Improvements in Kilns for Drying Malt.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 26th June, 1899-Accepted, 7th Oct., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Kilns for Drying Malt.
I, JULIUS TOPF, of the Firm of J. A. Topf & Söhne, of Schmidtstädterflur
2c, Erfurt, in the German Empire, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
-
This invention relates to a two floor kiln for drying malt desired to be of light
and very light colour and has for its object to remedy disadvantages of kilns at
present in use for such purposes.
To produce dried malt of very light colour it is necessary to provide for the
admission of sufficient cold air below the two floors, so that any desired moderate
temperature may be obtained there, and further to efficiently protect the material
which is to be dried against excessive and sudden, heat by the heating arrange-
ment. This protection against too sudden heating is particularly important when
the kiln is being charged and partially dried malt placed on the lower floor and
green malt on the upper floor. In kilns as used at present it is necessary in
order to obtain a perfect product to cool the kiln for a considerable time before
charging the floors with the green or partially dried malt, which involves loss
of time and heat. This invention remedies these disadvantages by retaining the
heat accumulated in the heating arrangement below the floors when these are to
be charged, and utilizing this heat gradually as may be desirable without injury
to the product.
In order that this invention may be the better understood, I now proceed to
describe how the same may be carried into effect, reference being had to the
accompanying drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon. Liko
letters refer to like parts in the various figures.
Figures 1 and 2 show vertical sections of the kiln at right angles to each other
constructed according to my invention.
Figure 3 shows a transverse section therethrough.
Figure 4 shows a transverse section through a circular kiln and Figure 5 shows
a detail.
The lower part A of the kiln has five chambers B B to which are connected
vertical flues C through which the fire gases pass to a vertical heating apparatus 1)
and from there to a horizontal pipe E in the hot air chamber F and through
chimney flues in the walls of the kiln.
Above this system of heating tubes is constructed a partition G carrying air
pipes H through which the hot air from the chamber passes upwards to the
space below the lower drying floor. Between the latter and the partition G is
constructed another partition K through which passes the upper ends of the
tubes H. The partitions G and K thus form an intermediate air chamber L
into which cold air may be admitted from the outside according to requirement
O through openings M, in the walls of the kiln adjustable by slides N. In order
to distribute this cold air, I provide channels of brick work or sheet metal
in the intermediate air chamber L. The channels O have slots P which become
the larger the further their position is within the interior of the chamber.

page_text: In the rectangular kiln shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 these channels lead from
two adjacent sides of the kiln to the corresponding opposite sides. In round
kilns as shown in Figure 4 these channels O are conveniently arranged crosswise
or star like. The cold air leaving the slots P of the channel O rises around the
air tubes H.
•
The tubes H are surrounded in the upper partition K by concentric rings or
tubes R fixed into the partition, Figure 5, to form between the rings or short
tubes R, and the tubes H, an annular space through which cold air can rise from
the intermediate chamber L, and mix intimately on leaving the annular spaces
with the warm air leaving the tubes H. The air thus tempered to the required
degree passes under the drying floor.
For the reasons mentioned before the arrangement of such an intermediate
chamber is of particular importance whenever green malt is placed on the upper
floor or when the malt partially dried on the upper floor is fed on to the lower
floor. When this is to be done the full action of the fire is temporarily in-
terrupted also the admission of air into the chamber F. Cold air is admitted
through the slides N into the intermediate chamber L which abstracts heat
from the tubes H and the air therein so that floors can be charged without injury
to the product.
'
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim
is:-
1st. A kiln for drying malt of light or very light colour, having an intermediate
air chamber L between a hot air chamber F, and a lower drying floor, tubes H
for the passage of the hot air from the hot air chamber, channels O adapted to
be regulated by slides N annular passages between the tubes H and the short
tubes R for the admission of cold air and slots P in the channels 0 of increasing
area towards the interior of the kiln; so as to mix any desired quantity of cold
air with the hot air from the hot air chamber, substantially as and for the pur-
poses described.
2nd. The arrangement and construction of a kiln for drying malt substantially
as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 26th day of June 1899
FELL & JAMES,
Agents for the Applicant.