IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF MALTING AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1882

page_text: A
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd May 1882.
communication from abroad by William Francis Howe of Chicago in the
County of Cook and State of Illinois in the United States of America.
BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS of the firm of Harris and Mills of
23 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF MALTING AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN." A communication from abroad by William Francis
Howe of Chicago in the County of Cook and State of Illinois in the United States
of America.
In the Maltster's art but little practical improvement has been effected since a
very early period. Various attempts have been made to improve the method an.1
mechanism employed in germinating and drying the grain, but after practical trial
they have been dis-used and the ancient method and means continued, and, as the
art is generally practised to day, the malting floor, the laborious and expensive
method of shovelling the grain over and over, and the practice of removing it to a
separate drying room and again handling it over and over therein, are still in use,
with all their inconveniences and disadvantages, substantially as practiced a century
ago. In this old process, from seven to eight days are required for proper
germinating, and from one to two for drying, according to the climate and season;
and as the grain, during the germination, has to be shovelled over every three or
four hours, to retard the undue development of the gerins, prevent fermentation and
insure uniformity of result, and during the drying, has to be shovelled over equally
often to render the drying equal throughout the mass, the enormous amount of
hand labour involved can be readily appreciated.
With all this labour and expense, uniformity in the product is only approximated,
and any want of care or attention on the part of the labourers, causes a deterioration
therein, besides, it has been estimated that the unavoidable trampling or crushing
of the grain by the workmen, during the almost continual handling of it, involves
a loss of material equal in value to their wages.
The object of the present invention is to avoid all this inconvenience, expense or
loss, by providing for a mechanical manipulation of the grain during the entire

page_text: process, in such a manner as to insure the even uniform condition most favorable
to proper germination for malting purposes, and to secure the necessary shifting
and agitation of the grain when in the kiln, with the least expenditure of manual
labour.
To this end the following improvements are here introduced, to-whit: First, A
portable or inoveable germinating apparatus, wherein the grain can be properly
sprouted and then moved, in and with the said apparatus, into the drying kiln and
there dried.
Secondly, In connection with said portable germinator, a refrigerating room into
and out of which the grain, in and with its containing vessel or germinator, can be
moved from time to time, for the purpose of regulating its temperature during
germination:
Thirdly, Combining the said portable germinating vessel with the kiln and
refrigerator, and with rails or their equivalents upon which to run the said vessel
back and forth from place to place, when necessary so to do:
Fourthly, Providing a bath, or means for washing and cleansing the germinating
vessel, said bath being so arranged in relation to the said rails or track as that
the germinator can be moved upon said rails, to and from the bath when desired.
Fifthly, A moveable hood for the kiln-furnace, whereby the hot air can be
concentrated upon the moveable car or germinator, when the latter is in the kiln.
Sixthly. The internal construction of the germinator or moveable car, whereby
it is adapted to the germination, cooling or drying of the grain and to the proper
agitation, shifting, or overturning of the grain while undergoing said operations:
Seventhly. The mounting of said germinating vessel upon wheels on the track,
in such a manner that it can be both rotated about its own horizontal axis and also
moved back and forth along the track, whether at different times or simultaneously,
and lastly,-
The various improved combinations, sub-combinations, and devices herein
described, other than those above specifically referred to.
It will be noted that the invention of a moveable germinating vessel, in which
the grain is to be sprouted, and which is to be moved into the kiln so that the grain
can be dried in the same vessel in which it is sprouted, forms, in connection with
the kiln and the track as means for moving the vessel from place to place, an
entirely new system of malting. So long as this principle of a moveable germinating
car, or germinating and drying the grain in the same vessel, is preserved, the form
of the apparatus may be varied very considerably without departing from the
invention. The several improvements separately claimed herein may be used in
connection with each other, or independently, as may be desired. Rails, or a track,
of any suitable construction and form are employed, adapted to support the moveable
vehicles and enable them to be run back and forth from one point to another, during
the manufacture of the malt. They may be provided with cross tracks, or branches,
and turn tables or other track-shifting devices, to enable the cars to be run onto
side tracks or shifted from the main track. A plain solid floor might be substituted
for the track, and would be an inferior equivalent therefor, but a guide track is
greatly preferable. The main track may be straight, curved or circular, according
to the condition of space and other conditions in the building in which the apparatus
is used The main portions of the track are in a germinating room, the temperature
of which is kept at the proper condition for the work. This track or way runs
under the steep from which the moist grain is received for germination, and it also
runs into the refrigerating room, the kiln or drying room, and to the bath, so that
the germinating car can be run upon it from any one of said places to another.
The body of the car is capable of being rotated on its horizontal axis as well as
moved forward and back on the track. The germinating vessel is made in the
form preferably of a square box mounted either on trunnions carried by a frame
which runs on wheels, or mounted directly on large wheels or rollers. When
mounted on trunnions in a car frame, it should be provided with a crank and
gearing for easily rotating it on its axis. When mounted directly upon wheels or

page_text: rollers fixed to its ends, it will rotate on its axis as it moves along on the track.
When the grain is germinating or cooling or drying it will be necessary to rotate
the vessel in a stationary position, and to this end, sets of friction rollers may be
provided at the proper points along the track, on which the vessel will simply
rotate on its axis without changing position, and without the application of much
power. The relative size of the wheels and vessel are not material and may be
varied at pleasure, and the vessel may be held above the level of the track or may
project down between the rails, at the pleasure of the constructor.
The internal construction and arrangement of the germinating vessel are
substantially as follows: it is divided by partitions or floors into a series of
compartments, these floors are made in pivotted sections which can be tilted by
means of rods extending through the walls of the vessel, so that the workmen can
tilt them without opening the car. Suitable stops or locking devices on the
outside of the car, may be applied to the rods to prevent the floors from accidentally
tilting during the rotation of the vessel. The floors can be made of flat sections,
or in zigzag form, in which latter case alternate sections need not tilt but may be
fixed rigidly in position. Sieves are arranged in guides running lengthwise of the
walls of the vessel and are severally provided with rods, by which they may be
shaken without opening the car. The top and bottom of the car are to be
perforated for the passage of air, the floors are also to be perforated for the same
purpose. The top of the car is provided with a door for the admission of the grain,
and the bottom may have a door for discharging the grain or the top may be used
for both purposes. Any suitable device may be employed for fastening these doors
so that they will not accidentally open; and any suitable device may also be used
to hold the vessel in an upright position and prevent it from turning under an
unequal weight of grain when it is not desirable to rotate it. The vessel may
contain as many floors as the constructor may deem best for his purposes.
In practising the process herein described, the car is run under the steep, and
charged with the grain. The charging may be effected by first closing the bottom
door and all the floors, and opening the top door; then about half filling the top
compartment, then tilting the floors so as to let that portion of the charge fall on
to the lower floor, then closing the floors and half filling the top compartment
again, then dropping that part of the charge onto the middle floor, then closing the
upper floor and half filling the top compartment again, and finally closing the top
door. This leaves the vessel charged to about half its full capacity with grain
which is distributed in three or more different layers, each layer only partially
filling the compartment in which it rests, thus having abundant space over cach
layer for air, and making room for the proper shaking up and over-turning of the
grain during the rotation of the vessel. The several compartments are further
subdivided by partitions running longitudinally of the vessel, which divide each
layer of grain into separate sections, preventing it from falling too heavily from
one side of the car to the other during the rotation of the car, and ensuring a more
equal distribution of it over each floor. The sieves break the wet grain apart as
it falls through them, and thus prevent it from growing together or caking during
its treatment.
The vessel thus charged and closed, is moved from under the steep to any
suitable point on the track, or onto a side track, and allowed to stand for the
process of germination to go on. From time to time as often as necessary, it is
turned over on its axis as a centre, as many times as experience may show will
best shake it up, equalize the temperature of the various parts of the charge, and
bring those portions to the surface which were not at the surface before. The
screens or sieves allow the grain to pass separately but not in cakes. If the grain
shows signs of germinating too fast or becomes too much heated, the vessel is moved
off to the refrigerating room and allowed to stand there until the evil is counter-
acted, and to facilitate and equalize the cooling while there it may be again
rotated on its axis in the refrigerating room as often as may be judged expedient.
When the germination is completed the car is moved to the kiln and allowed to

page_text: remain there till the drying or baking is complete. While this part of the process
is going on, the vessel should again be rotated on its axis, from time to time, as
often as may be desirable, for the purpose of preventing any part of the charge
from being unduly heated and of rendering the drying or baking uniformly gradual
throughout the entire charge from the commencement to the end of the drying
process. The vapours evolved from the drying grain will partially or entirely
escape through the perforations in the top of the vessel and pass off through the flue
of the kiln.
To ensure a full and free escape of such vapours one or both of the trunnions on
the end of the car may have a tubular passage through which the air and moisture
in the vessel may be drawn off by a pipe and any exhaust mechanism, or may be
permitted simply to flow off. The trunnion or tube should have a suitable coupling
for attaching the exhaust pipe. To more effectually concentrate the hot air of the
furnace upon the car the hood of the furnace may be raised, lowered and adjusted
in position by windlass and chains. When the malt is completely dried in all or
any one of the compartments of the car, the car is run out of the kiln to a point
over a discharge shoot and the charge is delivered through the shoot to the floor
below, or a suitable shoot may be arranged in the drying room itself.
The car may then if fully discharged be taken to the bath and cleansed. To
expedite this operation the bath tub may be made large enough to receive the
lower end of the vessel and allow it to rotate therein and may be made to hoist up
and lower down by windlass and chains. Then by simply raising up the tub till
the lower part of the vessel is submerged, and rotating the latter, the washing can
be easily done, after which the bath is lowered and the car moved away to dry.
Other means of washing the car may be employed, such as a hose, or providing
tight caps for its top and bottom and then partially filling it with water and
rotating it-The particular means not being material so long as they answer the
purpose conveniently and effectually. With the improved system a washing of the
car or malting floors will, however, be rarely necessary, as the subjecting of the
said surfaces to the heat of the kiln during the drying and baking operation, will
effectually destroy the noxious animal and vegetable germs that cause the ordinary
souring and fouling of malting floors, especially in hot weather. The highest heat
ordinarily used in drying malt, to wit, the finishing heat of about 180 degrees
Fahrenheit, will of itself kill all fermentation and all ordinary insects and animal
germs, but to insure the thorough destruction of bacteria and the other more
refractory animalculae, the car, after being emptied of its contents, may be subjected,
without inconvenience or delay, to a heat of several hundred degrees, which no
known vegetable or animal life can withstand. The cleansing of the malting
surfaces is thus effectually secured as an incident of the system, and its importance
will be readily appreciated by all who have had any practical experience in
the art.
When the rolling car is employed, it may be provided with any suitable guide or
guide frame to keep it from veering and wedging on the track or running off the
track; and, to this end, two or more rolling cars may be connected to each other
by any suitable frame, in which case they will guide each other.
When two or more rolling cars are thus united they will necessarily rotate
simultaneously and alike while moving along the track, and the grain in one will
tend to counterbalance that in the other, rendering it easier to roll them along than
if they were not connected.
I have described the employment of friction rollers as a means for rotating the
rolling cars at different points along the track without changing their position.
This however is not the only means and I do not confine myself to it exclusively
as various other means will readily suggest themselves to the mind of a constructor
familiar with the principle of this new system.
It will be understood that with this system, any desired number of germinating
cars may be employed and one or more kilns and refrigerating rooms may be used;
some cars may be charging, others discharging others drying, others cooling, and

page_text: others germinating all at the same time. The various steps of the work will thus
go on harmoniously, with the utmost economy of time, labour and expense, and a
few workmen in a comparatively small building can easily perform the work
which has heretofore required a large force of labourers and an extensive malting
floor to accomplish. This process moreover is not restricted to the cooler seasons
of the year, like the old process in general use, but can be carried on successfully
at all seasons, as the provision for regulating the temperature of the grain and
cleansing the floors by heat renders this system independent of climate or weather.
It will be seen of course that in lieu of conveying the germinating vessel itself
with its contained grain into the kiln or refrigerator, a second car might be
employed to receive the grain from the germinator and transport it to the kiln or
refrigerator such awkward and inconvenient plan would have no advantage over
the better plan above described, and would be used only by way of attempting to
evade my claims and I regard it as a mere inferior equivalent of the present method.
It may be further explained that the openings and collars for attaching the exhaust
pipe need not necessarily be limited to the tubular trunnions, but may be arranged
at any point or points in the sides or ends of the car, provision being made for
closing them and holding them closed when necessary, but the tubular trunnions
are preferred on account of their axial position.
During the germinating part of the process, it may sometimes be considered
desirable to force air through or into the germinating cars or vessels, in order to
ensure a full and steady supply of oxygen to the sprouting grain, the adequate
airing of the grain at this stage of its treatment being of vital importance to the
healthy developement of the gerins. To this end pipes inay he laid along between
or beside the tracks, or arranged overhead, with flexible or jointed connections or
branches for coupling to the tubular collars of the cars, and air may thus be
forced into or through the germinating grain in the cars by any suitable blowers
connected with the main pipes.
With the pipes and couplings thus provided, the grain may be aired as often as
desired, or the airing may be omitted altogether when not being necessary.
Flexible hose and couplings like those used with the Westinghouse air-brake will
adinirably answer the purpose for connecting the mains to the cars.