IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MASHING MALT AND VARIOUS KINDS OF GRAIN
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Douglas William Hamper and Edwin
Harper at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents. on the 28th September
1882.
DOUGLAS WILLIAM HAMPER and EDWIN HARPER both of Bank Brewery,
Sowerby Bridge, in the County of Yorks "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
MASHING MALT AND VARIOUS KINDS OF GRAIN,"
The object of this invention is to provide for the continuous regular supply of
malt from the bin, and a thorough saturation or moistening of the malt without the
use of movable beaters or stirrers or the employment of steam or hand power
during the mashing operation.
It has been found that the malt in the bin is liable to cake and become clogged
at and around the outlet leading to the mash apparatus, and that to cause it to flow
freely from the bin it is necessary to knock or shake the hopper or bin or push
down the malt. To remedy this inconvenience we regulate the flow of malt from
the bin or hopper by means of a coned valve carried by a suitable spindle, which
valve is adjusted by means of a lever or a worm wheel or some equivalent device.
We thus prevent the great pressure of the malt from clogging the outlet and ensure
a free opening of the desired extent for the passage of the malt or other grain all
round the base of the coned valve. The coned valve being properly adjusted the
malt flows continuously and regularly into an open-topped inspection box, or
chamber in the bottom of which is an opening,covered by a slide of the ordinary
construction, which slide is opened and closed by a hand wheel or equivalent
means.
The malt, relieved from all superfluous top pressure by the coned valve arrange-
ment, falls quietly and regularly through the aperture in the bottom of the
inspection box or chamber on the opening of the slide or its equivalent, and
immediately afterwards encounters a stream or broad jet of water, and descends
with it through a shaft or chamber fitted with shelves or their equivalent, arranged
alternately so as to ensure that the malt as it falls shall be kept in a divided
condition, and at the same time be completely moistened with water.
The descending stream of malt and water finally falls into a chamber formed by
a cross partition in the base of the column or shaft, in which chamber it is
thoroughly turned over and mashed.

page_text: The water supply arrangement differs from that in ordinary use; we dispense
with the usual annular chamber having a perforated inner wall through which the
water is ejected into and around the falling stream of malt, and simply employ a
plain stream of water, regulated by a suitable tap or cock, which enters the hollow
column or shaft of the mashing apparatus by a pipe situate close under the slide
for for regulating the supply of malt, and flows with the malt from ledge to ledge,
or over other suitably arranged baffles, finally falling into the mash chamber above
referred to.
By this arrangement all chance of clogging is done away with, and the mash is
produced free from lumps and thick or thin as may be desired.
After rising over the partition of the mashing chamber the mash is led off to the
mash tun by a suitable conduit.
The form of water jet we preferably use is that of a broad thin stream, which
we regulate by a hinged flap valve kept at the desired level by a hand wheel and
screw, or equivalent device, the pressure of the water serving to keep the valve
open against the screw or its equivalent.
This improved inashing apparatus may be used for automatically moistening or
mashing maize, rice, and various kinds of grain.