Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 7th May, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 12th Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 12th Feb., 1889
We, HUGO KIEL, of Beverstedt near Bremen, Germany, manufacturer, and ROBERT
STOLTENHOFF, of 15 Bishopsgate Street London, England, merchant, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to the manufacture of starch from rice and other grains which,
for the purpose of separating the starch from other substances, as fat, gum, anorganic
salts and proteïne, require to be treated by chemicals, the ordinary mode of proceeding
being to soak and swell the grains in open vessels in a lye of caustic soda, to be
renewed several times, until they may be crushed between the fingers, then to grind
the swelled grains with addition of fresh lye, and finally to separate the starch from
the gluten (proteine) by deposition, by means of a centrifugal machine, by presses or
by sieves.
The object of our invention is to obviate various defects connected with this method
of manufacture.
For this purpose we carry out the soaking and swelling operation in a series of
closed vessels from which the air is evacuated, and by causing the lye to pass through
the different vessels one after the other in the order in which they have been filled, i.e.
so that it comes first in contact with the charge being the longest time under treatment
and last with a fresh charge.
By these means the greater portion of the substances in the grains which the lye is
capable of dissolving, are already removed in the preliminary stage of the manu-
facturing process, the cells of the grains are burst by the action of the vacuum so that
the lye may act on their contents without being required first to dissolve the skin
thereof, the process is considerably accelerated, and, on account of the absence of air,
together with its admixture of carbonic acid, a reprecipitation of gluten, generation of
fungi and fermentation are practically prevented, and the further treatment of the
solid residue is considerably facilitated.

page_text: From the saturated lye the proteïne is precipitated by an acid, preferably by
carbonic. acid, which is added. in such quantity as that the alkali employed will be
converted into bicarbonate. After separation from the proteïne the lye may be
regenerated in known manner by means of caustic lime.
Grains incrusted in a considerable measure with anorganic salts are advantageonsly
subjected, previous to their treatment with alkalic lye, to a treatment by means of acids,
preferably carried out in like systematical manner as the former, and in a similar
apparatus, which may, however, be of wood. Preferably in this process sulphurous
acid or its acid salts are used, but also bisulphate of sodium is available.
Dated the Fourth day of May 1888.

page_text: Improvements in the Manufacture of Starch.
We, HUGO KIEL, of Beverstedt near Bremen, Germany, manufacturer, and ROBERT
STOLTENHOFF, of 15 Bishopsgate street within, London, England, merchant, 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
Our invention relates to the manufacture of starch from rice and other grains
which, for the purpose of separating the starch from other substances, as fat, gum,
anorganic salts and proteine, require to be treated by chemicals, and the object of the
invention is to obviate various defects connected with the present mode of such
treatment.
.
According to the ordinary methed grains of the said kind are soaked and swelled in
open vessels in a lye of caustic soda until they may be crushed between the fingers,
the lye being renewed several times. The swelled grains are then ground with the
addition of fresh lye, and finally the starch is separated from the gluten (proteïne) by
deposition, or by means of centrifugal machines, presses, or sieves.
By this mode of treatment the lye is but imperfectly exhausted, considerable time is
required for the process, and the free caustic soda attracts carbonic acid from the air
and combines therewith to form carbonate of soda. As soon as the lye becomes
neutral, fungi are generated and fermentation sets in, wherefrom acids result which
operate to precipitate the gluten dissolved by the soda. The gluten is in this state
very apt to become decomposed. in consequence whereof fermentation is promoted
and mucous fungi are formed, which render the final separation of the starch from the
gluten extremely difficult. During warm weather the fermentation is often so
vehement that the starch is spoilt.
According to our improved method the soaking and swelling operation is carried
out in a series of closed vessels from which the air is evacuated, and the lye of caustic
soda or other suitable alkali is caused to pass through the different vessels one after
the other in the order in which they have been filled, i.e. so that the lye comes first in
contact with the charge being the longest time under treatment, and last with a fresh
charge. The lye may be drawn through the vessels by the same pump which creates
and maintains the vacuum.
By these means the greater portion of the substances contained in the grains, and
which the lye is capable of dissolving, are already removed in this preliminary stage of
the manufacturing process; the cells of the grains are burst by the action of the
vacuum, so that the lye may operate on their contents without being required first to
dissolve the skin thereof; the process is considerably accelerated, and, on account of
the absence of air and of the carbonic acid mixed with the same, a reprecipitation of
gluten, generation of fungi and fermentation are practically prevented, and the
further treatment of the solid residue is considerably facilitated.

page_text: The treatment is finished in about six hours, whereas heretofore up to 40 hours
were required. The result is, on one hand, an alkalic lye highly saturated with
proteïne and, on the other hand, a residue containing but very little proteïne, the
further treatment of the said residue in view of separating out the starch, being in
consequence considerably facilitated, while the final product obtained therefrom is
particularly pure.
From the saturated lye the proteïne is precipitated by an acid, preferably by
carbonic acid, which is introduced in such quantity as that the alkali will be converted
into bicarbonate. Combustion gases may be employed for the purpose.
The
precipitate contains about 90 per cent of pure proteine. After separation from the
precipitate, the lye may be regenerated in known manner by means of caustic
lime.
Grains incrusted in a considerable measure with anorganic salts, are advantageously
subjected, previous to their treatment with alkalic lye, to a treatment by means of a
solution of acids, or acid salts, in water, advantageously carried out in like systematical
manner as the former, and in a similar apparatus, but which in this case must be made
of wood. Preferably sulphurous acid or bisulphites are used, but also bisulphate of
sodium is available. The strength of the solution is advantageously so determined
that the liter thereof contains from 2 to 10 grams of free acid. Subsequent to its
employment for the said purpose the acid solution may be used for precipitating the
proteïne from the alkalic lye.
The combined treatment by means of sulphurous acid and caustic soda is particularly
adapted for hot climates and for rice damaged by the sea, as any fermentative germs
adhering to the raw material, are killed by the acid.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :
1. The process of treating rice and other grains with a lye of caustic alkali which
consists in charging a series of closed vessels one after the other with the rice or other
grain, in causing the lye to pass through the vessels in the order in which they are
charged, and in exhausting the air from the vessels, substantially as and for the
purpose described.
2. The combination, with the process described in claim 1, of the preliminary
treatment of the rice or other grain by means of a solution of an acid or acid salt,
'carried out by charging a series of vessels in succession with the rice or grain and by
passing the said solution through the vessels in the order in which they are charged,
substantially as specified.
Dated this Tenth day of January 1889.
CARL PIEPER,
Agent for Applicant.