Improvements in Malt and other Drying Kilns.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Dec., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 24th Oct., 1892-Accepted, 24th Feb., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Malt and other Drying Kilns.
1, JAMES SLEEMAN, of Taunton, in the County of Somerset, Maltster, do
hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to effect improvements in the construction and
working of malt and other drying kilns, for the purpose of equalising the temperature
& economising the consumption of fuel.
Instead of constructing kilns with one or, at most, with two floors, over a furnace,
according to present practice, I construct my improved kilns with three, or any
greater number of drying floors, one over the other. I also provide and work a
fan, or other blower or exhauster for driving or drawing air through all the floors,
and the materials intended to be dried upon the floors. These kilns may be fitted
so that one or more of the drying floors may receive a supply of hot or cold air,
independently of the others or other. For this purpose the walls of the kiln are
built hollow or cellular, by means of additional walls inside the outer walls or
otherwise thus leaving air passages in or between the walls. By equivalent means
I form cellular floors to the kilns, the air passages in the walls and floors being
placed in communication as required, both with the furnaces and with each other;
shutters or bafflers being fitted wherever required to direct and control the passage
of the air in any direction. By these means hot air issuing from the furnace may
be led to and through all or any of the wall flues, and to and through all or any of
the flues in the kiln floors and rooms at will, and the temperatures of the kiln,
floors, and rooms, may be regulated.
In an analogous manner tubes fitted with valves, communicating respectively
with the outer air, the wall flues, and the floor flues, are fitted; through which
cold air may be admitted to any or either of the wall flues, or the floor flues,
independently, or to both.
Or, instead of cellular walls and floors, the same may be solid, and pipes or tubes
may be fitted inside the rooms in any suitable position, or near the walls, and also
under, in or upon the floors, communicating with the furnace the outer air, and
each or any one or more of the rooms and kiln floors respectively. These tubes are
fitted with valves where required, whereby hot or cold air, in regulated quantities
may be admitted to or shut off from, all or any of the kiln floors or rooms, and the
temperature of the latter may be thereby regulated.
Dated 24th December 1891.
GEO.
DOWNING,
8, Quality Court, London, W.C., Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Malt and other Drying Kilns.
I, JAMES SLEEMAN, of Taunton, in the County of Somerset, Maltster, do
hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
-
The object of my invention is to effect improvements in the construction and
working of malt and other drying kilns, for the purpose of equalising the temperature
and economising the consumption of fuel.
Instead of constructing kilns with one or, at most, with two floors, over a furnace,
according to present practice, I construct my improved kilns with three, or any

page_text: greater number of drying noors (preferably with four noors) one over the other.
also provide and work a fan, or other blower or exhauster, for driving or drawing
air through all the floors, and the materials intended to be dried upon the floors.
These kilns may be fitted so that one or more of the drying floors may receive a
supply of hot or cold air, independently of the others or other. For this purpose
the walls of the kiln are built hollow or cellular, by means of additional walls inside
the outer walls or otherwise thus leaving air passages in or between the walls. By
equivalent means I sometimes form cellular floors to the kilns, the air passages in
the walls and floors being placed in communication as required, both with the
furnaces and with each other: shutters or bafflers being fitted wherever required to
direct and control the passage of the air in any direction. By these means hot air
issuing from the furnace may be led to and through all or any of the wall flues, and
to and through all or any of the flues in the kiln floors and rooms at will, and the
temperatures of the kiln, floors, and rooms, may be regulated.
In an analogous manner tubes fitted with valves, communicating respectively
with the outer air, the wall flues, and the floor flues, are fitted; through which
cold air may be admitted to any or either of the wall flues, or the floor flues,
independently, or to both.
Or, instead of cellular walls and floors, the same may be solid, and pipes or tubes
may be fitted inside the rooms in any suitable position or near the walls, and also
under, in, or upon the floors, communicating with the furnace the outer air, and
each or any one or more of the rooms and kiln floors respectively. These tubes are
fitted with valves where required, whereby hot or cold air, in regulated quantities
may be admitted to or shut off from, all or any of the kiln floors or rooms, and the
temperature of the latter may be thereby regulated.
I also find it advantageous to construct hollow perforated trunks attached to the
walls around the space above and below each kiln floor for the better diffusion
of the tempered air. These hollow perforated trunks communicate, by means of
controllable valves, with the air chambers in the walls, and also with the outer air,
so that the air from either may be admitted to this perforated trunk and diffused
into the space above or below either of the floors of the kiln.
The usual method of working is as follows:-The green malt is elevated from
the working floors and shot into the centre of the first (highest) kiln, and spread,
where it remains one day. The suction fan, together with means of admitting hot
and cold air to either floor, causes rapid elimination of moisture at low temperature.
It is then dropped through the floor to the second kiln, where it remains one day,
then on to the third floor for the same time, and lastly on to the tile floor, where it
is cured in a still, oven-like cooking chamber. The hot air may be drawn from
the hot air chamber through the flues in the wall, past the curing kiln, to the other
floors, as required.
Any known furnace or heating appliances may be used underneath the floors.
And in order that my said invention may be particularly described and
ascertained, reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawing, being a
sectional elevation illustrating the general construction of my improved kilns.
1 is a suction fan, which may be driven by any known means. 2 is a shoot from
an elevator, through which the green malt is elevated, and shot into the centre of
the upper floor 3. Upon this floor the malt is spread and allowed to remain one
day, the moisture being carried away with the air by means of the suction fan.
The malt is then dropped through suitable openings in the floor 3, on to the floor 4,
where it remains one day. It is then dropped on to the floor 5 in a similar manner,
where it remains one day; and lastly it is dropped on to the tile floor 6, where it is
cured in a still, oven-like, cooking apparatus.
Flues 7, 7, are formed in the walls for the passage of hot air, and similar flues 8,8,
are formed in the walls for the passage of cold air; all the flues being fitted with
dampers for regulating the admission of the air to the several floors. The heat
from a furnace is admitted from 9 into the chamber 10, or the furnace may be
placed in a central position at 9, whereby the chamber 10 is heated; the tiled

page_text: floor 6 being thereby raised to the necessary temperature for cooking the
From the chamber 10 the heated air passes upwards through the flues, but not
through the floor 6; the malt being cured perfectly when dried upon the floor 6,
11 is a fuel store, and 12 is the engine room.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. The general arrangement of the several and respective floors, hot and cold air
flues, and combination therewith of one or more fan or fans and heating appliances,
substantially as herein before described and illustrated by the drawing.
2. The improved method of working malt and other drying kilns, substantially
as herein before described and illustrated by the drawing.
3. The improvements in malt and, other drying kilns, substantially as herein
before described and illustrated by the drawing.
GEO.
DOWNING,
8. Quality Court, London, W.C., Agent.