US1307367A - John i - Google Patents

Description

J. l. LOGAN.

METHOD 0F TREATING GRA|N.

APPucATIoN msn nic. 14. me.

Patented June 24, l9l9.

Pressure auye,

Prvessum- @aupa uomac Pressure Rega/afar;

- of the fiour.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEFioE.

JOHN I. LOGAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

METHOD 0F TREAT'ING GRAIN.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J une 24, 1919.

Application led December 14, 1916. Serial No. 136,998.

`Grain, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the treatment of wheat prior to grinding the same into flour, and a primary .object of the invention is to provide an improved method of treatment of the grain whereby the fiber and bra-n is toughened and its brittleness reduced and thereby rendered less-likely to be pulverized during the milling of the grain. If the bran and the minute fibers of the wheat are dry, which is their ordinary condition prior to the milling operation, the grinding of the grain reduces them to a fine powder which cannot be completely separated from the fiour by bolting. My improved method of treatment makes it possible to thoroughly and uniformly toughen the bran and fibrous portion of the berry so that instead of being` pulverized this part of the grain is bro-ken up intp such form that it may be bolted out y As a result a better grade of flour may be produced, that is, a flour freer from fibrous particles and hence having better baking 'qualities `than is possible with present methods. Or at least, assuming that the flour as now produced can be freed to a very large extent of the fibrous portions of the grain, this is only possible by very close bolting of the flour, and as a certain amount of fiour is left in the tailings so that successive re-boltings are necessary, the amount 0f fiour of the first grade, according to present methods, is less in proportion than it need be. By treating the wheat berry in accordance with my process the yield of first grade fiour, in comparison with the lower grades, is increased since the bran particles are larger and are, therefore, more easily bolted.

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A- further object of the invention is to provide for the cleansing and sterilization of the outside of the wheatberry so as to remove or destroy bacterial growths. Various cleansing and scouring methodsdiave been used in preparing wheat for milling,

and these methods are more or less effective. They do not always, however, reach such organlc growths, germs, or other lmpuritles as may have lodged in the crevices or slight mdentations on the surface of the berry. The treatment provided by my invention, besides toughening the fibrous constituent of the grain both on the outside of the berry and within it, as above stated, operates to effectively cleanse the grain on the outside and destroy entirely mold, rust, or other organic growths.v

The process consists essentially of impregnating the grain with and causing the same to be permeated by a solution of water and chlorin. Water alone does not penetrate the grain soas to reach the inner fibers or, if it penetrates at all, does not do so uniformly. I have found that a weak solution of chlorin will penetrate the integument of the berry, soften and toughen it, and also the. net work of fibers within the berry. The presence of the chlorin in the flour and in the offal is not in any way deleterious. It apparently forms chlorids with certain constituents of the grain and these chlorids are perfectly harmless. The chlorin in the water also acts as a germicide and effectively destroys any bacterial growths on the outside of the grain, even those which are located in the crevices, indentations or creases in the integument, so that this treatment besides working an improvement in the milling operation removes a common source of contamination of the flour.

While the amount of chlorin may be varied without departure from mv invention, and some variation will benecessary according to the character and condition of the grain, `particularly as to the amount of. moisture which the grain may contain, I prefer to use for average cases about one pound of pure liquefied chlorin gas to one hundred thousand gallons of water.

The accompanying drawing shows an apparatus suitable for carrying out my improved. process.

Referring to the drawing, 1() is an absorption tower open at the top and closed at the bottom except for a discharge pipe 11. The tower is filled with pieces of porous maferial 12 not affected bv chlorin, for example pumice stone. Water is introduced into ,the tower at the top by means of a spraying is an automatically operatinglr controlling apparatus preferably constructed as follows: 17, 1S aretwo automatie pressure reducing valves of any suitable type, arranged tandem. Beyond the second valve 18 is a fitting 19. Extending across the same is a thin diaphragm 20 of non-corrosible metal, the diaphragm being formed with a minute perforation 2l. 22 is a shut-,off valve and 23, 24 are pressure gages, the former indicating the pressure on the high pressure side of the reducing valve 17, and the latter the pressure against perforated disk 21. By these arrangements a very delicate adjustment of the HOW is possible. When the mechanism is once set the proper flow is maintained automatically.

The grain to be treated is carried under the spout 25 of the discharge pipe l1 by means of a conveyer 26, or other suitable device. Preferably the discharge pipe is formed With a downward bender loop 27 which provides a trap to prevent the escape from the tower of any free chlorin gas.

It will be understood that the process is not in any sense limited 'to the particular type of apparatus above described.

I claim:

Improvement in the manufacture of Wheat Hour which consists in causingv the grain before grinding to be permeated with a solution of chlorin and Water.

JHN LOGAN.

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