IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO THE MANUFACTURE & KILN DRYING OF MALT AND OTHER SUBSTANCES REQUIRING THE USE OF KILNS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Perry, of Rathdowney, in Queen's County,
Ireland, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO THE
MANUFACTURE & KILN DRYING OF MALT AND OTHER SUBSTANCES REQUIRING
THE USE OF KILNS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
Sealed the 23rd March 1877, and dated the 26th September 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Perry at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th September 1876.
ARTHUR PERRY, of Rathdowney, in Queen's County, Ireland. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN AND RELATING TO THE MANUFACTURE AND KILN DRYING OF MALT AND OTHER
SUBSTANCES REQUIRING THE USE OF KILNS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
The object of this Invention is an improved process and apparatus for malting
and kiln drying grain or other produce. The barley or other produce is steeped in
an ordinary steep and emptied into the coach in the usual manner. From the
coach it is dropped into boxes made with perforated galvanized iron or other
suitable material. These boxes can, if desirable, be fitted with interial projections
or perforated partitions or grids so as to more thoroughly mix up the stuff, but we
at present for most purposes prefer simple boxes without partitions of any kind.
These boxes are mounted on wheels to travel on rails or racks, or they can be made
cylindrical and roll on a skeleton or perforated platform.
When the grain wants turning, if wheeled boxes are used, the lid is closed and
the wheels blocked or scotched, or prevented from revolving by a break, or otherwise.
A handle, hand wheel, or other similar contrivance is applied to the axle shaft and
the box turned by hand or other power. If cylindrical boxes be used after once
being filled and the aperture closed thier contents are stirred by the machanical
action of occaisonally rolling the barrels forward towards the kiln. The railway
or rolling plane being slightly inclined to facilitate the motion.
The cylindrical boxes are the simplest, but are not so convenient for gauging as
the rectangular ones. When the former are used a piece of some textle or fibrous
material, or a wedge of india-rubber, is put in a wedge form between each cylinder
and the next resting upon the two so as to prevent air from coming up between them.
Under and above the line of boxes in the germinating chamber I construct an
Pairs G71

page_text: air flue, passage, or campartment, and draw the air through the perforated boxes
and their contents from one chamber to the other by means of a fan. This is
usually made to exhaust out of the lower chamber, and the air entering the upper
chamber is kept at the right temperature and condition of moisture by ejecting
spray, steam, or hot air, or by making it pass over a large surface of damp material
as to cool and moisten it by evaporation. We do not, however, purpose to lay
claim to attemperating air for malting purposes generally, or to any particular
mode of performing the attemperation, but only so far as it forms a part of our
particular process, and in combination with apparatus constructed in accordance
with our Invention, as herein provisionally specified.
This plan avoids turning the malt or grain by shovels from the time of emptying
coach until dried off from kiln. It also prevents any waste from breakage of roots.
or damaged grains, as the grain is not injured in any way. If required to thicken
or thin the malt in box we attach a sliding board to the bottom and ends of box to
regulate the depth. When the malt is ready for kiln the boxes are conveyed upon
the rails (or if cylindrical rolled) into kiln and turned as before described as often as
required, then emptied into the malt bins and reconveyed back to the steep for a
fresh load of grain. The plan can be adapted to any ordinary malt house or kiln,
and will save an immense amount by economy of labour.
My plan for emptying grain from steep to coach is as follows:-I attach two or
more cock valves or sluices, or other appliances, to the steep to convey water to
coach, which is made water-tight with a perforated false bottom and waste cock.
When necessary to throw out steep I turn on the cocks, et cetera, from steep, the
water escapes and conveys the grain into coach, and when levelled turn on the
waste cock to let water off. The pressure of the water keeps the grain compressed,
and the coach is perfectly levelled and ready for gauging.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Arthur Perry in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th March
1877.
ARTHUR PERRY, of Rathdowney, in Queen's County, Ireland. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN AND RELATING TO THE MANUFACTURE AND KILN DRYING OF MALT AND OTHER
SUBSTANCES REQUIRING THE USE OF KILNS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
The object of this Invention is an improved process and apparatus for malting
and kiln drying grain or other produce. The barley or other produce is placed in
hopper A, is steeped in an ordinary steep B and emptied into the couch C in the
usual manner. From the couch it is dropped into boxes (F) (through hinged spout D)
made of perforated galvanized iron, strong galvanized wirework, or other suitable
materials. These boxes can, if desirable, be fitted with internal projections or
perforated partitions or grids so as to more thoroughly mix up the stuff, but I at
present for most purposes prefer simple boxes strongly stayed, but without partitions
of any kind. These boxes can be mounted on wheels to travel on rails or racks, or
they can be made cylindrical and roll backwards or forwards on a skeleton or
perforated platform.
When the grain wants turning, if wheeled boxes are used, the lid is closed and
the wheels blocked or scotched, or prevented from revolving by a brake or other-
wise, a handle, hand wheel, or other similar contrivance is applied to the axle shaft,
and the box turned by hand or other power, such as a belt from a pulley above to
another on the box axle. If cylindrical boxes be used after once being filled and
the aperture closed their contents are stirred by the mechanical action of occasionally
rolling the barrels forward towards the kiln, the railway or rolling plane being
slightly inclined to facilitate the motion.
The cylindrical are the simplest, but are not so convenient for guaging as the

page_text: rectangular ones. When the former are used a piece of some textile or fibrous
material, or a wedge of india-rubber, is put in a wedge form between each cylinder
and the next resting upon the two so as to prevent air from coming up between
them.
A modification of the cylindrical box in principle but yet retaining the square
shape is the plan I prefer. The square boxes roll on a pair of rails on each side
notched with rectangular or obtuse angled notches, as shown in Drawing Fig. 2.
The salient corners can be rounded so as to roll more freely and not injure the
boxes. A view of rail and box one-eighth size is shewn in Fig. 2. It is important
to give sufficient bearing for the box to stand firmly on the flat portion, or else the
correct curve would be nearly a cycloid, and in proportion as the curve is flattened
to allow of stability in standing, so in that proportion is the difficulty of rolling
increased, consequently the exact shape and inversely the amount of resistance
must be regulated to individual taste. The depth of the notches below the flat of
the rail should be about one-tenth the distance apart, and their distance apart
equals the breadth of the boxes.
Under and above the line of boxes in the germinating chamber T¹ I construct an
air flue, passage, or compartment, and draw the air through the perforated boxes
and their contents from one chamber to the other by means of a fan not shown in
Drawing, but placed and driven in any convenient manner. This is usually made
to exhaust out of the lower chamber, and the air entering the upper chamber is
kept at the right temperature and condition of moisture by ejecting spray, steam,
or hot air, or by making it pass over a large surface of damp material so as to cool
and moisten it by evaporation. I do not, however, purpose to lay claim to
attemperating air for malting purposes generally, or to any particular mode of
performing the attemperation, but only in so far as it forms a part of my particular
process, and in combination with apparatus constructed in accordance with my
Invention, as herein specified.
My plan for emptying grain from steep to couch is as follows:-I attach two or
more cock valves or sluices, or other appliances, to the steep to convey water to
couch, which is made water-tight with a perforated false bottom and waste cock
when necessary to throw out steep. I turn on the cocks, et cetera, from steep, the
water escapes and conveys the grain into couch, and when levelled turn on the
waste cock to let water off. The pressure of the water keeps the grain compressed,
and the couch is perfectly levelled and ready for guaging.
This plan avoids turning the malt or grain by shovels from the time of emptying
the couch until dried off from the kiln; it also prevents any waste from breakage
of roots or damaged grains, as the grain is not injured in any way. If required to
thicken or thin the malt in box I attach a sliding board to the bottom and ends of
box to regulate the depth. When the malt is ready for kiln the boxes are conveyed
upon the rails or rolled into the kiln P, and turned as before described as often as
required, then traversed in any convenient manner on to another line of rails (or
rolled back over the same rails, but this involves more labour). They are then
emptied into the malt bins T, and the empty box is reconveyed back to the steep
for a fresh load of grain. The plan can be adapted to any ordinary malt house or
kiln, and will save an immense amount by economy of labour.
EXPLANATION OF DRAWINGS.
A, barley hopper; B, steep; C, couch; D, spout; E, trap door; F, G, H, I, J,
boxes (usually eight feet long by two feet square) in germinating kiln; K, space from
which box L has just been raised by lift pulley N¹ (N is a similar lift pulley)
through trap door N2 on to rail; O, M, is another box in kiln P. Usually there is
a complete row of boxes in kiln, but only one is shown here; Q, is a heat disperser ;
R, the furnace; S, door in kiln if necessary to bring boxes out that way and
traverse them on to another line of rails back to the couch spout D, or they can go
back the way they came, depositing their burden in bin T; U, lines of rails shown

page_text: in Drawing, Fig. 1, smooth and with wheels revolving on them (in Fig. 2 the
simpler plan without wheels.)
It will be seen at once, however, that the form of rails, their disposition, and the
plan of works and the position of the lines of rails must be different in each works
to suit the nature of the ground, the amount of work to be performed, and therefore
it is needless to enlarge further on that head.
Having now described my Invention, and the best mode known to me of
carrying it into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not claim as my Inven-
tion temperating the air, for this is old, but what I do claim as my Invention to be
protected under the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. The perforated boxes or cylinders for use in the manufacture of malt,
whether rectangular, cylindrical, or otherwise arranged to roll or travel on racks,
rails, or their equivalents, and to rotate so as to intermittently or continuously
present fresh surfaces to the current of air impinging thereon.
2nd. The process of malting by means of perforated receptacles made to roll or 1
revolve on moveable centres, substatially as described.
3rd. The mode of emptying from steep to couch, substantially as described.
4th. The combined arrangement of plant and process, substantially as and for
the purposes described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Perry, have hereunto set my hand and 2
seal this 23rd day of March in the year of our Lord 1877.