How John Harvey Kellogg Invented Flaked Breakfast Cereals
A foundational 1896 patent describing the process of creating thin, toasted flakes from cooked grains, which launched the modern breakfast cereal industry.
Original patent title: “Flaked cereals and process of preparing same”
A foundational 1896 patent describing the process of creating thin, toasted flakes from cooked grains, which launched the modern breakfast cereal industry. Granted to John Harvey Kellogg in 1896 with 4 forward citations.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
The patent details a mechanical process for transforming cooked wheat or other grains into thin, crispy flakes. The grain is first cooked, then passed through rollers to flatten it into thin pieces. These pieces are then toasted to achieve a specific texture and flavor profile that remains shelf-stable and ready to eat with milk.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover the use of non-grain ingredients like sugar coatings or artificial flavorings.
- Does not cover extruded cereal shapes like loops, puffs, or spheres.
- Does not cover the chemical fortification of cereals with vitamins or minerals.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The innovation was in the mechanical rolling process that turned cooked, dense grain into a thin, fragile flake that would toast evenly and stay crisp when submerged in liquid.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Kellogg's Corn Flakes
Generic toasted wheat flakes
Early 20th-century breakfast grain products
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This patent marks the birth of the ready-to-eat breakfast cereal category. It shifted the American diet from hot, labor-intensive porridges to convenient, processed grain products, creating a massive global industry centered in Battle Creek, Michigan.
Granted
April 14, 1896
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
The Kellogg Company remains the primary successor to this technology. Major global food conglomerates like General Mills and Post Consumer Brands have built upon these foundational processing techniques to dominate the modern cereal aisle.
Market impact
This patent effectively created the multi-billion dollar ready-to-eat breakfast cereal market. It moved food production from the home kitchen to industrial factories and established the standard for convenient, processed morning meals that define the modern grocery store.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
The patent details a mechanical process for transforming cooked wheat or other grains into thin, crispy flakes. The grain is first cooked, then passed through rollers to flatten it into thin pieces. These pieces are then toasted to achieve a specific texture and flavor profile that remains shelf-stable and ready to eat with milk.
The clever bit
The innovation was in the mechanical rolling process that turned cooked, dense grain into a thin, fragile flake that would toast evenly and stay crisp when submerged in liquid.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover the use of non-grain ingredients like sugar coatings or artificial flavorings.
- Does not cover extruded cereal shapes like loops, puffs, or spheres.
- Does not cover the chemical fortification of cereals with vitamins or minerals.
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Limited data
Citation count
14/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
0/20
Narrow claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
0/20
Older than 20 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$7K – $21K
Midpoint $13K · expired or expiring · industry ×2.2
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
(1896). How John Harvey Kellogg Invented Flaked Breakfast Cereals (U.S. Patent No. 558,393). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/558393/corn-flakes-kellogg
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
Embed
Add this patent to your site
Drop this plain-English patent card into any blog post or article — free, no signup. It always links back to the full breakdown here.
<div data-patentlens-widget data-patent-number="US558393"></div> <script src="https://patentbrief.org/embed.js" async></script>
Stay in the loop
Get a weekly digest of new patents.
One email per week. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Keep exploring
Related patents you should know
US 4683195 · 1987
How to Make Billions of Copies of a DNA Segment
This patent describes the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), a method to rapidly create many copies of a specific piece of DNA or RNA, enabling its detection and analysis.
Cetus Corp
US 8697359 · 2014
How to Edit Genes in Human Cells Using an Engineered CRISPR System
This patent describes an engineered CRISPR-Cas9 system for precisely cutting DNA in eukaryotic cells to change how genes work, opening the door for gene editing in complex organisms.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
US 7657849 · 2010
How the iPhone's Slide-to-Unlock Gesture Works
Apple's 2010 patent describes unlocking a device by dragging a specific graphical image across the touchscreen along a predefined path, a gesture that became iconic with the original iPhone.
Apple Inc
US 4733665 · 1988
How Doctors Implant a Permanent Stent Using a Balloon
This patent describes the method for placing a permanent, expandable wire mesh tube inside a blood vessel or other body tube using a balloon-tipped catheter to widen it and keep it open.
Expandable Grafts Partnership
US 4405829 · 1983
How RSA Public-Key Encryption Keeps Digital Messages Secret
This patent describes the foundational RSA algorithm, a method for securely sending messages where anyone can encrypt a message using a public key, but only the intended recipient can decrypt it using a secret private key.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
US 4575330 · 1986
How 3D Printers Build Objects Layer by Layer from Liquid
This patent describes the foundational method for 3D printing, where a machine builds a three-dimensional object layer by layer by hardening a liquid material with light or other energy.
UVP Inc
Semantically similar
You might also find these interesting
US 1773079 · 1930 · Frosted Foods Co Inc
How Clarence Birdseye Invented Modern Frozen Food
US 2495429 · 1950 · Raytheon Manufacturing Co
How Percy Spencer Invented the Microwave Oven
US 3997676 · 1976 · Nissin Shokuhin KK
How Cup Noodles Are Designed to Cook Perfectly
US 1394450 · 1921
How the First Automatic Pop-Up Toaster Works
More to explore
More in Consumer Electronics
US 7657849 · 2010 · Apple Inc
How the iPhone's Slide-to-Unlock Gesture Works
US 7479949 · 2009 · Apple Inc
How Touchscreens Understand Your Finger Swipes and Scrolls
US 4528643 · 1985 · FPDC Inc
How Stores Make Custom Products On-Demand with Remote Approval
US 7469381 · 2008 · Apple Inc
How Touchscreens Show and Snap Back When You Scroll Past an Edge
New to patents?
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How John Harvey Kellogg Invented Flaked Breakfast Cereals cover?
A foundational 1896 patent describing the process of creating thin, toasted flakes from cooked grains, which launched the modern breakfast cereal industry.
Who owns patent US 558393?
John Harvey Kellogg owns this patent, granted in 1896.
When does this patent expire?
This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely.
What is patent US 558393 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 4 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This patent marks the birth of the ready-to-eat breakfast cereal category. It shifted the American diet from hot, labor-intensive porridges to convenient, processed grain products, creating a massive global industry centered in Battle Creek, Michigan.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover the use of non-grain ingredients like sugar coatings or artificial flavorings.
Patent monitoring