IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESERVATION OF ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES TO BE USED AB FOOD
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Jones, of Botolph Lane, in the City of
London, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PRESERVATION OF ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES TO BE USED AB
FOOD."
Sealed the 25th September 1869, and dated the 31st March 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Jones at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st March 1869.
I, RICHARD JONES, of Botolph Lane, in the City of London, Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE PRESERVATION OF ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES TO BE USED AS
FOOD," to be as follows:-
In the preservation of animal and vegetable substances it is customary
to subject the matters to be preserved in cases in liquid at a temperature
varying from about 240 to about 280 degrees Fahrenheit, and in doing
so by the steam generated to drive out the atmospheric air contained in
the cases and in the tissues of the contained matters through an aperture

page_text: left for the purpose, and then to seal such aperture by solder or other-
wise whilst steam is flowing therefrom.
The object of my improvements is to facilitate the removal of the
atmospheric air from the cases and the cooking of the matters contained
therein. For this purpose the cases are attached by small pipes having
taps to them to suitable exhaust apparatus in order that, as desired, a
partial vacuum may be created in the cases to aid the removal of the
atmospheric air contained in such cases and in the tissues of the
contained matters during a portion of the heating process to such
matters to be preserved for food.
The method I adopt for obtaining the desired exhaustion is by the use
of a pipe descending from the tank to, say, about 32 feet into an open
well or receiver. The pipe is kept closed by a suitable tap or valve until
the tank is filled and closed air-tight; then by opening the tap or
valve the weight of the column in the pipe will produce the desired
extent of exhaustion, or it may be by an air pump or other suitable
means. By these means I am enabled to use a temperature in the
heating fluid as low as 212 degrees Fahrenheit, or even lower, for the
necessary cooking of the matters in the cases. When the operation is
complete the connection between the pipe from the exhaust apparatus is
separated, and the aperture thereby left in each case is sealed by solder-
ing or otherwise.
If desired, nitrogen gas or other inert or non-decomposing gas may be
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Richard Jones in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 30th September 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
JONES, of Botolph Lane, in the City of London, Merchant, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors,

page_text: give and grant unto me, the said Richard Jones, Her special licence
that I, the said Richard Jones, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as my, the said Richard Jones, 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
THE PRESERVATION OF ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES TO BE USED AS FOOD,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard Jones,
my 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 Richard Jones, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
In the preservation of animal and vegetable substances to be used as
food it is customary to subject the matters to be preserved in cases to
heat in liquid, which in some instances is simply water, in others it is a
solution of muriate of lime, and in some instances also it is oil that is
so used. The temperature employed in the several instances varies, but
generally a heat of from 212° to 260° of Fahrenheit is employed.
the object of the heat being, by the steam generated in the cases con-
taining the substances to be preserved in some processes, to drive
out from such cases the atmospheric air contained therein, and the
destructive or decomposing air and gases contained in the tissues of the
contained matters to be preserved, and to effect the cooking of the
contained matters.
When boiling water is employed as the medium for obtaining the
desired heat to the cases containing the matters to be preserved, those
cases are often hermetically closed when they are first put into the
water, and then after remaining in the boiling water a time sufficient for
the contents thereof to be cooked the cases are pierced, when the con-
tained air in an expanded state escapes by the opening thus produced.

page_text: This opening is then closed so as again to seal the cases, when they are
again immersed in the boiling water to complete the cooking; but by
this method it is found that the contained matters are very injuriously
affected by being very much over cooked.
When the cases containing the substances to be preserved are boiled
in a solution of muriate of lime or other liquid whose boiling point is
higher than that of water alone there is generally left in the top of each
case containing the substances to be preserved a small hole or aperture,
through which the contained air or gases may escape, and when the
contained substances to be preserved are fully cooked these holes or
apertures are hermetically closed, and then the cases with these con-
tained substances to be preserved are again subjected to a high heat for
some time, but the result by this method also is that the contained
substances are too much cooked.
The object of my improvements is to facilitate the removal of the
atmospheric air from the cases containing the substances to be preserved,
and of the air and gases in the tissues of such substances, and also the
cooking for the preservation of such substances by the combined or
relative use of the exhausting means with the cooking process. For this
purpose the cases (usually formed of tin) containing the matters to be
preserved are attached each by a small pipe having a tap in it to
suitable exhaust apparatus in order that, as desired, a vacuum or partial
vacuum may be created in the cases through the pipes connecting them
with the exhaust apparatus. The cases thus arranged in respect of the
vacuum apparatus are also placed in a bath of boiling water, when the
tap in each pipe from a case to the exhaust apparatus is turned so as to
admit of free passage between the interior of each case and the exhaust
apparatus for, say, one or two minutes, by which the air contained in the
cases will be withdrawn therefrom, and wholly or in part from the con-
tained substances, thus getting clear of the greater portion of the
decomposing or destructive element in the substances to be preserved
before the cooking thereof begins. The taps in the connecting pipes to
the exhaust are then turned off, and the cooking of the contained
substances by the heat of the bath then begins, and is continued for, say,
from 20 to 90 minutes, according to the size of the case or the quantity
or character of the contained substances to be preserved, during which
time the heat of the contents of the cases being raised to about a tempe-
rature of 212° Fahrenheit the air and gases contained in the food are

page_text: thus drawn or driven to the outside of the food, when the taps to the
respective cases are again turned to open a passage to the exhaust
apparatus, by which means the remaining air or gas is withdrawn from
the substances for food contained in the cases. The taps are then
closed, and the cooking is continued until the article is properly cooked,
when the taps are turned to open the passages between the respective
cases, and the exhaust and any remaining air is entirely withdrawn.
The operation on the contained substances being completed, the con-
necting tubes from the cases to the exhaust are then separated and closed
or sealed.
When using a solution of muriate of lime as the medium for receiving
the cases and heating the substances contained in such cases I employ
a temperature to such liquid of about 228° Fahrenheit, and the process
is conducted otherwise in a similar manner to when boiling water is
used, but for a shorter space of time. The amount of time of boiling
and also of the vacuum is varied to the contents and size of the cases
containing the matters under operation.
The time when and during which the matters under operation in the
cases are subject to the action of the exhausting means must also be
determined by the amount of moisture which it may be desirable to
withdraw from the matters under operation, and whether the article of
food is intended to be boiled, roasted, stewed, or otherwise treated. The
number of times the contents of the cases may be repoatedly subjected to
the action of the exhausting means during the preserving process may be
varied, and in some instances it is desirable to have the articles cooked
entirely in vacuum.
With roast meats, poultry, game, and others the liquid juice is
withdrawn from the article during the operation for preserving, but it is
drawn into and retained in the exhaust means, and the value of it is not
depreciated for use.
With boiled or stewed meats, fish, and others requiring gravy, juice, or
sauce in the case with them, such may be added through a small tube
from a boiler or other supply containing the same, such tube being
provided with a small tap or stop-cock. When the air has been
exhausted from the cases containing the food to be preserved the gravy
or other liquid required may flow in by the other pipe from a suitable
supply. The quantity of such gravy, juice, or sauce may be measured by
a guage or register.

page_text: Various methods may be adopted for obtaining the desired vacuum,
but that which I find to answer well consists in the use of a pipe
descending from a tank to, say, about 32 feet into an open well or
receiver. This pipe is kept closed by a suitable tap or valve until the
tank is filled and closed air-tight; then by opening the tap or valve the
weight of the column in the pipe will produce the desired extent of
exhaustion, or it may be obtained by an air pump or other suitable
I am thus enabled to use a temperature in the heating fluid as
low as 212 degrees Fahrenheit, or even lower, for the necessary cooking
of the matters in the cases.
If desired nitrogen gas or other inert or non-decomposing gas or
liquid may be introduced to fill up the cases and prevent injury to
them by collapsing.
Having thus described my Invention I would have it understood that
I am aware that it has heretofore been proposed to operate on animal
and vegetable matters for the preservation of them for food by the
employment of exhausting means in connection with the heating means,
but by such method the exhausting means was employed to act pre-
viously to the cooking process, and such to the best of my belief was
not found to answer, I do not therefore claim the same when separately
considered; but what I claim is, the method of operating for the pre-
servation of animal and vegetable substances to be used as food by
exhausting the air and contained gases from the cases containing the
food to be preserved during the operation of heating for the cooking,
also after the desired cooking has been effected, and also the cffecting of
such cooking entirely under vacuum, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Jones, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.