Improvements in Pneumatic Malting and in Machinery or Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Oct., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 27th July, 1892-Accepted, 10th Sept., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pneumatic Malting and in Machinery or Apparatus
therefor.
I, RICHARD Howard LEAKER, of Montague Villa, Kingsdown Parade, in the
City and County of Bristol, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the process of pneumatic malting, and consists in an
improved method of treating the malt, and in machinery or apparatus therefor.
According to this invention an attemperating coil is placed in the vessel in which
is contained the drum usually employed in pneumatic malting. By the use of this
attemperator the temperature of water employed for washing, steeping, and
promoting germination of the grain is capable of being raised by passing steam, hot
water or other heating agent through the coils, and of being lowered by passing
cold water, brine or other cooling agent through them.
The air, which is supplied to the malt by suction, as is usual, is admitted through
a special appliance constituting a part of this invention. On each side of a central
tank carried above the drum and containing water is a perforated trough having
therein a sheet of blanket or felt constantly kept moist or wet by immersing one
edge in the water in the aforesaid tank.
A sparge pipe may, in addition, be
employed for sprinkling the blanket with water. The air as it passes through the
blanket is filtered and cooled, the degree to which it is cooled being regulated by a
coil or coils through which brine or other cooling agent is passed, over which coil
the air is drawn either prior to or after passing through the blanket, or both. The
air after entering the vessel which contains the drum may be allowed to act directly
on the grain in the drum, or it may be directed by plates or guides to pass to the
grain below the lower portion only of the drum.
An outlet pipe for withdrawing carbonic acid gas and foul air from the upper
surface of the grain is provided in the outer and top portion of the casing and is
separate from the air suction pipe which communicates with the central tube of the
drum.
The apparatus may be so constructed that the perforated trough on one side may
be designed for cooling and drying the air as it passes to the malt for withering, the
trough on the other side being arranged to supply cold, moist air for germinating,
provision being made by covers, dampers or like means to put one out of action.
while the other is in action. Or, the troughs may be arranged alternating one with
another on one side only of the water trough, or on both sides thereof.
Dated thin 27th dow of Octaban 1901
NICHOLAS WATTS,
Bristol Bank Buildings, Bristol, Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pneumatio Malting and in Machinery or Apparatus
therefor.
I, RICHARD HOWARD LEAKER, of Montague Villa, Kingsdown Parade, in the
City and County of 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 the process of pneumatic malting, and consists in an
improved method of treating the malt, and in machinery or apparatus therefor.

page_text: -
According to this invention an attemperating coil is placed in the vessel in which
is contained the drum usitally employed in pneumatic malting. By the use of this
attemperator the temperature of water employed. for. washing, steeping, and
promoting germination of the grain is capable of being raised by passing steam, hot
water or other heating agent through the coils, and of being lowered by passing
cold water, brine or other cooling agents through them.
The air, which is supplied to the malt by suction, as is usual, is admitted through
a special appliance constituting a part of this invention. On each side of a central
tank carried above the drum and containing water is a perforated trough having
therein a sheet of blanket or felt constantly kept moist or wet by immersing. one
edge in the water in the aforesaid tank. A sparge pipe may, in addition,, be
employed for sprinkling the blanket with water. The air as it passes through the
blanket is filtered and cooled, the degree to which it is cooled being regulated by a
coil or coils through which brine or other cooling agent is passed, over which coil
the air is drawn either prior to or after passing through the blanket. The air after
entering the vessel which contains the drum may be allowed to act directly on the
grain in the drum, or it may be directed by plates or guides to pass to the grain
below the lower portion only of the drum.
In the accompanying sheet of drawings,
Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal section and Fig. 2 a transverse section of my
improved machinery or apparatus for pneumatic malting.
A feature of novelty comprised in this invention is the provision of attemperating
coils a situated within the vessel b in which is contained a reticulated drum c such
as is usually employed in pneumatic malting and which drum is arranged to be
rotated within the vessel b. By passing steam, hot water or other suitable heating
agent through the coils a the temperature of water contained in the vessel 6 for
washing, steeping and promoting germination of the grain in the drum c may be
raised at will, and equally it may be lowered at will by passing cold water, brine or
other suitable cooling agent through the coils. Thus the temperature of the water
and air is under control and may be varied as may be desired according to the
effect to be produced on the grain. p is the inlet pipe by which water is supplied
to the vessel b.
A second feature of this invention relates to the inlet at which the air, supplied
as is usual by suction, is admitted to the vessel to act on the grain in the drum c.
On each side of the central water tank d carried at the top of the vessel b is a
perforated trough e having therein a blanket of fibrous texture. The inner edges
of these blankets are immersed in the water in the central tank d and hence the
blankets are kept constantly moist. To assist in maintaining the blankets moist and
also for sprinkling the grain in the drum ca sparge pipe, such as g, Fig. 2, is fitted
in each trough. A deflecting plate i serves to direct the water to the drum c. The
air is drawn into the vessel b through the blankets f and is thereby filtered and
cooled and on entering the vessel 6 is deflected to act on the grain in the drum c.
For the purpose of controlling the temperature of the air admitted to the vessel b,
attemperating coils are fitted to the troughs e (or they may be placed below the
troughs) and the arrangement may be such that a trough on one side of the central
tank d may be used for cooling and drying the air as it passes to the malt for
withering the same, and the trough on the opposite side arranged to supply cold,
moist air for germinating. Under such an arrangement, covers or dampers are
employed to put one trough out of action while the other is in action.
The arrangement and construction of the various parts of the apparatns permit
of the vessels. b and c being used for the different processes of washing, steeping,
germination and withering the grain.
When the apparatus is being used for washing, the vessels b and c are charged
with water until the level of the latter is at or about half way up in the drum c.
The latter is rotated and light refuse is skimmed off through the manhole c¹. The
foul water is drawn off through the pipe b¹.
:

page_text: When the apparatus is being used for steeping, the water level is higher than for
washing and reaches to near the top of the drum c which is rotated at intervals.
In the first part of the process of germination the water is drawn off and pure
moist air is delivered into the drum c. Thereafter the vessel b is charged with
The latter is rotated above the
water to a level somewhat below the drum c.
water which is kept at a proper temperature by means of the attemperators a.
When the apparatus is being used for withering the grain, the water is drained
off, the edges of the blankets which are shown in the drawing as immersed in the
water trough d are withdrawn therefrom and cool, dry, filtered air is supplied to
the grain in the drum e through the blankets f; the drum c being occasionally
rotated.
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 appliances for pneumatic malting the provision of attemperating coils such
as a situated within the vessel which contains the rotary reticulated malting drum,
and arranged to control the temperature of the water in the said vessel, as berein-
before described.
2. The provision at the air inlet of pneumatic malting appliances, of filtering
blankets such as flying within perforated troughs such as e arranged at each side
of a central water trough such as d in the water in which latter the inner edges of
the blankets are immersed, substantially as herein before described with reference to
the accompanying sheet of drawings.
3. The sparge pipe f and deflecting plate i arranged as described and for the
purposes specified.
4. The combination with the blanket-lined troughs e and water tank d of
attemperating coils h; the arrangement being such that by means of suitable covers
and dampers the troughs e on one side of the central tank d may be employed to
supply air for cooling and drying the malt, while the corresponding troughs on the
opposite side are employed to supply cold, moist air to promote germination,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
5. The arrangement and construction of parts constituting the improved
machinery or apparatus for pneumatic malting hereinbefore described, so that the
processes of washing, steeping, germinating and withering can be carried out in the
same vessels.
Din with dow of In1 1899
NICHOLAS WATTS,
Agent