Apparatus and process for the production of gluten and starch from wheat, rye, or barley

Claim 2

In the method of producing starch and gluten from a grain such as wheat, rye or barley, comprising the steps of dispersing endosperm fractions derived through the grain milling process in water, separating the dispersion into a starch-rich fraction and a gluten-rich fraction by centifugation, maintaining the gluten-rich fraction at an elevated temperature level for a predetermined period of time to allow the gluten to form filiform agglomerates, adding water to the agglomerate-containing fluid to expand the size of the agglomerate, and separating the gluten accumulation from the resultant mixture, the improvement comprising the additional step of initially grinding the grain to obtain the endosperm fractions by the method comprising the steps of: (a) breaking and sifting the grain to obtain finished endosperm fractions, a fine product, a coarse product, and a bran waste product; (b) sizing the coarse product by cutting and sifting to produce finished endosperm fractions and a sized product; (c) pressing, impacting, and softing the sized product and the fine product to produce finished endosperm fractions and tailings; and (d) finally reducing the tailings to produce finished endosperm fractions and a fine bran waste product.

Claim 5

The process according to claim 2 wherein the product obtained at each passage is passed through sieving cloths having the same mesh aperture in each case.

Claim 6

The process according to claim 2, including the additional step of sifting the products from the break system with grading plan sifters.

Claim 7

The process according to claim 2, including the additional step of separating the products from the break system with brushing machines.

Claim 8

The process according to claim 2, including the additional step of separating the products from the break system with bran centrifuges.

Claim 9

The process according to claim 2, wherein said dissipator is an impact dissipator.

Claim 10

The process according to claim 2, wherein said dissipator is a beater dissipator.

Claim 11

The process according to claim 2, wherein said rollers in said final reduction passages are smooth rollers.

Claim 12

The process according to claim 2, wherein said rollers in said final reduction passages are fine-fluted rollers.

Claim 13

A mill for deriving endosperm fractions comprising: (a) a break stage having a plurality of break passages related in series, each break passage including at least one pair of opposed, fluted rollers; (b) a sizing stage having a plurality of sizing passages related in a series, each sizing passage including at least one pair of opposed, fluted rollers; (c) means for sorting finished endosperm fractions from predetermined coarseness grades of product in the break stage and conveying predetermined coarseness grades of product to the sizing stage; (d) a pressing and impacting stage having a plurality of pressing and impacting passages related in a series, each passage including at least one pair of opposed, smooth rollers, and a dissipater; (e) means for sorting finished endosperm fractions from predetermined coarseness grades of product in the sizing stage and conveying predetermined coarseness grades of product to the pressing and impacting stage; (f) a final reduction stage having a plurality of reducing passages related in series, each reducing passage including at least one pair of opposed rollers; and (g) means for sorting finished endosperm fractions from predetermined coarseness grades of product in the pressing and impacting stage and conveying predetermined coarseness grades of product to the final reduction stage.

Claim 14

A mill for deriving endosperm fractions comprising: (a) a break stage having a plurality of break passages related in series, each break passage including at least one pair of opposed, fluted rollers; (b) a sizing stage having a plurality of sizing passages related in a series, each sizing passage including at least one pair of opposed, fluted rollers; (c) means for sorting finished endosperm fractions from predetermined coarseness grades of product in the break stage and conveying predetermined coarseness grades of product to the sizing stage; (d) a pressing and impacting stage having a plurality of pressing and impacting passages related in a series, each passage including at least one pair of opposed, smooth rollers, and a dissipater; (e) means for sorting finished endosperm fractions from predetermined coarseness grades of product in the sizing stage and conveying predetermined coarseness grades of product to the pressing and impacting stage; (f) a final reduction stage having a plurality of reducing passages related in series, each reducing passage including at least one pair of opposed rollers; and (g) means for sorting finished endosperm fractions from predetermined coarseness grades of product in the pressing and impacting stage and conveying predetermined coarseness grades of product to the final reduction stage.

Claim 15

The mill of claim 11 wherein the final reduction stage comprises at least one pair of smooth, opposed rollers, at least one pair of fluted, opposed rollers, and at least one dissipater.

Claim 16

The mill of claim 11 wherein each pair of rollers in the recited stages comprises a fast roller and a slow roller, and wherein: (a) the roller speed ratio in the sizing stage is within the range of 1:1.3 to 1:1.8; (b) the roller speed ratio in the pressing and impacting stage is within the range of 1:1.00 to 1:1.20; and (c) the roller speed ratio in the final reduction stage is within the range of 1:1.2 to 1:1.4.

Claim 17

The mill of claim 13 which further comprises final sieving cloths each having the same mesh aperture, disposed in each said passage.

Claim 18

The mill of claim 13 which further comprises a bran cleaning stage for cleaning bran derived in the break stage to a finished product, said cleaning stage comprising a plurality of bran brushes connected in series, and means for sorting and conveying the bran waste from the break stage to the bran cleaning stage.

Claim 19

The mill of claim 15 wherein the bran cleaning stage comprises a plurality of bran centrifuges connected in series.

Claim 20

A mill for grinding raw wheat, rye, or barley to produce endosperm fractions, comprising a break system and a reduction system, each of said systems including a plurality of passages, each passage having at least one pair of rollers and a sifting unit, and wherein said pairs of rollers of said break system are fluted and each pair comprises a slow roller and a fast roller; and wherein said reduction system comprises three groups of passages arranged in series, including a sizing group whose passages are provided with pairs of fluted rollers for semolina reduction with a speed ratio which is in the range between 1:1.3 and 1:1.8; a pressing and impacting group whose passages are provided with pairs of smooth rollers whose speed ratio is in the range between 1:1.0 and 1:1.2 with a dissipater being arranged in each case between the pair of rollers and the sifting unit; and a final reduction group whose passages are provided with pairs of rollers whose speed ratio is in the range between 1:1.2 and 1:1.4.

Claim 21

A mill for grinding raw wheat, rye, or barley to produce endosperm fractions, comprising a break system and a reduction system, each of said systems including a plurality of passages, each passage having at least one pair of rollers and a sifting unit, and wherein said pairs of rollers of said break system are fluted and each pair comprises a slow roller and a fast roller; and wherein said reduction system comprises three groups of passages arranged in series, including a sizing group whose passages are provided with pairs of fluted rollers for semolina reduction with a speed ratio which is in the range between 1:1.3 and 1:1.8; a pressing and impacting group whose passages are provided with pairs of smooth rollers whose speed ratio is in the range between 1:1.0 and 1:1.2 with a dissipater being arranged in each case between the pair of rollers and the sifting unit; and a final reduction group whose passages are provided with pairs of rollers whose speed ratio is in the range between 1:1.2 and 1:1.4.

Claim 22

The apparatus of claim 17 wherein a dissipator is provided in at least one of said passages of said final reduction group.

Claim 23

The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the dissipater is an impact dissipater.

Claim 24

The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the dissipater is a beater dissipater.

Claim 25

The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the rollers in the final reduction group are smooth rollers.

Claim 26

The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the rollers in the final reduction group are fine-fluted rollers.