Importance

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Abstract

A system for producing gluten continuously at a rapid rate, the system including a vertical tube having an inlet at its upper end to receive a flour paste, the lower end of the tube being perforated to define a separation zone surrounded by a water jacket. A rotating shaft coaxially disposed in the tube acts to drive a conveyor screw within the separation zone, the screw having nozzles therein to eject water toward the inner wall of the tube. Keyed to the shaft is a main screw that is spaced from the extruder screw to define a collection zone therebetween, the main screw acting to work the paste fed into the inlet to produce dough which is discharged into the collection zone where it is picked up by the conveyor screw and advanced through the separation zone as a thin dough coil on the inner wall of the tube where it is subjected on one face to water jets from the perforations and on the opposite face to water ejected from the nozzles, thereby dissolving the starch and other soluble components of the dough to produce a milky liquid. The resultant slurry of the gluten and the milky liquid is deposited on a filter to extract the gluten.

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First Claim