Improvements in Pneumatic Malting Drums.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 31st July, 1891-Accepted, 19th Sept., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pneumatic Malting Drums.
1, JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of
Middlesex Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention, as com-
municated to me from abroad by the Company "Berliner Actiengesellschaft für
Eisengiesserei und Maschinen-Fabrikation, vorm. T. C. Freund & Co.". of'
Charlottenburg near Berlin, Prussia, to be as follows:-
This invention relates to pneumatic malting-drums in which grain is caused to
germinate, in view of its conversion into malt, by a current of moist and moderately
warm air passing through the grain, and wherein the malt is withered and dried
by means of dry air of appropriate temperature, the mass of grain or malt being
constantly stirred during the process by a slow rotation of the drum.
For the purpose of conducting the air through the grain and uniformly
distributing the same, the said drums have to be provided with perforated channels
in combination with means whereby the air is prevented from passing inoperatively
through the empty space of the drum being above the surface of the grain, and
which changes its position relatively to the drum as the latter rotates.
The means,
which are employed to this end according to the present invention, consist in a
number of perforated pipes or channels arranged to pass lengthwise through the
drum at or near its periphery, two circular casings fixed centrally to the respective
heads of the drum and open on the outside, and radial channels connecting the
ends of the longitudinal pipes or channels with the respective casings. To one of
the latter is connected the pipe through which air is to be forced in; or, in case the
passage of the air is to be produced by suction, pipes are or may be connected to
both casings, one for the induction, the other for the eduction of the air, the
connections between these pipes and the casings being such that the latter are free.
to rotate with the drum relatively to the pipes.
In each casing is placed a cylindrical slide-valve adapted to close a portion of
the aforesaid radial channels, and which is secured to some stationary part, such
as the air induction or eduction-pipe, so that, when the drum rotates,, the radial
channels continuously shift their position relatively to the valve, one end of the
valve operating to close the channels one after the other, while the opposite end
opens them in succession. The two valves are disposed contrariwise, so that one is
open towards the radial channels communicating with the longitudinal channels or
pipes covered by the grain, while the other one is open towards the radial channel's
communicating at the opposite end of the drum with the channels or pipes being at
the time uncovered. Moreover, the former valve is preferably made of such
peripheral length that the radial channels communicating with the longitudinal
channels or pipes being near the surface of the grain (which surface is inclined
when the drum rotates), are but partly open, this arrangement being made in order
to prevent the air from passing too freely through the pipes, &c., but little covered
by grain.
Dated the 28th day of February 1891.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pneumatic Malting Drums.
I JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of
Middlesex Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention which has
been communicated to me from abroad by the Company "Berliner Actien-
gesellschaft für Eisengiesserei und Maschinen-Fabrikation vormals T. C. Freund
& Co." of Charlottenburg near Berlin in the Kingdom of Prussia 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 pneumatic malting apparatus or, drums in, which grain
is caused to germinate with a view to its conversion into malt by exposure to the
action of moist and moderately warm air which is caused to pass through the mass
of grain and in which the malt is subsequently withered and dried by means of dry
air of appropriate temperature the mass of grain being at the same time continually
turned over or stirred by, imparting to the drum a slow continuous or. intermittent
rotary motion.
By means of the improvements hereinafter described a uniform distribution of
the air throughout the contents of the drum is obtained in the germinating as well
as in the withering and drying processes by providing the drum with a combination
of passages and means for controlling the supply and escape of air to and from the
grain or malt in such a manner as to cause the air to pass through the materials in
every direction and in a uniform manner as hereinafter explained.
And in order that the said invention may be fully understood I will now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the
several figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings represent a rotary malting drumm
arranged according to this invention in longitudinal and transverse sections
respectively and Figures 5 and 6 represent details of construction drawn to a
larger scale. Figures 3 and 4 illustrate modified forms of the ventilating passages
hereinafter described.
The drum consists of a cylindrical casing M provided at each extremity with an
internal division-plate B. The chambers or spaces K formed between these plates
and the ends of the casing are connected near the circumference by a number of
ventilating tubes or passages R of suitable shape and' form in section being
cylindrical for example in the arrangement illustrated in Figure 2. These ventilating
tubes are constructed' of finely perforated sheet metal or they may be composed of
finely woven wire fabric such as is employed in the manufacture of sieves. The
spaces or chambers K at the ends of the drum communicate with central cylindrical
tubes unions S and S¹ (Figure 1) and are divided by radial partitions w into as
many compartments as there are connecting tubes R. These compartments of the
chambers K communicate with the unions S S₁ through openings o and constitute
connections between the tubes R and the said tubular unions. The arrangement of
the openings corresponding with the tubes R and communicating with, the tubular
union or connection 'S for example is represented drawn to a larger scale in vertical
longitudinal section in Figure 5 and in transverse section in Figure 6: These
tubular unions which rotate with the drum are connected by means of suitable
glands or stuffing: boxes with elbow pipes (the elbow pipe corresponding to the
union S being represented at E in Figure 5) through which air in the condition
suitable for the treatment of the contents of the drum as hereinbefore specified is
passed into the apparatus or allowed to escape therefrom the said elbow pipes being
provided for this purpose with rotary slides or valves & working in the horizontal
part or with other suitable regulating or controlling devices enabling the amount of
air passing through the apparatus to be regulated or shut off if required.

page_text: The air supply union S and the outlet union S¹ are provided internally with
closely fitting cylinders p p likewise provided with openings but so arranged as to;
close or cover a certain number of the openings and leave the others uncovered :
or. open. These cylinders p and p' act, as distribution.valves and are retained in
the required positions by any suitable means such as attachment to the stationary
elbow pipe E(Figure 5) so that when the drum is rotated (being supported upon
rollers or suitable trunnions and receiving motion from any suitable mechanical
arrangement) the openings in the side of the tubular union S as well as those in the
union S are successively caused to coincide alternately with the closed and with
the open part of the stationary cylinders or distributers pp and thus alternately.
open and close the communications with the compartments or passages in: the
chambers K.
Now when the surface of the grain or malt contained in the cylinder is tilted up.
in the direction of the line y-Figure 2. by the rotary motion of the drum the
uppermost of the ventilating tubes R are entirely uncovered being situated in the
upper or empty space in the drum whilst others of the said tubes are completely
buried underneath the grain. The supply distributer is so arranged relatively to
the air passages that it closes those of the openings o which communicate with the
tubes in the upper or empty part of the drum but allows air to pass through those
of the openings o that communicate with the-tubes that are buried under the grain
or malt. The openings o which correspond with the tubes R that are below the
surface of the malt are partly or wholly uncovered by the valves which regulate
the areas of the openings in accordance with the position of the corresponding
ventilating tubes.
The distributer or slide p' at the opposite end of the drum is inversely arranged
so that at this end the orifices o corresponding with the ends of the tubes R that
are covered by the malt are closed and the orifices communicating with the tubes
above the malt are fully open to the tubular union S¹.
Under these conditions when air is supplied to the drum by being exhausted from
the tube S' or forced into the tube S for example this air is compelled owing to the
arrangement and action of the distributing slides p and hereinbefore described
to pass through the drum and through the malt in the direction indicated by the
arrows in the drawing. By these means it is evident that the current of air is
caused to flow in all possible directions through the body of grain. The action is
similar when the general direction of the current is reversed by changing the
valves and admitting or forcing in the air at S¹ and discharging or exhausting
it at S.
In the arrangement illustrated in the drawing the orifices o in the union S which
for the time are connected with the tubes R occupying the lowest positions
underneath the malt are completely open and therefore allow the greatest amount
of air to pass to these undermost ventilating tubes in accordance with the
thickness of the superincumbent layer of malt through which the air is required
to pass.
On the other hand the ventilating tubes that for the time are situated at inter-
mediate levels between the upper and lower parts of the drum and are covered by
a thinner layer of malt are supplied through the partly closed orifices o with a
correspondingly diminished volume of air-this being a condition of the utmost
importance for obtaining a product of uniform quality in all the germinating,
withering and drying processes which are performed in the drum.
and 4.
The ventilating tubes which are represented in Figure 2 as being of circular form
in transverse section may evidently be of any other suitable shape if desired such
for example as the semicircular or trough shape passages represented in Figures 3
In place of the chamber K with compartments, connecting tubes or
passages of any other convenient form may be employed to connect the ventilating
tubes or passages R (or R¹ or R2 Figures 3 and 4) with the openings o in
the supply passages or unions S and S' without affecting the action of the
apparatus.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained: the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. A malting drum in which a series of air distributing or ventilating passages (R,
R', R2) of suitable form are connected outside the internal space or working chamber
of the drum through passages K with air supply and discharge tubes or unions S'S
provided with distribution slides or valves pp controlling the air inlets and outlets
in such a manner that the undermost ventilating passages are fully open to the air
inlet and cut off from the air outlet and those which are uppermost for the time
being are cut off from the air inlet and open to the air outlet the passages in inter-
mediate positions being correspondingly regulated so that the amount of air supplied
is proportionate to the thickness of the superincumbent layers of material and the
contents of the drum are uniformly exposed to the action of the air in all directions
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
2. The arrangements and combinations of parts constituting the improvements in
pneumatic malting apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
1001.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.