An Improved Process and Means used therein to Effect the Preservation of Perishable Substances.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Aug., 1894
Complete Specification Lelt, 15th May, 1895-Accepted, 29th June, 1895
An Improved Process and Means used therein to Effect the
Preservation of Perishable Substances.
I, DAVID ALEXANDER SUTHERLAND, F.I.C., Consulting Technical Chemist,
of 28 Victoria Street, Westminster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the preservation from decomposition of any perishable
substances such as fruits, milk, cream, butter, meat, eggs, or other decomposable
substance, and in its essence consists in saturating the substance of a permeable
article to be preserved, or forming thereover a preservative skin (where imper-
meable) with gaseous CO, at such a pressure as may be deemed requisite to effect
the purpose, for the particular substance to be preserved without injury thereto,
according to the length of time for which it is to be preserved, or according to the
distance over which it has to be thereafter transported in its preserved state :-
To carry out this invention, it is requisite to place the said perishable.substances
into a suitable receptacle, capable of being hermetically closed, where they can be
thoroughly saturated with CO2 under pressure, if permeable, or where a preser-
vative skin can be formed thereover if impermeable; in which condition they can
remain for an indefinite period without undergoing decomposition or other organic
change. The period of the preservation of such an article is only limited by the
demands of the consumer, whilst kept in an undisturbed atmosphere of CO, under
a suitable pressure.
When it is desired to preserve meat, fish, game or other
substance for export or other trade or purpose, this can be done in the case of
vessels, by having the usual cold storage room replaced by air-tight chambers, in
which the carcases, fruit or other substances are placed, the chamber being
gradually filled with CO2, until an atmosphere of this gas within the chamber is
created, when a manhole door is hermetically fastened, and by means of an inlet
tube or other device, the whole contents of the room are subjected to a suitable
pressure.
In the case of soft fruit, such as grapes, peaches, apricots and all other varieties
usually imported they can be packed either in the usual manner in saw-dust, wool
or light shallow wire trays, these same being contained within an air-tight box, and
then treated in a similar manner with CO, under suitable pressure.
Where it is desired to can meat and other food, such as lobster, salmon &c., the
same may be placed in a perfectly fresh condition in the tins, which are then
placed in a large receptacle or chamber, capable of withstanding the necessary
pressure. Here the tins, which are open, aud their contents, are subjected to a
pressure of about one hundred pounds per square inch or to whatever other pressure
may be most suitable, (it being different in the case of different food stuffs,) to
thoroughly treat the substance with CO₂.
To close the tins by soldering or otherwise the tins are taken out of this
chamber, and a portion of the gas occludes from the food substances, filling the tins
gas, tbus preventing the loss of the preserving medium, during the process of
soldering or fastening the lids upon the tins.
with
In cases where it may be desirable to send out such tinned goods, under pressure,
greater than that exerted by the gas occluded from the food itself, the lid is
furnished with a simple flap or other valve which opens inwards, and upon the tins
being soldered or closed, they are all returned to the pressure chamber again, and
there subjected to such pressure as may be deemed desirable.

page_text: This pressure opens the valve, permitting the entrance of the compressed gas
into the tins to such a degree as may be deemed requisite, and upon the removal of
the pressure in the chamber, the pressure of the gas within the tins, closes the
valve, and the tin and its contents are then ready for either storage or transit.
Or, equivalently, the gas may be inserted into the tins in any suitable and
convenient manner.
Dated this 15th d
1004
An Improved Process and Means used therein to Effect the
Preservation of Perishable Substances.
I, DAVID ALEXANDER SUTHERLAND, of 28 Victoria Street, Westminster,
F.I.C., Consulting Technical Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be perforined, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to the preservation from decomposition of any perishable
substances, such as fruits, milk, cream, butter, meat, eggs, or other decomposable
substance, and, in its essence, consists in saturating the substance of a permeable
article to be preserved, or forming there-over a preservative skin (where imper-
meable) with gaseous CO2, at such a pressure as may be deemed requisite to effect
the purpose, for the particular substance to be preserved, without injury thereto,
according to the length of time for which it is to be preserved, or according to the
distance over which it has to be thereafter transported in its preserved state.
To carry out this invention, it is requisite to place the said perishable substances
into a suitable receptacle, capable of being bermetically closed, where they can be
thoroughly saturated with CO₂ under pressure, if permeable, or where a
preservative skin can be formed thereover if impermeable; in which condition they
can remain for an indefinite period without undergoing decomposition or other
organic change. The period of the preservation of such an article is only limited
by the demands of the consumer, whilst kept in an undisturbed atmosphere of CO2
under a suitable pressure. When it is desired to preserve meat, fish, game, or
other substance for export or other trade or purpose, this can be done in the case
of vessels, by having the usual cold storage room replaced by air-tight chambers,
in which the carcases, fruit, or other substances, are placed, the chamber being
gradually filled with CO₂, until an atmosphere of this gas within the chamber is
created, when a manhole door is hermetically fastened, and by means of an inlet
tube, or other device, the whole contents of the room are subjected to a suitable
pressure.
In the case of the soft fruit, such as grapes, peaches, apricots, and all other
varieties usually imported, they can be packed either in the usual manner in
saw-dust, wool or light shallow wire trays, these same being contained within an
air-tight box, and then treated in a similar manner with CO, under suitable
pressure.
Where it is desired to can meat and other food, such as lobster, salmon, &c., the
same may be placed in a perfectly fresh condition in the tins, which are then
placed in any suitable large receptacle or chamber, capable of withstanding the
necessary pressure. Here the tins, which are open, and their contents, are
subjected to a pressure of about one hundred pounds per square inch, or to
whatever other pressure may be most suitable, (it being different in the case of
different food stuffs) to thoroughly treat the substance with CO,

page_text: To close the tins by soldering or otherwise, the tins are taken out of this
chamber, and a portion of the gas occludes from the food substances, filling the tins
with gas, thus preventing the loss of the preserving medium, during the process of
soldering or fastening the lids upon the tins.
In cases where it may be desirable to send out such tinned goods, under pressure,
greater than that exerted by the gas occluded from the food itself, the lid is
furnished with a simple flap or other valve, which opens inwards, and upon the tins
being soldered or closed, they are all returned to the pressure chamber again, and
there subjected to such pressure as may be deemed desirable.
This pressure opens the valve, permitting the entrance of the compressed gas
into the tins to such a degree as may be deemed requisite, and upon the removal of
the pressure in the chamber, the pressure of the gas within the tins, closes the
valve, and the tin and its contents are then ready for either storage or transit.
Or equivalently the gas may be inserted into the tins in any suitable and
convenient manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. A process for the preservation of perishable substances where permeable,
by saturation with gaseous CO2, applied under pressure, in a closed air-tight
chamber, substantially as described.
2nd. A process for the preservation of perishable substances where impermeable,
by the formation of a preservative skin thereon by gaseous CO,, applied under
such pressure as will not destroy or injure the substance, in a closed air-tight
chamber, substantially as described.
3rd. Means for the preservation of tinned goods consisting of cans or vessels
provided with a simple flap or other valve opening inwards by external pressure,
and closing automatically to retain internal pressure, substantially as described.
Dated this 11th day of May 1895.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.