IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE PRESERVATION OF ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE MATTERS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE PRESERVATION OF ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE MATTERS."-A
communication from abroad by Mr. Jules Réné Lion, of 29, Boulevart
D..... in the Tuire of France Proprietor
Sealed the 23rd November 1860, and dated the 7th June 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th June 1860.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the Connty of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRESERVATION OF ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE
MATTERS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the preservation ofanimaland vegetablesubstances,
such as meat, fish, eggs, wheat, flour, bread, sea biscuits, vegetables both dried.
aud fresh,beetroot, the pulp of beetroot, indigenous and exotic fruits, various
kinds of beverages, and other matters.
These improvements consist in enclosing the substances to be preserved in
cases hermetically closed, in which a vacuum is produced by means of auair
pump, by a barometric column, or by the condensation of steam, alcohol,ether,
chloroform, or other liquid or volatile matters, or by other means applicable
for the purpose.

page_text: The next part consists in producing a vacuum in hermetically closed cases,
in which the substances to be preserved are placed, combined with hydrogen
gas, azote, dry heated air, and all other gases generally. For this purpose I
make use of apparatus or means as above, & after having obtained a vacuum
in the cases, I substitute the gas for the air which has been withdrawn.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th December 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting.
-
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Clark, Her special licence that I, the said William
Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as 1, the
said William Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE.
MENTS IN THE PRESERVATION OF ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE MATTERS," a communi-
cation from abroad by Mr. Jules Rene Lion, of 23, Boulevart St. Martin,
Paris, in the Empire of Frauce, Proprietor, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Clark, my executors or administrators, by an
instrumentin 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Clark, do hereby declare
the nature of this said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-

page_text: This Invention relates to the preservation of solid and liquid substances
such as grain, exotic and indigenous fruit, by means of apparatus herein.
after described.
These means and processes of preservation consist, 1st, in producing a
vacuum in any capacity hermetically closed, in which the matters to be pre-
served are placed; 2ndly, in preserving the substances by means of a vacuum
in combination with gas or hot air previously passed over chloride of calcium;
3rdly, the preservation of substances by means of a vacuum produced by with-
drawing the air by high-pressure steam by engines and machines, in a manner
which, before this application, were never adopted for the preservation of ali-
mentary substances; 4thly, in using for the desiccation of vegetables or grain,
also for the preservation of alimentary substances, a distilling apparatus, which
I modify and apply to produce effects herein-after described. 1st, the vacuum
produced in any capacity hermetically closed, in which are placed the sub-
stances to be preserved, can be obtained, 1st, by an air pump; 2ndly, by a
barometic column; 3rdly, by the condensation of steam, air, ether, chloroform,
or other volatile liquid or matter. The vacuum produced by the air pump
simply consists in connecting it with the vessel containing the substances & in
extracting the air from the capacity. The barometric column consists of an
apparatus which can be employed in country mansions or houses, and any
place where fresh supplies of provisions cannot be easily & speedily obtained;
this apparatus.consists of a tube of earthenware, gutta percha, or other matter.
The lower part is situated at the base of the house, in a cellar, for example;
the upper part communicates with the preserving capacity.
The apparatus is represented in section in Fig. 1 of the annexed Drawing.
a, vat having a moveable cover; b, opening in two parts, which parts are
secured by hooks disposed in such way that the vat may be readily closed or
opened; c, barometric tube of earthenware, india-rubber, or other substance,
being thirty-six feet in height when water is employed. The vat a being
closed by the cover b, is then filled with water or other liquid from the upper
part, the meat and other substances having been previously hung on the hooks
d, and the reservoir a closed by its cover b; the under vat e is now opened,
when the water descends to its barometric level, producing a vacuum in which
the meats or other substances remain, and are preserved in a perfect manner.
In preserving meats or fish it is advisable to submit them previously to a bath
of gummy or gelatinous substance, and then coated with powdered charcoal
or black schist. The vacuum produced by steam or other volatile matter is
effected in apparatus of simple construction, which is represented in elevation
at Fig. 2 of the annexed Drawings: a, boiler furnished with its accessories

page_text: necessary to the formation of steam; b, reservoir or metallic capacity hermeti-
cally closed, communicating with the boiler a by a tube b, furnished with a
stop cock d; e, escape cock of the metallic capacity b;f, water escape of the
metallic capacity, emptying the water withoutadmitting air into the apparatus;
g, tube furnished with a cock h,placing the capacity bin communication with
capacity, containing the substances to be preserved; j, injection orifice dis-
tributing cold water for condensing the steam contained in the capacity b. The
whole being mounted as described and represented in the Drawings, it will be
seen that the steam generated in a and introduced in the reservoir b drives out
all air by the escape cocks; the air being thus expelled, if the escape cocks are
shut and cold water distributed in the capacity containing the steam, it will
condense and produce a vacuum. The cock h is now opened, when the air
contained in the capacity will pass into b, the cock is then shut, and the
capacity cleaned with water and air. By repeating this operation several
times, a vacuum will be obtained in the capacity i, being the more perfect the
greater number of times the above operation is performed. If the substances
to be thus preserved are not affected by the steam, for more simplicity they
may be placed in the reservoir b.
2ndly, I will now describe a process of preservation by a vacuum combined
with gas. Gas having great affinity for oxygen is not fit for the preservation,
of substances until the oxygen is extracted. I will also mention the use of
heated air previously passed over chloride of calcium as being suitable to be
employed for the preservation of alimentary substances. The gases, which
are lighter than air, are of two kinds, viz., hydrogen and azote, and the
heaviest are carbonic acid, sulphurous acid, and in general all other gases,
I proceed as follows for different gases;-Suppose a case b, of wool, iron,
zinc, sheet iron, or bitumen, perfectly enclosing the matters to be preserved,
and furnished at its upper part with a tube a,and at its lower part with a pipe
b, diametrically opposed to the first, if the gases employed are lighter than
air, a vacuum will be produced in the capacity b at its lower part by means of
an air pump, and having taken care to put a tube a in communication with
special reservoirs containing the gas employed, it will take the place voided by
the extracted air in the capacity e. In cases where gas heavier than air is
employed, the working of the tube is reversed, the air must leave by the upper
tube a, while the gas enters by the lower tube b. In case the air employed
is previously heated on chloride of calcium,the proceeding must be the same
as for gas heavier than air.
It is necessary that I should give some details to indicate bow and in what
state the substances are placed. Butter and cheese can be enclosed in the

page_text: ordinary state, or better covered with paper prepared with albumen, gum, or
gelatinous matters; milk should be previously concentrated by boiling; meats
and fish may be cooked or raw; all watery fruit can be dipped in gummy
matters and placed in bags coated with albumen, or in very thin india-rubber
envelopes pierced with several openings, so that the air cannot leave but by a
very lengthened filtration. Blocks are disposed conveniently to prevent squeez-
ing of the fruit, and an absorbing powder, charcoal, for example, will prevent
liquefaction.
Another of my processes relates to the preservation of beetroot for sugar
mills and distilleries, which to the present time are dried, and thereby incur
considerable expenses for desiccation and manipulation.
I have represented in the annexed Drawings a new air pump of my Inven-
tion, for producing a vacuum. I have shown it in elevation at Fig. 3 a, fire
to be replaced by a hot bath when the liquids to be warmed are inflamable;
6, boiler enclosing the volatile liquids such as water, ether, &c.; c, tube for the
circulation of warm water to heat the bath, if such is employed, the furnace
being placed behind the partition d; e, intermediate reservoir; f, upper reservoir
or air pump, properly so called; g, case containing the matters to be preserved;
The heated liquid in the boiler rises and soon fills the upper reservoirf, taking
the place of the air which will be ejected by the cock ; when this has
escaped, the cocks h and I are shut, and on opening i and
capacity f will now run into the intermediate reservoir e, and drive out the air
contained in the case g, in which are the alimentary substances. By shutting
the cocks i and j again and opening and k, the operation may be renewed
and repeated until the vacuum is produced in the case g.
the water of the
I reserve to myself the right of applying my processes of preservation to
substances I have not yet named, which are, wheat, all kinds of grain, and
even wine, beer, &c., in all cases adopting the same principle of preserving by
deprivation of air, light, and heat. Corn placed in a pit constructed according
to my Invention, can be preserved without incurring the losses and expenses
consequent on the use of granaries. If the corn placed in this improved pit
were wet, it would begin to sprout; I therefore submit it to a lengthened
evaporation and desiccation, which would assure its preservation.
3rdly, the machines or apparatus which I employ to produce a vacuum are,
J'st, the pneumatic machine or air pump: 2ndly, the barometer; 3rdly, the
machine producing the vacuum by condensation ofsteam, as already described;
4thly, the "thermosyphon" preserving apparatus, operated by the circulation of
hot water, by the employment of caloric, anda circulation of cold water by the
use of a steamor other pump or of a liquor pump. The vacuum is obtained

page_text: either by the "thermosyphon" or by means of a flow of water from a reservoir
at a higher level; 5thly, I also produce a vacuum by the exhaustion of the air
produced by employing steam at high pressure.
This apparatus is represented in section at Fig. 4 of the annexed Drawings.
a, reservoir hermetically closed, containing the matters to be preserved; b
steam opening to the generator c, by means of a cock f; d, tube for exhausting
the air, which, when the cock e is opened, communicates the exterior air with
that in the capacity a. When it is wished to obtain a vacuum in the reservoir
a, the steam cock fis opened communicating with the high-pressure generator
e; the steam escaping to the atmosphere carries the air with it, and further
developes a great heat, which dilates and rarifies the ambiant atmospheric air,
while the interior air of the reservoir is attracted and drawn out, in manner
similar to the action of a blast pipe in a locomotive furnace.
4thly, for the desiccation of vegetables, and their preservation, I use a distil-
ling apparatus, which I have modified, and the action of which I will now
describe. This apparatus is represented at Fig. 5 of the annexed Drawings
It consists of a steam generator, represented by the letter a; b,tube furnished
with a cock t, connecting the steam generator with the capacity e; c, capacity
furnished with two cocks, the one d serving for the escape of the steam, and the
other e for running off the water resulting from the condensation of the steam
contained in the capacity; f, tube furnished with a cock g, connecting the
capacity c with h; i, capacity hermetically closed by ineans of a hinged cover,
in the interior of this capacity are placed shelves to receive the substances to
be preserved; j, double casing to contain water, which is heated by a worm or
tube, which tube is furnished with a cock 1, connecting the steam generator
a with the capacityj; m, tube or funnel, connecting the capacity i with n by
means of a worm pipe furnished with a cock o. This worm is terminated by a
globe p, to which is fitted a tube g, furnished also with a cock r, & communi-
cating with the capacity h; an air tubes is fitted to the capacity n, to facilitate
escape of gas. The whole being as described and represented in the Draw_
ings annexed, it will be seen that if the steam generated in a arri
tube and fills the capacity c, the cocks t, e, and g being closea,
contained in the capacity e will escape by the cock d; care is taken to shut the
latter as soon as the air has escaped at the moment of shutting the cock d
the steam then contained in the capacity e will be condensed and will produce
the vacuum required. The cock g is then opened, and the air in the capa-
city passes by the tube and fills the capacity c, that is to say, the
vacuum will be transferred to h. If steam arrives from the generator a
in the worm or tube k, this worm will heat the water contained in the
h
by the
steam

page_text: double casing j, and cause the evaporation from the matters to be pre-
served contained in the capacity, which is then heated in the bath, to pass
first into the worm and into the globe p. If the cock r of tube q is now
opened, the air in the worm me will escape by the tube q and will fill the capa-
city h. The cock o of the worm m is now shut, and the same operation
repeated until a perfect vacuum is obtained. If the alimentary matters to be
preserved may be injured by the bath or heat, the capacities i, j, n, can be
dispensed with, and represented by vessel u, in which the vacuum would be
obtained by means of capacity h and tube », furnished with a cock x.
Having described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the principle of preserving alimentary substances by the deprivation
of air, light, and heat, in the manner herein before described.
Secondly, the application of the principle of this Invention to the preserva-
tion of all kinds of grain and liquids.
Thirdly, the employment of machines for effecting the preservation of the
substances or liquids, which, to the present time, have never before been
used for such purposes as I have herein-before described and represented
in the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
W. G. E. SWINNOCK,
53, Chancery Lane.
W. CLARK. (L.S.)