Improvements in Sterilizing Milk and other Substances.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Dec, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 7th May, 1891-Accepted, 13th June, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sterilizing Milk and other Substances.
I, WILHELM BUDENBERG, of Dortmund, Westphalia, .Prussia, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the sterilization of certain fresh articles of food of
vegetable or animal origin, such as fruits, vegetables, nourishing liquids and other
substances for the purpose of preserving them. Since the high sanitary and
economical value of sterilized milk became generally recognized numerous attempts
have been made to discover methods and apparatus for sterilizing on a large scale
milk and other important articles of food. Apparatus hitherto constructed for this
purpose, if at all fit for use, has been so complicated that its employment has been
very limited, and by reason of the considerable cost of such apparatus the sterilized
product has been extremely expensive as compared with the raw material. The
general use, of sterilized milk for instance can only become general when the
sterilizing process shall only slightly increase the price of the material. My
invention is designed to attain this object whether the process be carried out on a
large or a small scale.
According to my invention the process of sterilization is effected while the
substance treated is contained in glass bottles which can also serve for transport and
for preserving the material treated. The glass bottles are constructed in such a
manner that they can be easily manipulated.
The sterilizing process is effected in one of the generally known simple apparatus
in which steam of from 100° to 105° Celsius enters. Shelves are arranged in the
apparatus in such a manner, that a large number of the glass bottles can be placed
in the apparatus at the same time.
These glass bottles may be of various dimensions and are provided with a
peculiarly constructed neck and glass stopper. The accompanying drawing shows
by way of example some forms in which the neck and stopper may be made but
they are of course capable of various modifications without departing from the
distinctive features of the invention.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the neck of a bottle A having a stopper B.
Two diametrically opposite holes a a are formed in the neck, and the glass stopper,
which is carefully ground in, has two grooves bb corresponding to the said holes
and extending from the latter to the lower edge of the stopper. When the
stopper is in the position shown in Fig. 2, which is a cross section on the line y
of Fig. 1, the holes a are in communication with the grooves band external air
can pass freely into the interior of the bottle, whilst the bottle is hermetically
closed after the stopper has been turned through 90 degrees as shewn in Fig. 3.
it
The number of the holes a and grooves b may be increased, or only one hole and
one groove may be used, and the groove may be replaced by an oblique or
angular hole in the stopper as shewn in Figs. 1 and 4 in dotted lines. For practical
reasons however I prefer the above described arrangement.
To render the bottle ready for use a band of wadding is placed round the neck
of the bottle and attached thereto by means of strips of gauze or other suitable
means so as to entirely cover the holes a a. The bottle is then filled with the
substance to be sterilized which must be in as fresh a condition as possible. The
stopper B is then firmly inserted into the position shewn in Fig. 2, so that air is
allowed to pass through the band of wadding by the path ab into the bottle.
Figs. 4, 5 and 6 shew another construction of the bottle in which the manual
labour in manufacturing the vessel is still further reduced and in consequence the
sterilizing process rendered cheaper. In this arrangement in lieu of the holes a a

page_text: the neck of the bottle has a vertical groove a¹ extending either from below
(see Fig. 4) or from above (see Fig. 5) to a little beyond half the length
of the neck of the bottle. Opposite to this groove a', the glass stopper B,
which is carefully ground in, is provided with a groove b extending from
above or from below to beyond the middle of the stopper, so that when
the stopper is inserted, the inner ends of the grooves a cover each other,
thus forming a passage which when the stopper is in the position shewn con-
stitutes a sufficiently large communication between the interior of the, bottle. and
the external air, while a quarter revolution of the stopper is sufficient to
hermetically close the bottle (see Fig. 6). When a bottle of this construction is
filled with raw material, the stopper is firmly inserted into the position shewn in
Fig. 4 and either the upper groove Fig. 4 of the groove a¹ Fig. 5 is closed by
means of a plug or stopper of wadding. Through the latter air can of course
penetrate into the interior of the bottle.
After the bottles have been prepared according to either of these two methods
they are introduced into the disinfecting apparatus, in which the sterilizing of the
contents of the bottles is effected in the usual manner by submitting the bottles
once or several times in succession to the action of the current of steam in the
closed apparatus. As the steam can pass freely through the wadding band or plug as
the case may be to the interior of the bottles, a complete equilibrium of pressure will
take place between the insides of the bottles and the space outside them and bursting
of the bottles by the increase of the inner pressure such as occurs when the
sterilizing process is carried out in hermetically closed bottles is therefore avoided
and moreover the sterilizing process is rendered more efficient and is accelerated
by the admission of steam. At the same time the steam presses the wadding band
or the wadding stopper tightly against the walls of the bottles.
After the disinfecting chainber has been reopened, cold external air with its
micro-organisms will penetrate into the apparatus but the wadding band surrounding
the neck-of-the-bottle or the wadding-stopper-arranged-in-the-upper-part-of-the-
groove-acts-as-a-filter and prevents-the germs-from-passing inside-the-bottles...
When the cooling process is completed the-stopper-is-turned so as to entirely shut
off the admission of air and the wadding band or stopper is then removed.
The stopper may be secured in its closed position by means of capsuling and
the contents of the bottles thus be permanently protected against any admission
-of-nir.
When the bottles have been emptied they can be used again for further operations.
If the upper part of the stopper B of the bottles be of saddle-shaped form, as
When the bottles have been emptied they can be used again for further operations.
If the upper part of the stopper B of the bottles be of saddle-shaped form, as
shewn in Figs. 4 and 5 and the top surface of the same be provided with a groove c
the vessels may, if their contents consist of sterilized and suitably diluted milk be
used as feeding bottles for infants, after the stopper has been turned into its opened
position (Figs. 4 and 5) and an india rubber mouth-piece placed over the bottle
neck.
Dated this 17th day of December 1890.
W. BUDENBERG,
By L. W., per F. B.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sterilizing Milk and other Substances.
I, WILHELM BUDENBERG, of Dortmund, Westphalia, Prussia, Manufacturer,
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 :-
My invention relates to the sterilization of certain fresh articles of food of
vegetable or animal origin, such as fruits, vegetables, nourishing liquids and other
substances, for the purpose of preserving then. Since the high sanitary and

page_text: economical value of sterilized milk became generally recognised, numerous attempts
have been made to discover methods and apparatus for sterilizing, on a large scale,
milk and other important articles of food. Apparatus hitherto constructed for this
purpose, if at all suitable for use, has been so complicated that its employment has
been very limited, and, by reason of the considerable cost of such apparatus, the
sterilized product has been very expensive as compared with the raw material.
The use of sterilized milk for instance, will only become general when the
sterilizing process shall only slightly increase the price of the material.
My invention is designed to attain this object, whether the process be carried-
out on a large or a small scale.
According to my invention the substance to be preserved, is subjected to the
sterilizing process hereinafter described, whilst it is within a glass bottle or bottles
which can also serve for the transport and preservation of the sterilized material.
These glass bottles are constructed in such a manner that they can be easily
manipulated.
The sterilizing process is carried out in one of the well known simple apparatus
comprising a chamber into which steam of from 100° to 105° Celsius is admitted.
Shelves are arranged in the chamber in such a manner, that a large number of the
glass bottles can be placed in the apparatus for simultaneously heating the material
in them.
The glass bottles may be of various dimensions, and are provided with a
peculiarly constructed neck and glass stopper. The drawings filed with my
Provisional Specification show by way of example, some forms in which the neck
and stopper may be made but they are of course capable of various modifications
without departing from the distinctive features of this invention.
Referring to these drawings,
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through the neck of a bottle A having a stopper B.
Two diametrically opposite holes a a are formed in the neck, and the glass stopper,
which is carefully ground in, has two grooves bb corresponding to the said holes
and extending from the latter to the lower edge of the stopper. When the stopper
is in the position shown in Fig. 2, which is a cross section on the line y of Fig. 1,
the holes a are in communication with the grooves and external air can pass
freely into the interior of the bottle, but the bottle will be hermetically closed if
the stopper be turned through 90 degrees, as shown in Fig. 3.
b
b
The number of holes a and grooves & may be increased, or only one hole and one
groove may be used, and the groove may be replaced by an oblique or angular
hole in the stopper as shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 4. For practical purposes
however I prefer the first described arrangement.
To render the bottle ready for use, a band of wadding is placed round the neck
of the bottle and attached thereto by means of strips of gauze or other suitable
means so as to entirely cover the holes a a. The bottle is then filled with the
substance to be sterilized, which should be in as fresh a condition as possible, after
which the stopper B is firmly placed in the position shewn in Fig. 2, so that air is
free to pass through the band of wadding and the path ab into the bottle.
Figs. 4, 5 and 6 shew another construction of bottle requiring less manual labour
for its manufacture than that previously described and by the use of which the cost
of the sterilizing process can be still further reduced. In this construction in lieu
of the holes a a, (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) the neck of the bottle is formed with an internal
vertical groove a' that extends either from below (see Fig. 4) or from above (sec
Fig. 5) to a little beyond half the length of the neck of the bottle. Opposite to
this groove a', the glass stopper B, which is carefully ground in, is provided with a
groove that extends from above or from below according to the position of the
groove a', to beyond the middle of the stopper, so that when the stopper is inserted
with the grooves a adjacent to each other, the inner ends of the grooves will
cover each other, thus forming a passage which, when the stopper is in the position
shown, constitutes a sufficiently large communication between the interior of the
bottle and the external air, while a quarter revolution of the stopper is sufficient to

page_text: .
hermetically close the bottle (see Fig. 6). When a bottle of this construction is
charged with raw material to be sterilized, the stopper is firmly inserted into the
position shown in Fig. 4 and either the upper groove 'Fig. 4, or the groove a¹
Fig. 5, is closed by means of a plug or stopper of wadding, through which air can
of course pass to enter the bottle.
Fig. 7 of the sheet of drawings filed herewith shows in central vertical section a
bottle with closure designed to admit of the ready removal therefrom by means of
a spoon or the like, of pasty substances such as ineat peptone that have been
previously sterilized therein. In this case the exterior upper part of the bottle
neck is neatly turned and ground and fitted with a stopper or closure in the form
of a cap B which is ground in place upon the bottle so as to form therewith an air
tight joint. Through the bottle neck and cap are formed holes a" and bu
respectively, so that in one position of the cap, the interior of the bottle will be in
communication with the external atmosphere, whilst by a partial rotation of the
cap the bottle will be effectually closed and its contents preserved. When this
bottle has been charged with material to be sterilized, the cap is placed upon it in
the position shown, and a band or strip of wadding is placed over the hole 6" and
fastened in place in any convenient manner.
After the bottles have been prepared according to either of the ways described,
they are introduced into the disinfecting apparatus or chamber, in which, the
sterilizing of the contents of the bottle is effected in the usual manner by subjecting
the bottles once, or several times in succession, to the action of a current of steam
introduced in the closed apparatus. The duration of the heating process necessary
to effect a complete sterilization of the contents of the bottles, will depend upon
the nature of the substance to be sterilized and upon the size of the bottles and the
quantity of substance therein.
When for instance, milk is to be sterilized, it is first heated in the apparatus to
boiling point. It is then allowed to cool down to from 40 to 30° Cels., in order
that germs capable of life still present therein may be able to become developed,
whereupon the milk is again subjected for about of an hour, to the action-of-a-
current of steam. After this treatment the sterilization will be completed-with
certainty under all circumstances.
===
As the steam can pass freely through the band or plug (as the case may be) of
wadding to the interior of each bottle, the contents thereof. will be raised more
quickly and with greater certainty than heretofore, to the temperature of the steam,
thus ensuring the complete sterilization of the substance under treatment. Further--
more there will be a complete equilibrium of the pressures upon the inner and
outer surfaces-of-the-bottles,-and-bursting of the-bottles-by-increase of the internal
pressure such as occurs when the sterilizing process is carried out in hermetically
closed bottles, will therefore be avoided. At the same time the steam will press
the wadding bands, or the wadding stoppers tightly against the walls of the bottles.
After the disinfecting chamber has been re-opened cold external air with its
micro-organisms will enter it but the wadding band surrounding the neck of the
bottle, or the wadding stopper arranged in the upper part of the groove, acts as a
filter, and prevents germs in the air from passing into the bottles. When the cooling
process is completed, each stopper is turned so as to hermetically seal the bottle,
and the wadding band or stopper is then removed.
The stopper may be each secured in its closed attitude by means of-a capsule
and the contents of the bottles may thus be permanently protected against any
admission of air.
When the bottles have been emptied they can be again used for sterilizing fresh
quantities of milk or other substances.
If the upper part of the bottle stopper B be of saddle-shape as shown in Figs. 4
and 5, and its top surface be provided with a groove c, the bottle may, if it contains
sterilized and suitably diluted milk, be used as a feeding bottle for infants, after the
stopper has been turned into its opened position (Figs. 4 and 5) and an india rubber
mouth piece has been placed over the bottle neck.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The herein described method of sterilizing milk or other substance by placing
the same in a vessel provided with a tightly fitting stopper or closure adapted when
in one position to open the bottle and when in another position to effectually close
the same, tightly closing or covering the air passage by which the interior of the
bottle can be placed in communication with the external atmosphere, by wadding
arranged to act as a filter, placing the vessel in a disinfecting apparatus or chamber,
and subjecting it and its contents to the action of steam after the stopper or closure
of the vessel has been moved into the open position, then cooling the vessel, during
which time only cooling air free from germs can enter the interior of the vessel
through the wadding filter, and then effectually closing the said vessel by its stopper
substantially as herein described.
2. For carrying out the method referred to in the preceding clain a bottle or
vessel having a neck A. formed with holes a a, and provided with a tightly fitting
or ground-in stopper B having grooves that extend from a position opposite the
said holes to the lower edge of the stopper so that by turning the stopper the
interior of the bottle can be placed in communication with the external atmosphere
or the bottle can be hermetically closed at will, substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to and shewn in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing.
3. The modified form of bottle or vessel in which the neck is formed with an
internal groove a extending either from below (Fig. 4) or from above (Fig. 5)
beyond half the length of the neck, and the stopper is provided with a groove b
extending correspondingly from above or from below beyond half the length of the
stopper, so that, when the stopper is placed in its open position the two grooves
overlap each other at the central portion of the bottle neck substantially as
hereinbefore described with reference to and shewn in Figs. 4 to 6 of the drawing.
4. Constructing a bottle or vessel of the kind referred to in the preceding claim
with a stopper having a saddle shaped upper part and with a groove c that
communicates with the lower grooves, substantially as herein described and shown
in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawing for the purpose specified.
5. The modified construction of bottle or vessel and closure therefor shown in
Fig. 7, wherein the closure is in the form of a cap B ground in place upon the
exterior of the bottle neck, and the bottle and cap are each formed with a lateral
hole so that in one position of the cap the two holes are in line, whilst by a partial
rotation of the cap, the communication between the interior of the bottle and the
external atmosphere can be closed, substantially as hereinbefore described for the
purpose specified.
1001
W. BUDENBERG,
By L. W., per F. B.