An Improved Process of and Apparatus for Preserving Food-stuffs and the like, also applicable for Disinfecting purposes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Dec., 1899
Complete Specification Left. 11th Sept.. 1900-Accepted, 8th Dec., 1900
An Improved Process of and Apparatus for Preserving Food-stuffs
and the like, also applicable for Disinfecting purposes.
I, JÖRGEN JACOBSEN MÖLLER, of 61, Norderstrasse, Flensburg, in the Empire
of Germany, Post Office Assistant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
Heretofore the ready preservation of food stuff or the like has been
attended with difficulty owing to its becoming contaminated or decayed through
putrefaction setting in by contact with the air; it has been usual to keep the
latter from contact with the article to be preserved by the well known arrange-
ment of hydraulic or similar seals in connection with the preserving vessels;
and in lieu of water, oil or fat has commonly been introduced into the sealing-
channel, into which dips a bell shaped cover. This arrangement however has
been found to be undesirable for the purpose inasmuch as the liquids are not
of a nature calculated to prevent the passage of bacteria into the interior of the
vessel where should the said bacteria come into contact with the contents, de-
composition thereof ensues. Notwithstanding the fact of a seal of water oil
or fat preventing the odour of the preserved article from escaping into the stor-
ing room, a seal of this description is absolutely injurious to the contents of
the preserving vessel by reason of the materials, used for forming the seal, being
more or less preeminently suitable for the cultivation of most bacteria.
Thus it has only been possible to preserve food-stuffs or the like for long
periods by placing them in materials such as vinegar or salt, or to subject them
to the special preserving process of sterilizing, cooking or steaming in soldered
tins. This latter process, owing to the trouble attached to it has only been
practiced by manufacturers and the former has the disadvantage that the pre-
served articles take the flavour of the preserving material.
The object of this invention is to construct a preserving vessel which is dis-
tinguished from others by the fact that it not only seals the preserved article
from the outer air as a soldered tin or the like does, but that the contents are
thoroughly protected and do not acquire the flavour or odour of the materials
used for preserving it: that is effected in the following manner;
The upper end of a suitable vessel formed of glass, earthenware, porcelain,
enamelled iron, tin or other appropriate material, and which may be furnished
with a special inner vessel or receiver for the food-stuffs or the like, is formed
with an external concave lip or channel which is divided by a central partition
so arranged as to form two annular grooves for the reception of two flanges of
the cover. Beneath this cover a second cover or lid may be applied to fit loosely
on the inner receiver containing the food stuff or the like.
The innermost groove is filled with a highly volatile antiseptic substance as
for example a solution of formalin, acetic acid or the like, while the outer groove
contains a substance which will prevent the evaporation of the antiseptic medium
into the air such as oil for example.
The presence of the antiseptic liquid in the inner groove has the effect of pre-

page_text: venting bacteria from entering the vessel and causing putrefaction of its con-
tents, for it is obvious that any germs penetrating as far as the antiseptic liquid
will be destroyed thereby.
The vapour given off by the antiseptic medium flows toward the interior of
the vessel containing the material to be preserved and on reaching the same acts
upon it by killing any bacteria which may have attacked it previously thus
thoroughly preserving it.
The size of the inner groove must be in proportion to the capacity of the
vessel, while the outer groove need only be large enough to contain just suffi-
cient oil or the like to form a seal. Furthermore the inner cover may also be
arranged to contain an antiseptic medium, and this is particularly advisable for
large sized vessels in order to obtain a copious evaporation.
The apparatus herein before described is suitable for preserving food-stuffs and
the like which are placed in the preserving vessel without the addition of any
preservative agents such as salt, vinegar or the like and by this means the goods
retain more of their natural appearance, constitution and flavour than is other-
wise possible.
It may be desirable to still further render the food stuffs secure by sterilizing
or by other recognised means, and in such case the antiseptic medium may con-
sist of a weak solution of formalin, ordinary vinegar mixed with salt, alcohol,
or a solution or a fine powder of boracic or salicylic acid or the like which anti-
septic means will be found to be sufficient to prevent the passage of bacteria
from the exterior, thus the contents in the preserving vessel are kept free from
germs and prevented from decay.
The strength of the formalin solution, acetic acid, or other antiseptic agent
depends upon the quantity employed and also upon the quality and the kind of
food stuffs to be preserved.
The temperature is not material, as although in warm weather the food stuff's
are more easily effected the antiseptic materials develop vapors of greater
density, so that the balance is always maintained. Thus the protection is the
same at all temperatures whatever the variations are and this effectually con-
tributes to the proper preservation of the contents, a result which has not been
attained by any other arrangement.
The vessel may be opened and portions of the contents removed and the
covers replaced, the vapour lost during the short period for which the vessel
remains opened will at once be replaced by newly developed vapours.
It is important that the external channel before described shall be divided
off by a partition. If this partition were omitted and the cover (simply like a
bell) disposed in a single groove it would at first be possible to insert oil therein
on the outer side of the cover above the antiseptic so that the oil vapours could
not come into contact with the contents of the vessel, but at the first removal
of the cover the oil would spread over the entire surface of the channel, and
thus, on replacing the cover, it would stand above the antiseptic in the interior
of the cover and would thus prevent the evaporation thereof and would in fact
act in an injurious manner upon the contents of the vessel.
My improved method and apparatus may equally well be utilized for disin-
fecting articles, such as bandages, surgical instruments and the like. The
vapours from a strong solution of formalin for example in sufficient quantity
destroys in a very short time all micro-organisms, even those most difficult to
kill, such as anthrax sporules. The instruments subjected to this disinfecting
process are not injured in any way, do not rust nor lose their brightness, and
their cutting edges remain intact.
Dated this 13th day of Documber 1800
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: An Improved Process of and Apparatus for Preserving Food-stuffs
and the like, also applicable for Disinfecting purposes.
I, JORGEN JACOBSEN MÖLLER, of No. 61, Norderstrasse, Flensburg, in the
German Empire, Post Office Assistant, do hereby declare the nature of this in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Heretofore the ready preservation of food and relishes has been attended
with difficulty owing to its becoming contaminated or decayed through
putrefaction setting in by contact with the air; it has been usual to keep the
latter from contact with the article to be preserved by the well known arrange-
ment of hydraulic or similar seals in connection with the preserving vessels;
and in lieu of water, oil or fat has commonly been introduced into the sealing-
channel, into which dips a bell shaped cover. This arrangement however has
been found to be undesirable for the purpose inasmuch as the liquids are not
of a nature calculated to prevent the passage of bacteria into the interior of the
vessel where should the said bacteria come into contact with the contents, de-
composition thereof ensues. Notwithstanding the fact of a seal of water, oil
or fat preventing the odour of the preserved article from escaping into the stor-
ing room, a seal of this description is absolutely injurious to the contents of
the preserving vessel by reason of the materials, used for forming the seal, being
more or less preeminently suitable for the cultivation of most bacteria.
Thus it has only been possible to preserve articles of food or the like for long
periods by placing them in materials such as vinegar or salt, or to subject them
to the special preserving process of sterilizing, cooking or steaming in soldered
tins. This latter process, owing to the trouble attached to it has only been
practiced by manufacturers and the former has the disadvantage that the pre-
served articles take the flavour of the preserving material.
The object of this invention is to construct a preserving vessel which is dis-
tinguished from others by the fact that it not only seals the preserved article
from the outer air as a soldered tin or the like does, but that the contents are
thoroughly protected and do not acquire the flavour or odour of the materials
used for preserving it.
In order that my invention may be more fully understood by one skilled in the
art to which it appertains, I will now proceed to describe the same in detail and
for that purpose reference is taken to the accompanying drawing, by which I
have shown a vertical central section of a preserving vessel involving my pre-
sent invention.
The upper end of a suitable vessel a formed of glass, earthenware, porcelain,
enamelled iron, tin or other appropriate material, and which may be furnished
with a special inner vessel or receiver a¹ for the articles to be preserved or disin-
fected, is formed with an external concave lip or channel which is divided by
a partition eso arranged as to form two annular grooves and 3 for the
reception of two flanges and respectively of the cover d. Beneath this
cover da second cover or lid e may be applied to fit loosely on the inner receiver
containing the substances or articles to be treated, so as to leave a sufficient free
space or passage between the lid e and the top rim of the inner receiver a¹ in
order to allow the antiseptic vapours to pass through such passage into the
interior of the receiver a, as this will be explained later on.
The innermost groove 2 is filled with a highly volatile antiseptic substance

page_text: as for example a solution of formalin, acetic acid or the like, while the outer
groove b contains a substance which will prevent the evaporation of the anti-
septic medium into the air such as oil for example.
The presence of the antiseptic liquid in the inner groove 2 has the effect of
preventing bacteria from entering the vessel and causing putrefaction of its
contents, for it is obvious that any germs penetrating as far as the antiseptic
liquid will be destroyed thereby.
The vapour given off by the antiseptic medium flows toward the interior of
the vessel containing the material to be preserved and on reaching the same acts
upon it by killing any bacteria which may have attacked it previously, thus
thoroughly preserving it.
The size of the inner groove 62 must be in proportion to the capacity of the
vessel, while the outer groove 61 only needs to be large enough to contain just
sufficient oil or the like to form a seal. Furthermore the inner cover e may
also be arranged to contain an antiseptic medium, and this is particularly
advisable for large sized vessels in order to obtain a copious evaporation.
The apparatus hereinbefore described is suitable for preserving food and
relishes which are placed in the preserving vessel without the addition of any
preservative agents such as salt, vinegar or the like and by this means the goods
retain more of their natural appearance, constitution and flavour than is other-
wise possible.
It may be desirable to still further render the substances secure by sterilizing
or by other recognised means, and in such case the antiseptic medium may con-
sist of a weak solution of formalin, ordinary vinegar mixed with salt, alcohol,
or a solution or a fine powder of boracic or salicylic acid or the like which anti-
septic means will be found to be sufficient to prevent the passage of bacteria
from the exterior, thus the contents in the preserving vessel are kept free from
germs and prevented from decay.
The strength of the formalin solution, acetic acid. or other antiseptic agent
depends upon the quantity employed and also upon the quality and the kind of
substances to be preserved.
The temperature is not material, as although in warm weather the articles of
food are more easily effected the antiseptic materials develop vapors of greater
density, so that the balance is always maintained. Thus the protection is the
same at all temperatures whatever the variations are and this effectually con-
tributes to the proper preservation of the contents, a result which has not been
attained by any other process and arrangement.
The vessel may be opened and portions of the contents removed and the
covers replaced, the vapour lost during the short period for which the vessel
remains opened will at once be replaced by newly developed vapours.
It is important that the channel before described shall be divided off by a
partition c. If this partition were omitted and the cover (simply like a
bell) disposed in a single groove it would at first be possible to insert oil therein
on the outer side of the cover above the antiseptic so that the oil vapours could
not come into contact with the contents of the vessel, but at the first removal
of the cover the oil would spread over the entire surface of the channel, and
thus, on replacing the cover, it would stand above the antiseptic in the interior
of the cover and would thus prevent the evaporation thereof and would in fact
act in an injurious manner upon the contents of the vessel.
The
My improved method and apparatus may equally well be utilized for disin-
fecting articles, such as bandages, surgical instruments and the like.
vapours from a strong solution of formalin for example in sufficient quantity
destroys in a very short time all micro-organisms, even those most difficult to
kill, such as anthrax sporules. The instruments subjected to this disinfecting
process are not injured in any way, do not rust nor lose their brightness, and
their cutting edges remain intact.

page_text: 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
1 claim is:―
1) The herein-described method of preserving food and relishes and disin-
fecting articles of use which consists in storing the substances or articles to be
preserved or made aseptic within a closed vessel, jar or receptacle and providing
beneath the hydraulic sealed cover of the same, but separate from the substances
or articles to be preserved, a space or spaces for the reception of volatile anti-
septic means in such a manner that the vapours of the latter being retained within
the vessel and having access to the substances or articles to be preserved or kept
aseptic, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2) In a vessel or jar, a rim provided with a pair of channels, a lid, a pair of
depending flanges thereon the outer longer than the inner, adapted to take into
said channels, an internal receiver suspended in said jar from a peripheral flange,
a lid for said internal receiver, spacing-lugs thereon and a depression in said
lid for the reception of an antiseptic, substantially as set forth.
3) In a vessel or jar or similar receptacle the combination of two chambers or
troughs attached to the jar and surrounding each other, the inner trough
being filled with a vaporizing antiseptic means and the outer trough with an
indifferent liquid, and of a cover provided with two flanges or rims da² corre-
sponding to the troughs and adapted to enter the latter, a free passage being
left between the cover and jar, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
4) In a vessel or jar, a rim provided with channels for containing vaporizable
chemical preservatives and a liquid seal, a lid provided with depending flanges,
the outer one of which supports the lid and rests on the bottom of its channel,
an internal receiver adapted to hang from the interior wall of said jar, and an
auxiliary lid for covering the internal receiver, as set forth.
5) In a vessel or jar, a rim provided with channels, a lid having depending
flanges adapted to take into said channels and be liquid-sealed, an internal
receiver provided with a flange and hung therefrom in said jar, a lid for said
receiver, a closing-rim having spacing-ribs, and a depression in said lid for the
reception of a vaporizable preservative, substantially as set forth.
6) The improved vessel or jar for preserving and disinfecting purposes, con-
structed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to
and shown in the drawing annexed.
1 "
1111
T
1
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.