Improvements relating to Pneumatic Malting, and Machinery or Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Feb., 1896-Accepted, 11th Apr., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Pneumatic Malting, and Machinery or
Apparatus therefor.
I, WILLIAM ADLAM, of 1, Ellbroad Street, Bristol, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the pneumatic method of malting grain.
According to this invention the air employed for aëration of the grain is, before
being admitted to the malting vessel, conducted through a multitubular attemperating
appliance consisting of a series of tubes situated at suitable distances apart and
contained within a casing and having spaces between them and the wall of the
casing. By charging the casing with heated water, or steam, or other suitable
heating agent, for which inlets and outlets are provided, the air is heated as it
travels through the tubes. Similarly, the air is cooled if the casing be charged
with cold water or other suitable cooling agent.
After emerging from the multitubular attemperating appliance, the air is
conducted through a pipe, fitted with a door or damper or the like, for controlling
the communication, into a chamber into which a water-spray ejected under pressure
from a spray-producer is discharged. The spray-producer consists of a barrel of
gun-metal, or other suitable metal, into which is screwed a hollow plug into which
is passed a spindle retained by a nut screwed on its inner end and bearing against
the inner end of the plug. Apertures extend through the plug and constitute
water ducts between the barrel and an annular space around a part of the spindle
and extending to the outer end of the plug. Towards the outer end of the spindle
is a disc or cap between which and the outer end of the plug the water supplied
under pressure to the barrel, through a suitable pipe, is ejected in the form of a
spray the fineness or degree of tenuity of which is regulated by the distance to
which the disc or cap is adjusted from the outer end of the plug through the
medium of the nut on the inner end of the spindle.
The feed pipe of the spray-producer is fitted with a cock or valve and passes
through a chamber. The water in its passage to the spray-producer may be
heated by charging the chamber through which the feed pipe passes with steam,
hot air or other suitable heating agent.
Similarly, the water may be cooled by charging the chamber through which the
feed pipe passes with colder water, cold air, or other suitable cooling agent.
By the means above set forth the temperature of the air supplied to the malting
vessel in the different stages of the malting process from the time of deposit of
malt in the malting case to its removal for kilning, and the degree of saturation of
the air with water; as also the temperature of the water employed in saturation,
are under control and capable of nice regulation according to the effect required.
As is well understood, water is sprinkled on the grain to promote germination
after it has been a suitable time in the malting vessel. This operation may be
effected by introducing into the malting vessel, by any suitable means, the requisite
quantity of water.
21
1000
NICHOLAS WATTS,
Bristol, Chartered Patent Agent.

page_text: .
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Pneumatic Malting, and Machinery or
Apparatus therefor.
I, WILLIAM ADLAM, of 1, Ellbroad. Street, Bristol, 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:-
This invention relates to malting grain pneumatically.
This invention has for its objects to provide means for regulating and controlling
the temperature of the air supplied to the malting vessel according to the requirements
of the different stages of the malting process from the time of deposit of malt in
the malting vessel to its removal for kilning; and, further, to control and regulate
the degree of saturation of the air with water; as also the temperature of the
water employed in saturation.
According to this invention, the air employed for aëration of the grain is, before
being admitted to the malting vessel, conducted through a multitubular attemperating
appliance consisting of a series of tubes situated at suitable distances apart and
contained within a casing having spaces between the tubes and the wall of the
casing. By charging the casing with heated water, or steam, or other suitable
heating agent, for which inlets and outlets are provided, the air is heated as it
travels through the tubes. Similarly, the air is cooled if the casing be charged
with cold water or other suitable cooling agent.
After issuing from the multitubular attemperating appliance, the air is conducted
through a pipe, fitted with a door or damper, or the like, for controlling the
communication, into a chamber into which a water-spray ejected under pressure
from a water-spray producer, is discharged.
A suitable form of spray-producer consists of a barrel of gun-metal or other
suitable metal, into which is screwed a hollow plug, into which is passed a spindle
retained by a nut screwed on its inner end and bearing against the inner end of the
plug. Apertures extend through the plug and constitute water ducts between the
barrel and an annular space around a part of the spindle and extending to the outer
end of the plug. Towards the outer end of the spindle is a disc or cap between
which and the outer end of the plug the water supplied under pressure to the barrel,
through a suitable pipe, is ejected in the form of a spray, the fineness or degree of
tenuity of which is regulated by the distance to which the disc or cap is adjusted
from the outer end of the plug through the medium of the nut on the inner end of
the spindle.
The feed-pipe of the spray-producer is fitted with a cock or valve and passes
through a chamber.
The water, in its passage to the spray-producer, may be beated by charging the
chamber through which the feed-pipe passes, with steam, hot air, or other suitable
heating agent.
As is well understood, water is sprinkled on the grain to promote germination
after it has been a suitable time in the malting vessel.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 illustrates, partly in section and partly in
elevation, apparatus for employment in pneumatic malting in accordance with this
invention. a is a multitubular air attemperator from which an air outlet main
pipe b extends and communicates by a branch pipe 6 with the malting vessel or
case c.
b
The case c is, as is usual, cylindrical and multitubular and is arranged, also as
usual, to revolve upon rollers c¹ by means of suitable gearing. One malting vessel
only is shown in the drawing, but it is to be understood that the main pipe 6 may
be arranged to supply, by means of branch pipes, more than one malting vessel,
and, as a matter of general practice, a series of several vessels would be employed.

page_text: The air for aëration of the grain contained in the vessel c is supplied to the
tubes a¹ of the attemperator a through the inlet pipe a². It is heated or cooled
therein according to the agent employed. For heating, steam or hot water may
be employed. For cooling, cold water is a suitable agent. When steam is the
agent employed it is preferably admitted to the casing at a³ and the condensed
water allowed to run out at a'. But when water is employed as either heating or
cooling agent it is preferably admitted at a and discharged at a³.
The agent
surrounds the tubes a¹ but does not enter them.
The air, heated or cooled, according to requirement depending on the stages in
malting and the atmospheric temperature, is conducted by the pipe b to the
chamber e, the volume adınitted thereto being controlled by the damper f. In its
passage through the chamber e, the air is saturated to the required degree with
water diffused among the air by a water-spray producer g supplied through a pipe
from a force pump i feeding an accumulator j of the usual kind by which the
degree of pressure is varied according to requirement.
Instead of the force pump i, other means of supplying water under pressure may
be employed.
In the bottom of the chamber e is fitted a water escape pipe el so shaped as to
prevent, by a water seal, escape of air.
The water pipe h which feeds the spray-producer g passes through an attemperator k
of which a detached view, partly in elevation and partly in section is shown at Fig. 2.-
This water attemperator consists of a casing surrounding the water supply pipe h
and fitted with an inlet k' for steam and an outlet k² for the escape of condensed
steam. As a general rule the attemperator k would be employed only for raising,
when necessary, the temperature of the water being supplied to the spray-producer g,
and the temperature of the water so heated would depend upon that of the steam
supplied to the casing k. By excluding steam from the casing the water is
supplied at the temperature at which it is received from the accumulator and the
temperature may, if desired, be further reduced by the introduction into the
casing of still colder water or other suitable cooling agent.
The spray-producer g shown at Fig. 1 is illustrated at an enlarged scale at
Fig. 3. It consists of a barrel g', of gun-metal or other suitable metal, into
which is screwed a hollow plug 92 through which is passed a spindle 9³
retained in place by a nut 9 screwed on the inner end of the spindle and
bearing against the inner end of the plug g². Apertures 9 provided at
intervals around the plug g² extend through it and constitute water-ducts
between the barrel g' and the annular space g around the spindle g³. Towards
the outer end of the spindle g³ is a cap g' between which and the lower end of
the plug g the water supplied under pressure to the barrel g' through the inlet
end g is ejected in the form of a spray the fineness or degree of tenuity of which
is regulated by the distance to which the cap 97 is adjusted from the mouth
of the plug g2 through the medium of the adjusting nut g, access to which is
obtained through the window 2 in the wall of the chamber e, Fig. 1. The
spiudle g may be made with threads 9' to assist in breaking up the stream
of water.
The water-spray producer above described is a convenient appliance for the
purpose, but it is to be understood that other kinds of water-spray producers
might be substituted therefor.
From the chamber e the attemperated and saturated air is conducted by the
pipe, fitted with a hygrometer 1, to the malting vessel c in which it is diffused
among the malt contained therein.
с
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. In pneumatic malting, the provision of means for varying, regulating and

page_text: controlling the temperature of the air for aëration of the malt, substantially as
hereinabove described.
2. In pneumatic malting, the provision of means-that is to say a water-spray
producer for impregnating or saturating the air for aëration of the malt with
water, either heated or cool, substantially as hereinabove described.
3. In pneumatic malting, an air attemperating appliance for varying, regulating
and controlling the temperature of the air for aeration of the malt; the said
appliance consisting of a casing such as a for receiving, containing and discharging
steam or other suitable heating agent, or cold water or other suitable cooling
agent, and fitted with tubes a' for conducting the air to the supply pipe of the
malting vessel, substantially as hereiuabove described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
4. In pneumatic malting, a water-spray producing appliance for impregnating
or saturating with heated or cold water under pressure, the air for aëration of the
malt; the said appliance consisting of the barrel 9', hollow plug 92, with
apertures gestablishing communication between the barrel g' and the annular
space 9; the extent of outlet and consequent fineness or degree of tenuity in the
ejected spray being adjustable by means of the nut g; all constructed and
arranged, substantially as hereinabove with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
5. In pneumatic malting, an attemperating appliance such as k for controlling
the temperature of the water for saturation of the air for aëration of the malt; the
said appliance consisting of a jacket or casing surrounding at a suitable space apart
the pipe by which the water under pressure is supplied to a spray-producing
appliance, substantially as hereinabove described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
6. The combination in pneumatic malting, of apparatus consisting of an air
attemperator such as a, water-spray producing appliance such as y, a water
attemperator such as k, force pump i, or the equivalent thereof, and accumulator j
and pipes or conducts a², b, 61, with damper f, and water pipe h, all. constructed,
arranged and operating, substantially as hereinabove set forth and for the purposes
specified.
Dated this 18th day of February 1896.
NICHOLAS WATTS,
Bristol, Chartered Patent Agent.