Improvements relating to the Preparation of Food for Animals from the Refuse of Breweries, or of Starch and Glucose ractories, аnd аррагatus thereior.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements relating to the Preparation of Food for Animals
from the Refuse of Breweries, or of Starch and Glucose
ractories, аnd аррагatus thereior.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO THE PREPARATION OF FOOD
FOR ANIMALS FROM THE REFUSE OF BREWERIES OR OF STARCH AND GLUCOSE
FACTORIES AND APPARATUS THEREFOR". and in what manuer the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention has for its object the treatment of offal or refuse from breweries,
or from starch and glucose factories, containing carbon hydrates and albuminates,
so as to retain the nutritious qualities thereof without permitting the injurious
formation of lactic and other acids, the product being suited for feed for stock.
Brewers grains, as well as the refuse from starch and glucose factories, are well
known to be wholesome and nourishing food for cattle, provided they can be fed
in a fresh state. When however, it is necessary to transport such grain to any
distance, it generally reaches its destination in a fermented or decomposed con-
dition. Various processes have been devised for drying brewers' grain and similar
material, with the view of avoiding this objection, but these processes have failed
to produce a sweet and wholesome article of food, from the fact that the material is
susceptible to a sour fermentation from contact with atmospheric air not freed from
its fermentation-sustaining gerius, during the drying process. The result thereof is
an article containing a considerable proportion of lactic acid in the dry state, which
is not better or more desirable than the same material containing lactic acid in a
wet state.
This invention therefore comprises a new process of treatment whereby I convert
materials derived from the above named sources into a dry, sweet, wholesome and
nutritious article of food, and it further comprises the mechanism hereinafter
described for practising said process.

page_text: The said process consists in mixing with the wet brewers' grain, or refuse
material, a proper quantity of salt or salt water the proportion being about three
to five pounds of salt to one ton of the grains, the purpose thereof being to keep the
latter sweet and fresh during transit from the point where it is produced, to the
drying apparatus.
The wet grains thus salted are then introduced into a drying apparatus so
constructed that all atmospheric air is excluded therefrom, save that from which
the fermentation-supporting germ is eliminated. This germ is removed by heating
the air to a temperature which destroys it; as for example to about 400° Fahrenheit
or above, after which the heated air is admitted, under pressure, into the kiln, or
chamber, containing the grain, so that the pressure maintained within said chamber
will be greater than the external atmospheric pressure, which results in the
exclusion of the outer air which has not been heated and purified. The wet and
salted grain is subjected to the action of the heated and purified air for a period of
time sufficient to thoroughly dry the same, and it is agitated during the operation,
and the expelled moisture or resulting vapors are carried off through suitable
escape flues.
The most favorable temperatures for producing sour fermentation in starch and
glucose residues and in brewers' grains, are from 100° to 200° Fahrenheit when in
contact with the atmosphere. Where steam heat has. been employed to idry the
grains, the temperature has not been high enough to destroy the atmospheric germ,
and when dry heat was used the contact of air at a temperature too low to destroy
said germ was not excluded from the grains, and a sour product was necessarily the
result.
By this process however, as above described, the product is preserved in a sweet,
and wholesome state and the nutritious properties are retained.
The said process may conveniently be carried out by mechanism one form of
which I will now describe.
Referring to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in section.
Figure 2 is a side or end elevation, partly in section.
Figure 3 is an end elevation, part of the chute being in section.
Figure 4 is an elevation taken from the opposite end of the mechanism.
Figure 5 is a sectional plan view.
Figure 6 is a vertical longitudinal section of one of the conveyor cylinders.
Figure 7 is a transverse section of one of the conveyor cylinders, on a somewhat
enlarged scale,
A indicates a furnace built of brick, with the heating chamber in the lower part,
to which access is had through doors B, the upper part of the combustion-chamber
being divided by a central vertical partition C into two chambers D and D¹ commu-
nicating at their tops, above the central partition, with escape flues E and E', and
also communicating, by flues F and F¹ built in the central partition, with the
furnace-chambers G and G' which are above the fire-grates of the furnace.
The chambers D and D₁ are separated from the chambers G and G' by cast iron
plates H, and the front of the furnace above the chambers G, G¹ is also preferably
formed of cast iron plates A'.
Within, the chambers G, G¹ are supported by posts H², pipes I and I', into which
atmospheric air is admitted through an air-drum J connecting with the series of
pipes I and I. After the air is heated in said pipes it passes into the hot air
drum J¹ communicating therewith, and passes from said drum through a series of
pipes J, J into a series of cylinders K, K¹ respectively, in chambers D, D', a
separate pipe Ja Ja leading to each cylinder.
Each cylinder passes horizontally through its respective chamber, and the series
of cylinders in each chamber communicate at alternate ends through spout-caps LL¹
which are supported by suitable brackets or arms connected to the walls of the
furnace, and they preferably incline in opposite directions in the line that the
material is to travel,

page_text: The material is introduced into the top cylinder of one chamber; and after
passing out of the bottom cylinder of that chamber, is transferred by a chain of
buckets M through a chute M¹, into the top cylinder of the other chamber,
passing thence through the cylinders in that chamber, in a similar manner,
After
leaving the bottom cylinder of the second chamber it is transferred by an exhaust
blower N, or other suitable means, to an upper floor of the building in which the
apparatus is located. The grain is elevated from the basement of the building to
the first cylinder by means of a conveyor N¹, of any suitable construction to which
the grain is fed by the feed-screws O:
At one end said
The material is passed through the cylinders by the inclination and revolution
of the latter and is aided in its passage by other means presently to be described.
The cylinders pass through the walls of the furnace in which they turn, and are
so fitted as to prevent the escape of hot air from the chambers. Outside of the
walls the cylinders are provided with collars a, which rest upon friction rollers b
supported by brackets connected to the walls of the furnace.
cylinders are provided with, bevel gear wheels P and P' which mesh with gear
-wheels C, c on one end of the shafts d d', to the other end of which shafts gear-
wheels e e¹ are connected, which mesh with the bevel gear wheels Q on the upright
shaft Q. This shaft is supported at f as shewn in Figure 3 and is revolved by
the bevel gear-wheels R receiving motion through shaft R' which is revolved by a
pulley and belt, or other suitable means, connecting with the source of power.
To the inner walls of the cylinders are secured agitators g in lines preferably
coincident with the axes of said cylinders. Through each cylinder is passed a
hollow shaft or pipe S or S¹ for hot air, supported at one end from the walls of the
furnace by suitable brackets, and at the other end passing through the spout caps
and being supported thereby, stuffing boxes being provided at both points where
the pipes pass out of the cylinders and caps.
The pipes S S are stationary and with them connect the pipes J2 J3 for the
passage of hot air from the pipes in the heating chambers. The pipes in the
cylinders have journalled to them by hollow trunnions h h', a series of hollow semi-
circular wings T T¹, which are perforated and communicate with the interiors of
the pipes through the trunnions. These wings fit around the sides and the bottoms
of the pipes and are connected at their upper ends by rods i¹ with the rods U U¹
which at their forward ends extend outside of the ends of the cylinders, where
they are provided with levers V for operating the same. By removing the levers,
the series of wings can have their inclination altered so as to check or accelerate
the passage of the material through the cylinder.
The levers can be locked at any desired point by any suitable locking device, of
which V¹ is one illustration.
As the cylinders revolve, the agitators lift the material and drop it onto the hot-
air pipes and wings, and it is subjected to the action of the hot air issuing from
the perforations in the wings, the inclination of the latter sliding the material
along toward the discharge end of the cylinder, the moisture evolved passing off
through the exhaust pipes W, W¹ to the escape flues E E'. Access is had to any
one of the cylinders through doors ; j' formed in the spout caps.
In addition to heating the cylinders by hot air, they are further heated by
passing heat from the furnace through the flues F F¹ into the chambers D D¹ above
the lower cylinders, the walls of the chambers D D¹ being provided with
deflectors Y Y to cause the hot air to pass in a circuitous course around the
cylinders, so as to fully utilize the heat before it. passes off into the escape flues.
The passage of heat from the furnace into the chambers D D¹ may be regulated
by the sliding dampers fitting across the heat flues and operated by means of
levers Z, Z' hinged to the outside of the furnace and connected by rods I, l with
the dampers.
:
By arranging the cylinders in two rows as described and in separate chambers,
a larger heating space and better distribution of heat is obtained than would
otherwise be the case; and a more uniform temperature is maintained and a

page_text: scorching temperature at the lower cylinders avoided, and at the same time the
material can be fed through the cylinders without choking them up.
I
By constructing the apparatus as described the degree of heat desired can be
readily obtained and all air not deprived of its fermentation germ by heat is
excluded from contact with the material. The latter also will be quickly and
thoroughly dried, and when passed out of the apparatus, will be ready for packing
and transportation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
First. The process of treating refuse from starch and glucose factories, and
brewers' grains, consisting in subjecting the same to the action of air heated to a
temperature that destroys in the air the germ that produces sour fermentation in
the treatment of said material, substantially as described.
Second. The process of treating refuse from starch and glucose factories, and
brewers' grains, consisting in salting the material and afterwards subjecting it in a
close vessel to the action of air heated to a temperature that destroys, in the air,
the germ that produces sour fermentation in the material, the said air being under
such pressure in said vessel as to exclude atmospheric air containing such germ
from the vessel and from contact with the material, substantially as described.
Third. The process of treating refuse from starch and glucose factories, and
brewers' grains, consisting in drying the material by subjecting it, in a close vessel,
to the action of air heated to a temperature that destroys, in the air, the germ that
produces sour fermentation in the material, said air being, under such pressure in
said vessel as to exclude atmospheric air containing such germ from contact with
the material being treated, substantially as described.
Fourth. In a drier, the combination with the conveying cylinder, a shaft within
the same, and means for moving material through the cylinder, of a series of wings
hung from the shaft, and means for adjusting the inclination of the same, whereby
the passage of the material through the cylinder may be checked or accelerated by
the adjustment of said wings, substantially as described.
Fifth. In a drier, the combination of the revolving conveying cylinder provided
with agitators on its inner walls, a hollow shaft within the same, a series of hollow
perforated wings swung upon said shaft and communicating with the interior
thereof, means for adjusting the inclination of said wings, and means for passing
the heating medium into said hollow shaft, substantially as described.
Sixth. In a drier, the combination of the revolving conveying cylinder provided
with agitators on its inner walls, a hollow shaft within the cylinder to receive the
.heating medium, the series of hollow perforated wings swung from said shaft by
hollow trunnions effecting a communication between the wings and shaft, the rod
actuated by a lever from outside the cylinder, and the rods connecting said
operating rod with the wings, substantially as described.
Seventh. In a drier, the combination with the furnace, of a series of conveying
cylinders arranged in vertical rows, the cylinders of each row communicating with
each other at alternate ends, and a conveyor for connecting the lower cylinder of
one row with the upper cylinder of another row, whereby the material will pass
through the several rows successively, substantially as described.
Eighth. In a drier, the combination of the furnace divided into a plurality of
chambers, for the conveying cylinders, a series of cylinders in each of said chambers
communicating with each other at alternate ends, a conveyor connecting the lower
cylinder in one chamber with the upper cylinder of another chamber, a heated air
chamber communicating with the cylinder chambers, and an escape flue to the
cylinder chambers, substantially as described.
Ninth. In a drier, the combination of the furnace having a chamber for the
_conveyor cylinders, a series of cylinders in said chamber, a heated air chamber
communicating with said chamber, and a series of deflectors arranged alternately
along the sides of the chamber between the cylinders, to cause the heat to pursue

page_text: a circuitous course through the chamber and around the cylinders, substantially as
described.
Tenth. In a drier, the combination of the furnace divided into a plurality of
chambers for the conveyor cylinders, a series of cylinders in each chamber, a heated
air-chamber, flues for each of said chambers in communication with each of said
chambers above the lower cylinder in each chamber and below the upper chambers
therein, and dampers for controlling the passage of air through said flues and into
said chambers substantially as described.
Eleventh. In a drier, the combination with the furnace having a chamber for
the conveyor cylinders, of a series of cylinders in said chamber, a heated air
chamber, a flue placing said chamber in communication with the cylinder chamber
above the lower cylinder therein, a series of deflectors arranged alternately along
the sides of the chamber between the cylinders, the lower deflector of the series
being over the flue where it communicates with the chamber, substantially as
described.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.