IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARATIONS EMPLOYED IN THE PRESERVATION OF FOOD AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES, AND IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR APPLYING SAID PREPARATIONS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PREPARATIONS EMPLOYED IN THE PRESERVATION OF FOOD AND FOR OTHER
LIKE PURPOSES, AND IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR APPLYING
SAID PREPARATIONS." A communication from abroad by Jean Baptiste
Java Mignon and Stanislas Henri Rouart, both of Paris, in the Republic of
France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th July 1880.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARATIONS EMPLOYED IN THE PRESERVATION
OF FOOD AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES, AND IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS
FOR APPLYING SUCH PREPARATIONS." A communication from abroad by Jean
Baptiste Java Mignon and Stanislas Henri Rouart, both of Paris, in the Republic
of France.
This Invention relates to the use of water having a salt, an acid, alcohol, or
equivalent substance dissolved therein or mixed therewith, so as to render the
solution or mixture uncongealable at the temperature at which ice is usually
formed.
The Invention is based upon the following principles, vist.—
If any saline solution is caused to freeze the elements composing the solution are
separated, the water on the one hand being converted into ice, whilst the salt on
the other hand remains in solution in a liquid, which gradually becomes more or
more concentrated, and finally becomes uncongealable at any degree of cold which
can be obtained in practice.
1f, for example, water containing a certain proportion of sea salt (say, sea water,
for instance) is caused to freeze in apparatus, in which the temperature is main-
tained at 20 degrees below zero centigrade, the separation of the salt from the ice
will then be very incomplete, some of the salt solution remaining imprisoned in
the ice. By breaking up and removing this ice a magma is obtained, which
remains liquid at a temperature lower than zero. The melting point of this ice
may be further lowered by increasing the proportion of salt which it contains.
Ping G71

page_text: According to the nature of the mixture the parts of salt in solution which
remain imprisoned in the frozen water also act as a refrigerating mixture possessing
a lower degree of temperature than that which would be obtained on simply
melting the mixture. Thus a solution which whilst it was congealed preserved a
temperature of two or three degrees below zero, for example, would be capable of
producing in the magma obtained by its fusion a temperature practically uniform
and lower by several degrees.
These facts are of great importance, as they render it possible to obtain without
great expense a species of ice which melts at a temperature below zero, and is
consequently capable of maintaining articles enclosed by it at a temperature also
below zero.
For the purpose of preserving alimentary substances, for example, and more
especially in the transport of meat or fish either by land or water, it will suffice to
employ in lieu of ordinary ice the colder ico produced according to this Invention
in order to improve the preserving effect to a remarkable extent. By these means
it is possible to realize the advantages obtained by the direct employment of
refrigerating apparatus on railways or on board ship with the same facility as
when ordinary ice is employed.
A similar effect may be obtained with ordinary ice by mixing it with a substance
such as sea salt, for example, capable of producing when so mixed a simple
refrigerating mixture.
It is necessary to add the required quantity of salt gradually and in small
-quantities at a time.
The apparatus employed for preserving articles by the employment of ico
manufactured according to this Invention is constructed generally-as-next-herein-
after described.
The articles to be preserved are placed in a chamber after having been previously
cooled to the lowest degree of temperature which it is possible to obtain in practice,
say, to about 20 degrees below zero Centigrade. The sides of this chamber are
covered with a very thick covering of non conducting material, and the whole is
contained within another or outer chamber containing a preparation melting at a
temperature below zero, as herein before described, this outer chamber being also
enclosed in a covering of non conducting material in order to counteract as far as
possible the effects of the surrounding atmosphere.
The articles when cooled as hereinbefore described are introduced through a door
into the inner chamber, which has also been previously cooled, the said door during
the transport being carefully maintained closed with non conducting materials
and ice.
Troughs are provided on the exterior of the inner chamber in order to maintain
the ice as long as possible in contact with the covering of the sides of the said
chamber in case it is desired to draw off the products of the melting of the ice, for
'which purpose suitable outlets are provided for the escapo of this liquid. When
refrigerating mixtures only are employed it is necessary to provide a series of
tubes passing through the sides of the outer chamber for the purpose of introducing
salt at given intervals.
These tubes should be in sufficient number to enable the salt to be introduced
at many different points in order to distribute it as uniformly as possible.
If required the salt can be supplied by a mechanical contrivance, and all the
arrangements of detail may bo modified according to circumstances.
The Invention is applicable to vessels or vehicles adapted for the purpose, or to
portable cases of suitable dimensions to be conveyed upon ordinary vehicles or
vessels, such cases when unloaded from the conveyance, and allowed to retain if
necessary the nonconducting covering, serve as safes for the preservation of their
contents, and need not be opened until the latter are required for use.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th
January 1881.
"
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARATIONS EMPLOYED IN THE PRESERVATION
OF FOOD AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES, AND IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS
FOR APPLYING SUCH PREPARATIONS." A communication from abroad by Jean
Baptiste Java Mignon and Stanislas Henri Rouart, both of Paris, in the Republic
of France.
The said Invention relates to the uso of water having a salt, an acid, alcohol, or
equivalent substance, dissolved therein or mixed therewith, so as to render the
solution or mixture uncongealable at the temperature at which ice is usually
formed.
The Invention is based upon the following principles, videlicet :-
If common water is caused to freeze, and the ice afterwards thawed or melted,
there will be obtained in the magma resulting from the said thawing or fusion a
temperaturo corresponding to zero, or one of the points of departure of the scale of
the Contigrade thermometer.
If any saline solution is caused to freeze, the elements composing the solution
are separated, the water on the one hand being converted into ice, whilst the salt
on the other hand remains in solution in a liquid, which gradually becomes moro
and more concentrated, and finally becomes incongealable at any degree of cold
which can be obtained in practice. This phenomenon is analogous to that which
takes place in the evaporating process. As in the case of evaporation however a
variety of changes take place in the process of freezing, and the separation is not
effected with the precision that is theoretically assigned to it. In the same manner
ns very great disturbances are produced by very rapid evaporation certain peculiar
phenomena are produced by a sudden freezing, such as is effected by means of
refrigerating apparatus working at very low degrees of temperature.
If, for example, water containing a certain proportion of sea salt (say, sea water,
for instance) be caused to freeze in apparatus in which the temperature is main-
tained at twenty degrees below zero centigrade, the separation of the salt from the
ice will then be very incomplete, some of the salt solution remaining imprisoned in
the ice. By breaking up and removing this ice a magma is obtained which remains
liquid at a temperature lower than zero. The melting point of this ice may be
further lowered by increasing the proportion of salt which it contains.
It is evident that the nature and quantity of the substance dissolved in the
water may be varied according to the object in view. A salt, acid, alcohol, or any
other suitable substance may be employed.
According to the nature of the mixture the parts of salt in solution which
remain imprisoned in the frozen water also act as a refrigerating mixture possessing
a lower degree of temperature than that which would be obtained on simply
melting the mixture. Thus a solution which whilst it was congealed preserved a
temperature of two or three degrees below zero, for example, would be capable of
producing in the magma obtained by its fusion a temperature practically uniform
and lower by several degrees.
These facts are of great importance, as they render it possible to obtain without
great expense a species of ice which melts at a temperature below zero, and is
consequently capable of maintaining articles enclosed by it at a temperature also
below zero.

page_text: For the purpose of preserving alimentary substances, for example, and more
especially in the transport of meat or fish either by land or water, it will suffice to
employ in lieu of ordinary ice the colder icc produced according to this Invention in
order to improve the preserving effect to a remarkable extent. By theso means it is
possible to realize the advantages obtained by the direct employment of refri-
gerating apparatus on railways or on board ship with the same facility as when
ordinary ice is employed.
A similar effect may be obtained with ordinary ice by mixing it with a substance
such as sea salt, for example, capable of producing when so mixed a simple
refrigerating mixture. It is however difficult to obtain an approximately uniform
degree of cold with a relatively small proportion of salt. When the mixture is
roughly or suddenly prepared the temperature is very abruptly lowered, but soon
rises again; hence it is necessary to add the required quantity of salt gradually,
and in small quantities at a time. The desired result is obtained in the manner
hereinafter described with reference to the apparatus.
The apparatus employed for preserving articles by the employment of ico
manufactured according to this Invention is constructed generally in the following
manner, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed :-
The articles to be preserved are placed in a chamber A after having been
previously cooled to the lowest degree of temperature which it is possible to obtain
in practico, say, to about twenty degrees below zero centigrade. The sides of this
chamber are surrounded with a very thick covering B of non-conducting material,
and the whole is contained within another or outer chamber C containing a
preparation melting at a temperature below zero, as hereinbefore described.
This outer chambor C is also enclosed in a covering D of non-conducting
material in order to counteract as far as possible the effects of the surrounding
atmosphere.
The articles when cooled, as herein before described, are introduced through a
door E into the inner chamber, which has also been previously cooled, the said
door during the transport being carefully maintained closed with non-conducting
materials and ice.
Troughs fare provided on the exterior of the inner chamber in order to maintain
the ice as long as possible in contact with the covering B of the sides of tho said
chamber in case it is desired to draw off the products of the melting of the ice, for
which purpose suitable outlets aro provided for the escape of this liquid. When
refrigerating mixtures only are employed. it is necessary to provide a series of
tubes K passing through the sides of the outer chamber for the purpose of
introducing salt at given intervals.
These tubes should be in sufficient number to enable the salt to be introduced at
many different points in order to distribute it as uniformly as possible.
If required the salt can be supplied by a mechanical contrivance, and all the
arrangements of detail may be modified according to circumstances.
The Invention is applicable to vessels or vehicles adapted for the purpose, or to
portable cases of suitable dimensions to bo conveyed upon ordinary vehicles or
vessels. Such cases when unloaded from the conveyance, and allowed to retain if
necessary the non conducting covering, serve as safes for the preservation of their
contents, and need not be opened until the latter are required for usc.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observo in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original,
and therefore claim as tho Invention secured to me by the berein before in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The preparation of substances melting at a temperature below zero
contigrade, and obtained directly by the employment of refrigerating apparatus or
otherwise, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbofore described.

page_text: Second. The apparatus adapted for utilising the said substances and the method
of applying them, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this my Speci-
fication set my hand and scal, this Tenth day of January, One thousand
eight hundred and eighty one.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)