IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Luck, of Stamford Street, Blackfriars Road, in
the County of Surrey, for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
<
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Luck at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th September 1881.
"
EDWARD LUCK, of Stamford Street, Blackfriars Road, in the County of Surrey.
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE GELATINIZATION OR CONVERSION OF
UNMALTED GRAIN."
My Invention relates to improvements in the apparatus used in the gelatinization
or conversion of unmalted grain into a material suitable for brewers, distillers, or
other purposes.
In carrying out my Invention the apparatus consists of a closed vat, or other
suitable vessel, properly strengthened at top and bottom by means of transverse
timbers and girders capable of withstanding the desired pressure. Through a
suitable stuffing box in the top of the vat is taken a vertical hollow shaft, to which
steam is supplied at the top by means of a pipe. This shaft is capable of having
a rotary motion imparted to it by means of gearing or otherwise. The lower end
of the shaft is carried in a step bearing and as near the bottom as may be
convenient at an angle with shaft; (preferably) are cast on in one piece with it
any convenient number of tongues, say, for example, six, having on them each two
feathers or flanges, to which steam may be admitted from the vertical shaft itself
by means of holes provided for the purpose in the shaft and leading between these
feathers or flanges. To each of these tongues is fastened an arm or rouser, having
also a continuation of the feathers or flanges corresponding to those on the tongues
and closed at the outer end. Above these feathers or flanges a plate is fixed from
the shaft to the end of the rouser by screws or other means, thus forming a chamber
which is in communication with the central shaft. This plate, and any other portion
71

page_text: of the chamber as may be desired, is perforated with small holes to admit the steam
from it into the vat. The arms or rousers are connected together by means of
longitudinal rods passing through a boss provided at the outer end and bolted.
The outer end of each arm or rouser has a hole, through which passes a rod bolted
underneath and fixed at its upper end to a ring placed between the two flanges of
the shaft, which for convenience is formed of two pieces. In order the better to
overcome the resistance of the material to be gelatinized or converted (when the
shaft is revolving and the rousers are agitating the material) and to give it a
current upwards the arms or rousers and the tongues are fixed at a convenient
angle with the bottom of the vat, the said arms or rousers having the before
mentioned chamber at the back, so that the steam shall be ejected downwards
into the vat and thus prevent any accumulation of grain at the bottom of the
vat.
·
The vat is provided with a gauge glass for observing the height of the liquid
inside. On the top of the vat in any suitable position is fixed a man hole, in the
cover of which is placed a screw down valve, through which the grain to be
gelatinized or converted liquid acid (if such be used), or any other necessary
material is fed into the vat. A suitable safety valve, blow off valve, and steam
pressure gauge are provided at the top of the vat, and at the bottom is fixed in
any suitable position a valve for emptying the vat of liquor; near the bottom at
any desired position is placed a small cock for drawing off liquid for the purpose of
testing.
Any metal may be used in the interior of the vat, but where acid is used in the
apparatus for the gelatinization or conversion of the grain I form by preference all
metallic parts in the interior of the vat of gun metal or other metal most capable
of resisting the acid.
The apparatus operates in the following manner:-
The grain having been fed into the vat through the valve in the manhole cover
together with the necessary liquid and acid; (if such be used) the valve is
screwed down and steam is admitted through the pipe into the vertical shaft, which
is meanwhile caused to rotate. The steam passing down the shaft enters the
chambers at the back of the tongues and rousers, and by means of the perforations
in the chambers escapes into the vat, boils the liquid and grain, which is at the
same time kept agitated by the revolution of the shaft and rousers. When the
gelatinization or conversion has been carried to the requisite degree of forwardness
as may be desired the material is drawn off by means of the valve at the
bottom.
In order to decrease the resistance of the liquid to the rousers holes inay be bored
in the parts of the rouser not covered by the chamber, thus allowing the liquid to
pass through.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edward Luck in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th March
1882.
EDWARD LUCK, of Stamford Street, Blackfriars Road, in the County of Surrey.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE GELATINIZATION OR CONVERSION OF
UNMALTED GRAIN."
My Invention relates to improvements in the apparatus used in the gela-
tinization or conversion of unmalted grain into a wort or material suitable for
brewers, distillers, or other purposes.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the annexed Sheets of Drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 represents in vertical section, and Figure 2 in transverse section, an
apparatus constructed according to my said Invention. It consists of a closed vat
or other suitable vessel A properly strengthened at top and bottom by means of
transverse timbers and girders capable of withstanding the required pressure.
Through a stuffing box a in the top of the vat A extends a vertical hollow shaft B,
to which steam is supplied at the top by means of the pipe b. This shaft B is
capable of having a rotary motion imparted to it by means of the level
wheels 62, 63, receiving their motion from any suitable motive power. The lower
end of the shaft B is carried in a step bearing a², and as near the bottom as may
be convenient, and preferably at an angle with said shaft B are cast on in one piece
with it any convenient number of tongues c, c, say, for example, six. Figures 3, 4,
and 5 represent drawn to an enlarged scale the lower part of the shaft B, showing
these tongues c thereupon, Figures 3 and 4 being elevations at right angles the one
to the other (Figure 3 being partly in section), and Figure being a plan.
Each of these tongues c has upon it two feathers or flanges c³, into the space
between which steam may be admitted from the interior of the vertical shaft
itself through holes provided for the purpose in the shaft B. To each of
these tongues c is fastened an arm or rouser D, one of which is shewn drawn
to a larger scale in back elevation in Figure 6 and in plan in Figure 7. At
the back of each said rouser are two feathers or flanges d, forming when the
rousers are affixed to the tongue c continuations of the feathers or flanges c³
of the said tongues c, a transverse piece d³ closing the outer end of the space
between the said feathers d². The rousers D are attached to the tongues c by bolts
or otherwise, the holes & and c being for the reception of bolts for this purpose.
Over these feathers or flanges c², d, a plate e is fixed, the said plate extending
from the shaft to or nearly to the end of the rouser, the said plate extending over
both the flanges or feathers and c², so as to form a chamber which is in
communication with the shaft B by the passages . This plate e (and also any
other portion of the chamber if desired) is perforated with small holes e for the
passage of the steam from the chamber over which it is placed into the vat A. The
arms or rousers D are connected together by means of tie rods f passing through
bosses d' at the outer ends of the rousers D and fixed by nuts screwed upon their ends
or otherwise. The outer end by each arm or rouser D has a hole, through which passes
a rod g, which may be fixed by being bolted underneath and is fixed at its upper end
to a ring h placed between the two flanges b* of the shaft B, which for convenience is
formed of two pieces. In order the better to overcome the resistance of the
material to be gelatinized or converted (when the shaft is revolving and the rousers

page_text: are agitating the material) and to give it a current upwards the tongue c and arms
or rousers D are fixed at a convenient angle with the bottom of the vat A, as shewn'
most clearly in Figure 4, the said arms or rousers D having the before mentioned
chamber at the back, so that the steam shall be ejected through the perforations e³
in the plate e backwards and downwards into the vat, and thus prevent any
accumulation of grain at the bottom of the vat; i represents a guage glass for
observing the height of the liquid inside the vat. On the top of the vat in any
suitable position is fixed a manhole, in the cover of which is placed a screw down
valve, through which the grain to be gelatinized or converted, liquid acid (if such
be used) or any other necessary material is fed into the vat. A suitable safety
valve, blow off valve, and steam pressure guage are provided at the top of the vat,
and at the bottom is fixed in any suitable position a cock or valve for emptying
the vat of liquor, and also near the bottom at any desired position is placed a
small cock for drawing off liquid for the purpose of testing (see j in Figure 1).
Any suitable metal or material may be used for the parts in the interior of the
vat, but where acid is used in the apparatus for the gelatinization or conversion of
the grain, I form by preference all metallic parts in the interior of the vat
of gun metal or other material most capable of resisting the action of the
acid.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
:-
The grain having been fed into the vat through the valve in the manhole, cover
together with the necessary liquid and acid (if such be used); the valve is screwed
down and steam is admitted through the pipe b into the vertical shaft B, which is
meanwhile caused to rotate by the motive power employed.
The steam passing down the shaft B enters by the openings the chambers
formed by the feathers or flanges and cover on the backs of the tongues c and
rousers D, or other forms of chamber, and by means of the perforations e escapes
from the said chambers into the vat A and boils the liquid and grain, which is at
the same time kept agitated by the revolution of the shaft B and rousers D. When
the gelatinization or conversion has been carried on to the requisite degree of
forwardness as may be desired the material is drawn off by means of the valve
at the bottom. In order to decrease the resistance of the liquid to the rousers
holes may be bored in the parts of the rousers not covered by the chamber, thus
allowing the liquid to pass through.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore
in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The combination of parts constituting the apparatus for gelatinization or
conversion of unmalted grain, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference
to the accompanying Drawings.
Second. In apparatus for the gelatinization or conversion of unmalted grain,
providing the rousers with chambers so perforated and placed that the steam