GB179206A - Improvements in or relating to parboiling, gelatinizing and similarly treating rice, and to apparatus therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

179,206. Simon, Ltd., H., Raeburn, C., and Simpson, A. G. Nov. 2, 1920. Gravity, materials descending by. - A process of parboiling, gelatinizing, or similarly treating rice consists in heating the soaked rice by contact with heated surfaces so that the moisture content of the rice is not increased during heating, and then drying the rice, assisted by a current of air passed through the mass. The soaked rice is fed from a hopper 13 down tubes or other passages or containers 8 of small cross sectional area, which are surrounded by steam, hot air, hot water, flue gases, &c. supplied to the casing 5. The tubes may be flattened at intervals or may be zig-zag or sinuous, or, according to the Provisional Specification. may be inclined. The rice then passes between converging perforated plates 15, the lower end of the passages between the plates being controlled by a slotted plate. 20, reciprocated on rollers 21 by means of a lever 25 and worm-driven cam 28. The cam is so formed as to give a pause at the mid-position shown, and the slot in the lever 25 permits adjustment of the link 24 to vary the travel of the plate 20 and to control the rate of passage of the rice through the apparatus. Air, which may be heated, is supplied to the casing 31, and passes up through the perforated plates 15 into the mass of the rice. The rice leaves the chamber 31 by a pocket wheel 34, forming an air lock, and is received by a ccnveyer 35. The apparatus may operate continuously or the rice may first be parboiled &c. and subsequently dried. Alternatively, two separate devices may be employed in series.