AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR PRESERVING MEAT, AND APPLIANCES TO USE THEREFOR
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bevan George Sloper and Edward Arthur Sloper, both of
Battersea, in the County of Surrey, Meat Preservers, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR PRESERVING MEAT, AND APPLIANCES TO USE
THEREFOR
"
Sealed the 2nd December 1879, and dated the 4th June 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Bevan George Sloper and
Edward Arthur Sloper at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
4th June 1879.
BEVAN GEORGE SLOPER and EDWARD ARTHUR SLOPER, both of Battersea, in
the County of Surrey, Meat Preservers. "AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR PRESERVING
MEAT, AND APPLIANCES TO USE THEREFOR.'
"
The object of our Invention is to preserve meat in a cooked state of a greatly
improved quality, at a much less expense than by the usual method of preserving
meat in tin cases, and to prevent the very considerable losses which are caused at
present in preserving cooked meat in tin cases.
According to our Invention, we boil the meat in jars or pots previously herme-
tically closed as hereinafter described, of earthenware, stoneware, delfware, cast iron,
tinned, or galvanized, or enamelled, or glass or other suitable material sufficiently
strong to withstand the pressure hereinafter described, and having covers of the
same or other suitable materials of the necessary strength, which covers, by means
of elastic washers of india rubber or other suitable material, fit air tight on the top
of the jar. The upper part of the jar is made with a projecting outside rim or
flange. This rim has three or more narrow vertical openings made through it to
allow the passage of the claws or feet of legs on what we call a saddle. When the
india rubber or elastic washer is placed in a ledge or groove made to receive it in
the edge of the jar, the lid or cover is placed on it, and the saddle upon the lid or
cover; strong pressure is then applied on the lid or cover, whereby the washer is
compressed, and its thickness lessened so as to allow the claws or feet of the saddle,

page_text: on the saddle being turned a little, to pass under the lower edge of the projecting
rim of the jar, which should be slightly inclined near each opening; thus the cover
is firmly locked to the jar, so that when the compressing power is removed, the
pressure on the lid or cover and washer is continued. The jar by this means
becomes hermetically closed, and continues so, and when immersed in a heated
liquid to cook the meat, no air, vapor, or liquid can pass out of or enter into the
closed jar.
By this certain method of excluding the entrance of air into the jar after the
preserving process, all loss from putrefaction is prevented, and the preserved cooked 1
meat will remain perfect for any length of time.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Bevan George Sloper and Edward Arthur Sloper in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 4th December 1879.
BEVAN GEORGE SLOPER and EDWARD ARTHUR SLOPER, both of Battersea, in the
County of Surrey, Meat Preservers. "AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF PRESERVING
MEAT, AND APPLIANCES TO USE THEREFOR."
The ordinary method of preserving meat in a cooked state is to place the un-
cooked meat in a soldered tin case and then to boil the meat, the gases given off
during boiling being allowed to escape through a small hole in the case, which hole
is afterwards soldered up. There are many objections to this method, among which
we may mention, that as the case has to be cut open in order to remove the contents
it becomes valueless; that the action of the solder upon the inside of the tin
imparts a disagreeable flavour to the meat, that the soldering is often imperfect, so
that air enters the case and causes putrefaction of the meat, and that as during the
boiling, gases and liquid escape from the case through the hole before mentioned
(which hole is necessary to prevent the tin bursting), part of the nutriment and
flavour of the meat is thereby wasted.
Now according to our Invention, we employ jars or pots of earthenware, stone-
ware, delfware, cast iron, tinned, galvanized, or enamelled, or glass, or other suitable
material sufficiently strong to withstand the pressure to which they are subjected.
We place the uncooked meat in these jars, we then hermetically close them as
hereinafter described, and we then immerse them in a heated liquid to cook the
meat, during which process no air, vapor, or liquid can pass out of or into the
hermetically closed jars.
The manner in which we hermetically close the jars is as follows:-We interpose
an elastic washer of india rubber or other suitable material between the cover and
the rim of the jar; we prefer instead of a plain rim, a ledge or groove in the rim of
the jar to prevent the elastic washer being forced out by the internal pressure pro-
duced by the heating of the contents of the jar. We apply strong pressure on the
cover of the jar, and thus compress the washer and close the jar hermetically, so
that no air can pass either inwards or outwards; we retain the cover in its position
so compressed by any suitable means, so that the washer remains in its compressed
state when the mechanical power employed to produce its compression is removed.
One of the methods we employ for this purpose is represented in Figures 1 and 2
of the annexed Drawings, which are respectively an elevation and a vertical section.
It consists of a metal saddle a fitting over the cover b of the jar c, and having legs d
and claws e to grip a projecting outside rim or flange f on the upper part of the
body of the jar; this flange has 3 or more narrow vertical openings g made through
it to allow the passage of the claws or feet 6; h is the washer before described
resting on a ledge on the rim of the jar when the pressure we use is applied on the
lid or cover b; the washer h is compressed, and its thickness lessened so as to
allow the claws or feet of the saddle, on the saddle being turned a little, to pass
under the lower edge of the flange f of the jar, which edge may either be slightly
inclined near each opening as shown, or horizontal; thus the cover is firmly locked
to the jar, so that when the compressing power is removed, the pressure on the lid
or cover and washer is continued.
Another method we use for holding the cover permanently under the same
pressure as when compressed by the mechanical power is represented in Figures 3
and 4, and consists in the employment of bands of wire i, i, embracing the jar
vertically by passing under the bottom of the jar, and over the cover as shown;
these bands may be in one or several pieces of wire, and by joining their ends in
convenient positions and twisting their ends together or fastening them in any
other way, we tighten the wires sufficiently to resist the upward pressure exercised
by the elastic washer on the removal of the mechanical pressure employed.

page_text: The jar by either of these means becomes hermetically closed, and continues so,
and when immersed in a heated liquid to cook the meat, as already explained, no
air, vapor, or liquid can pass out of or enter into the closed jar, and therefore none
of the nutriment or flavour of the meat is lost. By this certain method of pre-
venting the entrance of air into the jar after the preserving process, all loss from
the putrefaction of the contents of the jar is avoided, and the preserved cooked meat
will continue perfect for any length of time.
The jars can be opened when required by, in the one case, turning the saddle a
until the claws c come below the openings g, so that the saddle can be lifted off;
and in the other case by cutting the wires. In both cases the jars and their covers
are in no way injured or depreciated in value, and they can therefore be used over
and over again.
And having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, we declare that we claim,-
First. Preserving meat by boiling or cooking it in hermetically closed jars, as
herein before described.
Second. The improved jars or appliances for hermetically enclosing and preserving
meat, constructed substantially as hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Arthur Sloper, for myself and on
behalf of the said Bevan George Sloper, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Fourth day of December, One thousand eight hundred and seventy
nine.
E. A. SLOPER. (LS)