An Improved Automatic Sprinkling Device applicable to Malting Drums.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Apr., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 30th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 17th Apr., 1897
OVISIONAL SPE
ION.
An Improved Automatic Sprinkling Device applicable to
Malting Drums.
I, ROBERTSON BLAIR ROBERTSON, of 74, Great Tower Street, in the City and
County of London, Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
The present application for Letters Patent has for its object the provision of
means for automatically sprinkling the malt in process of germination in the process.
known as pneumatic malting or other similar processes in which malting is conducted
in closed revolving receptacles.
In carrying my invention into effect I provide a series of perforated pipes placed
at suitable intervals in the interior of the malting cylinder, a convenient number of
these pipes in a cylinder of usual dimensions is 8. The perforated pipes are
connected by other pipes at the end of the cylinder to a central valve so arranged
as to cut them off automatically from the water supply except when through the
revolution of the drum they are in a position corresponding to the free space in the
drum above the surface of the malt in such a manner that as soon as a given pipe
rises above the surface of the malt the central valve allows access to it of water
which is then discharged through the perforations upon the surface of the malt in
the drum. The central valve is preferably connected to the source of water supply
by means of a flexible tube such for instance as the arinoured hose well known in
connection with fire engines, or other strong flexible connection which possesses
sufficient elasticity to allow of a slight deflection of the end of the cylinder from
the exact centre of revolution. The tube is suitably attached to the valve, which
revolves with the drum, whilst the tube itself remains stationary and is prolonged
preferably through the central pipe conveying moist air to the drum and connected
to an outside water supply at a suitable point, a stop valve being provided to shut
off the water whenever requisite.
It is obvious that various modifications of the apparatus described may be
devised to suit special cases and varying conditions, and I do not limit myself to
the precise details described of carrying my invention into effect which may be
more or less varied to suit circumstances.
Dated this 30th day of April 1896.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.
An Improved Automatic Sprinkling Device applicable to
Malting Drums.
I, ROBERTSON BLAIR ROBERTSON of 74 Great Tower Street, in the City and
County of London, Manager, 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 present application for Letters Patent has for its object the provision of

page_text: means for automatically sprinkling the malt in process of germination in the process
known as pneumatic malting or other similar processes in which malting is
conducted in closed revolving receptacles.
In carrying my invention into effect fl provide a series of perforated pipes placed
at suitable intervals in the interior of the malting cylinder. The perforated pipes
are connected by other pipes at the end of the cylinder to a central valve and so
arranged as to be cut off automatically from the water supply except when through
the revolution of the drum they are in a position corresponding to the free space in
the drum above the surface of the malt in such a manner that as soon as a given
pipe rises above the surface of the malt the central valve allows access to it of
water which is then discharged through the perforations upon the surface of the
malt in the drum. The central valve is preferably connected to the source
of water supply by means of a flexible tube such for instance as the armoured hose
well known in connection with fire engines, or other strong flexible connection
which possesses sufficient elasticity to allow of a slight deflection of the end of the
cylinder from the exact centre of revolution. The tube is suitably attached to the
valve the sealing ring of which revolves with the drum whilst the tube itself
remains stationary and is prolonged preferably through an inlet conveying moist
air to the drum or through an outlet carrying air from the drum, and connected to
an outside water supply at a suitable point, a valve being provided to shut off the
water whenever requisite.
For the purpose of more fully describing my invention and the method of
carrying the same into effect, I have represented in the accompanying drawings two
modifications of the apparatus.
In these drawings:-
Figure 1 shows part of the end elevation of a drum having four sprinkling tubes,
the outside water supplying mechanism being removed and a portion of the top
broken away to show the interior.
Figure 2 shows a section of the end of the drum and of the water supply
apparatus..
Figure 3 shows an elevation of the portion of a drum having eight sprinklers,
corresponding to that shown in Figure 1.
Figure 4 shows a section through Figure 3 and through the outside water supply
mechanism.
Figure 5 shows a transverse vertical section of the four-way valve (Figure 1) on
a larger scale.
Figure 6 shows an elevation of the same.
Figure 7 shows a vertical section from back to front of the same.
Like letters denote like parts throughout the drawings.
The sprinkling apparatus is applicable to a malting drum of any usual kind.
In the example shown in Figures 1 and 2 the drum Z has a cylindrical box
or cover Z¹ attached to it at one end, which box is integral with the malting drum
and revolves with it. At the centre of Z¹ is an aperture of sufficient diameter
corresponding to the fixed air supply pipe Y connected to Z by an airtight joint y,
which admits of the free revolution of the drum. The letters X and W denote the
air tubes and X' the central air tube of the drum. The automatic water supply in
the modification shown in Figures 1 and 2 is arranged as follows:-A is the water
supply pipe, B a connection, preferably flexible to allow of slight deflections of the
drum axis without damage, and connecting to the four-way valve a illustrated in
detail in Figures 5, 6 and 7 of the drawings. The said valve a is stationary and
there revolves around it the circular sealing ring 6 into which are screwed the ends
of the water pipes E connected to the sprinklers F. Its aperture is so directed as
to commence to admit water into each pipe E during the revolution of the drum,
when the same reaches the vertical position or thereabouts, and to shut it off before
reaching the horizontal position (see Figures 1, 5, 6, and 7).
In consequence of this arrangement, each sprinkler fills with water as it
reaches the highest position during the revolution of the drum and sprinkles the

page_text: surface of the malt as shown in the drawing, thus causing each portion of the
charge to be uniformly and consecutively moistened. In the modification of
the apparatus illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 a mechanism is provided for
automatically opening and closing a valve on each pipe E. The valve a is
replaced by the valve C fixed to the inlet pipe by a rubber connection whilst the
valve seat D is fixed to and moves with the drum.
The flexible tube B connects this valve with the circular channel G into which
the pipes E are secured.
Each pipe has a spring valve H actuated by a projecting bar or handle coming.
into contact with the fixed stop I (Figure 4). This stop is preferably of the shape
shown on an enlarged scale in Figure 44 and the length of its face i determines the
time during which the spring valve H is held open, and sprinkling takes place.
As soon as the bar of the valve H passes the contact piece I the valve closes and
the water is cut off the tube E and sprinkler F.
In another form of drum, the valve attachment is placed at the air outlet end.
and the pipes E carried to the sprinklers F either inside the drum or outside the-
end plate thereof.
From the foregoing examples the application of the device to sprinkling
mechanisms having a greater or less number of tubes, or other detail modifications,.
will be sufficiently obvious.
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. In combination with a rotary pneumatic malting apparatus, perforated
sprinkling tubes and means for automatically turning on and shutting off the water
supply substantially as described.
2. The improved rotary pneumatic malting drum with automatic sprinkling
apparatus substantially as described and shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the
accompanying drawings.
3. The improved rotary pneumatic malting drum with automatic sprinkling
apparatus substantially as described and shown in Figures 3 and 4 of the-
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 30th der of lan 1907
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of London, Liverpool, Manchester, and Birmingham,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.