New or Improved Method of Withdrawing Air from, and Hermeti - cally Closing Jars, Glasses and other Receptacles for Preserves, Sweatmeats, Chemicals, and other Substances, and Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Aug., 1898-Accepted, 8th Oct.,
1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
A New or Improved Method of Withdrawing Air from, and Hermeti -
cally Closing Jars, Glasses and other Receptacles for Preserves,
Sweatmeats, Chemicals, and other Substances, and Apparatus
therefor.
1, RICHARD HENGSTENBERG, of Esslingen on Neckar, Wurtemberg, in the
Empire of Germany, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to an improved device and method for conveniently with-
drawing the air from and hermetically closing jars, glasses and other receptacles,
such as sterilising vessels, glasses for preserves, sweetmeats, chemicals and other
substances.
The method will now be described in connection with preserve glasses or jars.
It consists essentially in arranging in the cover of the receptacle a stopper, neck or
the like having a recess in which a plug is inserted, and allows the air to be with-
drawn and the stopper to be closed, is also capable of being placed in communi-
cation with an air pump by means of a suitable pipe or nozzle permanently or
removably attached to the said plug.
With a slight pressure on the cover of the receptacle, the air is thus drawn
from the glass or jar after which the latter is closed automatically by means of
a valve, or by turning a stopper or tap arranged in the jar cover.
The air instead of being removed by means of an air pump may be withdrawn
by attaching a pipe to a water supply pipe and by means of the outflowing water
the air is drawn along with it injector fashion and a vacuum formed in the jar.
Where the jar is self-closing the air removing plug may be again removed after
the vacuum has been formed and employed for another jar whilst when the closing
is effected by means of a stopper or tap, the latter must be left in the jar. Thus
the air removal with a self-closing device is usually found most preferable and
also economical.
In the accompanying drawings-
Figure 1 is an elevation of the apparatus for carrying out the operation;
Figure 2 a sectional elevation of an arrangement of a self closing device when
the air has been withdrawn ;
Figure 3 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale of a self-closing device;
Figure 4 a vertical section on an enlarged scale of a plug closing device;
Figure 5 an elevation and partial section on an enlarged scale of a closing
device which is closed by turning a tap.
Figure 6 a sectional elevation of an arrangement in the closing stopper which
has to be turned in order to close the receptacle after the air has been withdrawn.
In Figure 1 a small air pump J is attached to a table top H by means of a
clamp K and fastening screw k and its nozzle i is connected by a pipe G with the
air withdrawing stopper of a jar A.
Although only 5 examples of self-closing stoppers or hand operated closing
devices are shown and described, it will be readily understood that other similar
devices may be employed without in any way exceeding the scope of the invention.

page_text: In the self-closing stopper shown in Figure 2, the elastic air withdrawing
plug D is inserted in a recess in the neck or projection 6 of the receptacle cover and
a metallic nozzle plug Cinserted in the air plug D. After the nozzle cof the plug C
has been connected by a pipe G with an air pump J, the latter is set in operation.
An india-rubber plate f is placed over the aperture 61 in the projection or neck b
of the jar cover, said rubber plate on the formation of a vacuum in the jar form-
ing an automatic tight joint and is pressed. down on its seat together with the
cover B of the receptacle by the greater pressure of the atmospheric air. In the
device shown in Figure 3 an indiarubber ball is employed instead of an indiarubber
plate as the self closing valve. When the vacuum has been produced the nozzle
plug can be withdrawn and used for producing a vacuum in other vessels or jars.
Instead of employing a separate metal plug in the air withdrawing stopper the
latter may also be directly provided with a nozzle as shown in Figure 3 by attach-
ing to the plug D) a thumb piece C¹ and nozzle c¹.
If the stopper be not self-closing the tap L (Figure 4) must be closed after the
vacuum is formed, or a stopper M or M¹ (Figures 5 and 6) ground into the cover b
of the jar must be turned so that the openings m and 63 (Figure 5) and m¹ to b
(Figure 6) no longer communicates one with another.
When the receptacle is to be opened the india-rubber plate for ball f¹ is
removed, or the tap L or stopper M or M¹ is opened.
This method of removing the air has the advantage of enabling a vacuum to be
produced in a very simple and rapid manner. The vacuum may also be again re-
established in jars which have been already opened in a similar way to full ones
and this is of great value, more particularly for preserve jars and the like.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. A method of withdrawing the air from jars, sterilising vessels, and glasses
for preserves, sweetmeats, chemicals and similar substances consisting in the recep-
tacle cover being placed in communication with an air pump by means of air with-
drawing or closing stoppers or nozzles and after a vacuum has been established
by the connection being closed by valves, taps, stopper or the like inserted in
said receptacle cover, substantially as hereinbefore described and shown in the
accompanying drawings.
2. An apparatus for withdrawing air and hermetically closing jars, glasses and
other receptacles for preserves, sweetmeats, chemicals and similar substances com-
prising:
(A) In a self closing device, an air withdrawing plug or stopper (D) or (D¹)
having a fixed or removable nozzle and a passage between said stopper and nozzle,
said plug being inserted in a recess formed in a projection (b) of the receptacle
cover, the under portion of said projection or neck (6) having a small aperture (61)
covered with a suitably shaped valve (f); and
(13) In a device closed by hand, a tap (L) or stopper (M or M¹) arranged in the
receptacle cover, said tap or stopper being turned by hand when the vacuum is
established, a nozzle being mounted either on the receptacle cover itself or on the
closing stopper, the whole substantially as described and shown in the accompany-
ing drawings.