GB976876A - - Google Patents

Abstract

976,876. Protein-enriched flours. DCA FOOD INDUSTRIES Inc. May 31, 1961, No. 19682/61. Heading A2Q. [Also in Division B2] During flour milling, an airborne stream of cereal endosperm fragments is circulated to comminute the fragments, cereal endosperm fragments are fed continuously at a predetermined rate, into the circulating stream and substantially all fine comminuted particles below a predetermined size, which are enriched in protein content to a degree not attained during conventional milling and coarse particles above that size, are continuously withdrawn from the circulating stream-said coarse particles being withdrawn at a predetermined rate. The withdrawn coarse particles may be subjected to aerodynamic classification to separate them into a coarse fraction and a relatively fine fraction, respectively, above and below a second predetermined particle size. This coarse fraction may be subjected to aerodynamic classification to separate it into coarse and relatively fine sub-fractions, respectively, above and below a third predetermined particle size, which is greater than the first-mentioned predetermined size. During the milling of soft wheat flour, Fig. 4, the flour containing 9.6%, by weight of proteins is fed into a classifier 1 cutting off at 13 microns, i.e. the particle size above and below which separation is effected. The resulting fine fraction is directed into an outlet stream 10 and the coarse fraction is fed into a classifier 2, cutting off at 42 microns. The fine fraction from classifier 2 is fed to classifier 3, cutting off at 25 microns, and the coarse fraction is fed into, and becomes airborne in, a comminuting mill 4, e.g. a vertical mill Fig. 6 (see Division B2) adjusted to throw out between 15 and 85, e.g. 80% of the fractions fed to it. The coarse fraction from classifier 3 is delivered into an outlet stream 12 and the fine fraction is passed to the mill 4. The fines from this mill, e.g. comprising particles below 30 microns in size, are passed through a cyclone separator 52 into the stream 10 and the throw-out is passed to classifier 5, cutting off at 21 microns, from which the fine fraction is delivered into an outlet stream 11 and the coarse fraction is passed to classifier 6, cutting off at 34 microns. The fine fraction from classifier 6 is delivered into the stream 12 and the coarse fraction is delivered into the stream 11, which contains 49% by weight of the original flour and 8.6% of proteins. The stream 10 contains 21% of the original flour and 20.7% of proteins. The stream 12 contains 30% of proteins. The classifiers 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 are aerodynamic, vortex classifiers of the type shown in Figs. 7 and 8 (see Division B2).