Improvements in Apparatus for Treating Crushed Grain.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Jan., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 14th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 19th Oct., 1888
Improvements in Apparatus for Treating Crushed Grain.
I JOSEPH EMILE PRENEZ of 95 Boulevard Beaumarchais, Paris in the Republic
of France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide for the more efficient treatment than
heretofore of grain of all kinds which has been first crushed, for the purpose of
obtaining a complete exhaustion of the grain, and the invention consists in a particular
combination of apparatus for effecting this object.
In some of the apparatus actually in use, the boiling and saccharification by acids
are effected in a Papin's digester at high pressure.-These apparatus produce only an
incomplete caramelisation and saccharification.
In carrying out my invention, I employ two separate vessels or apparatus in which
to effect the boiling, steeping, or soaking of grain and the saccharification of the
liquor, by which means I obtain very important results.
Of the two apparatus, one I term the boiler and the other the saccharifier.-The first
consists of a cylindrical or conical vessel in wood or in metal, and provided with a
false bottom formed by bars covered with a filtering material.
The capacity of this false bottom-will be equal to the capacity of the saccharifier.
The bottom of the boiler is connected by a pipe with the top of the saccharifier.
This pipe is provided with a three-armed junction with suitable cocks, and the arm
which communicates with the saccharifier is provided with a valve. The boiler is
provided at top with a cover in which is an inlet opening for the grain, and a pipe
provided with a cock for the acid and water, and also a safety valve, and near the
bottom is a man-hole to remove the spent grain.
The saccharifier consists of a cylindrical or other shaped vessel containing a series of
vertical tubes intended for the saccharification of the liquid coming from the boiler,
and round and between which the steam for heating circulates. The steam is
introduced near the top of the vessel, while the water of condensation escapes by a
pipe near the lower part to a suitable reservoir. A pipe passes through the saccharifier
to the bottom of the vessel, and connects it with the top of the boiler.

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The action of the machine is as follows:-The grain first crushed is introduced into
the boiler with a certain amount of acidulated water, which draws from the grain
certain quantity of amylacecus matter.
The liquor which filters through the filtering material passes by the pipe to the
saccharifier, and, on its way, raises the valve, which, after the passage of the liquid,
descends under the influence of a weight or spring pressure. The liquid then passes
into the saccharifier where, due to the temperature saccharification, takes place in an
absolutely complete manner.
0
The vapour which is disengaged, soon acquires pressure sufficient to close the valve,
if not previously closed, and causes the boiled or highly heated liquor to mount the
upcast pipe and enter the boiler, where it acts on the grain therein contained, and
takes up, by dissolution, a fresh quantity of amylaceous matter.
The liquor filtering through the fabric collects in the false bottom, and the valve
yields when a suitable pressure is attained, and the operation is repeated until the
liquor has attained the density favourable to fermentation, when it is drawn off into a
suitable reservoir for subsequent treatment.
The boiling and saccharifying process are continued until the grain is quite spent,
and the grain is then removed, to be treated for any purpose to which it may be
applicable, such as to extract the oil it may contain, and to form it into cake for cattle
food.
The filtration of the liquor, it will be seen from the above description is continuous,
but the saccharification is intermittent.
By means of this apparatus, I obtain the maximuin result in the exhaustion of the
grain, an absolute saccharification of the liquor, which is very clear, and consequently
a good fermentation, and easy and economical distillation, and a considerable increase
in the quantity of alcohol produced as compared with the processes now in use.
Dated this 17th day of January 1888.

page_text: I, JOSEPH EMILE PRENEZ of 95 Boulevard Beaumarchais, Paris, in the Republic
of France, Engineer, 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:-
The object of this invention is to more effectually treat than heretofore crushed
grain for the purpose of obtaining complete saccharification and exhaustion of the
grain, and the invention consists in a particular combination of apparatus for effecting
this object.
In many of the apparatus actually in use. the boiling and the saccharification by
acid takes place in a Papin's digester, at high pressure, but these apparatus produce
only an incomplete caramelisation and saccharification.
According to my invention, I employ two absolutely distinct vessels or apparatus in
which to effect the boiling, steeping or soaking of the grain and the saccharification
of the liquor, by which means I obtain greatly improved results. Of the two vessels
or apparatus, one I term the boiler, and the other the saccharifier.
In the accompanying drawing :-
Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of my improved apparatus; and
Fig. 2 is a cross section of the saccharifier.
A is the boiler, and B the saccharifier.
The boiler consists of a cylindrical or conical vessel in wood or in metal, and
provided with a false bottom formed by bars covered with a filtering material.
The capacity of the space below this false bottom will be equal to the capacity of
the saccharifier.
The bottom part of the boiler A., below the false bottom, is connected by a pipe C
with the upper part of the saccharifier B. This pipe is provided with a three-armed
junction with suitable cocks, and the arm which communicates with the saccharifier iş
provided with a valve S, the working of which will be referred to.hereafter. The
boiler is provided at top with a cover in which is an inlet opening E for the grain,
and a pipe provided with a cock D for the acid and water, also with a valve at F,
intended to maintain, in the interior of the vessel, a pressure equal to the exterior
pressure, and near the bottom is a man-hole G to remove the spent grain.
The saccharifier B consists of a cylindrical or other shaped vessel containing a series
of vertical tubes intended for the saccharification of the liquid coming from the boiler A,
and round and between which the steam for heating circulates. The steam is intro-
duced near the top of the vessel at H, while the water of condensation_produced,
escapes by a pipe I near the lower part to a suitable reservoir K. A pipe L descends
vertically through the saccharifier to the bottom of the vessel B, and connects it with
the top of the boiler A.-At its upper end, this pipe has a branch M.
The action of the machine is as follows:-
The grain, first crushed in any convenient manner, is introduced into the boiler A,
by the opening E, with a certain amount of acidulated water arriving by the pipe D.
This acid water draws from the grain a certain quantity of amylaceous matter.

page_text: This liquor, which filters through the filtering material, passes by the pipe C to the
saccharifier, and, on its way, raises the valve S, which, after the passage of the liquid,
falls or closes under the influence of a weight, or spring pressure. The liquid then
passes into the saccharifier, where, due to the temperature, which is rapidly raised in
the apparatus by reason of its great heating surface, and which readily passes 125° C.,
saccharification takes place in an absolutely complete manner.
The vapour which is disengaged, soon acquires pressure sufficient to close the
valve S, if not previously closed, and causes the boiled or highly heated liquor to
mount the upcast pipe L, and enter the boiler, where it acts on the grain therein
contained, and takes up, by dissolution, a fresh quantity of amylaceous matter.
The liquor, filtering again through the fabric, collects under the false bottom, the
valve S yields to the weight of the liquor behind it, and the liquor is again introduced
into the saccharifier. The operations are repeated until the liquor has attained the
density favourable to fermentation, when it is drawn off into a suitable reservoir for
subsequent treatment.
The boiling and saccharifying processes are continued until the grain is quite spent,
fresh quantities of acidulated water being added as required, and the spent grain is
then removed through the man-hole G, to be treated for any purpose to which it may
be applicable, such as to extract the oil it may contain, and to form it into cake for
cattle food.
As the liquor obtained from the final operation on one lot of grain, will probably
not attain the proper density for fermentation, it will therefore be run into a suitable
vessel, pending the introduction, into the boiler A, of a fresh lot of grain, when it will
be used to commence operations on this lot of fresh grain.
The filtration of the liquor, it will be seen from the above description, is continuous,
but the saccharification is intermittent.
By means of this apparatus, I obtain the maximum result in the exhaustion of the
grain, an absolutely complete saccharification of the liquor, which is very clear, and
consequently a good fermentation, an easy and economical distillation, and a consider-
able increase in the quantity of alcohol produced as compared with the processes now
in use.
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 :-
:-
In apparatus for treating grain, the combination of two vessels, a boiler and a
saccharifier, such as above described and represented, with a suitably counterbalanced
valve in the connecting pipe between the two vessels, which valve permits of the
intermittent introduction of the liquor into the saccharifier, and ensures its return into
the boiler at a temperature exceeding 125 degrees C., and when a certain pressure in
the saccharifier is attained, as set forth.
Dated this 14th day of September 1888.