NEW MODES OF TREATING POTATOES IN ORDER TO THEIR BEING CONVERTED INTO VARIOUS ARTICLES OF FOOD, AND NEW APPARATUS FOR DRYING, APPLICABLE TO THAT AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1840

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
GRELLET, of No. 49, Hatton Garden, Merchant, 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-fifth day of November, in the fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Charles Grellet, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Charles Grellet, my exors, adññiors, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Charles Grellet, my exors, admors, 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, the Invention of "NEW MODES OF TREATING POTATOES IN ORDER TO THEIR
BEING CONVERTED INTO VARIOUS ARTICLES OF FOOD, AND NEW APPARATUS FOR DRYING,
APPLICABLE TO THAT AND OTHER PURPOSES," communicated to me by a certain
Foreigner residing abroad; in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso
that I, the said Charles Grellet, shall cause a particular description of the
nature of the 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Charles Grellet, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon
(that is to say):-..
This Invention consists of new modes of treating potatoes in such a manner
as to fit them for making bread, biscuit, and pastry; the products of potatoes
so employed being obtained without any chemical agents injurious to the health
of the persons who may use them. These matters are first, the feculent part
of potatoes; secondly, the. paste of the boiled potatoes: I prepare the feculent
parts in two ways, and the paste of boiled potatoes in four ways. First, I
prepare the feculent parts of potatoes in a wet state, which I call " green
dextrine. Secondly, the ordinary feculent parts dried by a particular process,
afterwards described.
I
"
.
PASTE OF BOILED POTATOES.
First, I prepare potatoes (with their skins pared off by a machine to be
hereafter described), boiled and reduced to a paste; second, raw potatoes with
their skins removed by my new machine, boiled, dried by a new means of
drying (to be hereafter described), and reduced into a state of flour, as here-
after described; third, pulp of the potatoe (deprived of the feculent parts),
and made into a moist paste; fourth, pulp of the potatoe (deprived of the
feculent parts), boiled, dried, and reduced to a state of meal by the arrange-
ment of machinery to be described. When I intend to use the materials
before they are brought into a dried state to make the several articles of food,
prepare the feculent parts, and I stop at the point when the feculous parts
are moist, and I then mix with them the moist paste of boiled potatoes and
the boiled pulp. In all cases, whether to prepare the feculous parts or the
paste of boiled potatoes, or the pulp or the parts of these matters, after having
well washed the potatoes, I remove the skins by means of a machine shewn in
the Drawing annexed marked A. I prepare the dry farinaceous parts of these
matters; first, the feculous parts; second, the farinaceous parts; third, the
pulp of the potatoes. I take the fecule of the potatoe in the state of green
dextrine (and dry it by the drying apparatus to be afterwards described and
shewn in the Drawings, Sheet B), and I take the boiled paste and the boiled
pulp, in the state they are after being dried, and I pass them through the
machines or mills for grinding them. The mills are shewn in the Drawing
marked C. These pastes and mealy parts are to be mixed together, according
to the article required to be made; to these may be added, if required, the

page_text: flour of corn or any other farinaceous matters. The new apparatus and means
for drying these matters (which is also applicable to the drying of skins, cloths,
paper, or any description of fabrics), by which I am enabled to heat the air,
and to remove the moisture therefrom, by passing the air through a chamber
containing lime, which takes all the moisture. The heated air passes into the
chamber containing goods to be dried, which chamber is kept well ventilated
by the means shewn in the Drawing. The principle of this drying apparatus
is the combination of three principles, viz., heat, dryness of the air by means
of the lime, and the ventilation by pneumatic exhaustion. The mode of
carrying out this part of the Invention is shewn in the Drawings; but I do
not confine myself to the arrangement therein shewn, as variations may be
made without departing from this part of the Invention, so long as the three
principles of action are combined.
The Drawing A shews a machine for removing the skins of the potatoes.
Figure 1 represents a vertical and longitudinal section of the machine (taken
through the centre). Figure 2 is a vertical and transversal section, taken
perpendicularly to the axle of the machine. Figure 3 is an end view of the
machine, shewing the pullies which transmit the motion to the machine.
Figure 4 shews the projections of the iron plate, the use of which will be
afterwards described. A, the vessel which contains the water, the bottom of
which is of an inclined form. At the lower part of this vessel is an opening
marked Z, for the purpose of withdrawing the deposit of the pulp. B is the
cock. C is the vessel to receive the water charged with the feculous parts.
D, a cylinder carried by a shaft. These boards are covered on the inside with
sheets of iron, with raised surfaces, which act as a grater. E is another
cylinder on the same shaft as the cylinder D, and upon the same frame. This
cylinder is furnished with several rows of brushes. F is the hopper into which
the potatoes are put after they have been washed. G are the projections
placed in the cylinder D, the object of which is to press
against the potatoes,
and completely remove the peel or skin. H, the bottoms, turning open on
one side, which throws out the potatoes from on the inclined plane. I is the
inclined plane by which the products of the machine are conveyed into the
proper vessel to receive them, from whence any impurities that may be in the
products can be removed.
.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING B.
The Drawing represents a vertical section of a machine for drying the
potatoes or any description of goods as before described. A is the stove or
furnace in which pass the tubes by which the air is heated to the required
degree. The form of this may be varied according to circumstances. C is the

page_text: chimney for the escape of the smoke. F are the openings for the introduction
of the cold air. G the tube through which the hot air passes into the chamber
containing the lime. H is the chamber containing the lime placed on a series
of partitions one above the other, so placed as to occupy the whole size of the
chamber. At the alternate ends of these partitions are openings for the air to
pass along over the surfaces of the lime before it goes into the chamber con-
taining the goods to be dried. I is the space into which the heated air passes
before it enters into the drying chamber. I', I", I", are three sliding valves
to admit the dry air into the drying apparatus. K represents the drying cham-
bers, wherein are placed the goods to be dried. L is the chimney, with a 1
damper L' connected to it to regulate the draft; L', the damper. M, tube of
the exhaustion chimney L. N is the ventilator or rotatory fan, the case of
which joins the tube M of the exhaustion chimney, to withdraw the air charged
with the moisture of the matters which have been dried. This ventilator is
put in motion by the same power that is employed to work the other parts of 1
the machinery. O is the tube by which the moisture of the air from the
ventilator escapes.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING MARKED C.
This Drawing represents a mill applicable to the grinding of the products of
the potatoes. Figure 1 is a vertical section passing through the middle of the a
mill. Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken through the centre of the columns.
The endless screw and cooling apparatus is also shewn in section in this Figure.
Figure 8 shews also a section of the vertical mills, in which will be seen the
arrangement of the apparatus for moving the matter under process. Figure 4.
shews a side view of the endless chain of cups which convey the products of
the mill to another stage. Figure 5 is an external view of the ventilator. A,
are the vertical wheels. B is the bolting cloth, into which falls the flour or
mealy parts from the vertical mill, the fine farine passes through the cloth, and
the larger particles are raised up again by means of the screws Z, contained in
this part of the cloth, and pass into the horizontal mill C. Z, the screw of the s
bolting cloth. Y is the rod which communicates motion to the bolting cloths,
and make them turn. C are horizontal wheels which work on large stones.
D, the frame which supports the whole system of wheel-work. M are the
coverings or cases for the stones. Care should be observed that in fixing these
they should be so placed as to exclude the atmospheric air from the interior. 3
E are the hollow metal columns and the inclined shelves, also of metal, placed
in the interior of the column to divide the flour as it passes from the hori-
zontal stones. F aro valves in each column, so placed as to regulate the
draught of the ventilator. G is the endless screw which turns in a cylinder and

page_text: moves the flour towards the box as it comes from the mill. H is a double cylinder
of zinc, the inner diameter of which is about fifteen inches; the distance
between those two cylinders is about one inch or one inch and a half, into which is
placed flannel, and the space is well supplied with cold water by the cock R".
These cylinders are placed at an angle of about fifteen degrees. P is a pulley
of about one foot in diameter, in which rolls a strap with metal cups connected
thereto, which raises the farine into the drying chamber. I, axle of the upper
pulley of the same diameter turning at a speed of about twenty-five or thirty
turns a minute. J is the external case of the chain of cups, or buckets, which
should be hermetically closed. V is the ventilator of one metre of width, and
one metre diameter, having four vanes. V, v, axle of the ventilator passing
through the exhausting opening, which should be about one foot in diameter.
T, T, are the exhausting tubes, the lower ends of which are placed in the drying
chamber, the lower end of which tubes have applied to them pieces of silk of
different degrees of fineness marked t, t. X is the pulley which gives motion
to the ventilator of about two hundred to two hundred and fifty turns per
minute. Pare sliding doors or valves to allow the air to escape from the
ventilator. R is the vessel into which the farinaceous matters come from the
mill. R' is the outer case of this vessel R, which should be closed hermetically.
S" is the opening for the water to run away. a are the tubes through which
the farine passes from the columns E into the vessel R.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Grellet, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand night hundred and fou