EP0107925A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Improvements in batch malt kilns
Assignee: Vinters Ltd
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Filing: 1983-09-29
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2003-09-29
Abstract
Abstract During a malt kilning process in which batches of malt are kilned in a pair of kilns in overlapping kilning cycles, heated air (7) passes upwards through a kiln floor (1) on which is an earlier received, batch of malt (3), and thence via a transfer duct (8), downwards through a later received batch of malt (10) on kiln floor (2) to discharge at (9). As malting proceeds the air is only partially saturated by passage through batch (3) and passes through duct (8) to the newer malt (10) where it becomes saturated with water vapour. On completion of a cycle, batch (3) is removed and replaced with green malt. Dampers (5) and (6) are operated to reverse the flow whereby kilning of batch (10) is completed and the green malt above floor (1) is dried with partly saturated air via duct (8). Additional heat can be supplied by a heater (11) in duct (8) and additional air through valve-controlled inlets (12) (13) for temperature and air velocity control. Suction and pressure fans can be applied at (9) and (7).
Inventors
- 👤 Harold James Rockley
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 05:06
CPC Classifications
C; C12; C12C; C12C1/00; C12C1/067; C12C1/10; F; F26; F26B; F26B9/00; F26B9/06; F26B9/063
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
136 words
A malt kilning assembly comprising two malt kilns (1,2) and a heated air circulation system arranged for performing a continuing series of overlapping kilning operations and including conduits (4, 8, 9) whereby the heated air (7) is conveyed, when the assembly is in operation, first upwards through an earlier received batch of malt in one kiln (3) and then downwards through a later received batch of malt (10) in the other kiln (2), and means (5, 6) whereby the direction of flow is reversed when the earlier received batch of malt (3) has been replaced by a third batch of green malt so that the heated air flows first upwards through said later received batch (10) in said other kiln (2) and then downwards through the said batch of green malt in said one kiln (1).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
136 words
A malt kilning assembly comprising two malt kilns (1,2) and a heated air circulation system arranged for performing a continuing series of overlapping kilning operations and including conduits (4, 8, 9) whereby the heated air (7) is conveyed, when the assembly is in operation, first upwards through an earlier received batch of malt in one kiln (3) and then downwards through a later received batch of malt (10) in the other kiln (2), and means (5, 6) whereby the direction of flow is reversed when the earlier received batch of malt (3) has been replaced by a third batch of green malt so that the heated air flows first upwards through said later received batch (10) in said other kiln (2) and then downwards through the said batch of green malt in said one kiln (1).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
89 words
An assembly according to Claim 1, in which each kiln (1, 2) comprises an enclosed perforated kiln floor mounted over a lower space open at one end of the kiln to valve controller means (5, 6) for alternately admitting heated air to the said space and discharging air from the said space, an upper space above the floor for accommodating a malt batch being open at the other end of the kiln to a transfer duct (8) leading to the upper space above the floor in the other kiln.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
An assembly according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the kilns (1, 2) are located one on top of the other.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, provided with a heater (11) for additionally heating the air as it flows from the later to the earlier received batch of each kilning operation.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
53 words
An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, provided with valve controlled means (12, 13) for admitting additional air to the air circulation as it flows from the later to the earlier received second batch as well as when it flows in the reverse direction between the second and first batches.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, provided with a fan (14) for exhausing the circulating air from the assembly after the air has passed through the kilns (1, 2).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, provided with a fan for feeding the heated air into the circulating system.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
171 words
A method of kilning malt comprising: introducing into one and the other alternately of a pair of malt kilns (1, 2) successive batches of malt (3, 10) to be kilned in a continuing series of overlapping kilning operations; passing heated air (7) upwards through one kiln (1) in which is the earlier received batch (3) of malt; passing air unsaturated with water vapour from said one kiln (1) in which is the batch of earlier received malt (3) downwardly through another kiln (2) in which is a later received batch of malt (10) and thence to exhaust (9); on completion of one kilning operation replacing the dry batch of earlier received malt (3) in said one kiln (1) with green malt; and reversing the direction of heated air flow in the next following kilning operation so that air now flows upwards through said later received batch of malt (10) in said other kiln (2) and thence downwards through said green malt in said one kiln (1) and thence to exhaust (9).
Claim 10
Independent Claim
171 words
A method of kilning malt comprising: introducing into one and the other alternately of a pair of malt kilns (1, 2) successive batches of malt (3, 10) to be kilned in a continuing series of overlapping kilning operations; passing heated air (7) upwards through one kiln (1) in which is the earlier received batch (3) of malt; passing air unsaturated with water vapour from said one kiln (1) in which is the batch of earlier received malt (3) downwardly through another kiln (2) in which is a later received batch of malt (10) and thence to exhaust (9); on completion of one kilning operation replacing the dry batch of earlier received malt (3) in said one kiln (1) with green malt; and reversing the direction of heated air flow in the next following kilning operation so that air now flows upwards through said later received batch of malt (10) in said other kiln (2) and thence downwards through said green malt in said one kiln (1) and thence to exhaust (9).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to Claim 8, in which the air is additionally heated as it passes from one kiln floor to the other kiln floor.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method according to Claim 8 or Claim 9, in which additional air is added to the circulating air as it passes from one kiln floor to the other kiln floor.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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