IMPROVEMENTS IN HOUSES OR APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND CURING FISH, MEAT, AND LIKE PERISHABLE ARTICLES
Year: 1881

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Herman Susmann at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 29th April 1881.
HERMAN SUSMANN, of the Firm of H. Susmann & Co., of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN HOUSES OR APPARATUS FOR DRYING
AND CURING FISH, MEAT, AND LIKE PERISHABLE ARTICLES."
This Invention relates to improvements in houses or apparatus for drying and
curing fish, meat, and like perishable articles, whereby the drying of the fish or
other articles may be effected by means of coal and coke.
As the smoke or gases
from the combustion thereof do not come into contact with the articles being
treated a great saving of fuel is effected, and the fish require only to be coloured
and finished afterwards by a small quantity of sawdust and wood; the fish are
dried and cured much quicker than by the ordinary process. The apparatus or
construction can be put up in any building, requires but little space, and is safe
against danger from fire, it being constructed entirely of iron and brick.
In carrying out my Invention the improved house or apparatus is made of cast
and wrought iron, forming a compact structure, complete in itself, and is set on
three sides in brickwork. Within each of the two side walls is an oven, in which
either coal or coke may be burned. The heat produced therein passes first through
flues at the bottom of the smoking chamber, then rises up through the hollow
walls (which are also provided with plates), spreads over the ceiling of the smoking
chamber, and escapes thence through the chimney. Within the chimney is a
throttle-valve, which can be so regulated from the outside that the smoke inside
the smoking chamber can be either shut off or made to escape, according to
requirement. At the base of the smoking chamber is a number of large openings,
preferably five, which can be opened or shut by means of valves. In the space
between these openings are four smoke conducts, two of which are in direct
connection with each of the two stoves. The five openings within the floor of the
sinoking chamber serve to conduct the smoke generated underneath the floor of
the smoking chamber in the fire-place by the burning of sawdust and wood direct
to the fish or other articles inside the oven. By shutting or opening the valves
the smoke can be directed to any required part, by which means I provide for
control over both heat and smoke. The fire places act independently of each other.
I provide six frames for the purpose of carrying the spits with the fish upon them,

page_text: For hams and the like a somewhat modified arrangement can be easily substituted.
By means of turnable rails, which lie in the same plane with the rails inside the
oven, all these frames with everything upon them can be easily pulled out or
pushed in. A net of tinned wire is attached by a spiral spring to the lowest
frame, so that it hangs underneath the fish. If any of the fish should fall down
whilst drying they would be caught in the net and remain there without damage
on account of the net being elastic, so that whilst the process is going on, and
without in any way interfering with it, they can be withdrawn and put upon the
spits. Doors in the side walls are provided for examining the fish or the like
during the process of smoking. The steam which forms in the drying of the fish
or other articles escapes through openings in the ceiling of the smoking chamber,
which can be shut by valves, and two doors connected with the fire place underneath
the smoking chamber serve to admit cold air.
A gallery is fixed all round the construction for the purpose of hanging the fish
or other articles on to the upper frames. It allows also of regulating the doors
and valves in the upper part of the construction, and of inspecting the fish.