US 5,202,263 AGranted

Steeping vats for malthouses

AssigneesSeeger Industrial, S.A., Inamex de Cerveza y Malta, S.A. de C.V.

InventorsKarl L. Becker, Francesco Beldevere

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Abstract

Such improvements consist in using as arm (2) of the machine for loading and unloading the vat, a hollow and hermetically sealed element to which compressed air from a generator (10) has access. The air is channelled through a series of vertical uprights (6) to heads (11) connected in their turn to the said uprights, elongated, in such a way as to extend radially outwardly in a direction from the central column of the machine and adjacent the base (3) of the vat. The heads (11) are provided with lateral air-exit slots. The heads (11) are connected to arm (2) via the vertical uprights (6) for rotation therewith. In this way a radial air-curtain is formed which, on rotating the arm (2) of the loading/unloading machine, circumferentially sweeps the whole bottom of the vat and consequently stirs, oxygenates, cools and, if relevant, displaces the CO.sub.2 from the whole mass of grain, in a uniform way.

Claims6

Dependent claims

In a malthouse having a floorage area for steeping or pregermination of product, a central column in said malthouse, and an arm rotatably mounted on said column and extending radially outwardly therefrom for dispensing the product to said floorage area or gathering the product therefrom;

wherein the improvement comprises:
a hollow upright member disposed vertically within said malthouse and spaced away from said central column, said upright member having an upper end and a lower end;
a hollow elongated head member disposed horizontally within said malthouse and positioned above and adjacent to said floorage area, said head member projecting in a direction radially outwardly from said central column;
said head member having air exit slots extending longitudinally along the radially projecting marginal edges of said member;
the upper end of said upright member being connected to said arm to provide internal communication therebetween;
the lower end of said upright member being connected to said head member to provide internal communication therebetween;
said head member being connected to said arm via said upright member for conjoint rotation with said arm;
and
means for conveying air under pressure internally to said arm;
whereby compressed air conveyed internally to said arm is transmitted to said head member via said upright member and exits from said head member via said exit slots in a circumferentially sweeping motion relative to said floorage area upon rotation of said arm.

7 more elements

In a malthouse having a floorage area for steeping or pregermination of a product, a central column in said malthouse, and arm rotatably mounted on said column and extending radially outwardly therefrom for dispensing the product to said floorage area or gathering the product therefrom;

wherein the improvement comprises:
a plurality of hollow upright members disposed vertically within said malthouse, each of said upright members having an upper end and a lower end;
a plurality of hollow elongated head members disposed horizontally within said malthouse and positioned above and adjacent to said floorage area, said head members being axially aligned to each other and projecting in a direction radially outwardly from said central column;
each of said head members having air exit slots extending longitudinally along the radially projecting marginal edges of said members;
the upper ends of said upright members being connected to said arm to provide internal communication therebetween;
the lower end of each of said upright members being connected to each associated head member to provide internal communication therebetween;
said head members being connected to said arm via said upright members for conjoint rotation with said arm;
and
means for conveying air under pressure internally to said arm;
whereby compressed air conveyed internally to said arm is transmitted to said head members via said upright members and exits from said head members via said exit slots in a circumferentially sweeping motion relative to said floorage area upon rotation of said arm.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.