IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF MALT AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1881

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Henry Johnson at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th July 1881. A communication
from abroad by Charles Golay, of Paris, in the Republic of France.
THE
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF MALT AND IN
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN." A communication from abroad by Charles
Golay, of Paris, in the Republic of France.
This Invention relates to an improved pneumatic process and apparatus for
treating or preparing malt, and it consists of an improved arrangement of moveable
boxes, metallic cylinders, or drums partaking of a periodical or intermittent rotatory
motion, the mass of grain being at the same time traversed in a downward
direction by a current of air maintained at a suitable low temperature.
These cylinders, boxes, or drums are so arranged as to enable the work of
turning over the grain by means of shovels to be entirely dispensed with, whereby
considerable saving of labour is effected and loss from bruising or crushing the
grain is avoided, whilst at the same time the radicles are not liable to be torn off
and the yield of material available for the process of saccharification is
increased.
The subsequent operation of drying the malt may be performed in the same
cylinder as that in which the germination has taken place.
In carrying out this Invention the grain is placed in a large drum or cylinder
of sheet metal perforated at certain parts of its periphery, and closed at both ends
by suitable covers or end plates, which also serve to support the sheet metal, of
which the cylinder is constructed, intermediate hoops or rings being also provided
The two covers or end
for supporting the sides of the cylinder near the centre.
plates and the intermediate ring or rings are turned of the same external diameter,
and rest upon rollers keyed upon horizontal shafts carried in suitable bearings.
Motion is imparted to these shafts by means of worm wheels fast on the extremities
of the said shafts, and driven by corresponding worms or endless screws.
motion thus imparted to the shafts and rollers causes the drum or cylinder con-
taining the grain to revolve at the rate of about one revolution in six or eight
minutes.
The

page_text: The said cylinder is provided at its centre with a perforated sheet metal tube
of large diameter. This central tube is in communication with a tube or passage
for the supply of cool and moist air at a temperature of, say, about fifteen degrees
centigrade from a suitable air cooling and moistening apparatus, and serves, firstly,
to conduct this cool and moist air to the centre of the mass of grain; and, secondly,
to separate or divide the grain at the surface or upper part of the mass, as hercin-
after described.
The cylinder is enclosed or surrounded, firstly, at its upper part by a metal case
arranged at a short distance, say, from the periphery of the cylinder so as to form a
semi annular chamber having no direct means of communication with the external
atmosphere; and, secondly, at its lower part by walls of brick work or metal
forming a closed chamber, which is separated from the upper chamber by two
plates or partitions arranged at different levels on opposite sides of the cylinder.
The edges of these partition plates next to the cylinder are provided with strips
of india rubber in order to form a tight joint with the periphery of the said
cylinder.
The lower chamber is placed in communication with a tube or conduit from which
air after being drawn through the grain in the cylinder is exhausted by means of a
fan and expelled into the atmosphere.
The upper chamber is also supplied with cooled and moistened air from the
tube or passage hereinbefore referred to communicating with the air cooling
apparatus.
One or more steeping vats are arranged above the cylinder in order to supply
the latter with grain in a suitable condition.
The apparatus operates in the following manner, viz. :-After the grain bas been
allowed to remain in the vats hereinbefore referred to for a suitable period, that is
to say, about twenty four hours for steeping, and the same number of hours for
allowing the commencement of germination to take place it is introduced into the
cylinder through suitable openings in the upper part of the outer case and in the
side of the cylinder, which is thus filled to about two thirds of its total capacity.
The cylinder is then caused to revolve, whereby the grain is piled up on one side
and its surface lies in an inclined plane. The rotation being continued the upper
layers of grain slide over each other, and the malt is thus thoroughly turned, the
entire mass being caused to pass by degrees over the central tube herein before
described, which thus ensures the disintegration of the layers and effectually
separates the grain.
The grain requires to be turned and ventilated from two to four times in twenty
four hours, according to circumstances, and the condition of the malt; when the
temperature at the centre of the mass of grain rises above twenty degrees centigrade
the cool air is allowed to pass into the upper part of the outer case of the cylinder,
and into the central perforated tube, and the cylinder itself is caused to rotate by
means of the endless screw. The mass of grain is thus ventilated with cool moist
air, which passes through the perforations in the cylinder and central tube, and
supplies the water necessary for germination, whilst at the same time the tem-
perature is lowered to the normal condition, and the movement of the cylinder
prevents felting or adhesion of the grain, and equalises the temperature throughout
the mass.
When after a period of, say, six or eight days, the grain is found to have germi-
nated to a sufficient extent the process of germination is arrested, and the grain is
withered by exposing it to dry ventilation, and is subsequently dried by submitting
it to a temperature raised by degrees from, say, about fifty to eighty five degrees
centigrade. This drying operation has heretofore been performed in special and
costly apparatus, involving a considerable amount of labour and loss of time.
The apparatus herein before described is equally adapted for performing this
drying operation, the mode of proceeding being similar to that herein before
described with reference to the ventilation with cool air, excepting that the outer
case of the cylinder and the central perforated tube are placed in communication

page_text: with an apparatus for supplying heated air, the temperature of which is capable
of being regulated as required, the same fan being hereinbefore described as being
employed for creating the draft of cool air being now employed for producing a
current of hot air through the apparatus. The apparatus for heating the air may
be constructed in the following manner, viz. :-A cylindrical chamber is constructed
of sheet iron and provided internally with a series of metal tubes through which
steam is caused to circulate, and the air drawn by the fan is heated by coming in
contact with the said tubes. By suitably regulating the admission of steam the
amount of heat imparted to the air may be modified at pleasure. The air may
however be heated by any other suitable means.