IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF AND MEANS FOR PRESERVING FRUIT AND OTHER EATABLES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Haseltine, of the "International Patent
Office," No. 12, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MODE OF AND MEANS FOR PRESERVING FRUIT AND OTHER EATABLES."-
A communication from abroad by Benjamin Markley Nyce, of Indiana-
polis, State of Indiana, United States of America.
Sealed the 7th April 1865, and dated the 24th January 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Haseltine at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 24th
January 1865.
I, GEORGE HASELTINE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 12,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE.
MENTS IN THE MODE OF AND MEANS FOR PRESERVING FRUIT AND OTHER EATABLES,"
a communication, to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of an improved mode of preserving fruit and other
eatables in a chamber whose walls, floor, and doors are made air and heat
tight, and in which the air is cooled by ice put on a water-tight metal floor in.

page_text: its upper part, and by forced circulation brought in contact with desiccating
substances spread out on troughs, pans, the floor, or otherwise within said
chamber, said process being regulated by bygrometric attachments.
That portion of the ground surface enclosed by the foundation walls of the
preserving chamber is levelled and covered with some durable and impervious
substance, such as hydraulic cement, in order to exclude moisture from the
ground. Upon the bed thus prepared there is spread a layer of about three
and a half feet of chaff, over which are placed joists on suitable foundations
for the support and attachment of a vapor and water-tight floor, which may be
of cemented tiles, sheet metal, or painted grooved boards.
The preserving chamber is provided with double walls constructed of
scantling sheathed with sheet metal, those portions of which sheathing in
contact with the outer and inner air being of iron, and that part which encloses
the ice reservoir herein-after described, of zinc. The joints of the metal
should be imbedded in paint and nailed to the joists or soldered so as to be
vapor-tight. Chambers of large size should be subdivided into smaller
chambers by sheet metal partitions. The entrance of the chamber is guarded
by two doors, an outer and inner. The interior of these doors, as well as the
space intervening between the double walls of the chamber, is packed with
chaff or other suitable non-conductor. In the upper part of the chamber is
the ice reservoir supported upon joists, either wholly of metal or at least
having their upper surface of metal. This upper surface, which should be
as small as practicable, consists of the edges of iron bars placed transversely
across the joist so as to secure the greatest and most equal exposure of every
part of the floor of said reservoir to the air of the preserving apartment
beneath, thus obtaining uniform refrigeration and equal pressure of the ice.
The floor of this chamber or reservoir is composed of galvanized (zinced)
iron, the edges being riveted and soldered, and of sufficient thickness to sustain
the ice without sagging. The said floor inclines downward to the middle,
whence one or more ventages or flues conduct off the melted ice. Above the
reservoir, and suspended in a suitable manner by chains or rods from the roof of
the chamber is a cover of boards adjustable vertically to any desired height,
said cover having upon its upper surface a layer six or ten inches thick of
chaff. This cover being lowered as the ice melts, thus prevents the chaff
from getting between the ice and the sides of the reservoir, and thus becoming
moistened and heated, and losing its non-conducting quality. Near the floor
of the chamber in which on suitable shelves are placed the fruits or other viands
to be preserved are placed low, shallow, and flat-bottomed troughs slightly

page_text: inclining downwards. The bottoms of these troughs are covered by a layer of
chloride of calcium or its equivalent, which as it deliquesces descends into a
vessel which conducts it into a large basin, forming part of the floor of the
chamber, and which may be of galvanized (zinced) iron, lead, or porcelain,
according to the desiccator used. As the water collects in this basin it is
conducted through a tube to the outside of said chamber, when it may be
dried and used over again repeatedly. In the interior of the chamber are a
number of fans revolving horizontally on vertical rods, which pass through the
roof of said chamber, and terminating in suitable gearing are operated by
wind, wheels, or other suitable power. These fans cause a forced circulation
of air through the chamber, bringing it uniformly and thoroughly in contact
with the fruit and absorbents, thus depleting it of moisture and septic gases.
For the purpose of regulating the hygrometric condition of the contained
air a hygrometer is employed, consisting of a pair of scales with a dish, in
which is put chloride of calcium, sulphuric acid, or other absorbent on one
side, and a weight on the other, or it may consist of a bent beam poised on &
fulcrum, and carrying at one end a cup for solution of chloride of calcium or
other deliquescent, and at the other end a pointer, which by its position on a
scale serves to indicate by the rise or fall of the cup the slightest, change of
moisture.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said George Haseltine in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 21st July 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGH
HASELTINE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 12, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said George Haseltine, Her specia! licence that I, the said George
Haseltine, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said George Haseltine, 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,

page_text: exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MODE OF AND MEANS FOR PRESERVING FRUIT AND OTHER EATABLES,"
a communication, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George
Haseltine, ny executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Haseltine, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings
making a part of this Specification:-
My Invention consists of an improved mode of preserving fruit and other
catables in a chamber whose walls, floor, and doors are made air and heat-
tight, and in which the air is cooled ice put on a water-tight metal floor on
its upper part, and by forced circulation brought in contact with desiccating
substances spread out on troughs, pans, the floor, or otherwise within said
chamber, said process being regulated by hygrometric attachments.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section of the apparatus; Figure 2 is a
horizontal section of the same; and Figure 3 a longitudinal vertical section.
The same letters refer to corresponding parts in each of the Figures.
That portion of the ground surface A enclosed by the foundation walls B,
is levelled carefully off, and coated with some durable and impervious sub-
stance a, such as pitch, asphaltum, hydraulic cement or mastic, to exclude
moisture from the ground. Upon the bed thus provided there is spread a
layer of about three-and-a-half feet of chaff D, over which are placed joists E
on suitable foundations for the support and attachment of a vapor and
water tight floor c, which may be of strong tongued and painted grooved
boards, or of sheet metal, or of cemented tiles, so that no odor may enter the
room from bituminous material below it. The enclosing walls should be as
nearly air and heat tight as possible, and may be constructed as follows:-G is
an outer, and G! an inner framework of scantling sheathed with sheet metal
I, 11, of which the portions in contact with the outer and inner air are of iron,

page_text: and the portions I" which enclose the ice reservoir are of zinc or plank; the
joints of the metal should be well imbedded in paint, and nailed to the joists,
or soldered so as to prevent the passage of air, vapor, or odor of any kind.
Rooms of a large size intended for the preservation of various kinds of
delicate viands, should be subdivided into a number of distinct compartments
by means of sheet metal partitions. The entrance J is guarded by two doors
K, K. The interior of these doors, and also the annular space between G and G¹
is packed with chaff D, or other suitable non-conductor. L are joists for sup-
porting the ice reservoir. These joists are made either wholly, or at least at
their upper edges of metal, and should be sufficiently near together to afford
adequate support to the floor M of the ice reservoir, and of the smallest
practicable upper surface, consisting of edges of iron bars, placed transversely
across the points so as to secure the greatest and most equal exposure of
every part of the floor M to the air of the preserving apartment, and so as to
obtain a uniform refrigerating action, and equal melting and pressure of the ice
on every part. The floor M of the ice chamber N is composed of galvanized
(zinced) iron, the edges being riveted and soldered, and of sufficient thickness
to sustain a full charge of ice without sagging. The floor M descends
slightly to one or more vents O for the meltings of the ice. P is a cover
of boards on a frame above the ice; y is a layer of chaff six or ten inches
on said cover; R are chains or rods depending from the roof, by which the
cover P may be suspended at any desired height, and maintained in a hori-
zontal position, being let down from time to time as the ice melts, thus
preventing the settling of the chaff between the ice and the sides of the
reservoir, which, when it takes place, acts to moisten and heat the chaff so as
to cause it to act in destruction of the very object of its use. Long shallow
and flat-bottomed troughs U, open at their ends, are affixed in a position
which is slightly inclined from end to end. The bottoms of these troughs are
covered by a layer of chloride of calcium or its equivalent, which as it
deliquesces gradually descends and is caught in a liquid form in a vessel u.
The solution being dried over a fire is returned to the upper side of the
trough with sufficient frequency to produce a continuous and uniform supply of
desiccating material. S is a large basin, which is part of the floor, of gal-
vanized (zinced) iron for chloride of calcium or its equivalent, or of lead, or
of porcelain if sulphuric acid is used. As the water collects in the basin it
runs through the tube u¹ to the outside, thus saving the trouble of carrying it
from the inside. The fans T, driven by wind wheels W or other power, act
to bring every particle of the contained air successively in contact with the

page_text: fruits and other substances and with the absorbents, so as constantly to deplete
said air of all aqueous and septic gases. H are shelves for the support and
arrangement of provisions.
It being important to regulate to a nicety the exact hygrometric condition
of the contained air, I employ a hygrometer consisting of a pair of scales 1
with a dish on which is put the chloride of calcium, sulphuric acid, or other
absorbent on one side, and simply a weight to balance it on the other, or a
bent arm 2 poised on a fulcrum 3 and carrying at one end a cup 4 for solu-
tion of chloride of calcium or other deliquescent substance, and at its other
end a pointer which, by its position upon a scale 5, serves to indicate by the
rise or fall of the cup or dish the slightest change of moisture. The desic-
cating substance is spread in the dry form all along the troughs U and basins S,
and as it deliquesces the solution (being caught in suitable vessels u, or
running out by the tube u¹) is dried and returned to the troughs and basins,
and the desiccating agency is preserved in full efficiency. Each thousand
bushel of apples give off moisture sufficient to make from a quart to a gallon
of solution daily. A room upon this plan of construction has proved by actual
test capable of being maintained at a uniform temperature throughout the
year of from 33° to 34° with perfect freedom from dampness. The Invention
has reference chiefly to large houses capable of storing ten thousand bushels
and upwards.
Having thus fully described said improvements, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I claim as my Invention,―
First, the herein described mode of preserving fruit and other eatables in a
chamber whose walls, floor, and doors are made air and heat tight, and in
which the air is cooled by ice put on a water-tight metallic floor on its upper
part, and dried by forced circulation of the contained air bringing it in contact
with desiccating substances in said chamber, substantially as herein-before
described.
Second, the insulated or detached cooled preserving chamber provided with
an atmospheric agitator and absorbent, arranged and operating substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
Third, the construction of a preserving house whose lower chamber, to
contain provisions, is separated from its upper or ice chamber by an air and
water tight metallic floor supported on metallic joists whose upper surfaces
consist of a series of thin edges or points, substantially as and for the objects
set forth.
Fourth, in combination with chambers for preserving fruit, I claim the

page_text: use of desiccating troughs or basins and bygrometer attachments, substantially
as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Haseltine, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
GEORGE HASELTINE. (L.S.)
Witness,
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE.