Process and apparatus for improving the baking properties of wheat flour

Claim 2

A PROCESS FOR IMPROVING THE BAKING QUALITIES OF WHEAT FLOUR COMPRISING CONVEYING WHEAT FLOUR IN A PRESSURIZED AIR CURRENT MOVING AT RELATIVELY HIGH VELOCITY PREHEATING SAID FLOUR MOVING IN SAID AIR CURRENT WITHIN AN INTERVAL ON THE ORDER OF FRACTIONS OF A SECOND TO A TEMPERATURE LYING WITHIN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 40* C. TO ABOUT 45* C. AND SIMULTANEOUSLY CHARGING IT WITH MOISTURE, SUDDENLY SUBJECTING SAID PREHEATED AND MOISTURIZEDD FLOUR MOVING IN SAID AIR CURRENT TO THE ACTION OF SUPERHEATED STEAM AT A RELATIVE HUMIDITY ON THE ORDER OF ABOUT 95% TO RAISE THE SURFACE TEMPERATURE OF THE FLOUR PARTICLE FOR FRACTIONS OF A SECOND TO A TEMPERATURE LYING WITHIN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 80* C. TO ABOUT 90* C. MOVING SAID FLOUR IN SAID AIR CURRENT UNTIL THE PARTICLES THEREOF ASSUME A TEMPERATURE LYING WITHIN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 45* C. TO ABOUT 75* C. AND THEREAFTER REMOVING SAID WHEAT FLOUR FROM SAID AIR STREAM AND SUDDENLY COOLING IT DOWN TO ROOM TEMPERATURE.

Claim 3

APPARATUS FOR TREATING WHEAT FLOUR TO IMPROVE ITS BAKING QUALITIES COMPRISING TUBULAR MEANS FORMING A CLOSED CONVEYING PATH, MEANS FOR PROPELLING ALONG SAID PATH AIR UNDER PRESSURE AT RELATIVELY HIGH VELOCITY, CHARGING MEANS FOR INJECTING WHEAT FLOUR INTO SAID MOVING AIR CURRENT AT A PREDETERMINED CHARGING POINT THEREOF, MEANS FOR IMPARTING HEAT TO A FLOUR MOVING THEREALONG WITH SAID AIR PATH TO PREHEAT THE FLOUR MOVING THEREALONG WITH SAID AIR CURRENT AT A FRACTIONS OF A SECOND TO A TEMPERATURE LYING WITHIN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 40* C. TO ABOUT 45* C. AND FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY MOISTENING SAID WHEAT FLOUR IN SAID FIRST SECTION MEANS FOR INJECTING SUPERHEATED STEAM AT RELATIVE HUMIDITY ON THE ORDER OF ABOUT 95% INTO SAID CONVEYING PATH AT A PREDETERMINED POINT OF A SECOND SECTION FOLLOWING SAID FIRST SECTION TO RISE THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID WHEAT FLOUR FOR FRACTIONS OF A SECOND TO A TEMPERATURE LYING WITHIN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 80* C. TO 90* C. MEANS FOR SEPARATING SAID WHEAT FLOUR FROM SAID PATH AT A POINT THEREOF AT WHICH THE WHEAT FLOUR EXHIBITS A TEMPERATURE LYING WITHIN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 45* C. TO 75* C. AND MEANS FOR THEREAFTER SUDDENLY COOLING SAID WHEAT FLOUR TO ROOM TEMPERATURE.

Claim 4

APPARATUS FOR TREATING WHEAT FLOUR TO IMPROVE ITS BAKING QUALITIES COMPRISING TUBULAR MEANS FORMING A CLOSED CONVEYING PATH, MEANS FOR PROPELLING ALONG SAID PATH AIR UNDER PRESSURE AT RELATIVELY HIGH VELOCITY, CHARGING MEANS FOR INJECTING WHEAT FLOUR INTO SAID MOVING AIR CURRENT AT A PREDETERMINED CHARGING POINT THEREOF, MEANS FOR IMPARTING HEAT TO A FLOUR MOVING THEREALONG WITH SAID AIR PATH TO PREHEAT THE FLOUR MOVING THEREALONG WITH SAID AIR CURRENT AT A FRACTIONS OF A SECOND TO A TEMPERATURE LYING WITHIN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 40* C. TO ABOUT 45* C. AND FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY MOISTENING SAID WHEAT FLOUR IN SAID FIRST SECTION MEANS FOR INJECTING SUPERHEATED STEAM AT RELATIVE HUMIDITY ON THE ORDER OF ABOUT 95% INTO SAID CONVEYING PATH AT A PREDETERMINED POINT OF A SECOND SECTION FOLLOWING SAID FIRST SECTION TO RISE THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID WHEAT FLOUR FOR FRACTIONS OF A SECOND TO A TEMPERATURE LYING WITHIN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 80* C. TO 90* C. MEANS FOR SEPARATING SAID WHEAT FLOUR FROM SAID PATH AT A POINT THEREOF AT WHICH THE WHEAT FLOUR EXHIBITS A TEMPERATURE LYING WITHIN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 45* C. TO 75* C. AND MEANS FOR THEREAFTER SUDDENLY COOLING SAID WHEAT FLOUR TO ROOM TEMPERATURE.