IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF GRAIN AND RAW SPIRIT, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1866

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Rowland Taylor and
George Hewett at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 5th April 1866.
We, WILLIAM ROWLAND TAYLOR, of the City of Oxford, Brewer, and
GEORGE HEWETT, of the same Place, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF GRAIN AND
RAW SPIRIT, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is, first, to temperate the water in which the
grain is to be steeped or is being steeped whilst in the cistern during the
process of malting.
Second, to extract the fortid oil and other impurity contained in grain and
raw spirit.
Third, to prevent the formation of mould or the decomposition of those
grains which do not vegetate.
Fourth, to introduce certain colored lights which shall have the effect of
retarding vegetation. or of hastening vegetation as may be found requisite,
whilst at the same time air is admitted to the sprouting grain.
Fifth, the protection of the corn from injury when moving or turning the
same by the aid of the malting shovels employed for that purpose by applying
india-rubber or other soft or yielding material to the tips of the ordinary
wooden or metal shovels, or by making the shovels employed entirely of
india-rubber or other suitable soft material which will prevent the damaging
or breaking of the corn when brought in contact with it, such damaged corn
having a tendency to turn mouldy when moistened.

page_text: Sixth, to prevent condensation upon the surface of malted corn when upon
the kiln floor, and also to prevent the malt being colored more at the bottom
than at the top, and to keep it vegetating equally whilst moist upon the kiln.
For this purpose we propose to use a peculiar arrangement of stirring or
turning machinery, consisting of a long shaft or axle, extending across the
kiln and supported at each end upon guide rails by means of small wheels or
rollers. This axle carries a number of radial arms, the extremity of each of
which is provided' with two scoops in reverse directions, and the lips or edges
of these scoops are either tipped with india-rubber or other soft material, or
are furnished with bristles to form a brush, so that the corn will not be injured
by the scoops as they rotate therein in the manner we are about to describe.
A toothed pinion is keyed on to each end of the axle or shaft above referred
to, and these pinions gear into corresponding racks, so that on hauling the
axle in one direction or the other, either by hand or by power, a rotatory motion
will at the same time be imparted to the scoops which will stir and turn over
the corn on the kiln floor by elevating it and allowing it to fall again from the
several scoops. When not required for use, and to facilitate the inspection of
the kiln by the excise officer, the stirring machine is hauled up or elevated
out of the way. As regards the steeping of the grain we construct the cistern
employed for that purpose in the following manner of whatever shape it may
be: We introduce a perforated false bottom or sides, or both, with as many
holes in them as possible, the false bottom being constructed of wood, porcelain,
or any other suitablo materials. We prefer constructing tiles for the false
bottoms and sides of cisterns, such tiles being made with shoulders or legs, or
wooden or other supports may be inserted into the present kiln. tiles to leave a
free space underneath behind the tiles for the reception of pipes, or for the
passage of water under or above the false bottom, or behind the false per-
forated sides. We introduce a perforated pipe or pipes of any suitable shape
or form underneath the false bottom, and also round the edge of the cistern
near the top. The water or temperated water when flowing in at the bottom
is drawn or run off at the top of the cistern by means of the perforated pipe
surrounding the. top, every hole or perforation sucking equally. This pipe is
on a perfect level, and as the overflow pipe or syphon when put in action
requires more liquid than the whole of the perforations in the pipe will supply
a perfect suction from every hole is obtained. The water is to be introduced
into the cistern at the top in a finely divided state, and drawn off at the
bottom, and vice versa, the object being to run off at the surface those impurities
which float on the water, and to drain off at the bottom those impurities which
sink or are heavier than water, and by keeping up a constant circulation of
or

page_text: the water it is prevented mom decomposing or becoming ropey
cistern.
In the
We also propose to introduce machinery into the cistern for the purpose of
agitating, by sifting or otherwise stirring the corn whilst it is under water in
order to cleanse it from foetid oil and other impurities. This machinery is so
constructed as to be readily removeable from the cistern when the excise wish
to gauge the corn. The temperature of the corn in the cistern is regulated by
causing the water or temperated water to flow in a divided state on the top of
the grain, such water running in at the top and at the same time running off
at the bottom, and vice versa. In those cases where the duty is charged by
weight of corn the cisterns may be constructed of any shape or form, and the
water or temperated water introduced therein in any convenient manner, and
machinery of any kind may be used for the purpose of agitating and of
extracting any impurity contained in the said grain. We propose when
drawing the water from the bottom of the cistern to attach an upright pipe
to a pipe communicating with the perforated pipe under the false bottom of
the cistern or to the running off tap, the upright pipe being of such height as
always to keep sufficient water in the cistern to cover the corn. This upright
overflow or drain pipe may be made telescopic or otherwise, so as to enable
the water to be run off to different levels. We propose also to apply this
upright pipe to all malsters cisterns, whether our improvements. in other
respects are adopted or not. It is further proposed to introduce into the
cisterns employed in steeping the grain a solution of the bisulphite of lime, lime
water, or an equivalent solution having the property of retaining the starch
and other constitutents in a sound state in damaged grain, thereby preventing
the decomposition of the damaged grain during the time of steeping or before
the grain is thrown out of the cistern. A constant supply of water or tem-
perated water is caused to pass through the grain during the time of steeping
from the time of wetting to the time of draining. Whilst the grain is
vegetating upon the floors, it is further proposed to sprinkle the said grain
with a solution of the bisulphite of lime, or with lime water, or any other
solution which will have the effect of preventing the decomposition of those grains
which do not vegetate, thereby retaining the said grains in a sound state. The
water employed in temperating the corn is by preference heated in pipes,
situate in proximity to the malt kiln fire, through which pipes the water
circulates freely. A branch pipe leads into the hot water pipe and supplies
cold water thereto at the discharge end, so that by simply increasing or
diminishing the influx of cold water any desired temperature of water may be
obtained.

page_text: All windows or shafts for the admission of light and air to malt houses are
to be covered with canvas, calico, or any other suitable material of a yellow
color, or of any other color which may be equivalent in its action upon the
grain to darkness, whereby the effect of darkness upon the grain is obtained
with the advantages of light and air in the malt house. In addition to or
instead of the yellow canvas or calico or other fabric we use when necessary
blue or purple canvas or calico or other fabric with a view to hastening
vegetation, and by a judicious use of these two lights we are enabled to
control or regulate the sprouting of the grain, or strips of glass of the
desired color may be used in lieu of fabrics, such strips overlapping each other
and allowing air to pass through the same when opened, the whole being
arranged somewhat after the form of a Venetian blind. We also propose to
wash thoroughly all the corn intended for distillation (which is not made into
malt) in order to extract the foetid oil and impurity; or we cause the raw
spirit containing this oil as it runs from the still to pass through a vessel or
receptacle containing animal charcoal, which will absorb the oil and allow the
spirit to pass in a pure state. In some cases we employ force pumps for
forcing the raw spirits through the charcoal in the vessel above mentioned.