US3849255A

US3849255A - Device for germinating and drying malt

Info

Publication number: US3849255A
Application number: US00245514A
Authority: US
Inventors: G Schlimme; M Tschirner
Original assignee: Miag Muehlenbau und Industrie GmbH
Current assignee: Miag Muehlenbau und Industrie GmbH
Priority date: 1971-05-03
Filing date: 1972-04-19
Publication date: 1974-11-19
Anticipated expiration: 1991-11-19
Also published as: DE2121586C3; DE2121586A1; FR2135157B1; DE2121586B2; SE384874B; DK132182B; FR2135157A1; GB1367406A; IE36348B1; BE781928A; IE36348L; DK132182C

Abstract

A device for effecting the germination and the drying of malt comprising vertical stack surrounded by several superimposed horizontal circular working chambers, each containing a horizontal rotatable rack upon which the malt to be treated is deposited. The circumferential wall of the stack is provided with adjustable ducts for the passage of drying air coming from a blower arranged in the stack and is conducted into the working chambers. Side stacks are arranged side by side and on the outside of the vertical stack and some have ducts which connect some of the adjacent side stacks with each other and with the working chambers for effecting a desired guide of the drying air into the working chambers, while one of said side stacks contains a blower for the germination of air and the other side stacks contain the drive devices for the malt turning-over mechanism for the vertical adjustment of the malt feeding mechanism and for the rotation of the racks.

Description

United States Paten Schlimme et al. v

[ Nov. 19, 1974 DEVICE FOR GERMINATING AND DRYING Primary Exarrtiner-Alvin E. Tanenholtz MALT Attorney, Agent, or FirmHill, Gross, Simpson, Van [75] Inventors: Gisbert Schlimme, Braunschweig; Samen steadman Chlara & Slmpson Manfred Tschirner, Wolfenbuttel, both of Germany ABSTRACT [73] Assignee. Miag Muhlenbau und Industrie A device for effecting the germination and the drying GmbH Braunschweig Germany of malt comprising vertical stack surrounded by several superimposed horizontal circular working cham- Flled? P 1972 bers, each containing a horizontal rotatable rack upon which the malt to be treated is deposited. The circum- [211 App! 245,514 ferential wall of the stack is provided with adjustable ducts for the passage of drying air coming from a [30] Foreign Application Priority Data blower arranged in the stack and is conducted into the May 3, 1971 Germany 2121586 working chambers. Side stacks are arranged side by side and on the outside of the vertical stack and some [52] US. Cl. 195/129 have ducts which connect some of the adjacent side [51] Int. Cl. C12c l/l4, Cl2c 1/06 stacks with each other and with the working chambers [58] Field of Search l95/l3l, 129, 128 for effecting a desired guide of the drying air into the working chambers, while one of said side stacks con- [56] References Cited tains a blower for the germination of air and the other UNITED STATES PATENTS side stacks contain the drive devices for the malt turning-over mechanism for the vertical adjustment of the 915,968 3/1909 Kirkpatrick l95/l28 malt feeding mechanism and for the rotation of the racks.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 1 l 1. ll

I n 1 a HI I 0 31 L z usy'ge oeyclj r]i & 0 a 9: a n 17 1a 2 1 1 .i

L i l 1 20 22 o b o l I o 2 :11. 1 u iht' o M. 1 u |i| e y A aofiY eWu/oYncfill c 8 i e E llllllllllll 23 1 I I ll' u 4 a Ll: a v a n e DEVICE FOR GERMINATING AND DRYING MALT The invention relates to a device for the germination and drying of malt on several superimposed rack structures arranged to be rotatable about a vertical hollow shaft or stack.

Devices of this type have the advantage of being capable of processing a plurality of charges found in different processing stages in a single towerlike structure of small floor space. In this connection, it is a particular object of the invention to arrange at least two processes with reference to the air-flow consecutively, whereby the latter likewise is to be utilized at least twice. Therefore care is to be taken in the continuing need for saving in cross-section of the device, to provide several air conducting hollow shafts or stacks, which permit the processing chambers containing the rotatable circular rack structures to be connected with each other as well as also with the air-inlets and -outlets and to other processing points.

The mentioned requirements in the case of the devices according to the invention described in the foregoing, may be attained thereby that the air conducting stacks are arranged side by side and are repeatedly connected with each other by ducts and serve for the airflow, while other of said side by side stacks contain conveyors or drives for germinating air and malt, respectively, whereby at least one vertical side stack is divided into superimposed chambers with intermediary floors, each of which supports a blower serving for the germinating process. Furthermore, upper chambers above the intermediary floors are provided with ducts which discharge air above the rack structures to the adjacent upper working chambers, and ducts leading to at least one air-guiding side stack, while lower blowerchambers disposed below the intermediary floors lead to the adjacent lower-working chambers and have ducts discharging air under the rack structures, ahead of air-processers. A further side stack, which also may be divided into superimposed chambers may be so arranged as to receive the drive means for turn-over devices, for a vertically movable loadinganddischarging-worm and for rotating the rack structures.

The invention is described in greater detail in the following on the basis of an embodiment by way of example, which is shown in the drawings.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows a vertical sectional view along the broken line II of FIG. 3;

FIG. 2 shows a vertical sectional view along the line 11-11 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view along the broken line lII-III of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 4 shows diagrammatically four superimposed operating chambers A to D and serves for the explanation of some possible processing procedures.

Referring to the drawings, the device is provided with a circular basic chamber 1 having a central cylindrical stack 7 with a blower chamber 10 at the bottom thereof with a drying air channel 8 at one side of said stack. About the chamber 1 are a plurality of superimposed working chambers. Each of said working chambers is divided by a circular rack structure 13 for the malt. The drying rack provides each chamber into an upper chamber 12 and a lower chamber 11. The blower chamber 10 has a blower 14 in the bottom thereof. The

inlet side of said blower is connected with the dryingair-channel 8, a plurality of fuel nozzles 15 arranged along the floor of said drying-air channel 8 for heating the air therein and supplying heated air to the blower 14. The wall of the stack 7 hasducts 18 leading to lower working chambers 11. The ducts 18 are closable by doors 17. In the air stack 7 is located a vertically movable floor 16, disposed above those ducts 18 through which drying air in each case is to be conducted into the respective chambers 11-.

Adjacent the

basic chamber

1, 8 and the working chambers ll, 12 are arranged several

vertical stacks

2, 3, 4,- 5 and 6. Of these, the

stacks

2 and 4 are used for additional air, while the stack 5 is used for circulating dryer air. The vertical stack 3 is divided vertically in the same degree as the

working chambers

11, 12 are present, namely into aerating upper chambers 31 and into aerating-lower chambers 32. Between the same are arranged the germinating air conveyor 33, which may feed air from the upper chambers 31 into the lower chambers 32.

The aerating upper chambers 31 have ducts 19 leading to the upper chambers 12, ducts 20 leading to the supplemental air stack 2, ducts 21 leading to the supplemental stack 4 and ducts 22 leading to the outside. The aerating lower chambers 32 have ducts 23 leading to the lower working chambers 11, ahead of which are arranged the air processers 34. In these, the germinating air is adjusted as regards temperature, moisture and, if need be, also the pressure is adjusted. The auxiliary stack 2, which preferably is not divided, isprovided with ducts 24 leading into the upper working chambers 12 and also has ducts 25 leading into the lower working chambers 11. The air stack 4 hascorresponding ducts. In both

stacks

2 and 4 for supplemental air may be arranged vertically movable floors similar to the floor 16 in the shaft 7 for the drying air, in order to increase the operating possibilities.

Adjacent the vertical stack 4 for supplemental air is arranged the vertical stack 5 for the circulating drying air. The stack 5 has ducts 26 leading to the upper working chamber 12 and discharges below through the duct 28 into the channel 8 for drying air. Below the stack 5 is located a channel 9 for fresh air used for drying. This channel 9 is connected. by an duct 29 with the channel 8, ahead of which is arranged a condenser 35, through which may be drawn the fresh air and, in which water is precipitated in cooling devices, for example for the air processer 34. The upper working chambers 12 have ducts 30, leading to the outside. The cross-section of all of the ducts 18 to 30 may be adjusted, for example by means of louvers or shutters, as indicated each by a dotted line.

The vertical stack 6 has mounted therein the drive motors 36 for the turn-over devices 37, the drive motors 38 for rotating the circular rack structures 13, the details of which have not been shown, because they are of conventional construction, as well as the drive motors 39 for the loadingand discharge worms 40, which may be moved vertically. The vertical stack 6 is divided according to the number of the superimposed circular rack structures 13. The vertical stack 6 also contains the conduits 41 for the loading and conduits 42 for the unloading and discharging of the processed material.

- Each annular rack structure 13 may be driven individually, and each is provided with a turn-overdevice 37 and a loadingand discharge-worm 40.

The basic chamber 1 may contain the control devices work-places and conveyors, for example the discharger for the unload-conduit 42. The stack 5 for the circulating drying air may in case of necessity be subdivided by a wall 43 indicated by dash-dotted lines.

Possibilities of operation will now be described in the following with reference to FIG. 4. Stage A illustrates the germination operation with circulating air, air admission and air exhaust air toward stage B. The germination airconveyer 33 draws fresh air along the path m (duct 22 in FIG. 2) 'into the upper aeration chamber 31 and presses it from there along the path n through the lower aeration chamber 32 through the germinationair-processer 34 into the lower working chamber 11 (duct 23, FIG. 1). The air conditioned in the germinating air processer 34 penetrates the circular rack structure 13 and returns partially in air circulating operation along the path q (duct 19 in FIG. 1) into the upper aeration chamber3l, in order to be turned over anew. Another part of the air which has penetrated the circular rack structure 13, flows along the path p (duct 24 in FIG. 1) through the supplemental air stack 2 toward the stage B in which likewise germination procedure is carried out, namely in corresponding manner by air circulation along the paths t, u and w, whereby a portion of the exhaust air from the stage A may be added along the path p. The other portion of the air flows along the paths v to the outside (duct 30 in FIGS. 1 and 2).

In stage C the drying operation is carried out. For this purpose, the vertically movable floor 16 is brought to the level of the corresponding circular rack 13, so that the hot air coming from the blower 14 is conducted along the path a into the air stack 7 and from-here (through ducts 18 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) flows along the path b into the chamber below the circular rack 13. The air then flows partially back along the paths 0, d through the air circulating shaft 5 and along the path f to the blower 14, whereby along the path e, fresh air may be added which is drawn in by the condenser 35. Another part of the exhaust air coming from stage C flows over the circular rack 13 along the path g and h through the supplemental air stack 4 to the stage D, where it is drawn partially from the germinating air conveyer 33 along the path x. On the other hand, it may reach along the path y into a chimney and into the atmosphere. Furthermore, at the stage D, is performed as already described, a germinating operation with circulating air along the paths i,j and l, with supplemental air along the paths h and x as well as with exhaust air along the paths i,j and k.

The described possibilities illustrate only a small selection and show how a device according to the invention may use the heat still present in the drying exhaust air for the purpose of germinating air having a particular condition, and to carry out several processes arranged in parallel and partly connected consecutively. This amounts to an important increase in economy, to a good operation and a favorable maintenance of the installation. In this connection the multiple use, possibly appearing as a disadvantage, of the germinating air conveyor 33 and the germinating air processer 34, which make possible the individual working of each stage, is more than compensated for.

What we claim is:

1. In a malt drying and germinating apparatus, a basic chamber having a generally cylindrical wall,

a central vertical stack spaced radially inwardly of said cylindrical wall,

vertically spaced horizontal walls extending from said cylindrical wall to said stack, and dividing said basic chamber into a plurality of individual superimposed working chambers,

a malt drying and germinating rack in each working chamber between said horizontal walls and dividing each working chamber into an air inlet chamber beneath said rack and an air outlet chamber above said rack,

air inlet ducts leading into each inlet chamber beneath the associated rack thereof,

door means in each air inlet duct varying the volume of air supplied through said inlet ducts,

an air outlet duct leading from each air outlet chamber adjacent the top thereof,

door means for varying the flow of air through said outlet ducts,

an air circulating blower at the bottom of said central stack,

an air heating chamber at the bottom of said basic chamber and having heating means therein,

an air inlet duct leading from said heating chamber to said blower,

another air inlet duct admitting air at ambient temperature to said air heating chamber,

air circulating means disposed outside of said working chambers and having communication with said air outlet ducts leading from said air outlet chambers for withdrawing spent air therefrom,

conveyor means in each working chamber above the associated rack for conveying malt thereonto,

malt turnover means adjacent said conveyor means for turning over the malt on each rack,

individual drive means on the outside of said working chambers adjacent each conveyor means for turning over the malt on the associated rack during heating and germinating thereof,

said racks being mounted for turning movement about said working chambers and turning thereabout during drying and germinating of the malt and being individually driven and accommodating the circulation of air therethrough.

2. The malt drying and germinating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the air circulating means on the outside of the working chambers also includes a plurality of side-by-side outlet stacks having communication with said air outlet ducts for drawing air therefrom.

3. The malt drying and germinating apparatus of claim 2, wherein at least one of said side-by-side stacks has a horizontal partition therein adjacent the bottom and top of each working chamber, and wherein the air circulating means comprises an air circulating blower between said top and bottom partitions for recirculating air in said working chambers.

4. The malt drying and germinating apparatus of claim 2, wherein at least one of said side-by-side outlet stacks has a duct therein for each working chamber to accommodate the passing of spent air to the atmosphere.

5. The malt drying and germinating apparatus of claim 1, wherein a baffle in the form of a vertically bers.

Claims

1. IN A MALT DRYING AND GERMINATING APPARATUS, A BASIC CHAMBER HAVING A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL WALL, A CENTRAL VERTICAL STACK SPACED RADIALLY INWARDLY OF SAID CYLINDRICAL WALL, VERTICALLY SPACED HORINZONTAL WALLS EXTENDING FROM SAID CYLINDRICAL WALL TO SAID STACK, AND DIVIDING SAID BACIC CHAMBER INTO A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUAL SUPERIMPOSED WORKING CHAMBERS, A MALT DRYING AND GERMINATING RACK IN EACH WORKING CHAMBER BETWEEN SAID HORIZONTAL WALLS AND DIVIDING EACH WORKING CHAMBER INTO AN AIR INLET CHAMBER ABOVE SAID RACK, AND AN AIR OUTLET CHAMBER ABOVE SAID RACK, AIR INLET DUCTS LEADING INTO EACH INLET CHAMBER BENEATH THE ASSOCIATED RACK THEREOF, DOOR MEANS IN EACH AIR INLET DUCT VARYING THE VOLUME OF AIR SUPLIED THROUGH SAID INLET DUCTS, AN AIR OUTLET DUCT LEADING FROM EACH AIR OUTLET CHAMBER ADJACENT THE TOP THEREOF, DOOR MEANS FOR VARUING THE FLOW OF AIR THROUGH SAID OUTLET DUCTS, AN AIR CIRCULATING BLOWER AT THE BOTTOM OF SAID CENTRAL STACK, AN AIR HEATING CHAMBER AT THE BOTTOM OF SAID BASIC CHAMBER AND HAVING HEATING MEANS THEREIN, AN AIR INLET DUCT LEADING FROM SAID HEATING CHAMBER TO SAID BLOWER, ANOTHER AIR INLET DUCT ADMITTING AIR AT AMBIENT TEMPERATURE TO SAID AIR HEATING CHAMBER, AIR CIRCULATING MEANS DISPOSED OUTSIDE OF SAID WORKING CHAMBERS AND HAVING COMMUNICATION WITH SAID AIR OUTLET DUCTS LEADING FROM SAID AIR OUTLET CHAMBERS FOR WIHDRAWING SPENT AIR THEREFROM, CONVEYOR MEANS IN EACH WORKING CHAMBER ABOVE THE ASSOCIATED RACK FOR CONVEYING MALT THEREONTO, MALT TURNOVER MEANS ADJACENT SAID CONVEYOR MEANS FOR TURING OVER THE MALT ON EACH RACK, INDIVIDUAL DRIVE MEANS ON THE OUTSIDE OF SAID WORKING CHAMBERS ADJACENT EACH CONVEYOR MEANS FOR TURING OVER THE MALT ON THE ASSOCIATED RACK DURING HEATING AND GERMINATING THEREOF, SAID RACKS BEING MOUNTED FOR TURNING MOVEMENT ABOUT SAID WORKING CHAMBERS AND TURING THEREABOUT DURING DRYING AND GERMINATING OF THE MALT AND BEING INDIVIDUALLY DRIVEN AND ACCOMMODATING THE CIRCULATION OF AIR THERETHROUGH.

5. The malt drying and germinating apparatus of claim 1, wherein a baffle in the form of a vertically movable floor is movably mounted in said central stack to direct heated air into selected of said working chambers.