IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STARCH
Year: 1841

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
THOMAS BERGER, of Upper Homerton, Hackney, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twenty-eighth day of June, in the fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Thomas Berger, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and.
authority, that I, the said William Thomas Berger, my exors, adiñors, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Thomas Berger, my exors,
admiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STARCH;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso that I, the said William Thomas Berger, should cause
a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the'
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Thomas Berger, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention,

page_text: and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention relates, first, to a mode of manufacturing starch from rice by
the application of an alkaline salt, whereby the gluten is dissolved or freed so
that the starch may be separated therefrom by precipitation.
Secondly, to a mode of manufacturing starch by submitting grains of rice to
soaking in water, and fermenting processes.
Thirdly, my Invention relates to a mode of manufacturing starch from rice,
by the combined application of an alkaline salt with a process of fermentation.
Fourthly, my Invention relates to a mode of blueing starch.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood, and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the processes pursued by me.
DESCRIPTION of the Process of Manufacturing Starch from Rice by the
Application of an Alkaline Salt, in order to separate the Gluten and
Starch.
. It will be desirable to state that various alkaline salts have the property of
enabling the gluten and starch of rice to be separated; but those which I have
found to be most suitable, both from their cheapness and general efficient
action, are carbonate of soda, or carbonate of potash (chloride of soda acts
well, though that alkaline salt is too costly when compared with the prices of
carbonate of soda and potash). The other soluble alkaline salts, which act more
or less to produce the desired effect by dissolving or freeing gluten, and thus
facilitating the separation of the starch therefrom by precipitation, are all, I
believe, too costly, even if they would act as well as carbonate of soda or
carbonate of potash; I will therefore confine my description to the use of
carbonate of soda, which is the alkaline salt I commonly apply. I take
one hundred and twelve pounds of whole or unground rice, free from
its outer bran or pellicle, and put it into a vessel and cover it with water, in
order to its swelling, and taking in all the moisture it will. After soaking
two days the water is to be drawn away by a tap or by a plug-hole at the
bottom of the vessel; the rice is then to be reduced to a fine pulp, or creamy
state, by passing it with water through levigators (or by any other convenient
means), straining it as it comes from the levigators through a sieve of about
sixty holes or meshes to the inch (called a sixty-hole sieve), returning the
"gruff" or coarse parts in the sieve through the levigators again, and again
through the sieve until all has passed through the sieve; should more water
have been used in causing the rice to pass through the levigators than will
leave the bulk thus ground of the consistency of thick cream, then it will be

page_text: well to allow the rice thus ground to subside, when the top clear water may
be drawn off and the balk well stirred up; I then make a solution of carbonate
of soda by putting into a vessel seven pounds of carbonate of soda, and add thereto
three and a half gallons of water, either hot or cold, and when thoroughly
dissolved and cold I add the solution to the rice, stirring well for half an hour,
and then allow the matters to remain from fifty to sixty hours, stirring well
once in every four hours; I then allow the matters to stand from twelve to
eighteen hours for depositing, when the top liquor containing the gluten is to
be drawn off by means of a syphon; the remaining matters are then to be well
stirred up, and another solution of carbonate of soda of the same strength and
quantity added, stirring well every four hours till the matters have been together
fifty to sixty hours, they are then to be allowed to stand from twelve to
eighteen hours for depositing, as before, when the top liquor containing more
of the gluten is to be drawn off by means of a syphon; the remaining matter
is to be well stirred up and reduced to quite a thin state by adding about two
handred and twenty-four gallons of water. This mixture is now to be slowly
and continuously pumped into a long vat (used sometimes by starch manu--
facturers for cleansing or separating the heavy refuse particles from wheat
starch when in the pulp or liquid state) having three or more compartments,
which allows the heaviest particles to subside in the first receiver or compart-
ment, the liquor containing the starch flowing over the partition into the second
compartment will deposit more of the heavy particles, and so on until the-
liquor containing the starch comes from the vat free from all grit and refuse
matter. A workman, after a short practice of this process, will readily judge.
how this process is proceeding, or he may ascertain how it is going on by
putting some of the liquor into a glass and allowing it to stand for a minute or
two, when the grit or refuse matter will be seen to deposit at the bottom, if there
be any, upon which the stream thrown by the pump must be lessened, which.
will produce the desired effect. When the whole of the liquor has been thus
pumped through the vat, I take the refuse matter from each compartment, and
(if thought necessary) put upon it another solution of carbonate of soda of the
same strength, and, as nearly as can be judged, the same proportions as used
at first, allowing it to stand twenty-four hours, after which it is to be made as
thin as before with cold water, and pumped carefully through the vat. The
fine liquors obtained as above explained, containing the starch, are allowed to
remain in vats or frames in which they are received as they come from the
separating vat, until the starch is fully settled, when the waste waters are to
be drawn off by a syphon, and the starch beat up, washed, strained, and
finished in the usual way of manufacturing starch.

page_text: I would remark, that although I have been particular in describing the
actual means pursued by me, and which I believe to be the best for the purpose,
yet I do not think it necessary to confine the operation thereto so long as the
peculiar character of this part of my Invention be retained, whereby rice is
acted on by an alkaline salt in order to dissolve or act upon gluten, and thus
to obtain the separation of starch therefrom, as also from the other products
of rice.
I will now proceed to describe the second part of my Invention, which
relates, as before stated, to a mode of manufacturing starch from grains of
rice by soaking and fermenting processes. In manufacturing starch from
grain (generally wheat), it is the practice to grind the same before soaking,
but, owing to the brittleness of rice, it would be costly and prejudicial to grind
the same to a fine flour, as practised with wheat, and I have discovered that
the requisite fermentation may be obtained to the grains of rice, without such
previous grinding to a flour or powder, and I accomplish such fermentation
either wholly by soaking, or by soaking combined with what I call a malting
process, in which, however, it may be stated, that no germination, I believe,
takes place.
DESCRIPTION of Process for Manufacturing Starch from Rice by Soaking
Grains of Rice combined with a Process which I call Malting.
I put any given quantity of the grains of rice, free from the outer bran or
pellicle, into a vessel, and add sufficient water to cover it about six to nine
inches, and allow it to remain in this state for about fourteen days, when the
water is to be drawn away by a tap or plug-hole at the bottom of the vessel;
the rice is now to undergo the process I have called malting; it is taken out
and spread six to nine inches deep, upon a perfectly clean wooden floor or
racks fitted up for the purpose, taking great care to turn it once or twice a
day, or more often should there be any signs of the rice heating. It is to
remain in this state until it becomes soft enough to crush easily between the
thumb and finger, which is generally brought about after laying from four to
six days; it is then to be gathered up and reduced to a pulp by levigating, or
other convenient means. Should the rice have become dry, or nearly so, I find
it advantageous to put it over night into a vat to soak with water, as it greatly
facilitates the reducing it by levigating; I then pass it through a sieve as it
comes from the mill, and keep returning the "gruff" or heavy particles
through the mill and sieve until it has all passed through the sieve, when I
reduce the pulp by adding about two hundred and thirty-four gallons of water
to every one hundred and twelve pounds of rice, and when stirred well I pump

page_text: it through a vat having compartments, as before described in the first part of
my Invention, taking out the heavy particles from the several compartments
of the vat, and returning them (if judged needful) to the levigating process.
It is then to be made thin as before, and pumped through the vat, when the
refuse matters may be taken out from the compartments. The liquor con-
taining the starch is to be allowed to remain in the respective vats or frames
which receive it as it comes from the separating vat until the starch is fully
settled, when the waste water is to be drawn off, and any brown matter removed
from the surface of the starch. The starch is now to be beat or stirred up,
strained, and finished in the usual way of manufacturing starch.
Or, in place of using what I have called the malting process, in combination with
the soaking process, I sometimes obtain the requisite fermentation when soaking
grains of rice. I put any given quantity of grains of rice, free from its outer
bran or pellicle, into a vessel, and add sufficient quantity of water to cover it
about nine to twelve inches; it is to be allowed to remain for five or six weeks,
when the gluten will have become decomposed, and held or partly held in
solution by its spontaneous fermentation, at the expiration of which time the
thick mucilaginous matter containing the gluten and other products is to be
drawn away by means of a tap at the bottom of the vessel. The rice, which will
be soft, now be readily brought to a pasty or pulpy state by passing through a
levigating mill and sieve, as before described, or by other convenient means,
until it is all reduced to a fine pulp. To this pulp add about two hundred and
twenty-four gallons of water to every one hundred and twelve pounds of rice;
the same are to be stirred well and pumped through the separating vat,
as before mentioned, and the starch is to be finished in the usual way of starch
manufacture.
I would remark, that if it should be found that the color of the starch
(produced by either of the foregoing processes) be not quite so good or pure
as desired, then I make a solution of chloride of lime by taking four pounds of
chloride of lime and adding twenty-four gallons of water, stirring it well for a
quarter of an hour; it is then allowed to settle till the lime has gone to the
bottom of the vessel. I now draw off the clear liquor, and add the same to
one hundred and twelve pounds of rice, stirring the mixture well for two hours,
and allow it to stand for twelve hours, when the clear liquor may be drawn off
and the starch stirred up, washed, strained, and finished in the usual way. I
also find a solution of chloride of soda to have the same effect.
.
I would remark, in respect to this part of my Invention, that although I
have been particular in describing the processes pursued by me for separating
the starch from the other products by the fermentation of grains of rice,

page_text: I take rice after it has been fermented and brought to a pulpy state under
or by either process as above described, and add a solution of an alkaline salt;
I usually employ carbonate of soda made after the same proportions as before
explained, and add the same to every one hundred and twelve pounds of rice
contained in the pulp, the mixture being well stirred for half an hour, and
then allowed to remain from fifty to sixty hours, stirring every four hours; it
is then left without stirring for twelve to eighteen hours for depositing, when
the top discoloured liquor is to be drawn off. The bulk is now to be well
stirred up, and made thin with two hundred and twenty-four gallons of water
to every one hundred and twelve pounds of rice, then pumped through the
separating vat as before described, and finished in the usual way.-Note. It
should be stated that if the product of any of the above processes after washing
indicate spontaneous fermentation, add one ounce of sulphuric acid diluted in
one gallon of water to every one hundred and twelve pounds of rice.
I will now describe the fourth part of my Invention, which relates to a
mode of blueing starch, whether made from rice or other materials. It is
well known that in coloring starch as heretofore practised, smalts are used.
Now the object of this part of my Invention is to apply what is called
"artificial ultramarine," which is a color well known in commerce and the arts,
and can be readily purchased. In using this material, care is to be observed
that any acid which may exist in the starch (when about to color the same)
is to be saturated or neutralized by an alkali, and the ordinary test paper will
indicate when the acid is neutralized; and in order to ensure this to be the
case, I prefer the alkali to be slightly in excess of saturating the acid, the
starch manufacturer will then color with the artificial ultramarine to the
extent desired.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the best means I

page_text: am acquainted with for performing the same, I wish it to be understood that
what I claim is,-
First, the above mode of manufacturing starch from rice by the application
of an alkaline salt, whereby the gluten and starch of rice may be separated as
above described.
Secondly, I claim the mode of manufacturing starch from rice by
submitting grains of rice to soaking in water and fermenting processes, as
above described.
Thirdly, I claim the mode of manufacturing starch from rice by the com-
bined application of an alkaline salt, and a process of fermentation, as above
described; and,
Fourthly, I claim the mode of colouring starch by the application of arti-
ficial ultramarine, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thomas Berger, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-one.