Year: 1887

page_text: 1 FELIX SIEVERS, of Kreuztrach on the Rhine Engineer, and RICHARD DAMM of
Lauenstein Saxony, Merchant both in the Empire of Germany, do hereby declare the
nature of our said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of our invention is to manufacture fish sausages. The sea or river fish,
of any suitable kind, is first subjected to a thorough cleansing operation, by means of
salt and water, after which it is freed from the scales which cover it, and also from
useless parts, such as the intestines &c., it is deprived of all bones. When the tail,
the fins, and the head, have been removed, it is cut up into large pieces. The
removal of the bones and the like, and the cutting up of the fish, are effected either
when the fish is in its raw state, or after it has been immersed for some time in
vinegar of wine, or in ordinary vinegar, or again in brine, or water seasoned by
means of vegetable or other spices, or after it has been sufficiently cooked by steam,
or with wine or beer.
The large pieces of fish, or the fish, as the case may be, are subsequently deprived
of superfluous moisture, and then cut up into still smaller pieces. The mass of small
pieces is now subjected, in order to remove any remaining moisture (an operation
which is more particularly required with fish containing a great amount of moisture),
to the action of a strong current of air. This air current may be conveniently
produced by means of a revolving fan, the current from which is driven through wire
netting placed in a horizontal position, whereupon is spread a moderately thick layer
of cotton wool, so that the air current passing through the latter should act upon the
fishy mass in as purified a state as possible. In order to secure the cotton wool in
position it may be covered above with wire netting, the edges resting upon the first
mentioned wire netting, so that these wire nettings may both have a common bearing
upon the edges of the fan case. But other obvious means may be used for effecting
the same purpose. After the moisture has been so far removed, that the fish attains
a certain amount of cohesion or toughness, without being absolutely dry, it is again
brought under a knife or other chopping apparatus, and finely chopped. During this
process several ingredients or substances are added, first, in order to properly bind
the fishy mass, and, secondly, preserve it and to improve the taste, or to regulate, on
physiological principles, its condition as an article of food, or, finally, to enlarge or
reduce, for the same purpose, the bulk of the mass under treatment. For the proper
binding together of the particles of the fishy mass, we add such substances as roasted
chestnuts; ordinary flour, or wheat bread crumbs, as well as cheese, lard and other
similar fatty substances; while for the preservation of the mass two classes of articles
should be resorted to, that is to say, first articles which, together with their preserving

page_text: action, may at the same time serve to improve the taste of the product to which they
are added, such as tomatoes, thyme, and juniper berries, and, secondly, articles
serving more exclusively to improve the taste of the product, such as pepper, ginger
sweet basil, tarragon, marjoram, capsicum, and the like. If the main object in view
is to preserve the product, an addition of the most suitable antiseptic substances such
as aseptin boric acid, salicyl and the like may be made in proportions of from 1 to 2%
of the product. The substances next in order of merit for preserving are saltpetre
sugar, salt, and plants containing tannin, and other substances approximating more or
less to the nature of articles of food. These various substances whether roots, bulbs,
plants, fungus, fruits such as apples, raisins dates or the like should be added in large
or small quantities to the fishy mass under treatment.
With the above mentioned bones, fins, tails, and portions of head, an infusion is
made, to which may also he added wine, beer, or roots, the whole being mixed in a
concentrated state with the fishy mass before the latter is placed under the operation
of the centrifugal machine.
The residue arising from the preparation of the infusion is subjected to a suitable
treatment, with the addition of proper substances. When the preparation of the fishy
mass, including all its ingredients and all its additions, is completed, it is inserted into
natural skins, or into skins composed of parchment paper, and the sausages thus
formed are subjected, if a further treatment is deemed necessary, to the action of a
water, air or sand bath, the temperature of which should not be below 50° Reau. ;
and they are thus left until the inner parts thereof attain an uniform temperature.
When sausages of a particularly firm and close consistency are required for the
purpose of further ensuring their perfect safety and preservation, the sausages may be
compressed by machinery, so that the air present in the mass may be efficiently
expressed, thus securing the attainment of the object in view.
The wall of the compressor receiver used may be provided with an opening capable
of being opened or closed when required, and thus the filling mass may be expelled
therefrom and forced into a sausage skin of suitable dimensions held against the said
opening. This may be effected in a more simple manner, by fitting a hollow cylinder
to the opening when the objects in view are great hardness with very little or an
entire absence of moisture; the filling mass thus forced out requires no gut, and may
be simply coated with parchment, or a solution of caoutchouc in collodion. The
sausage so formed may be considered fit for immediate use, or may be subsequently
smoked. When the object in view is that of long preservation, the sausage is placed
in skin whether smoked or not with an air proof covering formed of gelatine
caoutchouc, or of a solution of caoutchouc in collodion.
The sausage may also be smoked, without being treated by the above mentioned
infusion the smoking operation being effected at a temperature of not less than
50° Reau.; and so continued until the inside of the sausage has been raised to an
uniform temperature.
The various operations in this manufacture are modified according to the particular
taste desired and the length of time during which the sausages have to be preserved
and also in conformity with the degree of moisture required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim is:
The method and means of and for manufacturing and preparing sausages from fish,
substantially as described.