Starch manufacturing process involving flotation and centrifugal separation

Claim 1

IN THE PROCESS OF OBTAINING STARCH FROM GRAIN WHEREIN THE GRAIN IS STEEPED, COMMINUTED AND SUBJECTED IN WATER TO GERM AND FIBRE SEPARATING OPERATIONS YIELDING MILL STARCH LIQUOR CONTAINING STARCH, GLUTEN AND SOLUBLES; TREATING MILL STARCH TO YIELD A GLUTEN RICH FRACTION AND A STARCH RICH FRACTION; THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES ADJUSTING THE GRAVITY OF THE MILL STARCH LIQUOR TO ABOUT 12* BE''. TO ABOUT 19* BE''. AND 60* F. SUBJECTING THE LIQUOR TO FROTH FLOTATION TO OBTAIN A GLUTEN RICH FRACTION AND A STARCH RICH FRACTION; AND THEREAFTER ADJUSTING THE GRAVITY OF THE STARCH FRACTION TO ABOUT 10* BE''. TO ABOUT 12* BE''. AT 60* F. AND SUBJECTING THE STARCH FRACTION TO CONTINUOUS CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATION TO SEPARATELY REMOVE GLUTEN IN AN OVERFLOW AND STARCH IN UNDERFLOW, SUPPLYING TO THE CENTRIFUGE FOR FLUSHING OPERATIONS WATER HAVING THE SAME SOLUBLES CONTENT AS THE STARCH FRACTION ENTERING THE CENTRIFUGE, AND USING PROCESS WATERS DERIVED FROM THE OVERFLOW AND UNDERFLOW FOR STEEPING AND SUBSEQUENT MILLING OPERATIONS.