Year: 1894

page_text: I, ARTHUR KINDER, of 5 Laurence Pountney Hill, London, E.C., Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in malt kilns of that class or type wherein
two or more floors are employed.
Hitherto the floors of multi-floored malt kilns have all been of equal superficial
area, with the objectionable result that when the partially dried malt is transferred
from one floor to a lower floor the thickness of the layer is diminished owing to the
reduction that has taken place in the bulk of the malt.
Now according to my invention, in lieu of employing kiln floors of similar super-
ficial area, I propose to construct each floor of greater area than the floor
immediately beneath, the superficial areas of the several floors being so proportioned
as to keep the thickness of the layer of malt on each floor equal or nearly so
notwithstanding the reduction in bulk that takes place.
If found necessary I may provide suitable means, such as deflecting plates,
dispersers, or perforated tubes, in each malt chamber for distributing heated or cool
air therein.
In practice I prefer to employ three kiln floors, but I do not limit or confine
myself to this number.
I, ARTHUR KINDER of 5 Laurence Pountney Hill, London, E.C., Engineer, 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 improvements in malt kilns of that class or type wherein
two or more floors are employed.
Hitherto the floors of multi-floored malt kilns have all been of equal superficial
area, consequently when the partially dried malt was transferred from one floor to
another the thickness of the layer was diminished owing to the reduction in bulk of
the malt, the result being that heat was unnecessarily wasted.
Now according to my invention, in lieu of employing kiln floors of equal super-
ficial area, I propose to construct each floor of greater area than the floor immediately
beneath, the superficial areas of the several floors being so proportioned as that
when at the proper period the malt is transferred from any one floor to that next
beneath the thickness of the layer shall, by reason of the contracted space that it

page_text: occupies, remain constant or nearly so notwithstanding reduction in bulk that has
taken place. In practice I prefer to employ three kiln floors, but I do not limit or
confine myself to this number.
In a malt kiln constructed as above set forth, the temperature of the air supplied
to the several floors is gradually reduced during its passage from the lowermost to
the uppermost floor. Say that the air enters the lowermost floor, which is nearest
the fire, at a temperature of 200 degrees, the increase in the size of the chamber
above this floor will, by expansion, reduce the temperature by at least 50 degrees,
thus air at a temperature of 150 degrees will pass through the partially dried malt
on the intermediate floor and its temperature will be again reduced by the increased
size of the chamber beneath the topmost floor to the proper temperature required
to deal with the green malt on that floor. The kiln can be so managed that the
topmost floor can be supplied with a fresh charge of green malt daily, and the most
perfect drying can be obtained, with a decrease in the consumption of fuel.
In the accompanying drawings in which similar letters refer to like parts in all
the figures, Fig. 1 represents in sectional elevation a three floored malt kiln
constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on
line 1—2 Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a diagonal section on line 3-4 Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a
transverse section of the flues F¹ on line 5-6 Fig. 3.
A, A1, A2, are the three kiln floors, each floor, as clearly shewn, being of greater
superficial area than the floor immediately beneath. B B represent the enclosing
walls of the malt chambers, and C C are the outer walls of the kiln. The superficial
areas of the floors A, A1, A2, are, as before mentioned, so proportioned as that when
at the proper period the malt is transferred from any one floor to that next beneath,
the thickness of the layer will remain constant or nearly so, owing to the contracted
space that it occupies, notwithstanding reduction in bulk that has taken place.
Suitable means, such as deflecting plates, dispersers, and the like, may be provided
in each malt chamber for distributing heated or cool air therein.
In the drawing I have illustrated a convenient arrangement, (which I do not
however claim separately as forming a part of my invention) D being a fire shaft
which terminates in the spark chamber E from which radiate distributing flues F.
G is the furnace and H is the ashpit, both of which are provided with close fitting
doors. Surrounding the fire shaft Ĺ is an air passage I from which partially
heated air is led by the flues F' into the triangular flues K in the corners of the
malt chambers, said flues K terminating just beneath the wall plate of the cone.
Each of these flues K would be provided with suitable dampers to enable them to
distribute cooler air from the basement, or to change the air from floor to floor, or
to force a heavy current of warm air through the green malt for extracting moisture
therefrom and sweetening the malt. L is a fan the outlet of which has two valves,
one valve, when the ash pit and fire doors are closed, supplying through a flue
sufficient air to the ash pit to keep the fire heat constant, whilst by the other valve
air is passed behind the fire shaft through another flue and supplied to the drying
floors as required, or may or may not be passed direct through the green malt on
the topmost floor.
It will be noted that a malt kiln constructed according to my invention as
described and illustrated possesses much greater storage capacity than kilns of the
ordinary construction having floors of equal superficial area.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A malt kiln having two or more floors each floor being of greater superficial
area than the floor immediately beneath, the superficial areas of the several floors
being so proportioned as that when at the proper period the malt is transferred
from any one floor to that next beneath the thickness of the layer will remain
constant or nearly so notwithstanding reduction in bulk, substantially as
described.
1

page_text: 2. A multi-floored malt kiln constructed and arranged substantially as shewn by
the annexed drawing.
Dated this 21st day of June 1895.
E. P. ALEXANDER & SON,
Chartered Patent Agents,
19 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.