IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OR MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR THE PRESERVATION OF FOOD AND OTHER SUBSTANCES AND MATERIALS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Griffith Brewer, of Chancery Lane, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OR MEANS AND APPARATUS
FOR THE PRESERVATION OF FOOD AND OTHER SUBSTANCES AND MATERIALS."
A communication from abroad by Jean Claude Antoine Chanel, of Paris,
France.
Sealed the 11th July 1876, and dated the 14th January 1876.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Griffith Brewer at
the Oflice of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th January 1876.
EDWARD GRIFFITH BREWER, of Chancery Lane, London. IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MODE OR MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR THE PRESERVATION OF FOOD AND
OTHER SUBSTANCES AND MATERIALS." A communication to me from abroad by Jean
Claude Antoine Chanel, of Paris, France.
According to this Invention the most important materials and substances to be
preserved may be divided into the following classes:-
1st. Alimentary substances, such as meats, fruits, vegetables, fish, game.
2nd. Organic matters in dry state, as wool, hairs, feathers, furs, leather, natural
history collections.
3rd. Building materials, as metals, wood, stone, plaster, paper-hangings, woven
fabrics, ropes, and other raw materials, ships, iron bridges, and other similar struc-
tures, war materials as well as railway materials.
By this Invention alimentary substances are preferably preserved in recipients
made either of glass, earthenware, zinc, tinned iron, or any other suitable materials
or metals.
The Invention consists in forming in receptacles grooves or recesses to contain
preservative compositions, and flanges to enter the grooves. The material placed in
grooves is more or less soft, which may also contain an appropriate absorbent for
the oxygen (as iron, for example), and preserving materials as salicylic acid. These
grooves may be either made in the receiver or in the lid, the said lid being
maintained on the receiver by means of wire, loop, screw, or other suitable means.
When solid substances are to be treated, and it is necessary to obtain a more or
less perfect vacuum I fill up the recipient with absorbing gas, as carbonic acid,
which is brought in contact with chemical absorbents, such as lime or potash. It
is to be understood that this absorbing gas must be always separated from the
[Price Gd.]

page_text: chemical absorbent by means of a partition, so as to allow the gases to diffuse them-
selves, and holding the absorbent and preventing it entering into the materials to be
preserved.
Dry organic matters are preserved according to this Invention by transforming
or utilizing for the purpose pieces of furniture, such as boxes, trunks, chests of
drawers, drawers, glass cases, travelling boxes, and other similar pieces of furniture
as preserving apparatus by constructing them, 1st, closing them by means of a
groove, as aforesaid, in which is placed a soft material, as before described; the
Hange may be more or less elastic, on which a metallic plate or plate of other
inaterial may be placed; 2nd, the sides are coated with a "hydrofuge" coating,
which is principally composed of cedar, rosin, and spirit of eucalyptus, grooves, or
tubes, or other suitable receivers for containing materials, as before described,
whereby absorption and disinfection is produced or obtained, may be placed or
formed in the most convenient positions in the articles to be utilized for preserving
purposes according to this Invention. Further building materials may be pre-
served in receptacles constructed as before described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edward Griffith Brewer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th
July 1876.
EDWARD GRIFFITI BREWER, of Chancery Lano, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MODE OR MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR THE PRESERVATION OF FOOD AND
OTHER SUBSTANCES AND MATERIALS." (A communication to me from abroad by Jean
Claude Antoine Chanel, of Paris, France.)
' t
This Invention consists in the node or means aud apparatus for the preservation
of food and other substances and materials as follows:-
First. Alimentary substances, such as meats, fruits, vegetables, fish, game, either
in a natural state, or with the addition of any suitable preparation.
Second. Dry organic materials, such as wool, bair, feathers, furs, leather, natural
history collections.
Third. Building materials, metals, wood, stone, plaster, paper, fabrics, cordage,
and all textile materials; all metals employed for civil or military purposes.
According to the articles to be preserved the Invention comprises,
1st. Improvements in the mode of fastening.
2nd. A special coating or its equivalent under another form for destroying
parasites or germs of decomposition.
3rd. A system of absorbents which annuls the damp elements, thereby arresting
the decomposition of articles to be preserved.
The first part of the Invention refers to alimentary substances. They may be
preserved in vases or receivers made of earthenware, enamelled or not, glass, or any
other ceramic product, and of all metals, whether employed together or separately,
as illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, from Figures 1 to 11.
The vases or
receptacles are indicated by the letter e, of whatever they may be inade. In some
cases a hermetic closing is sufficient; in other cases it is necessary to absorb the
moisture or gases which are put in motion.
When a hermetic stopper is sufficient, as in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, and
11, different modes of fastening are employed, as represented in the Drawings.
The principle involved is the employment of one or several recesses or grooves b, in
which are placed a suitable quantity of a substance more or less solid, containing an
absorbent of oxygen, iron for example, and preservative materials, such as salicilic
acid or its equivalent. The grooves or recesses containing these materials may be
inade in tho receiver itself, or the cover and the mode of uniting the two one
to the other may be by either of the arrangements or combination of the arrange-
ments shown in the Drawings,

page_text: When it is necessary to employ an absorbent especially for dry materials the
arrangement shewn at Figure 8 is employed, where it will be seen that the receiver a
contains or is provided at its lower part with a double bottom or porous material e
or its equivalent. In this double bottom absorbent materials are placed, such as
lime, charcoal, potass, or some analagous agent. If the receiver a has been previously
filled with absorbing gas, such as carbonic acid, as soon as it finds itself in contact
with the absorbent materials the reaction will take place, and all causes of decom-
position will be removed from the receiver, and this is the first part of the
Invention.
The second part of the Invention is applicable to dry organic materials before
mentioned, and the apparatus shown at from Figures 12 to 25 are employed. For
example, Figures 12, 13, and 14 shew a piece of furniture intended to contain furs
or other objects to be preserved. It will be seen that this piece of furniture is
composed of any desired number of drawers or grooves a, placed one above the
other, which are provided at b with the improved method of grooving or recessing
containing the preserving material. In the lower part, as shewn at Figures 12, 13,
22, 23, 24, and 25, is a double bottom containing the absorbent materials. Detail
views are given at Figures 23, 24, and 25 of a mode of fastening; and Figure 19
shews a screw arrangement & and crank c, which enables the drawers all to be
instantaneously closed.
At Figures 16 and 17 a simple cardboard box is shewn for containing furs,
shawls, or analagous articles. It will be here seen that tubes are substituted for
the double bottoms c, which may contain and disengage absorbent or preserving
materials before described. Instead of these tubes the sides may be made of linen
or stuff, as shewn at Figure 18, with or without linen or stuff sides y, covered with
a hydrofuge composition, in which cedar, resin, and essence of eucalyptus from the
chief ingredients.
At Figure 26 is shown a box suitable for containing muffs or such like articles,
the sides of which may be covered with a hydrofuge coating. The closing is effected
by means of a double groove or recess, according to this Invention, with or without
composition at and a tube f containing absorbent or preserving materials before
named, contained either in the tube f, or in the double bottom c, or in one or other
of the parts.
It will be unnecessary to give further illustrations of the manner of carrying this
Invention into effect; nevertheless, 1 give Figure 15 as the illustration of a box
suitable for the preservation of natural history collections.
The third part of this Invention, which is applicable for the preservation of
building materials, consists of a composition composed outside of ingredients before
described of materials in a solid state, such as insoluble soap composed of horse oil,
oleic acid, oil, euphorbial, or other materials of like nature.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,—
First. The employment of vases or receivers made of baked earth, enamelled or
glazed pottery, glass, or any other good ceramic material capable of containing
decomposable or perishable materials, but so that the closing up obtained by one or
other of the arrangements described shall preserve the materials contained in the
said vessels, capable at the same time of resisting a high temperature without any
injurious effect on the materials used for the closing or stoppering, all substantially
as before described.
Second. The employment of receivers or articles of furniture, before described,
hermetically closed, and containing articles to be preserved, and being hermetically
closed by the combination of one or several blades or flanges entering into one or
several grooves containing chemical compressible substances or agents, the interior
containing volatile or absorbent agents, all arranged or combined substantially as
before described.
Third. The employment of a coating or composition, as before described, having
for its object the preservation of metal or dry materials from decomposition or

page_text: oxydation, substantially as before described, together with any mere modification
thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Griffith Brewer, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, this Thirteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
E. G. BREWER. (LS.)