Improvements in or relating to Closing Device for Receptacles for Sterilising.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 16th Oct., 1897..
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Closing Device for Receptacles for
Sterilising.
I, RUDOLF THIEL of Schwartauer-Allee, Lübeck, in the Empire of Germany,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
This invention relates to a closing or sealing device for receptacles used for
sterilising whereby the improper admission of air through the regulating valve
is prevented a further object being to protect the matter (fluid, etc.) which is being
sterilised from taking up particles of the packing material employed which latter
is liable to be dissolved at the high temperatures which are used.
As a result of experiments with sterilising receptacles it has been found in
practice that if the regulating valve is prematurely opened either through
ignorance or otherwise air will readily find its way into the said sterilising
receptacle thus exposing the fluid etc. which it is desired to sterilise to the danger
of being spoiled. It is also known that packing materials such as india-rubber
and leather are liable to dissolve or unite with the fluid etc. to be sterilised."
With a view to remedying these defects I provide the regulating valve
according to my present invention with a locking device which can only be
loosened by means of a special key provided for the purpose.
The packing material of the regulating valve and also of the cover of the
receptacle is prevented from coming in contact with the contents of the said
receptacle by the interposition of a suitable protecting substance.
I will now proceed to describe my said invention with reference to the
panying drawings, in which:-
accom-
Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing one form of my improved closing device.
Fig. 2 shows a modification of the same, and
Fig. 3 represents a section through the regulating valve.
Referring now to Fig. 3 of the drawings the valve seat a is surrounded by a
socket and serves as a guide for the valve c which is held upon its seat by means
of a spiral spring b; the elastic packing material is fixed beneath the valve c
by a screw e which screws into the said valve. The valve spindle is so made
as to form two ledges or steps the lower ledge serving as a bearing for the spring b.
The locking cap f screws over the socket a which forms the wall of the valve.
When the cap f has been screwed down a certain distance upon the valve seat
socket a tue spring b is compressed to a suitable extent which will depend upon
the pressure likely to be caused in the interior of the receptacle.
Should the pressure in the sterilising receptacle suddenly increase the gases
will cause the valve c to rise and will escape through an opening d provided in
the socket of the valve seat a. When the sterilising process has been completed
the locking cap f is screwed down (for instance by means of a suitable key)
until the inside of the top of the cap bears against the upper ledge or projection
formed upon the valve spindle by which means both the packing material 9 and
the screw head e are firmly pressed against the valve seat.

page_text: The packing material g of the valve c is entirely prevented from coming in
contact with the sterilised fluid by means of the screw head c.
A suitable packing material for rendering the cover of the receptacle air-tight
is india-rubber and the fluid etc. which is being or which has already been
sterilised is prevented from coming in contact with such india-rubber by
inserting an intermediary packing of hemp asbestos or the like between the said
rubber packing and the interior of the receptacle.
Such an arrangement as that above described is shown in the drawings but
the insertion of the intermediary packing may be carried out by other con-
structions.
Fig. 1 of the drawings represents a vertical section through the closing device
of a sterilising receptacle.
The cover b¹ is held upon the receptacle a¹ by means of an excentrically bent
lever the rounded out portion of which presses a clamp which is located
beneath it against a recessed piece arranged upon the cover or in any other
suitable manner.
In this figure the regulating valve f¹ is shown arranged inside the cover but
it may be equally well located at any point in the body of the receptacle.
In Fig. 1 the packing ring proper is shown arranged over the intermediary
packing between the angular shoulders formed on the receptacle and the cover
in such a manner that the said outer ring g' which is of india rubber for example
effects a complete sealing and is yet prevented by the intermediary packing
from coming in contact with the contents of the receptacle.
In the form represented in Fig. 2 the cover is also secured by means of a
clamp but in this case both the outer india-rubber packing ring c" and the inter-
mediary packing ring all are placed in two grooves arranged one above the other
so that the cover when forced upon the neck of the receptacle will by means of
its projecting shoulders press upon the lower packing ring of india-rubber and
also upon the projecting ring at the same time.
The two rings are in this manner pressed together and thus effectually seal
the receptacle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In closing or sealing devices for sterilising receptacles the employment of a
valve adapted to be locked by means of the valve spindle being formed with
several shoulders or projections against the topmost of which shoulders or pro-
jections the closing cap which covers the whole valve may be screwed in such
manner that the valve is thereby firmly applied to its seat in combination with a
screw carrying the packing material with a head on said screw adapted to fit
down tightly as a valve onto a seating in the valve passage to prevent contact
between the contents of the receptacle and the packing ring substantially as here-
inbefore described.
2. In closing or sealing devices for sterilising receptacles the employment there-
with of a safety ring consisting of a material not subject to change at high
temperatures in combination with the packing ring in order to prevent the latter
affecting the contents of the receptacle substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. Closing or sealing device for sterilising receptacles combined and arranged
to act substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the drawings hereunto annexed.
Dated this 26th day of October 1896.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.