Germination of Barley and other Cereals. APPARA
Year: 1885

page_text: Germination of Barley and other Cereals.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake, and Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CAUSING THE
to be as follows:-
GERMINATION OF BARLEY AND OTHER CEREALS
"
This invention relates to an improved method of causing the germination of
barley and other cereals by artificial or mechanical means and to apparatus
therefor.
According to the said method the barley or other fruit which is to be caused to
germinate is placed in perforated receptacles of any convenient shape preferably
The temperature is raised or
cylindrical and composed of any suitable material.
lowered in these receptacles by artificial means to such a degree as may be found
most favourable for producing germination, and during the progress of the latter
the products exhaling from the grain during the germination are removed by a
continuous current of air, said products being replaced by fresh properly tempered
air introduced into the said receptacles, the proper moistness of the said barley or
other fruit being, at the same time, maintained in the required measure.
The apparatus for practising this continuous method may, in some cases, be
similar to that described in the specifications of former Letters Patents, Nos 136431
and 16313, which apparatus in such case is preferably provided with a system of
U-shaped pipes arranged within the said perforated receptacle with a view to cool
or warm the fruit contained therein, as necessity may require. The said perforated
receptacles may be mounted upon a hollow shaft having air-pipes substantially as
set forth in the said former specifications, said hollow shaft being connected, by
means of a system of pipes, with a ventilator which may be arranged to act either
as a blower or as an exhauster; and which in the former instance, that is when
acting as a blower, will serve to blow fresh air through the said hollow shaft and
the air-pipes into the interior of the said receptacle and expel therefrom through the
perforated casing of the said receptacle the exhalations during the process of
germination, or which in the latter instance, that is, when acting as an exhauster,

page_text: will serve to suck in through the said perforated casing fresh air and draw off
through the said hollow shaft and the said system of pipes the exhalations.
Any suitable number of such receptacles may be connected with the same
ventilator contained within the said receptacle. The said air pipe is, in some cases,
provided with a spherical valve in such a manner that the said valve will auto-
inatically close the said air pipe when the open free end of the latter is raised
above a horizontal level during the revolution of the said hollow shaft, while the
said valve will automatically open the said pipe when descending again below the
said level so that the said fresh tempered air, or the exhalations from the germi-
nating fruit, as the case may be, can pass through the said air pipe only when the
latter is pointing in a downward direction.
In some cases where the said improved method is employed for treating large
quantities of barley or other fruit, I prefer an arrangement of apparatus where
there is no system of pipes contained within the said perforated receptacle, for
warming or cooling the said fruit. In such case any suitable number of receptacles
each of which consists of a perforated casing mounted upon a hollow shaft having
air pipes substantially as above described may be combined with a system of such
warming or cooling pipes which are arranged within a closed space and raise or
lower the temperature of the air therein to the required degree. This said closed
space may either be connected, by means of a system of conduit-pipes, with the said
hollow shafts of the said perforated receptacles, or be in open connection with the
closed room wherein the said receptacles are arranged. In the former instance, the
space connected with the said hollow shafts is combined with a blower which will
blow the tempered air from the said closed space through the hollow shaft and the
air pipes into the said receptacles, and blow out the exhalations through the per-
forated casing of the receptacle into the said room whence they may be sucked off
by means of an exhauster or educted in any other suitable manner. In the latter
instance, where there is an open connection between the said space and room, the
hollow shafts are connected, by means of pipes, with an exhauster which will suck
in the fresh tempered air from the said space into the receptacles through the
perforated casings of the latter and draw off the products of combustion through
the hollow shaft and the connecting pipes. In this instance, likewise, the action of
the said exhauster may be assisted by a blower arranged behind the said closed
space containing the said fresh tempered air, to blow the latter into the room con-
taining the said receptacles.
The various receptacles contained in the room are preferably so arranged that
any of them may be put in or out of action, which may readily be done by
providing their connecting pipes leading to the said ventilators, with valves, or
separating them by partition walls provided with doors, slides or the like.
Dated this 15th day of October 1885.

page_text: Germination of Barley and other Cereals.
64
I WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CAUSING
THE GERMINATION OF BARLEY AND OTHER CEREALS 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 improved method of causing the germination of
barley and other cereals employed in the manufacture of malt, by artificial or
mechanical means, and to apparatus therefor.
According to the method of inalting heretofore generally employed, the barley or
other cereal, after having been previously moistened, is spread upon the malt-floor
and there undergoes a process of vegetation, the latter being accelerated or retarded
by the maltman, by raising or lowering the temperature of the material. This
variation of the temperature is effected by alternately shovelling the cereal into
piles or heaps or spreading it out flat and turning it over and over as the condition
of the material may require.
The above method requires a great deal of skill and attention on the part of the
attendant, and, above all, it is essential that the location of the malt floor and the
entire arrangement of the same be well and carefully chosen, in order to obtain a
product of good quality. It is also important to provide proper ventilation, so that
the vapours of water, and the carbonic acid produced by the sprouting of the roots
and leaves, may be at once removed and replaced by fresh air.
To avoid these difficulties the present Invention consists in providing (parti-
cularly in connection with the apparatus hereinafter described) for tempering the
atmosphere and regulating the moistness of the barley or other cereal; and for
removing the products exhaling from the grain during the germination and
replacing the same by properly tempered fresh air, in a similar manner to the old
method above described but without regard to the location of the malt floor, the
weather, or the season of the year.
The accompanying drawings shew several forms of the apparatus for carrying
into practice the improved method and hereinafter fully described.
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of one form of apparatus.
Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section of the same.
Figure 3 is a section of part of the hollow shaft and of one of the air pipes
connected with the same.
Figures 4 and 5 are sectional views of modified forms of the said apparatus.
The apparatus employed for carrying into practice the method hereinafter
described, may in some cases be similar to that described in the Specifications of
former Letters Patent Nos 13644 and 163134; in other cases, however, it may
be modified as shewn in the accompanying drawing by providing, instead of a

page_text: serpentine pipe, a number of U-shaped heating or cooling tubes O extending from
the heating or cooling chamber H, through the entire length of the drum or
receptacle, and having bends near the rear head plate of the drum whence they
are conducted back again into the chamber H. This modified arrangement of the
system of steam pipe, as compared with the serpentine pipe presents the following
advantage viz: that the cooler parts of the said U-shaped pipes are arranged
directly against the heated parts so that the return pipes are exposed to the
radiating heat of those parts of the pipes into which the steam enters; while with
the serpentine pipe the latter is properly heated only at the end where the steam
enters and becomes gradually cooler towards the other end which is comparatively
cold. In the system of U shaped pipes, however, a gradual reduction of the
temperature, from the time the steam enters the pipes until it escapes can hardly
occur. The distribution of heat within the drum or receptacle is thus very regular,
thereby producing a favorable effect upon the material contained therein; more-
over, the U-shaped pipes are cheaper and more easily repaired than serpentine
pipes.
The casing of the drum or receptacle A has a number of small perforations and
may consist of wire cloth, perforated sheet metal, or other suitable material. The
said receptacle A is mounted on a hollow shaft B suitably journalled in the frame
As shewn in the drawing it
C C¹ and is preferably arranged to be slowly rotated.
is adapted to be rotated by the worm-wheel D engaging with the worm E.
The hollow shaft B is closed at both ends and provided with stuffing-boxes
through one of which the steam or water inlet-pipe F enters the heating or cooling
The hollow
chamber H, while the discharge pipe F¹ passes through the other.
shaft is provided at its front end, with a number of perforations and surrounded
with a casing G into which a pipe G¹ enters. The said pipe G¹ communicates
with a fan or blower, from which a blast of wind is conveyed into the hollow shaft,
through the perforations in the same.
A number of air pipes I provided with suitable openings or perforations are
radially inserted into the said hollow shaft, the said pipes serving to discharge the
blast of air into the interior of the drum or receptacle in a number of small and
well distributed currents. As shown in Figure 2 some of these air pipes I are
longer than others, terminating either between the U-shaped pipes near the
casing of the drum A, or nearer to the centre of the latter, the object of this
arrangement being to allow the wind to pervade all parts of the interior of the
drum equally well.
A peculiar and novel construction of the said air pipes I is shewn in Figure 3,
by means of which the full blast of air is driven directly into the cereals on the
bottom of the drum. Each air pipe is widened out to form a valve chamber L at a
suitable part of its length, the said valve chamber containing a ball or spherical
valve K. When the said air pipe, during the rotation of the drum, is sufficiently
raised above a horizontal line or is pointing upward, the said ball valve K closes
the pipe, thus preventing the air from passing through the same; as the said air
pipe passes below the horizontal line again during the further rotation of the drum,
the said ball K drops from its seat upon a lug or pin M thereby opening the
passage through the pipe, so that if a fan or blower be employed in connection
with the apparatus, the fresh air is free to enter the material contained in the
bottom of the drum; or if an exhauster be used, the gases or vapours formed
during the process of germination, may be at once removed from the place where
they originate.
The process of germination within the said apparatus may be described as
follows-
A suitable quantity of grain previously soaked or steeped is introduced into the
said drum or receptacle through lids or sliding-doors provided thereon and the said
drum is slowly rotated, whereby the grain is turned over by its own gravity and
by means of blades provided on the inner wall or casing of the drum, without being
injured in the least.

page_text: The means for rotating the drum arè so arranged as to cause the drum to make
only one revolution in several minutes, and the rotating movement may be inter-
rupted at intervals and continued again at will. In starting the germinating
process, the temperature within the drum is first raised or lowered to a suitable
degree by introducing warm or cold water into the chamber H and the system of
pipes, while, at the same time, air is admitted through the air pipes and allowed to
circulate around the said warming or cooling pipes.
The process of germination then takes place in the usual manner, the exhalations
caused by the vegetation, however, are carried away by the current of air blown
into the apparatus, and are replaced by fresh supplies of oxygen. The malt-man
or attendant, now watches the course of the process on a thermometer. When the
temperature rises too high he cools the material within the drum by cutting off
the supply of warm water or by admitting a current of cold water, as may be
required in each particular case. He may also regulate the force of the current of
air circulating around the heating tubes by means of valves provided for the
purpose, in short, all stages of the process may be brought on with the greatest
ease and precision, while in the old process this required great skill, unceasing
attention and a good deal of hard manual labor. In employing the improved
method one man can attend to a number of apparatuses at the same time.
According to some scientists the growths or sprouts produced by a rapid process
of germination contain less dry substances (salts) and less protenoids (nitrogen)
than those produced by a slow process, whilst others are of opinion that the
sprouts produced by a slow process contain less protenoids (nitrogen) and less dry
substances (salts) than those produced by a rapid process of germination. The
present invention admits of carrying out either of these two methods, as the
process of germination may be either accelerated or retarded as may be desired.
The extent to which such acceleration or retardation of the process may be carried
must be determined by experiments but any desired degree of acceleration or
retardation may easily be obtained by means of the apparatus herein before
described.
In case a number of apparatus are to be employed together, they may all be
connected with a common air conduit, from which branches are connected with
each drum or receptacle.
The ventilating apparatus which supplies the fresh air may be arranged so as to
force the air into the apparatus but it is preferably arranged so as to suck the air
out of the apparatus; in other words it may be either a blower or an exhauster. In
the latter case it may also be used in connection with several apparatuses at a time.
With this arrangement the air in the room containing the different apparatuses is
drawn into the latter through the perforations in the drums or receptacles, while
the exhalations produced by the germination of the cereals are carried away by the
suction.
If it be desired to draw the supply of air from one place, all parts of the room
containing the drum or receptacle must be tightly closed and then it is only neces-
sary to connect the said room with the place whence the air is to be taken.
As regards the two methods of removing the foul air it is thought that a more
effectual ventilation of the material is obtained by removing the foul air by suction
than by forcing in fresh air by means of a blower.
The grain in order to germinate requires a certain degree of moisture, this being
generally secured to a sufficient extent by steeping. It may happen, however, that
the water evaporates too quickly, thereby causing the sprouts to shrivel up or die.
To prevent this, the apparatus may be provided with a hygrometer, thus enabling
the attendant to watch the degree of moisture prevailing within the drum or
receptacle. In order to admit of introducing water when necessary, an adjustable
rose jet or sprinkler may be connected with the air blast, if the apparatus is used
in connection with a blower. Such jet or sprinkler may be set in action by simply
opening the same by means of a valve, when the blast of air throws the water into
the drum or receptacle. In cases where ventilation is produced by suction, the

page_text: arrangement must be such as to cause the air to be impregnated with water before,
or on, being sucked into the apparatus.
According to a modification the apparatus may be arranged without any heating
or cooling pipes within the drum itself which arrangement is particularly advan-
tageous when a number of apparatuses are to be used together, In such cases a
single system of pipes may be placed in the room containing the said apparatuses
are in a separate space or chamber, a current of warm water for warming or of cold
water for cooling being caused to circulate within the said pipes. The air thus
warmed or cooled, whichever may be the case, by this system of pipes is then if
a blower is used forced into the drum or receptacle of each apparatus through a
common conduit pipe and branches or when suction is employed the air may be
conveyed by the same means into the room containing the apparatuses and then
sucked into the drums or receptacles through the apertures in the casing of each
drum, the latter arrangement with suction being generally preferred. It is some-
times advisable to employ two ventilators connected with the same conduit, one,
an exhauster, being arranged at the rear end of the system and the other, a blower,
at the head thereof, both working together and assisting each other.
The arrangement of apparatus which is most preferable for practical purposes is
shown in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings, Figure 4 showing the arrangement for
suction, and Figure 5 the same with blowing action. In Figure 4 a suitable
number of drums or receptacles A are mounted in the room M. N is the system of
heating or cooling pipes for all the drums, and P is the exhauster situated at the
opposite end of the room to the pipes N and communicating with the hollow
shafts p of the drums or receptacles by means of the pipes p. In this arrange-
ment the exhauster sucks the suitably tempered air from the space or chamber H
containing the pipes N through the perforated casings and through the air pipes
inserted in the hollow shafts, the vapours and gases being thus removed from the
cereals and led away through the air pipes and hollow shafts as above described.
The drums or receptacles in the room M. may also be separated from each other
by walls or partitions & Figure 4 so that each shall be enclosed in a separate
chamber independently of the room M, and so as to allow of limiting the amount
of air sucked out of the said room This is effected by partly or entirely closing
the lids or sliding doors 8¹ provided in the said walls or partitions. The supply of
fresh and properly moistened air to be conveyed into each of the perforated drums
or receptacles A in a cool or warm state may, in general, be regulated. by properly
adjusting the valves p* preferably provided in the air suction conduits.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 5, the ventilator P¹ which is a blower is
mounted in the rear of the system of pipes in the chamber H, the latter in turn
being connected with the hollow shafts of the drums so that the air enters the mass
of cereals, thence to be discharged through the perforated mantle or casing into the
room M, thereby carrying the vapours and gases produced by the germination with
it and thus removing the same from the cereals, as above described. Either of the
above described arrangements is well adapted for practical use in large establish-
ments, the two may also be employed in combination so as to assist each other.
Thus, for instance, in the former arrangement a blower may be placed behind the
chamber H, while in the other arrangement an exhauster may likewise be connected
with the said chamber.
In this multiple arrangement of the apparatuses hygrometers and water jets or
sprinklers of any suitable kind may be employed in a similar manner as before
described. Whatever arrangement be chosen for the ventilator, the temperature,
the amount of air admitted, and the degree of moisture may be easily regulated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is
First. The method of causing the germination of barley or other cereals by
artificial or mechanical means the said method consisting in introducing the barley

page_text: or other cereal into a perforated receptacle or receptacles, there warming or cooling
the same to a suitable degree by artificial means, removing by means of ventilation
the exhalations produced by the process of germination, replacing the same by
fresh tempered air, and simultaneously regulating the degree of moisture required
for the said barley or other cereal, substantially as, and for the purpose, specified.
Second. In apparatus for causing the germination of barley or other cereals,
the combination of the U-shaped warming or cooling pipes O, with a drum or
other receptacle A surrounding the said pipes and having a perforated casing or
mantle substantially as described and for the purpose specified.
Third. In apparatus for causing the germination of barley or other cereals, the
combination with one or more apparatuses having a system of heating or cooling
pipes, hollow shafts and a number of air pipes inserted in the said hollow shafts,
of a ventilator acting either as a blower or as an exhauster the said ventilator, in
the former case, blowing fresh air into the interior of a drum or receptacle through
the hollow shaft and its air pipes and thereby forcing the exhalations produced
by the germination out of the drum through the perforated mantle or casing
thereof; and, in the latter case, drawing in fresh air from the outside and drawing
away the exhalations through the systems of pipes, substantially as, and for the
purpose, specified.
Fourth. In apparatus for causing the germination of barley or other cereals,
the air pipe constructed as shown in Figure 3 and provided with a spherical or
ball valve which will close the air pipe when the free end thereof is raised above
a horizontal line or standing erect, and which will open the pipe so as to admit of
the passage of air or of the exhalations from the cereals only at such times as. the
said air pipe is below a horizontal line, substantially as described and for the
purpose specified.
Fifth. In apparatus for causing the germination of barley or other cereals, the
combination with a number of receptacles having perforated casings or mantles,
hollow shafts and air pipes, of a system of heating or cooling pipes common to
all the said receptacles and arranged outside the latter, the said system of pipes
tempering the air in a closed chamber to a suitable degree which air when thus
tempered is conveyed into the said receptacles by means of an exhauster or a
blower, and the said air pipes serving, when an exhauster is employed, to draw off
the exhalations produced and causing the fresh and suitably tempered air the
supply of which can be controlled, to enter the said receptacles and to act upon
the germinating material therein by passing through the perforations in the casings
or mantles; while in the case of a blower being employed the said action will take
place in a reverse manner, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 11th day of November 1885
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.