Year: 1886

page_text: .
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 :-
This invention relates to an improvement in that method of extracting starch
from Indian corn or maize which consists essentially in first steeping the corn until
the kernels have become softened; then reducing the corn in such manner that the
starch is reduced to a fine meal while the hulls and germs are detached in large
fragments from the starchy portions of the kernels, and then separating the starch
meal from the hulls and germs by sifting.
In practising this method heretofore the corn was partially dried, after steeping,
by permitting the water to drain thoroughly from the corn through a perforated
false bottom in the steep tank. This operation consumed several hours without
however leaving the corn in as dry a state as was desirable in order to obtain the
best results in the subsequent steps of reducing the sifting. The object of the
present invention is to prepare the steeped corn for reduction in less time than
heretofore and in a more satisfactory manner, and my invention consists to that
end, principally, in drying the steeped corn by forcing air through the same after
the water has been drawn off, as hereinafter fully set forth.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a plant of machinery by which my invention
can be practised.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of the steep tank.
Figure 3 is a horizontal section in line x, x, Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal section of one of the separators.
Figure 5 is a vertical cross section on line y, y, Figure 4.
Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.
A represents the store bin or receptacle in which the Indian corn is contained.
B represents the steep tank which may be constructed of iron, wood or other
suitable material and which receives the corn from the bin A. The tank B is
provided with a perforated false bottom b through which the steep water is drawn ·
off through a pipe b¹ provided with a cock b².
c represents an air pipe which enters the chamber C underneath the false bottom b
and which is provided with a suitable cock c d d represent vertical perforated
air pipes arranged in the body of the steep tank B and connected at their lower
ends by branch pipes d' with an air pipe d³ which is provided with a cock d³.
Both air pipes c and d are connected with a common supply pipe D which receives
D

page_text: the air from a receiver E. E represents an air compresser of any suitable con-
struction whereby air is forced into the receiver E and through the supply pipe D
into the chamber C and perforated pipes d. When a considerable air pressure is
desired in the receiver E, I prefer to employ a cylinder compresser having a recip-
rocating piston, but when a low pressure is sufficient to accomplish the desired
purpose a rotary compresser may be employed. F represents a heating coil in
which the air may be heated, if desired, before entering the receiver E.
G represents a tank or bin which receives the steeped corn from the tank B.
H represents a reducing machine which receives the corn from the tank G and in
which the corn is reduced in such manner that the hulls and germs are detached
in large fragments from the starchy portions of the kernels, while the starchy
portions are reduced to a fine meal, so that the fragments of hulls and germs can
'be separated from the starch meal and from each other by sifting, as the fragments
of hulls are much larger than the fragments of germs. The reducing machine
preferably employed for this purpose is provided with several concentric rows of
beaters revolving at a high speed in opposite directions within an enclosing case.
If preferred, however, a disc mill, roller mill or any other suitable reduction machine
may be employed.
I represents a receptacle which receives the reduced corn from the reduction
machine H, and J is an elevator whereby the reduced material is elevated to a
receiver K.
L représents a screen separator which effects & separation of the starch meal
from the fragments of hulls and germs. This separator consists of an upper shaking
screen and a lower:shaking screen 1, both secured together so as to be simul-
taneously vibrated by a connecting rod 12, and eccentric 13, or other suitable means.
The upper screen 7 has a greater pitch than the lower screen and is covered with
a coarse wire cloth, which permits the starch meal and fragments of germs to pass
through upon the fine screen ', while the hulls tail off. The lower screen ¹ is
clothed with a cloth of the proper mesh to permit only the starch to pass through
while the fragments of germs tail off. The coarse upper screen immediately
removes the hulls from the starch, thereby relieving the lower screen materially
and also acts as a disintegrator in breaking up aggregations of fragments and
liberating the starch contained therein, so that it can pass through the upper screen.
This compound screen is supported at its head end by rock arms m so as to receive
an oscillatory motion, and at its tail end by slides so as to receive a reciprocating
or sliding motion, in a well known manner. The rock arms m are attached to a
horizontal rock-shaft m' which carries also a knocker arm m². The latter is moved
up and down by the oscillations of the rock-shaft and strikes against a cross-
piece m on the frame of the lower screen 11, thereby jarring the screens and
keeping their meshes open.
N represents a receiver in which the starch meal is collected, which passes
through the lower screen ; and N₁ is a receiver which collects the hulls and
gerins which tail off from both screens. O represents a second reduction machine
which is similar in construction to the first described reduction machine and in
which the hulls and germs, collected in the receptacle N¹ are subjected to a second
reducing operation for the purpose of detaching any starch particles which may
still adhere to the fragments of hulls and germs. The product of this reduction
is separated by a second compound screen P which is composed of an upper coarse
screen p and a lower fine screen p¹. The upper screen p is so clothed that only
the coarse fragments of hulls tail off, while all of the finer material passes through
the screen pupon the screen p¹ below. The latter has its head portion clothed
with a fine cloth which permits only the starch to pass through, and its tail portion
covered with a coarser cloth which permits the fragments of germs to pass through,
while the fragments of hulls tail off. The starch is collected in a receiver Q, the
germs in a receiver Q1, and the hulls in a receiver Q2. The starch is conveyed from
both receivers N and Q into a receiver R, from which it is removed and further
treated, as may be necessary for producing the desired product. For instance it
i

page_text: may be dried, and be sold to the trade in this condition, or it may be worked
into laundry or culinary starch, grape sugar or glucose, distilled or fermented
liquors &c.
In
The corn placed in the steep tank B is steeped in warm water, preferably of a
temperature of about 150 degrees Fahrenheit for a suitable length of time, a period
of fifteen hours being generally sufficient to properly soften the corn, but this
period may be lengthened or shortened in accordance with the condition of the
corn and the state of the weather. The temperature is preferably maintained in
the steep tank by renewing the water from time to time. When the corn has been
properly steeped the water is drawn off through the perforated bottom and the
pipe b
When this has been accomplished the cock 6 is closed and the air is
admitted to the steep tank through the pipe D. The air enters the tank through
the perforated bottoin b and the perforated pipes d and passes through the wet
corn in the tank and escapes through the opening on the top of the tank.
passing through the corn the air dries the same and removes the warm vapour
which fills the interstices between the kernels, thereby cooling the corn and
toughening the hulls. The air which is so forced through the wet corn thoroughly
permeates the entire mass of corn and removes the moisture from the outer portions
of the kernels in a very short time, leaving them in a comparatively dry state. By
drying the corn in this manner numerous important advantages are obtained. The
period during which the corn remains moist is shortened by several hours, thereby
reducing the liability of the product to ferment or turn sour. The corn is more
easily discharged from the steep tank, and more easily passed through the conduits
which lead to the reducing machine. The starch, hulls, and germs are not so liable
to adhere to the parts of the reducing machine and the conveyers and elevator
buckets, as these products are much drier than heretofore. The starchy portions of
the kernels being drier, are reduced to a higher degree of fineness with a smaller
expenditure of power and pass more easily through the separating screens, thereby
permitting the use of finer screens which effect a more complete separation of the
starch from the offal. The hulls and germs are more completely freed from adhering
starchy particles, thereby increasing the yield of starch.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is
First. The herein described method of preparing the grain for reduction, which
consists in first steeping the grain, then drawing off the water, and then drying the
grain by an air current, substantially as set forth.
Second. The herein described method of preparing the grain for reduction, which
consists in first steeping the grain, then drawing off the water, and then drying the
grain by forcing compressed air through the same, substantially as set forth.
Third. The herein described.method of extracting starch from grain, which
consists in first steeping the grain, then drawing off the water, then drying the
grain by an air current, then reducing the grain, and then separating the starch
from the offal, substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The herein described method of extracting starch from grain, which
consists in first steeping the grain, then drawing off the water, then drying the
grain by forcing compressed air through the same, then reducing the grain, and
then separating the starch from the offal, substantially as set forth.
D
.. 708
1
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.