Improvements in Apparatus or Machinery for the Manufacture or Production of Malt.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Feb., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 1st Nov., 1895-Accepted, 8th Feb., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus or Machinery for the Manufacture or
Production of Malt.
I, ACHILLE RAVINET, of Dunkirk (Nord) France, Brewer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is the manufacture or production of apparatus or
machines whereby the different operations now necessary for the malting of grains
are dispensed with and the work is accomplished in and by one apparatus or
machine.
These operations consist,
1. In the germination.
1
2. In the drying or malting kiln.
My apparatus or machine is composed of a cylinder surrounded by air heating
medium having conical shaped ends. It is free to turn in a horizontal direction on
grooved wheels or guide rollers.
At one end a pipe brings hot air saturated with water which is diffused or
scattered in the cylinder containing the barley or other grain heats it, damps it
and provokes or causes the germination. The germination being effected the
water saturated air is replaced by a current of hot air to effect the drying.
A pipe corresponding with the other cone is in connection with a suction pump
or exhaust appliance such as a fan which extracts the carbonic and other gases.
The cylinder is separated from the cones at the ends by perforated metallic
plates.
In the interior and longitudinally there is arranged metallic gauze or net work
causing or forcing the grains when the cylinder rotates, to change their position
and to be wholly in contact with the damp air during the action of germination or
with the dry and hot air during the drying operation.
Suitable apertures are provided in the apparatus or machine for filling and
emptying the material to be treated and for removing the manufactured malt from
the machine.
Dated this 18th dor of February 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus or Machinery for the Manufacture or
Production of Malt.
I, ACHILLE RAVINET of Dunkirk (Nord) France, Brewer, do hereby declare
the nature of this 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 produce improved malting apparatus whereby
the complete treatment of the grains, that is to say, the operations of germination
and drying are accomplished in and by one apparatus or machine, and without the
Price 8d.1

page_text: necessity of other apparatus, or having to transport the treated grains from one
apparatus or place to another, and by the construction or arrangements hereafter
described which characterise my invention the grains are kept in constant motion
and caused to change their position so that all are equally subjected to the desired
action, and felting or agglomeration of the grains completely prevented.
In order that my invention may be readily understood I will now describe same
with reference to the accompanying drawings whereon Fig. 1 is a transverse section
of one of my cylinders, Fig. 2 being a section through the line 1-2 of Fig. 1
showing the arrangement of one of the screens or directors for assuring the passage
of gas through the grains, Fig. 3 a vertical transverse section through the interior
of same and Fig. 4 a vertical longitudinal section of one of the air or gas supply
or exhaust pipes.
The apparatus according to my invention is composed of a cylinder A of
enamelled or galvanized iron, provided with apertures a for the introduction or
delivery of the grains. This drum or cylinder A is terminated laterally by two
truncated conical ends B B' forined or provider with cylindrical tubular conductors
or sleeves C C carried upon and revolving (when the apparatus rotates) around
the inlet and exit tubes D D¹.
In the vertical part P of the air inlet D there is a register V, for regulating the
admission of the hot air or gas current R, and there is an aperture U fitted with
metallic gauze m Fig. 4, communicating with the external air, and which can be
closed at will by means of a slide k. Within the conical ends B of the cylinder
are provided diaphragms E made of perforated sheet metal, limiting on each side
the position reserved for grain in the cylinder.
Metallic gauze webs G of large mesh divide the cylinder into sections they
extending "trapeze-like," lengthwise, that is to say having their ends fixed to the
perforated sheet metal plates E E and arranged in such manner that the narrow
part of one corresponds with the widest part of the other.
The cylinder A may in some cases (although not so shown) be fitted with a
double envelope in order to avoid loss of heat by radiation. The opening of the
pipe D at or near the trunks of the cone B B' is fitted with metallic gauze J for
dividing the current, it being carried into the space d, before going into the mass
of grain in the space L.
Externally the cylinder A is fitted with a toothed ring or circular rack N driven
by the pinion N' and is suitably carried as shown at Figures 2 and 3.
The air of the room or building, or heated gases produced by an external furnace
may, at will, be caused to pass through the vertical part P of the pipe D and there
is introduced into such current R, by means of a sprayer p, the necessary quantity
of moisture to saturate this air or gas. The degree of saturation may be verified
by means of suitable & well known instruments located at say h h¹.
The pipe D' of similar construction to that already described with reference
to D serves for the evacuation or withdrawal of the gases that have passed through
the grain which is in the cylinder A, the said gases being sucked by means of an
exhaust fan or any other suitable appliance. By means of conduits or connections
and an arrangement of taps or valves suitable for the purpose, it will be readily
understood that it is easy to give to the gases an inverse route, that is to say the
pipe D may be caused to become the exit for the gases introduced through the
pipe D'. One is thus assured that the grains have been intimately treated with
the hot or cold gases and that the action of these latter has been complete.
I may connect the exhaust tube of say a first cylinder to the supply tube of say
a second cylinder following, in such manner that the gases having served for the
germination, or for the drying of the grain of the first cylinder commence the
operation in the second cylinder.
The operation of malting is effected in the following manuer :
The damp grains to be worked are introduced at the upper part of the cylinder A
which is not to be completely filled so as to allow the said grains to germinate and
to swell. This done the cylinder is put in motion. The suction pipe D' and the

page_text: aperture U are opened; the register V is closed. The sprayer is set going, the
quantity being regulated so as to saturate the air arriving, the temperature of
which may be verified by suitably located thermometers.
At the ends of the cylinder are screens W freely movable about axes W₁ and
such screens carry at their lower parts a tubular piece X, (horn shaped) the
cylindrical parts of which engage with the arrival and exit pipes D D'; the
terminal head Z of such part W is located at the lower part of the truncated
conical end B, the horn X serving as a counterweight to the screen W which thus
always remains uppermost and the gases can only penetrate the grain at the lower
part of the cylinder. The intimate contact of these gases and the grain is thus
assured.
During the rotation of the cylinder A the grains roll on the metallic gauze G
which by their form produce what may be called a constant shovelling-up action
to change the position of the grains and prevent the agglomeration of the grain
and of their becoming packed.
The metallic gauze only extends to within a certain distance from the sides of
the cylinder A. and the space Q thus formed allows the grain to pass from one
section into the other.
At this point of the operation, the condition of the grain is examined and if it is
found to be sufficiently germed, the sprayer is closed as well as the door U of the
pipe P. The hot current R is then put in communication with the cylinder A by
opening the register V of the pipe P as well as the register Q' communicating
with the fan.
It will be seen that the germination and also the drying of the grain takes place
in the same cylinder and that in an economical manner while the loss of time
usually occupied in recharging the apparatus has been avoided.
Other kinds of sheet metal than the metallic gauze before described located
lengthwise of the cylinder may be used. The size of the cylinders may vary in
accordance with the requirement while the rotation thereof may be obtained in any
convenient way other than that described without departing from the invention.
By my invention for improvements in apparatus or machiuery for the manufacture
or production of malt, I obviate the necessity of the transport or changing of the
grain from one container to another, while the grain is constantly turned or
changed in position and brought into intimate contact with the air or gases during
the germination or drying.
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 metallic webs G extending longitudinally of the cylinder A, and whereby,
when the apparatus is rotated, the grain is caused to be intimately subjected to the
damp or dry air or gases passing through the cylinder, and agglomeration and
felting of the grain thereby prevented, all constructed, arranged and acting
substantially as described.
2. The horizontally arranged cylinder A having perforated metal ends to permit
of proper entry and exit of the air or gases substantially as set forth.
3. The screen W supported on a pivot W₁ and carried in a vertical position
above same, and a tubular part X having horn shaped terminal head Z to conduct
the air or gases to or from the lower part of the grain in the cylinder, such part X
being carried from the screen W and serving to counterbalance same substantially
as described.
4. The means for regulating the arrival or exit at will, of hot, humid, or dry gas
or air into the cylinder A in either direction and according as to whether
germination or drying is to be produced substantially as described.
5. The means provided for the constant exhaust of the carbonic acid disengaged
by means of an exhaust fan or any other appliance of a like nature substantially
as described.

page_text: 6. The construction of the apparatus rendering practicable the possibility of
combining two apparatus together so as to make the exit gas from the first serve
for the commencement of the operation in the following substantially as described.
7. The general construction and combination of parts composing my apparatus
or machinery for the manufacture of malt all arranged and acting as and for the 5
purposes hereinbefore set forth together with any mere modification or modifications
thereof.
Tand shin 21 at 1005