IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANTIPA CHIES S
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Ransford, of Chelsea, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANTIPA CHIES
S"
Sealed the 1st September 1853, and dated the 9th March 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Ransford
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 9th March 1853.
I, HENRY RANSFORD, of Chelsea, in the County of Middlesex, Gen-
tlenian, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STARCH" to be as follows:
The improvements in the manufacture of starch consist of a method
by which the gluten and albumen are more effectually extracted from
rice, wheat, and other farinaceous grains and substances, by pressing,
after being steeped in alkaline or other solutions; and also of a mode of
treating all starch while in a wet state, in lieu of what is usually termed
"boxing."
By way of exemplification I shall only describe the mode as applied
to rice, as with a slight variation it may be adapted to any species of
grain and farinaceous substance.

page_text: The rice, being steeped in a caustic alkaline solution until sufliciently
soft, is removed and placed under a press. If considered necessary, from
the quality or appearance of the grain after pressing, it may be steeped
again, and pressed a second time or not, as may be deemed advisable.
The manufacture is now carried on as usual, but when the starch is
ready for "boxing" (instead of running it into boxes, as now practised.)
I convey it to a small tank or vessel, where not only is the remaining
glutinous matter extracted, but the starch is left in a form and condi-
tion ready to be "broke" or "cut out," and finished in the manner
ordinarily practised by starch makers.
This last process, which saves the time and labour of " boxing." and
extracts the remainder of the gluten, is as follows:-1 procure an iron
box or tank (the size depending on the quantity of work to be per-
formed) open at the top, and having inside an iron plate pierced with
holas, raised a few inches from the bottom, over which is spread a
calico or other cloth of requisite fineness. The interior, above the cloth,
is divided by thin partitions into spaces the width I wish to make my
blocks of starch, and, thus prepared, the starch is conveyed to it when
ready to be boxed."
Underneath the raised plate is a communication with the condenser
of a steam engine, or a powerful air pump, by which means a vacuum,
or nearly so, is formed between it and the bottom; and by this means I
extract the remainder of the glutinous matter, and render the starch fit
to be to the chalks or bricks and dried as usual.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Ransford, in the Great Seal Patent Office,
on the 9th September 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
HENRY RANSFORD, of Chelsea, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the sixteenth

page_text: year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Henry Ransford, Her special licence that I,
the said Henry Ransford, my executors, administrators, and. assigns, or
such others as I, the said Henry Ransford, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, excrcise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF STARCH," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Henry Ransford, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Ransford, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof (that is to say):
The Invention consists of a method by which the gluten and albu-
men are more effectually extracted from rice, wheat, and other farina-
ceous grain and substances, by pressure; and the Invention consists
also of a mode of treating starch, while in a wet state, in that stage of
the manufacture of starch where it is subjected to the ordinary process
of boxing. And in order that my said Invention may be more fully
understood, and readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe
the means practised by me.
In the manufacture of starch from rice and other grain and sub-
stances (but chiefly from rice), when alkali in solution is employed, and
where the rice or substances is steeped in such solution of alkali-the-
design of such steeping being to separate the gluten and other matters
from the starch, the object of the first part of my Invention is to use
pressure in aid of such process of steeping, to separate the gluten, and
other matters, with more advantage. For this purpose the rice or-

page_text: substance is to be put into the steeping liquor, heretofore been ordi-
narily employed, and in place of taking the rice or substance from the
steeping liquor, after it has been steeped in a quiescent state or other-
wise, as heretofore practised, for some time, as is the common practice.
1. before removing the rice or substance, cause the matters to be
pressed into notion in a closed or open vessel, and then subject the
grain or matters separated from the fluid to further pressure, in order
to express out the gluten and other matters. The rice or substance
having been put into the steeping liquor, in a vessel capable of being
closed, 1 allow it to steep for a time, but not so long as heretofore. I
then close the vessel, and, by n force pump, force in more liquor through
a false perforated bottom to the vessel, which, at first, only presses the
matters into motion, and, when the vessel is full, the whole may be
subjected to considerable hydraulic pressure; but I do not find that it
is desirable to cause a pressure of more than 20 lbs. on the square
inch; and retain the inatters under such state of pressure for
a time, and then allow some of the liquor to flow away, and cause it to
be again pumped in, which again presses the matters into motion, and
again brings the whole to a like degree of pressure to that before
mentioned, till the rice or substance indicates that the steeping liquor
has thoroughly penetrated into the interior, applying fresh and fresh
steeping liquor from time to time. The rice or substance is then
removed from the liquor, or the liquor is drawn from the rice or sub-
stances, and the rice or substance is then to be further pressed to express
the gluten therefrom, as hereafter described, and it is then to be ground
and treated as heretofore practised.
I would state that the using of a closed vessel may be dispensed
with; in which case, the liquor is to be simply pumped or forced in
continuously below the false bottom of the vessel; and thus, as before
described, it will cause the rice or substance to be pressed into motion, in
which case, the liquor may constantly flow away near the top of the vessel
into the vessel from which the pump receives its supply, and be again
and again pumped back, applying fresh steeping liquor as required. But
whatever mode be resorted to for softening or impregnating the rice
or substance with the steeping liquor, whether by quiescent steeping, or

page_text: otherwise, as heretofore, or steeping accompanied with pressure, the rice
or substance separated from the liquor is then to be subjected to further
pressure to express the gluten therefrom. This pressure may be
accomplished in various ways; but the means I prefer for performing
this process are those commonly resorted to for pressing fatty matters
in bags, or between woven surfaces, which are well known; other means
of pressure may, however, be resorted to, but no heat is required in
pressing out the gluten.
I will now describe the second part of my Invention, which has for
its object a mode of obtaining a further pressure when the starch has
arrived at that part of its manufacture where it is usually run into
boxes lined with cotton, or other woven fabric. Heretofore the fluid
has been allowed to drain from the starch while in these boxes, and
the process hastened by occasionally shaking the boxes. According to
this part of my Invention, the subsided starch from the range, after it
has been mixed with the blue colouring matter, as heretofore, is, in
place of being run into ordinary boxes, run into a shallow vessel,
having a finely perforated false bottom covered with woven fabric,
such vessel being divided into spaces by thin zinc or other partitions,
so as to produce forms of starch similar to those made in the boxes
heretofore used; and I connect the bottom of such shallow vessel with
an air pump, or other means of withdrawing the air from the space
below the false bottom, by which means the pressure of the air on the
surface of the fluid starch will cause the fluid, together with any gluten
which may remain, to be quickly pressed out from the starch; and
thus I am enabled more quickly to obtain the starch in the form of
long blocks, which are then to be cut into smaller blocks, and dried as
heretofore.
I would remark that I am aware that it has before been proposed,
though, I believe, with no practical advantage, to separate from starch
the liquid employed for grinding and washing, by attaching a pump to a
vessel with a mat or strainer, in place of allowing the waste liquid to
flow off when the starch has subsided, as usually practised. I do not,
therefore, claim generally separating fluid from starch by withdrawing
from under a false perforated bottom, but I only claim the application

page_text: of such process at the stage of the manufacture where the process of
boxing has herotofore been usually performed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Ransford, have heremto
set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
HENRY RANSFORD. (L.S.)
Witness, S. CARPMAEL.