USRE1995E - Improvement in the manufacture of dextrine, sugar - Google Patents

Description

' and State of I lowing is UNITED. STATES PA-TENT OFFICE.

"runononn A. Barnum, or nnARnsTowN, ILLINOIS.

- IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFA TUR OF-DEXTRlNE, G

Specificatio'n forming part of Letters Patent No. 0,347,6atbd May 25,1858; Reissue No. [,995, dated I v June 13, I865. I

Be it known that I, Tunonoan A. Hon.

MANN, of Beardstown, in the county of Cass Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Manufacture of Dextrine, Sugar, &c., from Corn and other Grain; and .I do hereby declare that the fola full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable -others skilled in the art to the same.

fully understand and make use of;

This invention consists in treating Indiancorn, grain, or starch made fromthe same,with

diluted acids and-water at a temperature of 225 to 350 Fahrenheit, for the purpose of convertingthe same into dextrine, sugar, alcohol, or vinegar, the tun in which the mash is exposed to-the above-named temperature being constructed of sufficient strength to stand the pressure due to said temperature.

The application of acid for converting starch into gum and sugar has been known and understood many years, and also that with the commonor usual method of boiling at 212 Fahrenheit the conversion of the starch would be the quicker the greater the quantity of acid used. The application of acid directly on cereals has also been tried, but'has hitherto been considered impracticable in a technical or manufacturing view.

My method of converting corn, grain, or .starch into dextrine, grape sugar, &c., is different from theabove and is carried out in the four inches at top and bottom, four and ahalf to five inc-he thick, according to the size andcapacity of the tun. The bottom should be from five to six feet,'and the top four and onehalf to five and one-half feet in diameter by eight or nine feet high in clear. The top is provided with a man-hole for the purpose of introducing the grain or for cleaning out the tun and also with a safety-valve, and either a manometer or a thermometer and collapsingvalve. .The steam is connected to the tun through an iron pipe of one or one and one-.

fourth inch diameter, which is, connected'to a steam-cock. That part of said pipe inside the tun is made of lead and connected with the iron pipe by a check-valve. It may be made to ass either through the top of the mash-tun or rough its side a few inches below the top.

The shaft to which the stirrer is attached is carried through the center of the bottom of the tan, and works in an iron sleeve which is fast ened to the bottom of the tun bya flange;

This sleeve may also be covered with sheetlead in order to avoid the action of the acid on the iron. Said shaft passes through a stuffing-box in the bottom of the tun, to prevent the escape the machinery requires it, the stirrer-shaft may be inserted through the top instead of the bottom of the tun, in which case, of course, the stufling-box would also be on the top. On the bottom of the tun is a slide or faucet for emptying the same, fitted up similarly to those in use in distilleries, only faced with lead. To every bushel of grain I use from ten to twelve gallons of water, and when heated to the boiling-point I add sulphuric acid from one to three per cent. of the weight of the grain or other starch. The sulphuric acid which I 1 use is of 1.840 specific gravity, or of 65 to 66 Baum; or, what is more economical and profitable to the manufacturer, the diluted acid known as fchamber acid may be used in proportionate quantities. Ithen add to the boiling mixture of water and acid the ground corn or other cereal gradually and in such quantities aswill not cause the mash to form a thick paste, the same being kept in motion with the usualstirring apparatus. When the whole 7 grain is added the mash-tun is closed, the heat and pressure raised, as before described, and themash kept in motion from two to three hours, whenthe starch in the grain is converted into dextrine. In order to ascertain the preciseperiod to stop boiling, I apply to a small portion-say a tea-spoonfnlof the mash a few drops of the solution of iodine in alcohol, and when the iodine no longer produces a bluish color, the process for making dextrine is complete. If the object is to manufacture dextrine starch-gum for technical purof steam.. If the arrangement of poses, the application of steam is withdrawn at this stage of the process and immediately, while the mash is still hot, I saturate the acid either with marble-dust, whiting, or slaked lime mixedwith water to a cream-like con sisteney while the mash is kept in motion by" the stirrer. q

A sufliciency of the alkaline mixture is known to be added when it is foundthat blue litmus paper dipped into the mash ceases to turn red.' (A surplus of lime ormarble-dust will give to the whole a yellowish color and a peculiar smell.) The mash may then stand I an hour to settle, and when strained and pressed the clean liquor, which will run off, contains the gum and some gluten in solution, which may be used in that state or concentrated by evaporation. l For the manufacture of sugar or vinegar or alcohol thereof, the process of steaming is continuedfor about one hour longer, or until the mash-has become sweet and the sugar formed. The steaming process is then stopped and the acid saturated,and the whole tested w h litmus paper, as previously described. The mash is then cooled with cold water to 70 or 85 Fahrenheit, according to the season, and then fermented by'yeast and distilled in the usual way.. Inv making vinegar the saccharine liquid or mash is diluted with water to a gravity of be-.

tween sixteen or eighteen per cent., then strained and cooled in, a flat vessel or cooler to the usual fermenting-point varying between 65 to 85 Fahrenheit, and subjected to a fermentation. When clear the viuous liquid is worked on the vinegar-stand, as usual. The residue obtained by the straining process can for feeding, fertilizing, or in the papermill when mixed with a certain percentage of V rags, or it may be used in the manufacture of shoe-blacking or for other technical purposes. I do not claim the separate action of steam and acids for converting grain, starch, or other cereals intodextrine, sugar, or alcohol at the usual boiling-point of water or under a press ure of one atmosphere; but

I claim asnew. and desire to secure by Let ters Patent 1. The combination of steam and acids for convertingstarch, corn, and other cereals into dextrine,isugar and vinegar, or alcohol there.- of, when said grain is subjected to the action of diluted acids and water, and the temperature-of the mash is elevated to from 225 to 350?. (below. 350) Fahrenheit.

2. .Theuse of a closed mash-tun of such a a strength heit, substantially as herein described, for the ce v7 THEODORE a. HOFFMANN. Witnesseu I M. M. LIvmes'roN,

J. P. HALL.

;as tor-be able to sustain the pressure dueto the temperature of 225 to 350 Fahrenpugflose of mashing starch, corn,-and' other s. 1