Improvements in the Method of Malting, Drying, and otherwise Treating Grain and the like, and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Aug., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 27th June, 1899-Accepted, 26th Aug., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of Malting, Drying, and otherwise
Treating Grain and the like, and in Apparatus therefor.
We, SAMUEL WHITE, of The Holt, Taunton, Gentleman, and JAMES SLEEMAN,
of Carlton House, Portishead, Malster, both in the County of Somerset, do hereby
declare the nature of our said invention to be as follows:-
We construct a machine preferably of cylindrical shape, and preferably capable
of being rotated.
The shell of this machine is preferably made of sheet iron or of some material
impervious to air.
We divide the interior of the machine into sections of unequal width. The
narrower sections are for air passages, the wider sections are for holding grain
or malt.
The narrower or air sections are alternately fresh air sections and exhaust or
foul air sections.
These sections may be of circumferential shape when fixed in a machine of
cylindrical shape or the machine may be divided vertically.
The walls of these sections which divide the air sections from the grain sections
are made of perforated metal or of some material which permits air but not
grain to pass through it. Where two air sections are divided the one from the
other the dividing partition is made of close metal or of some material impervious
to air.
The sections are so arranged that every grain holding section stands between
two air sections of which latter the section on the one side is for the admission
of fresh air and the section on the other side is for the discharge of vitiated air
which has passed through the grain in the grain section.
Connected with these air sections are air trunks or ducts for the admission and
discharge of air respectively to and from the interior of the machine and the
grain contained in it and these ducts are connected with air inlet or air outlet
trunks outside the machine in such a manner that each interior air section has
its proper connection either with the outside air trunk supplying fresh air or with
the outside exhaust trunk discharging vitiated air as may be required, i.e. no
interior air section is connected at the same time with both inlet and outlet air
trunks, but only with one of them.
The air ducts inside the machine have controllable openings or valves connect-
ing them with the interior air sections so that the quantity and speed of the air
admitted to or withdrawn from any section and consequently the volume and
speed of the air current passing through any grain section can be regulated and
controlled.
The interior air sections and also the grain section have covered openings for
inspection and cleansing purposes and these are controllable openings in the
shell of the machine for charging and discharging.
Covers to the grain sections are provided to prevent waste of air above
the grain level and valves or cut-offs in the air sections for the same purpose.
The machine may be made of any shape and may be fixed or be capable of being

page_text: rotated. In the latter case the rotation of the machine loosens and separates the
grain or malt.
When the machine is fixed it is necessary to construct two or more machines,
so that the grain may be passed from one machine to the other and the loosening
and separating of the grain be thereby effected. This passing of the grain may be
effected by worms, elevators or any other known means of conveying or a series of
such fixed machines may be constructed one over the other and the grain be
allowed to pass from one to the other by gravitation.
All or any of the operations of washing steeping germinating and kilning may
be effected in the machines herein described.
The method of working is as follows.
Water is admitted to the machine and then the grain to be malted the machine
is rotated and the grain washed and cleansed, the dirty water discharged and
fresh clean water admitted and this as desired during the steeping or soaking of
the grain.
When sufficiently steeped the water is drained away and germination
commences.
Fresh pure air is forced or drawn into the outside fresh air trunk thence it
passes into the inside fresh air ducts and thence to the fresh air sections from them
the air is passed through the malt and into the exhaust air sections thence the
now vitiated air passes to the inside exhaust air ducts and away through the
outside exhaust air trunk.
This passing of fresh air through the grain in the machine is continued until
the grain is sufficiently germinated.
When the malt is ready for kilning it can either be conveyed to an ordinary
kiln, or by connecting the air trunks to a furnace hot air may be passed to the
machine and through the malt in the manner before described for the circulation
of fresh air and the malt be kilned in the same machine.
By this method of malting we claim that a perfect control is obtained over the
air currents and that the aeration and germination of the malt is more easily
controlled and more evenly and perfectly effected than by any other means;
that the germinating malt can be kept at the desired temperature without passing
through it an excessive quantity of air which, especially during withering, is of
the highest advantage, and there is also less exhaustion of the grain during
germination thus giving a higher extract.
Further a more even kilning is obtained and malt can be cured without scorch-
ing at a higher temperature than by any other means.
Dated th Ad 1000
GEORGE DOWNING & SONS,
8, Quality Court, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in the Method of Malting, Drying, and otherwise
Treating Grain and the like, and in Apparatus therefor.
We, SAMUEL WHITE, of The Holt, Taunton, Gentleman, and JAMES SLEEMAN,
of Carlton House, Portishead, Maltster, both in the County of Somerset, do hereby
declare the nature of our said invention and in what manner the same is to he
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
In order that the description may be better understood, reference is hereby
made to the accompanying drawings in which similar letters of reference indicate
corresponding parts and in which

page_text: Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line
Fig. 3 is a section of a fixed vessel.
of Fig. 1 and
We construct a machine preferably of circular form in section and preferably
capable of being rotated.
The shell
to air.
of the machine is made of sheet iron or of some material impervious
We divide the interior of the machine into compartments the wide compart-
ments & for holding grain and narrower compartments for air distribution.
The latter are again divided into inlet air compartments d and exhaust air
compartments d by a partition of sheet iron or of some other material
impervious to air.
The iron partitions are carried the whole extent of the machine vertically
and (or) circumferentially; the partitions or walls & dividing the air compart-
ments from the grain compartments are made of perforated metal or of some
material giving free passage to air. These latter partitions are perforated to
about the normal level of the grain in the machine as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
The aforesaid impervious partitions d' d have a controllable passage way d³
through them, so that the grain in the different compartments may, during
rotation of the machine, be mixed and interchanged.
These sections are so arranged that every grain holding section stands between
two air sections of which latter the section d on the one side is for the admission
of fresh air and the section + on the other side is for the discharge of vitiated air
which has passed through the grain in the grain section.
Connected with these air sections are air trunks or ducts (e) for the admission
and (c) discharge of air respectively to and from the interior of the machine and
the grain contained in it, and these ducts are connected with air inlet or air
outlet trunks el respectively outside the machine in such a manner that each
interior air section has its proper connection either with the outside air trunk
supplying fresh air or with the outside exhaust trunk discharging vitiated air as
may be required i.e. no interior air section is connected at the same time with
both inlet and outlet air trunks, but only with one of them.
The air ducts inside the machine have controllable openings or valves connect-
ing them with the interior air sections so that the quantity and speed of the air
admitted to or withdrawn from any section-and consequently the volume and
speed of the air current passing through any grain section can be regulated and
controlled.
The interior air sections and also the grain sections are provided with covered
openings for inspection and cleansing purposes and there are controllable openings
in the shell of the machine for charging and discharging.
Covers to the grain sections are provided analogous to those described and
claimed in No. 11804 to prevent waste of air above the grain level and valves or
cut-offs in the air sections for the same purpose.
The machine may be made of any shape and may be fixed or be capable of being
rotated. In the latter case the rotation of the machine loosens and separates the
grain or malt.
When the machine is fixed as shown in Fig. 3 it is necessary to construct two
or more machines so that the grain may be passed from one machine to the other
and the loosening, separating and mixing of the grain thereby effected. The
machine is provided with moveable false, bottoms f(shown hinged at f¹) and a
conical shoot or bottom from which the grain passes to the next machine by
gravitation or by means of a suitable worm or other conveyor. Covers or lids
may be sometimes fitted to each grain space to prevent waste of air or fluid.
All or any of the operations of washing, steeping, germinating and kilning
may be effected in the machines herein described.
9

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. In apparatus for malting and otherwise treating grain and the like, the
combination of a cylindrical vessel capable of being rotated the interior of which
is divided into compartments, the partitions being formed hollow with (or without)
a division wall impervious to air and two gauze or perforated walls, the chambers
formed thereby and those attached to the ends of the cylindrical vessel being so
connected with the supply and exhaust trunks that the air cannot proceed from
the supply to the exhaust except by passing through the grain, substantially as
set forth.
2. In apparatus as aforesaid the combination with a fixed vessel of suitable
shape of a number of hollow partitions (constructed arranged and connected as
described) forming between them compartments for grain, substantially as and for
the purposes specified.
3. In apparatus as aforesaid the combination with a vessel of suitable shape
the interior of which is fitted with a number of hollow partitions constructed as
described and forming compartments for grain of a supply pipe and air ducts
connected with certain of the chambers, a central exhaust tube connected with the
exhaust trunk and also with certain others of the chambers as set forth.
4. In apparatus as aforesaid, the combination with a vessel of suitable shape
and capable of being revolved, of hollow partitions constructed with a division
wall, and two gauze or perforated walls, the division wall extending the full
height and width of the cylinder and the perforated walls extending only to the
normal height of the malt, and to the full width, substantially as set forth.
5. In apparatus as aforesaid the combination with a fixed vessel of suitable
shape constructed with hollow partitions as described, of a false or moveable
bottom to each compartment for grain, a conical bottom to said vessel fitted with
a hopper or shoot and means for conveying the grain to another vessel, sub-
stantially as set forth.
G. In apparatus as aforesaid the combination with a vessel or receptacle capable
of rotation of an interior divided into compartments, the means for insuring the
proper circulation of the air or other fluid through the grain and the means for
.controlling same substantially as set forth.