An Improved Apparatus for use in Malting Grain.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Feb., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Oct., 1893-Accepted, 4th Nov., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by THE BERLINER ACTIENGESELLSCHAFT FÜR
EISENGIESSEREI UND MASCHINENFABRIK vormals J. C. Freund und Co.,
of Charlottenburg, near Berlin, in the Empire of Germany.]
An Improved Apparatus for use in Malting Grain.
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 to be as follows :—
This invention relates to an improved apparatus for use in malting grain, and
has for its object to provide improved moans whereby currents of air properly
prepared for malting may be passed through the grain during the malting process.
By the improved construction of malting drum hereinafter described large
quantities of grain can be treated at once.
According to my invention I provide a drum of suitable size in which the grain
is intended to bo malted. The said drum is supported upon rollers so as to be
rotatable about a horizontal axis. During the revolution of the drum, which
may be effected by any suitablo means, the mass of grain is turned over and over
and is thoroughly permentod by the air which is blown or exhausted through
the same.
Inside the cylindrical periphery of the drum and preferably secured to the said
periphery arrange a series of tubes of suitable section and parallel with the
axis of the drum, the said tubes are made of perforated material such as perforated
sheet-metal, or wire gauze. The tubes moreover communicate at one end with a
chamber formed between the end of the drum and a false end plate. Into this
chamber there opens an air-trunk through which air may be blown or exhausted.
Also in communication with the said chamber I provide a central tube formed
of perforated material and extending to the other extremity of the drum. The
ends of the peripheral tubes and of the central tube remote from the air-trunk
are closed by the end face of the drum. In some cases I dispense with the false
end plate and provide radial channels to form the communications between the
peripheral channels and the air-trunk.
Between the peripheral tubes and the central axial tube I arrange a second set
of tubes of similar pattern to the other tubes; this set of tubes I will for con-
venience term the "intermediate" tubes. The intermediate tubes communicate at
their ends with a second chamber and air-trunk which are preferably placed at the
other end of the drum remote from the first air-trunk hereinbefore mentioned.
The opposite ends of the said umbes nearest to the first air-trunk are closed
by the end face of the drum or by the false end plate where such is used.
An air-tight joint is made between the rotatable drum and the stationary
air-trunks by a sleeve of india-rubber, a stuffing-box, or by other suitable means.
A suitable valve is mounted in one or both of the air-trunks to regulate the
quantity of air passed therethrough.
When the apparatus is in use, air suitably prepared for malting is passed in
through one of the air-trunks and into the tubes connected therewith; the air
thon passes through the grain to the other tubes and out from the apparatus by
the other air-trunk.
The drum should never be quite filled with grain for the reason that the grain
when germinating increases in bulk, and when drying it decreases in bulk; and for
the further reason that the grain requires to be turned over during the malting
process. The surface of the grain assumes an oblique position when the drum
is rotating, and through the air space thus left in the drum the air would travel

page_text: very easily, that is without resistance, unless the pipes communicating with said
space wore not shut. Therefore I provide for closing the pipes automatically as
they enter the free air space during the rotation of the drum. For this purpose
I provide as follows that is to say, I provide valves or plates which are balanced
about and swing on the axis of the drum and are so arranged that they close
either wholly or partially those intermediate pipes, or the periphoral pipes, or
both, which are within the free air space of the drum. Or where radial channels
as above described are used I sometimes provido a central stationary valvo con-
structed to make communication with cortain of the said radial channels while
remaining closed or partially closed to those which communicate with the free
air space in the drum. Other equivalent means may be used for closing the
intermediate, or peripheral pipes, or both, either partially or wholly, as required.
I sometimes also apply a regulating valve to the central tube to regulate the
passage of air therethrough.
Doors are provided in the drum to admit of cleaning the interior of the drum
when required.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for use in Malting Grain.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, London W.C. 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 an improved apparatus for use in malting grain, and has
for its object to provide improved means whereby currents of air properly prepared
for malting may be passed through the grain during the malting process. By the
improved construction of malting drum hereinafter described large quantities of
grain can be treated at once.
In order that my invention may be more clearly understood I will now proceed
to describe the same by the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal central section of a malting drum constructed
according to my invention.
Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line 1, 1, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line 2, 2, Figure 1.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 are views similar to Figures 1, 2 and 3 rospectively
illustrating a modification of my invention.
Figures 7 and 8. are detail sectional views drawn to a larger scale, and
hereinafter more particularly described.
Referring to Figures 1 to 3, M is a drum having a cylindrical periphery and flat
end plates b, b' and supported on rollers so as to be rotatable about a horizontal
axis. 6' is a division.plate secured in the drum near one end thereof and forming
between itself and the adjoining end plate a chamber k'. c, care, tubes made of
perforated material such as perforated sheet metal or wire gauze secured to or in
the vicinity of the periphery of the drum and extending from the plate 6' to the
farther end of the drum. The said tubes communicate with the chamber by
moans of apertures in the said plate . R is a central tube formed of perforated
material also communicating with the chamber & through.aniorifice in the plate b².
The ends of the tubes c, c, and of the central tube R remote from the chamber k
are closed by the end plate bof the drum.
Between the peripheral tubes oc and the central tube R a second set of tubes ris
arranged: These tubes r as well as the tubes e and R;may have any suitable shape

page_text: and be manufactured of any suitable material. The said tubes are closed at
one end by the plate of the drum and at the other end thereof communicate
with a chamber & formed outside the end plate h. The chambers k, & communicate
with the air-trunks S and S¹ respectively by a sleeve of indin-rubber, a stuffing-
box, or by other suitable menus forming an air-tight joint. The quantity of air
passed through the trunks is regulated by a valve din each trunk which valve
consists of a cylinder with an aperture at the side and is adapted to be rotated so
as to more or less close the opening from the air-trunk.
If desired, instead of the valve da regulating device such as a throttle-valvo or
the like may be provided.
The drum is not quite filled with grain for the reason that the grain when
germinating increases in bulk, and when drying it decreases in bulk, and for the
further reason that the grain requires to be turned over during the malting
process. The surface of the grain assumes an oblique position as shown in Figure 2
when the drum is rotating and through the air space thus left in the drum the air
would travel very easily, that is without resistance, unless the pipes communicating
with said space were shut.
I therefore employ, for closing the pipes cand automatically as they enter the
free air space during the rotation of the drum, valves or plates o and o', which aro
balanced about and swing on pivot pins secured to the plates 6 and 6 respectively in
the axis of the drum and which operate to wholly or partially close the tubes r
and a when the latter enter the free air space in the drum.
The plate o is preferably so arranged as not to close tightly the tubes r, but to
allow a cortain quantity of air to escape from the space to the said tubes, to
ventilate the malt between the central tube R and the tubes which lead to the
air space in the drum.
T
In certain cases the plate o may be omitted, as shown in Figure 4, or it may
be replaced by a curved shield such as p in Figure 8 and hereinafter described.
In a modification of my invention I provide a means of communication between
the peripheral tubes c, and the air trunk S' in another manner, as shewn in
Figures 4, 5 and 6. In these figures 1, are external radial pipes secured to the
end plate of the drum, and each communicating at its outer end with one of the
tubes and at its inner end with a circular chamber forming an extension of
the central tube R and which communicates with the air-trunk by an air-tight joint
as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3. The valro or
plate o' is replaced in this case by a curved shield p shewn very clearly in the
detail view Figure 8. The said shield forms a portion of a oylindrical surface and
is pivoted loosely so as not to turn with the drum. It is moreover so balanced as
to close the entrance to those radial pipes which lead to the peripheral pipes
passing through the free air space above the malt, as shewn in Figure 6.
I prefer to employ a simple regulator to control the supply of air to the central
tube R so that the amount of air passing through the malt between the pipes
and the said central tube shall be about the same as that which passes through
the malt between the pipes and c. A suitable regulator for this purpose is
shewn in Figure 7. The end of the tube R is covered by a diaphragm having
suitable orifices, and a plate v pivoted at the centre of the diaphragm and provided
with similar orifices is arranged to be turned from the outside so as to partially
cover or uncover the orifices in the diaphragm as required. It is obvious that I
may apply either or both regulator valves p, v to the malting drum shown in
Figures 1 to 3 and to that shown in Figures 4 to 6.
I prefer to provide doors in the outer walls of the chambers and or of the
radial pipes / opposite the ends of the several tubes and c. These doors are
arranged to be tightly closed when the apparatus is in use but can be very readily
opened to afford access to the tubes for the purpose of cleaning the same.
When the apparatus is in use the drum is rotated, and air suitably prepared for
malting is passed through the apparatus by way, for example, of the air-trunk S to
the chamber 4 and tubes r, The air then passes through the malt towards the
•
"

page_text: peripheral tubes e and also towards the central tube R from which tubes it is lod
through the chamber or radial pipes to the air-trunk S'. The direction of the
air current is shown by the arrows in the Figures 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6. It is obvious
however that I may pass air in the opposite direction through the malt, that is to
Bay, I may pass air into the apparatus by way of the trunk S' and out by the
trunk 8. I use either a blowing engine or an exhaust pump or fan for causing
the current of air to pass through the drum.
By this invention very large quantities of grain can be treated in one operation
and moreover owing to the provision of the intermediate tubes the air is caused to
.thoroughly permeate the entire mass of grain.
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 pneumatic malting drum, the combination with a central tube, and with
peripheral perforated tubes, of a set of perforated tubes arranged intermediate
between the said peripheral tubes and the central tube, substantially as, and for
the purpose, specified.
2. A pneumatic malting drum constructed substantially as described with
reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3 or to Figures 4, 5 and 6, with or without either or
both regulating valves p, v shown in Figures 7 and 8 arranged and operating,
⚫ substantially as specified.
•
Noted this 3rd dey of October 1803
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.