IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF DOUGH AND OTHER PLASTIC OR POROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1858

page_text: application for Letters Patent was not given within the time prescribed
by the Act.)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edward Rosa at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition; on the 16th January 1858.
I, EDWARD ROSA, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain,
Chiropodist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF DOUGH AND OTHER PLASTIC OR POROUS SUBSTANCES,"
to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to the raising of dough for bread and other purposes,
so as to produce the necessary spongy or cellular condition in the treated
material without the aid of the usual or other process of fermentation by the
combination of common air, carbonic acid gas, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, or
other gases with the wheaten or other flour and water. This treatment of the
usual component parts of the dough results after baking, in the production of
a light, spongy, or cellular bread fit for food; or the dough so produced may
be applied to other uses as may be required.
In manufacturing dough suitable for bread making and other uses accord-
ing to this Invention, the process is carried on in a strong metal vessel, within
which is a secondary open top chamber supported clear of the bottom of the
main external chamber or vessel by suitable feet, and having within it a
suitable revolving mixer actuated by a vertical shaft passed into the interior
through a stuffing box in the cover of the outer vessel. This internal chamber
is partially filled with flour and water, so that it can be mixed up when the
rotatory agitator is turned. The internal vessel is disposed eccentrically to
the axis of the external vessel, and in the widest space between the outside of

page_text: the internal vessel and the inside of the external chamber there is entered
through the top of the outer chamber an air or gas duct, by which compressed
air or gas may be led into the apparatus. At this part there is also fixed a
flour reservoir so as to encircle the delivery end of the gas duct, this chamber
being placed near the lid of the external chamber. The space between the
two vessels is filled with water prior to commencing operations, when the
apparatus is charged with compressed air or with gas, and the contained
materials are allowed to remain under pressure until the water- thoroughly
absorbs the aeriform matter; after this, a valve which opens up a communication
between the outer chamber and the inner one is opened by a handle from
without, and when sufficient liquid has thus been added to the flour in the
inner chamber, the agitator is turned gently at first until the flour and water
are properly incorporated. When properly mixed, the external cover is
removed and the dough is taken out, when the dough at once swells up on the
removal of the gaseous pressure. Instead of this routine of procedure, the
separate upper flour reservoir already referred to may be alone charged with
flour, whilst the internal vessel contains water; the apparatus being charged
with air or gas, and the flour then shaken from the reservoir down into the
inner chamber, whilst the agitator or mixer is turned. This system of manu-
facturing dough answers well for all the purposes to which dough can be
applied.
The process answers also for mixing and working up other plastic substances,
such, for instance, as are required in the manufacture of chemical apparatus,
filters, tobacco pipes, and other utensils and articles.