IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY VANS AND OTHER VEHICLES FOR CONVEYING MEAT AND OTHER PERISHABLE ARTICLES OF FOOD
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Clarke Ash, of No. 315º, Oxford Street,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN RAILWAY VANS AND OTHER VEHICLES FOR CONVEYING MEAT AND OTHER
PERISHABLE ARTICLES OF FOOD."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Clarke Ash at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 5th May 1871.
I, HENRY CLARKE ASH, of No. 315º, Oxford Street, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY VANS AND OTHER VEHICLES FOR CONVEYING MEAT
AND OTHER PERISHABLE ARTICLES OF FOOD," to be as follows:-
This Invention has more especially for its object to enable meat
whilst being conveyed by railway to be kept in a more sweet and
wholesome condition than was heretofore practicable.
For this purpose the railway van for conveying meat is made with
double sides packed with charcoal or other slow conductor of heat, and
a current of cool air free from dust and impurities is maintained through
the interior of the van whilst it is travelling. To effect this an opening

page_text: In order
for admitting air to the interior of the van is made by preference along
the top of the front of the van, and to cause air to pass in through
this opening inclined boards are placed along the opening to form a
funnel mouth to catch the air and direct it into the opening, or other
arrangements of funnel cither at the sides or top of the van for directing!
into the van a current of air may be adopted. The amount of air
admitted can be regulated cither by altering the angle of the boards or
As
funnel, or by a grating placed across the opening or otherwise.
the air enters the van it passes down an air space, one side of which is
formed by a metal case which may be filled with ice, and passes under
the bottom of the icc case, and rises upwards on its opposite side
through an air space left between this side of the ice case, and a casing
of metal or other suitable material by which it is enclosed, and the air
is then allowed to enter the van at its top. The current of cool air
circulates through the van, and is allowed to escape through holes bored
by preference through the lower part of the back of the van.
that the current of air as it enters the van may be freed from dust and
impurities it is caused to pass through an air filter composed, by pre-
ference, of small lumps of charcoal resting on a grating. This is placed
near the bottom of the casing enclosing the metal ice case, and the air
rises up through the grating, and percolates through and among the
lumps of charcoal resting upon it. The charcoal is kept moistened by a
stream of water trickling through it; this is effected by causing the
water which passes away from the trap at the bottom of the ice chamber
to run on to the charcoal filter, or in cool weather, when it is not
necessary to cool the air with ice, a small stream of water may be
supplied to the interior of the ice chamber from the bottom of a water
vessel then placed into the chamber instead of ice. The water passing|
through the filter not only keeps it moistened, but also washes out from
it the dust and impurities which are arrested, and the water flows away
from the bottom of the casing which surrounds the icc chamber through
a pipe leading to the outside of the van. The ice chamber is carried up
through the top of the van, and is fitted with a suitable cover. By
.removing this cover ice may be filled into the chamber from the roof of
the van, or, if ice is not required to be used, then the water vessel may
'be inserted instead of it. The ice chamber is made to taper downwards,
so that the lumps of ice placed into it shall as they become gradually
melted descend and always rest against its sides. Along the bottom is
a water trap by which the water flowing from the icc is free to pass

page_text: away to the filter, whilst at the same time air is prevented from rising
up into the ice chamber.
By the above described arrangement of van for conveying meat and
fish not only can a current of air freed from dust and impurities be at
all times directed through the van whilst it is travelling, but the current.
of air can also be cooled whenever desired by means of ice.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Clarke Ash in the Great Scal Patent.
Office on the 4th November 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
CLARKE ASH, of No. 315º, Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,.
give and grant unto me, the said Henry Clarke Ash, Her special
license that I, the said Henry Clarke Ash, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Clarke Ash,.
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, excrcise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain.
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY VANS AND OTHER VEHICLES FOR CONVEYING MEAT
AND OTHER PERISHABLE ARTICLES OF FOOD," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Henry Clarke Ash, executors or adminis-
trators, 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 Henry Clarke Ash, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the

page_text: same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has more especially for its object to enable meat whilst
being conveyed by railway to be kept in a more sweet and wholesome
condition than was heretofore practicable.
For this purpose the railway van for conveying meat is made with
double sides packed with charcoal or other slow conductor of heat,
and a current of cool air free from dust and impurities is maintained
through the interior of the van whilst it is travelling. To effect this an
opening for admitting air to the interior of the van is made by preference
along the top of the front of the van, and to cause air to pass in througli
this opening inclined boards are placed along the opening to form a
funnel mouth to catch the air and direct it into the opening. Or other
arrangements of funnel either at the sides or top of the van for directing
into the van a current of air may be adopted. The amount of air
admitted can be regulated cither by altering the angle of the boards or
funnel, or by a grating placed across the opening or otherwise. As the
air enters the van it passes down an air space, one side of which is
formed by a metal case which may be filled with ice, and passes under
the bottom of the icc case and rises upwards on its opposite side through
an air space left between this side of the ice case and a casing of metal
or other suitable material by which it is enclosed, and the air is then
allowed to enter the van at its top. The current of cool air circulates
through the van and is allowed to escape through holes bored by
In order that
preference through the lower part of the back of the van.
the current of air as it enters the van may be freed from dust and
impurities it is caused to pass through an air filter composed by
preference of small lumps of charcoal resting on a grating; this is
placed near the bottom of the casing enclosing the metal ice case and
the air rises up through the grating and percolates through and amongst
the lumps of charcoal resting upon it. The charcoal is kept moistened
by a stream of water. trickling through it; this is effected by causing
the water which passes away from the trap at the bottom of the ice
chamber to run on to the charcoal filter, or in cool weather, when it is
not necessary to cool the air with ice, a small stream of water may be
supplied to the interior of the chamber from a water vessel then placed
into the chamber instead of ice. The water passing through the filter
not only keeps it moistened but also washes out from it the dust and

page_text: with small lumps of charcoal. The air entering through the opening a
passes downwards, as shewn by the arrows, and through the filter, and
then rises up between the case d and partition e, and passes into the
interior of the van through perforations formed at the top of this
partition. A water trap is formed at the bottom of the case d, so as to
prevent the current of air from entering the interior of the case.
The way
in which I prefer to form this trap is shewn at Figure 2. Outlet holes are
formed at the lower part of the back of the van, and thereby the purified
current of air is caused to traverse completely through its interior.
The
atmosphere in the van is thus kept perfectly sweet, and any meat hung
up in it is kept free from taint, there being always a current of pure air
moving slowly past it, and carrying off any gases or vapours which arisc
from meat, and which if allowed to accumulate would cause the meat

page_text: icc is employed, or which can quickly be cleansed, as above described,
forms an important feature of my Invention.
Steamboats and other vessels may in a similar manner be fitted up
for conveying meat, so that a constant stream of purified air is caused
constantly to traverse through the portion of the vessel in which the
meat is placed, and such stream of air may likewise be cooled in the
manner above described.
The stream of air may be caused to enter
such chamber either by funnel mouths which can be set in any desired
direction to catch the wind or air-forcing apparatus may be employed,
and in all cases I prefer that a small air-forcing apparatus should be
provided which can be worked by hand, so that when the vessel is not
under weigh, and there is but little wind, a stream of air may be main-
tained through the part of the vessel in which the meat is stored.
In the case of steam vessels this air-forcing apparatus may be worked
by the engines when the vessel is under weigh.
In a similar manner railway vans may, if desired, be furnished with
a small air-forcing apparatus to be worked by hand so as to be able to
keep a current of air passing through the van when the van is not in
motion, but in most cases this will be unnecessary.
Other receptacles for containing meat may similarly be fitted up, so
that a constant stream of purified air, cooled if necessary, may be caused
to traverse through them.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which I prefer to carry the same into effect, I would have it under-
stood that what I claim as my improvements in railway vans and other
vehicles for conveying meat and other perishable articles of food is, the
combined arrangement substantially as herein described whereby a
constant current of purified air, and which can be cooled if necessary,
can be caused to traverse through the van or vehicle.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Clarke Ash, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Third day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
ona