IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING AND PRESERVING VEGETABLE AND ANIMAL SUBSTANCES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Maurice Sautter, residing at No. 50, Rue de la
Chaussée d'Antin, Paris, in the Empire of France, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING AND PRESERVING VEGETABLE AND ANIMAL
SUBSTANCES."-A communication from William Ogden Giles, residing
at New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 6th April 1869, and dated the 4th November 1868..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Maurice Sautter at the
Office of the Cominissioners of Patents, with his Petition, 'on the
4th November 1868.
I, MAURICE SAUTTER, residing at No. 50, Rue de la Chaussée d'Antin,
Paris, in the Empire of France, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING AND PRESERVING VEGETABLE AND
ANIMAL SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
Up to the present time the processes employed for the preparation and
preservation of vegetable and other substances have generally consisted
in placing them in contact with liquids having disinfecting properties,
[Price 8d.]

page_text: either by plunging them into the liquid, or where the nature of the
substance admits making the liquid penetrate into the pores by suction
or pressure. Aeriform matters ha e also been employed, such as the
vapour of sulphur, but the processes and matters employed have not up
to the present time been such as to produce a complete and economical
result.
This Invention consists in using for this purpose the vapours which
are disengaged by the distillation of the tar ef oil, wood, resin, or of
natural tar, or of the mineral oils, such as naptha or petroleum. These
matters are distilled at a temperature of 100° to 150 centigrade, or
similar vapours may be obtained by distilling at a suitable temperature
matters derived from those above mentioned. These vapours, of which
one of the principal constituents is carbolic acid, a most powerful
antiséptic and disinfecting agent, effectually preserve the substances to
which they are applied, but it is important to prepare these substances
by expelling from them all the moisture they may contain.
Now it has been discovered that the light vapours which are dis-
engaged in this distillation at a temperature of 60° to 100 have the
property when they penetrate the substances of expelling all the water
which they contain, so as to prepare the pores to receive the pre-
servative vapours, and so allow these vapours to exert a permanent and
complete action. It is upon these principles that the processes which
are the subject of the present application are based.
The choice of the matter submitted to distillation varies more or less
according to the nature of the substance which is to be proserved. The
apparatus consists of a simple retort, by preference of metal, with a
large opening at the upper part, which is open to fill the retort or to
let out the gas. At the bottom is a cock to draw off the liquid
contents. This retort is placed over a fire or is heated in other con-
venient ways. The mouth of the retort communicates with one or more
chambers to receive the substances to be treated, and so arranged that
the vapours may have as free an access to them as possible. At the
bottom of these chambers is a cock to draw off any liquid that may
condense. The chambers have suitable openings for filling and emptying
them, and these are closed by air-tight covers. The operation then
is as follows:-The distillation commencing, the first light vapours
which are disengaged penetrate the substances, heating and expanding
them, and as they penetrate they drive out all the moisture which the

page_text: substances contained; then as the temperature increases heavy vapours
having antiseptic properties are distilled over, and these finding the
pores of the substances open enter them, and so are able to exercise
their preservative action under the most favourable circumstances.
This process, is very applicable to the treatment of cordage. Fibrous
matters may also be advantageously treated in this way. The process is
also applicable to the preservation of wood and leather.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Maurice Sautter in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 26th April 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, MAURICE
SAUTTER, residing at No. 50, Rue de la Chaussée d'Antin, Paris, in the
Empire of France, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in
the thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Maurice Sautter, Her
special licence that. I, the said Maurice Sautter, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Maurice Sautter, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PREPARING AND PRESERVING VEGETABLE AND ANIMAL SUBSTANCES," a communi-
cation from William Ogden Giles, a person resident at New York,
United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Maurice Sautter, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Maurice Sautter, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the saine is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
Up to the present time the processes employed for the preparation and
preservation of vegetable and other substances have generally consisted
in placing them in contact with liquids having disinfectant properties,
either plunging them into the liquid, or where the nature of the
substance admits working the liquid penetrate into the pores by suction
or pressure. Aeriform matters have also been employed, such as the
vapour of sulphur, but the processes and matters employed, have not up
to the present time been such as to produce a complete and economical
result.
This Invention consists in using for this purpose the
vapours which
are disengaged by the distillation of the tar of coal, wood, resin, or of
natural tar, or of the mineral oils, such as naptha or petroleum. These
matters are distilled at a temperature of 100° to 150° centigrade, or
similar vapours may be obtained by distilling at a suitable temperature
matters derived from those above mentioned. These vapours, of which
one of the principal constituents is carbolic acid, a most powerful
antiseptic and disinfecting agent, effectually preserve the substances to
which they are applied, but it is important to prepare these substances
by expelling from them all the moisture they may contain.
Now it has been discovered that the light vapours which are disen-
gaged in this distillation at a temperature of 60° to 100°, have the
property when they penetrate the substances of expelling all the water
which they contain, so as to prepare the pores to receive the preservative
vapours, and so allow these vapours to exert a permanent and complete
action. It is upon these principles that the processes which are the
subject of the present application are based.
The choice of the matter submitted to distillation varies more or less
according to the nature of the substance which is to be preserved.
The apparatus consists of a simple retort, by preference of metal, with a
large opening at the upper part, which is opened to fill the retort or to
lot out the gas. At the bottom is a cock to draw off the liquid contents.
This retort is placed over a fire or is heated in other convenient ways. The
mouth of the retort communicates with one or more chambers to receive
the substances to be treated and so arranged that the vapours may have as

page_text: free an access to them as possible. At the bottom of these chambers is a
cock to draw off any liquid that may condense. The chambers have
suitable openings for filling and emptying them, and these are closed by
air-tight covers. The operation then is as follows: The distillation
commencing, the first light vapours which are disengaged penetrate the
substances, heating and expanding them, and as they penetrate they
drive out all the moisture which the substances contained; then
as the temperature increases heavy vapours having antiseptic pro-
perties are distilled over, and these finding the pores of the substances
open enter them, and se are able to exercise their preservative action
under the most favorable circumstances.
This process is very applicable to the treatment of cordage, which is
thus made stronger and more durable than by any other treatment.
Boiling tar has heretofore been employed for the same purpose, but the
result is always imperfect, and the solidification of the tar diminishes
the elasticity of the ropes, and renders them more likely to break. The
application of the process is also very advantageous with most fibrous
matters which are exposed to moisture and heat. This process is also
superior to all others for the preparation and preservation of wood, the
vapours employed effectually clearing the pores without in any way
attacking the fibre. I also propose to employ it in the preparation of
leather. After tanning the skins are generally saturated with various
fluid oils in the operation of currying, but these oleaginous substances
applied with the land when the leather is both wet and cold do not
sufficiently penetrate the leather, and penetrate it unequally in con-
sequence of the variations in thickness and hardness, so that a long,
troublesome, and expensive manipulation is required. By this process
the penetration is complete and the effect absolute. It will be under-
stood that the process may be applied not only to leather, but to all
articles of skin or of leather requiring preparation with oil.
This process
as far as it relates to these articles consisting in applying the article not
as a liquid, but in the form of vapour, as above described, and at a tem-
perature favourable to the penetration of the pores of the leather. The
process is very advantageously applied to the preservation of the skins
of animals, so as to prevent injury by worms and insects and by decom-
position. By the application of the process the skins will be penetrated
through their entire substance, and an antiseptic substance deposited in
them without any injury to the natural tissue.

page_text: I do not confine myself to the applications of the process which I have
indicated, as there are other cases in which it may be applied, and the
apparatus employed may be varied; but I claim the employment as an
antiseptic and preservative agent of the heavy vapours disengaged by the
distillation of any tar, whether from oil, resin, or minerals, or other
source, or of substances derived from tar by causing such vapours to
act in a close vessel (and by preference without either pressure or
exhaustion) upon the articles to be preserved. Such articles being in the
some cases (according to their nature) first treated by the light vapours
resulting from the distillation, or in other suitable way to expel moisture
and open the pores, and render them more fit to absorb effectually the
preservative vapour intended to saturate and preserve them.
In witness whereof, I, the said Maurice Sautter, have hercunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
MAURICE SAUTTER. (.s.)