IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESERVING PROVISIONS AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR SUCH PURPOSE
Year: 1863

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alfred Henry. Rémond at. the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st February 1863.
"I, ALFRED HENRY REMOND, of, No. 4, Moorgate Street, in the City of
London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PRESERVING PROVISIONS AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR SUCH PURPOSE,"
to be as follows:-
In preserving cooked provisions in metal or other closed cases, it has always
been found extremely difficult to get rid of the whole of the oxygen contained in
the case, the smallest quantity of which if allowed to remain in the case would
promote fermentation and decay, and hence the provisions would become
deteriorated and totally unfit for food.
Various methods have from time to time been proposed for driving off,
destroying, absorbing, or converting into a harmless gas this deleterious agent
(namely oxygen), and employed with more or less beneficial effect, such as
employing a very high temperature. The result of which was that the pro-
visions were overcooked. Other means were also tried, such as placing
charcoal, iron filings, and sulphite of soda, or other chemical agents (having
an affinity for oxygen) in the cases with the provisions.
Now, the first part of this Invention consists in causing a current of electric
fluid to pass through the cases containing the provisions after they are finally
closed up; such electric fluid being made to pass along a fine iron or other
metallic wire through the case causes the wire to become red hot and consume
the oxygen.

page_text: Another improvement consists in placing inside the case (and in connection
with the thin wire) any known chemical agent, (such as common sulphur, for
instance,) which in its ordinary state has no particular affinity for oxygen, but
which upon becoming ignited (by means of the electric wire above referred
to) evolves any gas (sulphurous acid gas, for instance) which will absorb,
destroy, or convert into a harmless gas the oxygen which is contained in the
case, and which it is desired to get rid of, or the sulphur or other agent may
be ignited by any other convenient means.
A further improvement in connection with the use of electricity for this
purpose is as follows:-After the case has been closed a sufficient quantity of
bydrogen gas is to be introduced therein to form (with the oxygen which may
be in the case) an explosive mixture or gas, and this gas is to be then ignited
by passing a current of electricity along a metallic wire through the same, and
thus all traces of oxygen will be destroyed.
Another improvement consists in placing the meat in the cases (after a
short parboiling in very fast boiling water, so as to coagulate the albumen,)
and boiling it as usual with the hole at the top of the case open; after which
the case is filled up entirely with boiling water or liquid. This filling up of the
ease entirely with boiling water or liquid during the cooking operation, so as to
expel all the air therefrom, forms an essential feature of my Invention, and in
order to facilitate the same I employ a funnel or similar vessel having a tube of
a smaller diameter than the tube or opening of the case, or of a different
contour or form, so that as the boiling water is poured in the air may escape
from the case between the two tubes; or the necessary escape of the air from
the case whilst being filled may be provided for by any other suitable means.
If found necessary the pressure within the case may be diminished (pre-
viously to filling it up) by cooling the top thereof in any convenient manner.
When the case is completely filled the funnel or upper vessel is removed, and
the tube or opening in the top of the case is closed by pinching or otherwise,
and for further security a cap of metal may be soldered over the same. The
case is then left immersed in the hot bath for about an hour, more or less,
according to the size of the case, and the process is complete.