THE PRODUCTION OF CORK OIL. 6 



DRY PROCESS. 



After a process of cleaning to remove the dirt and foreign matter, 

 the corn, while being agitated in a suitable container, is sprayed 

 with water or treated with steam until it has a moisture content of 

 about 20 per cent, after which it goes at v once into the degerminating 

 machine. (Fig. 1.) This machine consists, briefly, of a horizontal, 

 tapering drum, which revolves on a central shaft within a casing 

 of the same shape. The surface of the drum, or core, is covered 

 with cone-shaped protuberances about three-fourths of an inch high, 

 and the interior of the casing has a similar surface. A space of seven- 

 sixteenths of an inch is allowed between the two surfaces, and the 

 core is rotated at 700 revolutions per minute. The space between 

 the core and the casing can readily be adjusted while the machine is 

 in operation. The corn enters at the top and narrow end of the 



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Fig. 2. — Diagram showing the various steps in the process of the dry milling of corn products in a 



hominy mill. 



machine and is carried forward through the length of the revolving 

 core. During its passage through the machine the kernel is torn and 

 shredded, the husk and germ are loosened, but the starchy material 

 is not ground to any considerable extent. The finer particles escape 

 through perforations, while the coarse material escapes at the dis- 

 charge end. The bran is partly drawn off by suction. 



The germ thus separated contains some bran, husks, and meal, the 

 quantity depending on the uniformity of the corn and the care prac- 

 ticed in the operation. This germ material is then run through drying 

 machines, where the moisture is reduced to about 14 per cent, after 

 which it is usually run through hominy reels. With the decrease of 

 moisture more bran and feed stock (a poor grade of grayish meal 

 containing some bran) are separated. The germ is then ready to go 

 to the oil-expelling department. This is not the procedure followed 

 in all mills, but the principle is the same in all. Figure 2 shows the 

 general scheme of dry corn milling. 



