Improvements in and relating to the Construction of Malt Houses.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Nov., 1895-Accepted, 25th Jan.,
1856
[Communicated from abroad by WILLIAM HENRY PRINZ, of 57 to 67 South
Clinton Street, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America, Engineer.]
Improvements in and relating to the Construction of Malt
Houses.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 a novel construction and arrangement in a malt house,
designed especially for use in connection with what is known as the Saladin system
of pneumatic inalting. The objects of the invention are to simplify the construction
of the malt house and, consequently, reduce the cost of the building, and to provide
a novel arrangement in the air channels, air attemperator and moistener and in the
devices for controlling the air currents whereby the construction of the house is
simplified and cheapened, the air currents can be more easily regulated and
controlled, and the cost of running the malt house is reduced.
To these and other useful ends my invention consists in the features of con-
struction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and specifically
claimed.
In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention ;-
Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view of a malt house constructed in accordance
with my invention and taken on the line 1-1 of Figs. 2 and 3.
Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Figs. 1 and 2.
Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section similar to Fig. 3 and illustrating the con-
struction in a malt house of this description, where two floors of germinating
compartments are employed.
In a malt house constructed in accordance with my invention the fresh and
foul air shafts, tunnels and the air attemperators and moisteners are placed
above the floor on which the germinating compartments are located and the air
is drawn in, forced downwardly, and then drawn upwardly and discharged or
re-used, as found convenient, instead of the manner now in general use in malt
houses of this construction, wherein the air first passes downwardly and then
upwardly through the germinating compartments, then downwardly again to
discharge it.
Referring now especially to Figs. 1. 2, and 3 of the drawings, 1 indicates the
rear wall of the malt house, 2 the front wall, 3 the outer end wall and 4 the
inner end wall of the malt house proper. The malt house is divided into an upper
story 5 and a lower story 6 by the floor 7. Within the lower story 6 the
germinating compartments 8 are located extending transversely across the story
and constructed in the usual manner with perforated bottoms 9, malt stirring
machine 10, and walks 11. In the front of the compartments and between the end
of the compartment and the front wall 2 of the malt house is the walk or plat-
form 12 having the trap door 13 leading to the conveyor 14 to remove the malt.
Beneath each compartment and between its perforated bottom and the floor 15
of the lower story is an air tunuel 16 closed at its forward end but communicating

page_text: at its rear end with an upright air shaft 17 leading to the foul air tunnel 18 in
the upper story 5. Communication between the air tunnel 16 and air shaft 17 is
controlled by a valve (one for each compartment) indicated by 19, said valve
sliding in vertical guides and provided with upright racks 20 that extend above
the rear end of the compartment and that are engaged by gear wheels 21 upon a
shaft 22 which can be turned by a crank 23. In this way it will be seen that by
turning the crank to elevate these valves communication between the air tunnels
and shaft 17 can be established. The air shaft 17 is formed by an upright
wall 24 extending between the floors 7 and 15 and provided with openings 25 along
its lower edge opposite the air tunnels 16. The said supplemental wall 24 extends
between the ends of the malt house and meets the floor 7 which does not extend
further than said supplemental wall so as to provide an opening at the top of the
air shaft 17.
The upper story is divided into three compartments, namely; the foul air
compartment 18, the fresh air compartment 26, and the air attemperating and
moistening compartment 27. The foul and fresh air compartments are divided by
a partition 28 extending between the end walls of the malt house, while the fresh
air compartment 26 is divided from the air attemperating and moistening com-
partment 27 by two walls 29 and 30 extending between the end walls of the malt
house, but not between the ceiling 31 of the upper story and the floor 7, so as to
establish communication between the fresh air compartment 26 and attemperating
and moistening compartment 27. Said wall 29 extends from the ceiling 31 to a
point near the floor 7. while the partition 30 extends from the floor 7 to the
ceiling 31 but is provided at its upper end with openings 32 extending its entire
length. The partitions 29 and 30 are parallel and a little distance apart, so that a
coil of steam pipes 33 may be located between them to warm the air as it passes
to the attemperating and moistening compartment. Within the compartment 27
are, arranged a plurality of upright perforated or reticulated plates or sheets 34
extending between the end walls 3 and 4 and the ceiling 31 and floor 7. These
plates 34 are parallel and located a sufficient distance apart to allow a person to
pass between, them, and the inner end wall 4 of the malt house is provided with
doors 35 between each pair of plates and also doors 36 outside of plates, to permit
attendants to enter the compartments made thereby for cleaning the plates and
other parts of the malt house. Between these plates 34 and near the floor 7 are
the water pipes 37 provided on their upper sides with suitable spray nozzles
arranged to spray water upon the plates, and these pipes 37 are connected with a
suitable source for supplying water under pressure, such as the pump 38, by means
of the branches 39 and 40 controlled by valves 41. The pipe 37 between the last
two plates 34, or those nearest to the front wall 2 of the malt house, is provided
with a separate supply pipe 42, so that if it is found convenient to re-use the water
over some of the. plates, it can be accomplished and at the same time fresh water
can be supplied to the last two plates to accomplish the washing of the air. The
floor 7 between the plates 34 is provided with gutters or troughs 43 into which
water runs down over the plates, passages, and these gutters or troughs 43 are
inclined downwardly towards the inner wall 4 to lead the water to the bath or
tank 44., From this tank 44 a pipe 45 leads having branches 46 that can lead the
pump or a branch 47 that can lead to the waste pipe, whereby the water can be
forced back or allowed to escape. In the floor 7 between the last plate 34 and the
front wall 2 of the malt house a plurality of openings 48, are located having
suitable gratings to establish communication with the malting room.
Parallel with the inner wall 4 of the malt house, and a convenient distance
therefrom, is an upright wall 49 extending usually some distance above the malt
house and forming part of the other buildings of the plant. Between this wall 49
and the wall 4 is a partition 50 to divide off the room in which the tank 44 and
water forcing devices are located, and the said partition 50 is located about
opposite the partitions 29 and 30. Between the walls 49 and 4 and about opposite
the partition 28 is a partition 51 extending upwardly to about the height of the

page_text: ceiling 31 and dividing such space into the foul air shaft 52 and the fresh air
shaft 53 located at the ends of the fresh and foul air compartments 26 and 18.
Openings 54 having slats 55 are made in the wall 3 to establish communication
between the shafts 53 and 52 and compartments 26 and 18 The said fresh and
foul air shafts 52 and 53 join at their upper ends into an air stack or chimney 56
extending above the malt house and provided with slatted openings 57 and 58
located above the fresh and foul air shafts 53 and 52. Located within the
chimney 50 and pivoted between the said fresh and foul air shafts 52 and 53 is a
valve 59, which, when standing in an upright position reaches from the upper end
of the partition 21 to the top of the chimney and divides said chimney into two
shafts. The said valve 59 can be provided with any suitable devices for regulating
its position, such as, for instance. to control it automatically by weights. Located
within the foul air shaft 53 is an air forcing device 60 for drawing the air from
the foul air compartment 18 and to establish a current.
A malt house constructed in the foregoing manner will be operated as follows.
If the valve 59 stands in an upright position, as shown in full lines in Fig. 2,
and the air forcing device 60 is started air will be drawn from the compartment 18
and creating a current drawing in the air from the outside through the slatted
opening 57 of the chimney down through the fresh air shaft 52 and into the fresh
air compartment 26. It then passes between the partitions 29 and 30 into the
compartment 27, being heated during such passage, if necessary. The air then
passes through the attemperators upon which the water is praying and then
down through the malt in the compartment room, and then down through the
malt in the compartments to the tunnels 16 out through the opening 25 into
the air shaft 17 and then up into the foul air compartiment 18 into the foul air
shaft 53, and then up and into the outer air through the opening 58 in the
ch mney. The above is the direct current of air when fresh air is only supplied.
but it is found expedient and economical to re-use the air after it has passed
through the malt, and this I accomplish by setting the valve 59 across the
chimney. It will be understood, also, that all of the foul air can be used over
again or only a part mixed with fresh air, according to the degree of economy
desired as the air is washed and cleansed in passing through the attemperators.
The advantage in re-using the air wholly, or only partially is that it saves to
a great extent the heat requisite to bring the air to the correct temperature in
winter and the refrigeration necessary for a like purpose in summer which, of
course, requires an expense. I have found that by set:ing the valve 59, in an
inclined position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, a portion of the foul air
leaving the shaft 53 will pass upwardly and through the opening 58, while the
rest will be deflected into the shaft 52 and pass with a supply of fresh air entering
between the lower end of the valve and the side of the chimney, into the fresh air
compartment 26, the amount of foul air being returned being proportionate to the
inclination of the valve. In this way it will be seen that this foul air being mixed
with the fresh air, and having a higher or lower temperature, according to the
season, will raise or lower the temperature of the fresh air so as to require less
expenditure of energy than would be required if the entire supply of the malt
house was fresh air, while the foul air is thoroughly cleansed and washed in passing
through the attemperators.
It will be noted, therefore, that the air used has a straight course, first down to
the tunnel 16 and then up, while in the malt houses built according to this system, as
D. w constructed, the air is first forced downwardly through the moistener and
attemperator, then upwardly into the tunnels beneath the compartment and up
through the malt into the malting room, is then drawn downwardly again through
openings in the floor of the malting room into tunnels from which it is forced
upwardly into the outer air. I am, therefore, enabled to control and force the
same amount of air with much less expenditure, of energy, which is consequently
less expensive as it does not require the same capacity of air forcing devices, and,
furthermore, I materially simplify the construction of the malt house obviating

page_text: ment room.
the necessity of a cellar below the compartment room, which cellar, of, course, has
to be built with firm foundations to form the tunnels which must be cemented, and
I thus again reduce the cost of a malt house by placing all my air shafts, tunnels
and moisteners, attemperators, and forcing devices above the floor of the compart-
Again, the maltster can always find the exact condition of the air,
that is to say, its temperature and humidity from the compartment room itself,
thus obviating the necessity of going downstairs and into the tunnels. Further,
there can be absolutely no foul odors or vitiated air in the compartment room, as
heretofore, when the air first passes through the malt and then into the compart-
ment room. For, in a house of this construction the fresh and clean air comes
directly into the compartment room and then through the malt, after which it is
carried away.
An air attemperator and moistener constructed and shown as described, is also an
improvement and possesses advantages over those heretofore employed, for in the
first place there are walks between each plate and the supply of water can be
separately cut off between any pair of plates, so that an attendant can clean any
particular plate without interfering with the operation of the attemperator, or
causing a cessation of the malting operation. Again, the water which is sprayed
upon the plates can be re-used by carrying it from the bath and the tank 44 back
through the spray pipes, except, of course, on the last two plates where fresh water
is desired, so that the air will be surely washed and clean before passing into the
malt. By re-using the water upon some of the plates it will be noted that so much
energy will not be required to bring it to the correct temperature as when fresh
water is used, and to have this water that is re-used brought to the correct
temperature, the steam pipe forming part of the coil to bring the air to the correct
temperature is passed through the bath or tank 44, as before referred to.
In Fig. 4 I have shown a malt house where there are two compartment floors.
In a malt house of this construction the opening leading from the compartment 27
is divided into two parts 61 and 62, the former leading directly into the upper
floor, while the latter communicates through the air shaft 63 with the lower floor.
Of course, the air shaft 17 passes by both floors in the same manner as heretofore
described, and the openings 25 are controlled by similar valves as described. The
fresh air supply and foul air outlet and accompanying parts are similarly con-
structed. It will, therefore, be seen that I am enabled to build a malt house with
two compartiment floors in a simple and inexpensive manner and without heavy and
expensive walls for the tunnels as heretofore necessary.
Í find that a malt house constructed in the manner above set forth is less
expensive because by placing the attemperators above the malting compartment
rooms I am enabled to make them of lighter, and consequently less expensive,
structure, for heretofore, when placed below the compartment room, they
necessarily were built strong enough to support the great weight of the malt house
and the heavy masonry and cement walk and air tunnels were expensive. In a
imalt house of this construction, therefore, the heavy part of the structure rests
upon the ground, and the attemperators, which can be made of light material, rest
upon this heavy structure thus combining in a malt house the best structure and
most desirable features. By placing the attemperators at the top of the malt
house, I am further enabled to take the fresh air in at quite an elevation from the
ground and thus insure its purity.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a malt house, a malting compartment room provided with malting com-
partments having perforated bottoms and air tunnels below said perforated bottoms,
a foul air compartment located above said malting compartment room and
communicating with said air tunnels and having an outlet, a fresh air compartment
located above said malting compartment room and having an inlet, an air

page_text: attemperating and moistening compartment located above said malting compart-
ment room and communicating with said fresh air compartment and with said
malting compartment room, and devices for creating a current of air through said
compartments, room and tunnels, substantially as described.
2. In a malt house, a malting compartment room provided with malting com-
partments having perforated bottoms, under each of which is located an air tunnel
provided at its end with a valve, a foul air compartment located above said
malting compartment room, and air shaft communicating at its upper end with said
foul air compartment and at its lower end with said air tunnels, an outlet for said
foul air compartment, and a fresh air compartment located above said malting
compartment room and having an inlet, an air attemperating and moistening com-
partiment located above said fresh air compartment room and communicating with
said fresh air compartment and with said malting compartment room, and devices
for creating a current of air through said compartments, room, tunnels and shaft,
substantially as described.
3. In a malt house, a malting compartment room provided with malting com-
partments having perforated bottoms, under each of which is located an air tunnel,
a foul air compartment located above said malting compartment room and com-
municating with said air tunnels and with a chimney having an outlet a fresh air
compartment located above said malting compartment room and communicating
with said chimney pivoted between said inlet and outlet, an air attemperating and
moistening compartment located above said malting compartment and with said
malting compartment room, and devices for creating a current of air through said
compartments, room and tunnels, substantially as described.
4. In a malt house, a malting compartment room provided with malting com-
partments having perforated bottoms, under each of which is located an air
tunnel, a foul air compartment located above said malting compartment room and
communicating with said air tunnels and having an outlet, a fresh air compartment
located above said malting compartment room and having an inlet, an air
attemperating and moistening compartment located above said malting compart-
meut room and communicating with said fresh air compartment, openings in the floor
of said air attemperating and moistening compartment establishing communication
between the latter and said malting compartment room, and devices for creating
a current of air through said compartments, room and tunnels, substantially as
described.
5. In a malt house, a plurality of malting compartment rooms located one above
the other, malting compartments located within said malting compartment rooms
and having perforated bottoms, under each of which is located an air tunnel, a foul
air compartment located above the upper of said malting compartment rooms and
communicating with each of said air tunnels, a valve controlling the communica-
tion between said air tunnels and foul air compartment, an outlet for said foul air
compartment, a fresh air compartment located above the upper of said malting
compartment rooms and having an inlet, an air attemperating and moistening com-
partment located above the upper of said malting compartment
rooms and
communicating with said fresh air compartiment, passages leading from said air
attemperating and moistening compartment to each of said malting compartment
rooms, and devices for creating currents of air through said compartments, rooms,
and tunnels, substantially as described.
Dat his 10th 1 CN
1
1008
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.