IMPROVED MEANS. AND APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING STARCH FROM RICE AND OTHER CEREALS OR FECULA
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edouard Remy, Managing Director of the Firm of
E. Remy and Company, and Jules Denis, Civil Engineer, both residing at
Louvain, in the Kingdom of Belgium, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS.
AND APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING STARCH FROM RICE AND OTHER CEREALS OR
FECULA."
Scaled the 6th March 1877, and dated the 7th September 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edouard Remy and Jules
Denis at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th September
1876.
EDOUARD REMY, Managing Director of the Firm of E. Remy and Company, and
JULES DENIS, Civil Engineer, both residing at Louvain, in the Kingdom of Belgium.
"IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING STARCH FROM RICE AND
OTHER CEREALS OR FECULA,"
.
This Invention relates especially to the the extraction of starch from rice flour,
but it is also generally applicable to the extraction of starch from cereals, potatoes,
and other sources of fecula.
According to the method usually employed in the manufacture of rice starch, the
rice after having been ground by millstones is treated with soda which saponifies'
the gluten and fatty substances, the separation of the starch from the fibrous
matters of the cells is then effected by decanting from the bulk of the liquid which;
contains, the whole- in suspension that part which contains the starch. This
separation is effected in an imperfect manner, because the millstones in their action
upon the rice do not break up the cells sufficiently to liberate the whole of the
starch.
Our Invention has for object the remedying of this defect, and consists in sub-
mitting the ruc after it has been ground to the rubbing action of brushes.
We do not propose to confine ourselves to any particular arrangement of apparatus
for applying the action of the brushes, but we find the following arrangements:
suitable and convenient:-A fixed circular cast-iron plate has bolted or otherwise
fixed thereto a flat circular brush of hog's bristles. A second, circular cast-iron-
plate also furnished with a flat circular brush similar to that last described is
mounted upon an an axis, and arranged in such manner that the brush carried by it
bears against the brush carried by the fixed plate, the said second plate and brush.
[Price 6d1

page_text: being caused to rotate at any desired speed by means of the said axis and suitable
pulleys or gearing. The second plate and brush should be arranged so as to be
capable of being adjusted closer to or further from the fixed brush, as may be
required
The material to be treated may be introduced between the brushes through an
opening in the centre of either provided with a feed pipe and hopper. The lower
plate should be surrounded with a rim or border rising to the level of the free ends
of the bristles composing the brush attached to it, whereby the liquid matter is
forced to overflow at the level of the plane of contact of the two brushes. It may
also be provided with an enlargement in the centre, the object of which is to force
the liquid entering through the feed pipe to take the same direction.
The ground rice is introduced after saponification at the centre of the two circular
brushes above referred to by the feed pipe and hopper, and is driven by the centri-
fugal force resulting from the motion of the rotating brush to pass between the
bristles of the two brushes, being finally ejected at the circumference thereof reduced
to a state of division,' which allows of the complete separation of the starch from the
foreign matters contained in the rice.
Instead of hog's bristles the brushes may be made of horsehair; or the material
known in commerce as "crin végétal," dog's grass, iron, steel, or copper wire, or
other suitable material. If preferred both brushes may be made to revolve. They
may be placed horizontally, vertically, or obliquely, or one may be placed hori
zontally and the other vertically. Instead of being made flat they may be made
cylindrical, conical, or other suitable shape. The two brushes may form two plane
surfaces, and they may have a rectilinear alternate motion imparted to them, or any
other motion producing friction one against the other."
If preferred one of the brushes may be replaced by any suitable substance capable
of producing friction between itself and the single brush, and either the brush may
be made to move drawing or rubbing the material against the substance, or the
substance may be made to move drawing and rubbing the material against the
brush, or both may be made to move as may be preferred.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edouard Remy and Jules Denis in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 7th March 1877.
EDOUARD REMY, Managing Director of the Firm of E. Remy and Company, and
JULES DENIS, Civil Engineer, both residing at Louvain, in the Kingdom of Belgium
IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING STARCH FROM RICE AND
OTHER CEREALS OR FECULA."
"
This Invention relates especially to the extraction of starch from rice flour, but is
also generally applicable to the extraction of starch from other cereals.
According to the method usually employed in the manufacture of rice starch, the
rice after having been ground by millstones is treated with soda, which saponifies
the gluten and fatty substances. The separation of the starch from the fibrous
matters of the cells is then effected by decanting from the bulk of the liquid, which
contains the whole, in suspension, that part which contains the starch. This
separation is effected in an imperfect manner, because the millstones in their action
upon the rice do not break up the cells sufficiently to liberate the whole of the
starch.
Our Invention has for object the remedying of this defect, and consists in sub-.
mitting the rice after it has been ground to the rubbing action of brushes. In the
Drawing A is a fixed circular cast-iron plate, to which is bolted or otherwise fixed a
flat circular brush of hog's bristles B. A second circular cast-iron plate C, also
furnished with a flat circular brush D, similar to that last described, is mounted

page_text: upon an axis E. The said second plate and brush are caused to rotate at any
desired speed by means of the said axis and suitable pulleys or gearing. The
plate C may be raised or lowered on the axis E by means of the screwed plate F,
to which it is suspended by means of the three hooks F¹; it is provided near its
centre with openings H and a hopper K, through which the material to be treated
is introduced between the brushes by means of a feed pipe L The lower plate is
furnished with a rim or border M rising to the level of the free ends of the bristles
composing the brush attached to it, whereby the liquid matter is forced to overflow
at the level of the plane of contact of the two brushes. It may also be provided
with an enlargement N in the centre, the object of which is to force the liquid
entering through the feed pipe L, hopper K, and openings H, to take immediately
the direction of the same plane.
The ground rice is introduced after saponification at the centre of the two circular
brushes above referred to by the feed pipe L and hopper K, and is driven by the
centrifugal force resulting from the motion of the rotating brush D to pass between
the bristles of the two brushes B and D, being thereby reduced to a state of division
which allows of the complete separation of the starch from the foreign matters con-
tained in the rice; the material is thus caused to move from the centre towards the
circumference Y in the direction indicated by the arrows.
It will be obvious that the apparatus above described is merely an example of
the means that may be employed in the application of brushes to the manufacture
of any kind of starch or fecula, and we desire it to be understood that we do not
confine ourselves to the particular arrangements described and illustrated, as they
may be varied without departing from the nature of the Invention.
For example, instead of hog's bristles, the brushes may be made of horsehair, or
the material known in commerce as "crin végétal," dog's grass, iron, steel, or copper
wire, or other suitable material. If preferred both brushes may be made to revolve.
They may be placed horizontally, vertically, or obliquely, or one may be placed
horizontally and the other vertically. Instead of being made flat they may be made
cylindrical, conical, or other suitable shape. The two brushes may form two plane
surfaces, and have a rectilinear alternate motion imparted to them or any other
motion producing friction one against the other.
If preferred in any of the above applications one of the brushes may be replaced
by any suitable substance capable of producing friction between the material and
the single brush, and either the brush may be made to move drawing and rubbing
the material against the substance, or the substance may be made to move drawing
and rubbing the material against the brush, or both may be made to move as may be
preferred.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention and the manner in
which the same is to or may be performed, we would have it understood that what
we claim as our Invention is, the application and use of brushes in the extraction of
starch from rice and other cereals, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Edouard Remy and Jules Denis, have here-
unto set our hands and seals, this Sixth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
(L.S)
E. REMY
JULES DENIS. (LS.)