Apparatus for Use in Malting and Kiln-drying Grain.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd May, 1899-Accepted, 17th June, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Use in Malting and Kiln-drying Grain.
I, BERNHARD FISCHER, of L.15.5, Mannheim, in the Empire of Germany,
Engineer, 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:-
This invention relates to an apparatus which with very slight modifications is
equally adapted for use in malt floors and in malt kilns; by its means it is possible
to produce malt of a quality superior to anything which has hitherto been
manufactured whilst effecting great economies as regards the space power and
beating material necessary to carry out these operations. These results are
obtained by the employment (for effecting the mechanical mixing of the whole
mass of the material in a uniform manner) of a part or element the form and
motion of which are adapted for the treatment of the germs in the operation of
flooring malt and which is hollow so that the requisite moistening or heating
current may be conducted through the material.
.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which :-
Fig. 1 is a vertical section taken upon the line A-B of Fig. 2 of my malt kilning
or curing apparatus.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken upon the line C-D of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the apparatus (the cover 6 being removed) for beer
maltings.
Fig. 4 is a section taken upon the line E-F of Fig. 3.
The trough or vessel a is provided with a cover b provided with exhaust tubes c
and in its bottom or in one of its lateral walls with an emptying door d (Fig. 4). .
In this trough two worm tubes e are so arranged as to be capable of rotation in
stuffing boxes in the known manner. The troughs a are suspended in casings h
within which latter are conducted the heating pipes g and in which a thorough
circulation of air is rendered possible by means of tubular sockets i arranged in the
lower portion thereof and provided with suitable covers at a distance above same.
The tubes e rotate as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1 in opposite directions thus
producing an undulatory circulation of the malt f. This result is produced owing to
the fact that the pitch of both worms is in the same direction whilst they rotate
in opposite directions so that one of the rotating tubes pushes the malt to the left
hand end of the trough and the other tube pushes it to the right hand end; as
the malt covers the tubes e (say to a depth of about 15 cm.) a slightly undulatory
continuous circulation is obtained which mixes the malt more completely than
has hitherto been possible with malt turners or mixers of the most approved
kinds.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
The door in the cover b is first of all opened and the trough a filled with malt
to a suitable height; the door in the cover b is then closed the heating medium
allowed to enter the tubes e and these latter caused to rotate and when this operation
has continued sufficiently long for the desired results to be obtained the door d in
the bottom (or side) of the trough is opened and the trough is emptied.

page_text: The desired effect above referred to may however relate either to the flooring
or to the kilning operations of malting and for these two operations two different
forms of worm tubes are employed. If flooring is to be effected for example
perforated worm tubes e are employed into which is injected (during their rotation
and from both ends) moist air of about 14° R. which issues from the perforations
in the tubes and passing through the malt escapes through the exhaust pipes or
outlets c thereby producing the effects aimed at in the operation of flooring malt
(that is to say the removal of the carbonic acid which is generated and the
consequent prevention of mildew) without in any way injuring the germs of the
malt. The heating tubes g are not employed in this operation.
If it is desired to kiln-dry the malt unperforated tubes e are arranged in the
trough a instead of perforated tubes through these unperforated tubes heated
steam is passed.
The worm tubes e act as efficient turning or agitating devices when caused to
rotate and act more efficiently than those hitherto in use owing to the fact that they
maintain the whole contents of the receptacle in a turning movement at the same
time. In this case the trough is heated from below by means of the heating
pipes thereby effecting a considerable economy as compared with the usual
method of heating in which the whole of the kiln space is heated. In addition to
this the drying operation is accelerated by means of the worm tubes e and finally
in the last stage of the drying operation steam at a higher temperature may be
conducted through the said tubes thus imparting to the malt the desired brown
crust which gives it the well-known fine flavour. In this instance a lateral door
is of course provided instead of the bottom door d. In order to empty the trougli
it is then only necessary to open the said door and cause both the worm tubes to
rotate in the same direction; they then both act as conveyor worms in the same
direction and push the malt through the opened door.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. An apparatus for malt floors and for malt kilns consisting of the combina-
tion with a vessel or trough such as a of two worm tubes such as e which are either
perforated and supplied with moist air or unperforated and heated by steam or other
suitable medium such tubes being rotated and thus causing an undulatory
circulation of the whole contents of the trough and thereby effecting the germina-
tion or the drying of the malt in the respective cases substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
2. The herein-described apparatus for malt floors constructed combined and
arranged to act substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described with
reference to the drawings hereunto annexed.
3. The herein-described apparatus for malt kilns constructed combined and
arranged to act substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described with
reference to the drawings hereunto annexed.
day
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, .W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.