹ where
it would be subjected to the Rontgen rays from a Crookes tube lamp b suspended
in the liquor. The treated liquor would be run off by a pipe fitted with a
regulating cock e, into barrels or receivers e, or an automatic feed of the treated
liquid may take place to these receivers from the vessel a¹ by means of any
ordinary siphon pipe regulated by a float. In the arrangement shown in Figure 15
liquid is fed by a pipe e fitted with a regulating cock e' on to a conoidal or
angular surface spreader a¹ which receives a rotating motion from a shaft and
pulley Rontgen rays play on the liquid from the Crookes tube lamps 6 as it
Hows down the surface of cone, and the treated liquid is received in the stationary
gutter below. In the arrangement shown in Figure 16 grain is treate! in an
ordinary wooden mixing machine fitted with a series of agitators f, and subjected
to Rontgen rays from a series of Crookes tube lamps b, the treated material being
afterwards delivered through a door B2. In the arrangement shown in Figure 17
the grain is treated in a hopper shaped vessel a' by the Rontgen raya from a
series of Crookes tube lamps b carried on arms 68 projecting from a rotating
shaft. The grain is fed to the hopper a¹ from a shoot a secured to a bow
frame suspended from above. As the arms & rotate the Rontgen rays shine
on the grain while the top of the latter may be agitated by guides 6 fitted to
arms b³.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 18 a centrifugal machine would be used for
spraying or treating liquids under the influence of the Rontgen rays.
This method of employing Rontgen rays may be applied to the substances

page_text: hereinbefore described, or component parts thereof either in the preparatory
stages of manufacture or during manufacture or to the finished product.
In any of these arrangements powerful reflectors may be employed for
concentrating the rays on the material being treated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The method of treating alimentary substances consisting in subjecting
these to Rontgen or like rays, substantially as herein described in reference to and
shown in the accompanying drawings.
Second. In carrying out the method described in Claim i the arrangements of
devices herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 27th dose of Tonna 1907
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96 Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.