IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FARINACEOUS FOOD
Year: 1884

page_text: I JULIUS SCHWEITZER of Loughborough Park, Brixton in the County of Surrey,
Chemist do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF FARINACEOUS FOOD to be as follows:-
In the baking of flour to be used in the manufacture of farinaceous food it has
been found that by baking, such flour in the presence of steam a much better result-
is obtained than when baking the flour in a dry oven, but hitherto such baking of
the flour in the presence of steam has been effected at the ordinary atmospheric
pressure.
Now according to my present Invention I propose to conduct such baking
operation in the presence of steam under pressure, this will necessitate the use of a
close oven capable of sustaining the required pressure and such oven would be
fitted with a steam pipe and with pressure gauge and safety valve.
By baking flour in the inanner above described the starch granules are broken
up much more completely than when using steam at the atmospheric pressure, and
flour baked in my improved manner is much better suited for the manufacture of
farinaceous food, either malted or otherwise, than the flour baked in the presence
of steam at the ordinary atmospheric pressure.
The present improvement may be used in combination with an Invention for
which Letters Patent were granted to me dated September 22nd 1882 N° 4523.
Noted this 92rd day of Januarv 1884

page_text: "
I, JULIUS SCHWEITZER of 53 Loughborough Park Brixton in the County of
Surrey, Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FARINACEOUS FOOD," and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
In the baking of flour to be used in the manufacture of farinaceous food it has
been found that by baking such flour in the presence of steam a much better
result is obtained than when baking the flour in a dry oven but hitherto such
baking of the flour in the presence of steam has been effected at the ordinary
atmospheric pressure; now according to my present Invention I propose to conduct
such baking operation in the presence of steam under pressure, this will necessitate
the use of a close oven capable of sustaining the required pressure and such oven
would be fitted with a steam pipe and with pressure gauge and safety valve.
By baking flour in the manner above described the starch granules are broken
up much more completely than when using steam at the atmospheric pressure and
flour baked in my improved manner is much better suited for the manufacture of
farinaceous food, either malted or otherwise, than the flour baked in the presence
of steam at the ordinary atmospheric pressure.
The present improvement may be used in combination with an invention for
which Letters Patent were granted to me dated September 22nd 1882 N° 4523.
In carrying my present invention into effect I employ the following method and
apparatus.
The oven I use is of iron, the bottom and top of the oven consist of steam
jackets, it is preferably about 8 feet broad 6 feet deep and 12 inches high and holds
for one baking, usually 2 sacks of flour or 5 hundred weight, it is however
preferable to bake a smaller quantity (say one sack) at a time as the heat and
steam penetrate and act more readily on a thinner layer of flour. The steam
jackets or shelves are enclosed in a sufficiently strong iron casing to bear a pressure
of at least 3 atmospheres. When the oven is hot and the pressure of steam in the
jackets is from 10 to 20 pounds to the square inch, I allow the steam to enter the
oven by means of a pipe and tap, the pipe enters the oven near the upper portion
so as to fill all the space left vacant between the flour and the top jacket of the
oven with an atmosphere of heated steam, the oven should be sufficiently steam
tight to keep the steam under a pressure of about 3 atmospheres.
During the baking of the flour the steam is caused gradually to rise to a pressure
of about 35 to 45 pounds to the square inch.
About every half hour during the baking process I turn the steam off and turn
the flour well over to ensure that the steam may be thoroughly diffused amongst
the flour and permeate and come into contact with every particle of it, and in
order to prevent the said steam from introducing into the oven any condensed
water, I conduct the steam first into a small vessel such as that represented and
described in the Specification of my aforesaid Patent in which the condensed water
is separated from the steam and the latter in a dry state is thence passed into the
oven.
The condensed water is occasionally removed from the said vessel by means of a
tap. The steam so introduced into the heated oven does not make the flour pasty
as would be the case if the condensed water were not removed from the steam
previous to its introduction into the oven but causes the flour to become simply
somewhat clammy, this assists in conducting the heat right through the mass of

page_text: flour and in breaking the starch granules without either scorching or unduly
wetting the baking flour.
If desired previous to treating the flour in the manner above described it may
be mixed with a small percentage of acid, either phosphoric, hydrochloric, citric,
tartaric or other suitable acid, but this is not absolutely necessary.
The combined action of heat steam and acid facilitate materially the baking of
the flour, and effect most completely the breaking up of the starch granules.
The acid after the flour is baked is removed or neutralized in the flour by the
addition of soda, potash or other alkali suitable to the acid used.
"
The acid mixed with the raw flour assists the baking and breaking up of the
starch granules, steam alone under pressure effects this also equally well, while
both combined assist each other most materially.
When the flour (say 2 sacks) is baked in the manner above described which at a
temperature gradually rising to from about 300 to 330 degrees Fahrenheit takes
about 6 hours while for a smaller quantity it takes less time, the flour is dried and
for every pound of acid used in the baking I add a proportionate amount of an
alkali capable of converting the acid into a harmless compound.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the mode in which
I carry the same into effect I would have it understood that I lay no claim to the
oven or other apparatus used nor to the introduction of steam into the oven. But
what I claim as my Invention of improvements in the manufacture of farinaceous
food is:-
Baking the flour employed in such manufacture in a close oven in the presence
of steam under pressure substantially as herein described and for the purpose
stated.
Dated this 22nd day of April 1884.
J. SCHWEITZER.
Harris and Mills,
Patent Agents,
23 Southampton Buildings.