Improvements in Malt Curing Apparatus.
Year: 1890

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Malt Curing Apparatus.
I, MAX KÖNIG, of 66, Yorkstrasse, Berlin, S.W., in the Empire of Germany,
Engineer, 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 object of this invention is an improved apparatus for curing malt, which is
characterised by a rotary shell in combination with folding hurdles.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, Sheets I and II,
Fig. 1 is a vertical cross section and Fig. 2 a longitudinal vertical section of the
improved apparatus.
Figs. 3 to 5 represent details.
A cylinder or shell a open at both ends is supported on rolls and provided
inside with a number of angular agitators or stirring boards b made of perforated
or plain sheet metal and secured longitudinally to the inner periphery of the
cylinder. The latter is capable of rotation by means of the revoluble rolls c
mentioned above.
The ends of the cylinder are closed by fixed end plates d provided with angle-
or flange rings e.
The cylinder encloses a heating device consisting of any suitable number of
elements and supported by stands g g which form parts of the fixed end plates
referred to. The stove or heating register is mounted in such a manner as to
allow for its expansion under increasing heat, and it may also be replaced by a
perforated pipe, through which the caloric gases are supplied to the cylinder.
Above the heating device a drying hurdle device is provided, which extends from
end to end the whole length of the cylinder. This device consists of
1) Hurdles h¹ h¹ converging upwardly to a ridge and adapted to be guided at
the top in grooved iron rails and at the bottom on angle irons or rails; these
hurdles can be taken out of the apparatus through slots & provided in the end
plates.
2) Folding hurdles adapted to swing up and down about shafts / as indicated
in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and serving to hold the material to be dried on the
hurdles as long as desirable and finally allow it to slide down to be turned over.
The flaps or folding hurdles are operated from outside by levers having
counterpoises (or springs) and eccentric disks y, crank disks y' (or eccentrics) as
shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The eccentric disks may be actuated by gearing & which
receives motion from the shaft which operates cylinder a as indicated by a dotted
line in Fig. 2.
Inside the hurdles h¹ plates m forming a ridge are placed close over the heating
register; these plates have fine perforations for the passage of the heat. Under-
neath the heating register and hurdles a worm extending longitudinally through
the apparatus is suspended from two slanting plates o which are secured with their
upper sides close under the flap hurdle shafts, but without interfering with the
movement of the same. Said worm is actuated from the shaft which rotates the
cylinder of the apparatus.
The piper and the air holes ss, which may be regulated by slides, serve to
ventilate the apparatus. The latter works as follows:-
After the green malt is brought into the cylinder through opening p and the
latter closed by cover q, the apparatus is set in motion.
The scoops or stirrers b now carry the green malt upwards and strew it on the
drying hurdles, which retain some of it while the rest falls back into the cylinder
and on the scoops. In falling, the material is penetrated by the heat from the

page_text: register, aired and turned. The malt which remains on the hurdles, and is
penetrated direct by the heat from the register, retains its position until the folding
hurdles move downwards; it then falls down into the lower portion of tho
cylinder being thereby turned and mixed with the green malt lying there. Sub-
sequently the flaps h³ are raised again and the hurdles can be filled up afresh
and the operation repeated. The turning raising and mixing of the malt causes
the same to be constantly heated at an increasing rate and is repented until the
material is sufficiently cured and ready to be dried. Up to this period the volume
of malt will have considerably decreased, which is important for the improved
method of drying, the quantity of green malt being determinable for a certain size
of apparatus.
With the methods hitherto known, the malt is first cured on a kiln, then loaded
onto another kiln and dried. This is entirely dispensed with in the improved
apparatus, which is so constructed, that as soon as the drying is accomplished, the
whole of the malt in the apparatus remains on the hurdle m where it receives the
whole heat proceeding direct from the register.
The malt is now turned in the same manner as before by the folding hurdles ³
falling down from time to time, whereupon it is again pitched onto the hurdles by
the scoops . The flap hurdles are however now operated less frequently in order
to cause the malt to remain longer in contact with the heat and atinin a higher
temperature. The malt germs fall through the hurdles during curing and are
guided onto the worm by means of protecting plate m and plate o, whence they are
removed from the apparatus. When the malt is dried the hurdles ¹ are taken out
of the apparatus and the cured malt is thrown by the scoops or stirrers b through
aperture u, opened by the removal of the hurdles, onto the worm, which carries
it out of the apparatus. The hurdles having been replaced, the apparatus can
again be set in action.
The improved method of curing malt has over the methods hitherto employed
the advantage of resulting in a completely uniform drying of the malt, besides
attaining great economy in labour and heating material.
Fig. Shows a modification of the improved apparatus, the hurdles hª being
arranged as two folding hurdles by placing the same above the heating register and
making them adapted to fall down on both sides.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1.) The method of curing malt by bringing the same onto flap-or folding
hurdles of an apparatus constructed especially for this purpose, subsequently drying
the cured malt on the same hurdles and ultimately removing it from the apparatus
by means of a suitable conveyer substantially as set forth.
2.) For the purpose of carrying out the process forming the subject of Claim 1,
the application of an apparatus consisting of a rotary drun a which is provided
inside with a suitable number of perforated or plain angular scoops or lifters
extending longitudinally through the drum, in combination with a peculiarly
arranged heating register or with a perforated pipe for direct supply of the caloric
gases, above which register or pipe detachable drying hurdles are so provided
as to form a ridge, substantially as set forth.
3.) In the apparatus referred to in Claim 2 the application of a finely perforated
protecting plate m for the purpose of preventing the germs from falling onto the
heating-register or device, substantially as set forth.
4.) In the apparatus referred to, the application of two perforated flap or folding
hurdles adapted to be lowered and raised at certain intervals of time from the
outside of the apparatus for turning the malt and, when in their upper position, to
hold the malt on the drying hurdles substantially as set forth.
5.) In the apparatus reforred to in Claim 2 the combination, with the drying
hurdles, of a conveyer, consisting of a casing placed underneath the heating-register

page_text: or device and having inclined sides o o connected with a worm n for the purpose
of removing the malt or germs from the apparatus substantially as set forth.
6.) In the apparatus referred to in Claim 2, a device for moving the folding
hurdles up and down consisting of shafts in combination with counter-
balanced levers which are operated by a crank disk or eccentric and actuate
the shafts and folding hurdles, substantially as set forth.
7.) In the apparatus referred to in Claim 2 the application, in lieu of the hurdles
mentioned in Claims 1 and 3, of two folding hurdles h' and h³ so arranged as to be
adapted to be let down on both sides Fig. 5, substantially as set forth.
8.) The apparatus forming the subject of Claims 1 to 6, in co-operation with
its various parts as a malt curing or drying apparatus substantially as illustrated
and described.