IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR METHOD OF PRE- SERVING IN A FRESH CONDITION ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES, AND IN THE APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1866

page_text: for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR METHOD OF PRE-
SERVING IN A FRESH CONDITION ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES, AND IN
THE APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Sealed the 13th July 1866, and dated the 15th January 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Don Francisco Lecocq at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th January 1866.
J, DON FRANCISCO LECOCQ, of Monte Video, South America, at present
residing at Ludgate Hill, in the City of London, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR METHOD OF PRE-
SERVING IN A FRESH CONDITION ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES, AND IN THE
APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to improved means of preserving animal and vegetable
food or other substances in a fresh condition, and in apparatus applicable to
the purpose of conveying such preserved substances from place to place.
The chief object of the Invention is to preserve the entire carcase of an
animal, and to convey the same from one country to another in a fresh con-
dition, in order that the meat may be supplied in as fresh a state as if the
animal had been recently slaughtered. In order to effect this I propose after
the carcase has been properly dressed in the usual manner to place it in, a
Price 8d 1

page_text: metallic receptacle or case of a suitable form, after which a lid or cover is to
be soldered or otherwise attached. This cover is to be provided with a short
tube and stop-cock for the purpose of applying the exhaust pipe of an air
pump, whereby the air contained in the metallic receptacle is to be entirely
withdrawn or exhausted; the stop-cock is then to be closed, and the air pump
removed. The object of withdrawing the air is to prevent the effect it pos-
sesses of decomposing animal or vegetable substances. The receptacle is
then to be subjected to a low degree of temperature by any well-known
means, and this temperature is to be maintained during the period at which
the meat is desired to be preserved. If the meat is to be conveyed by a vessel
from the place of slaughter to another country tanks should be provided for the
reception of the metallic cases, these tanks should contain water and some
freezing mixture. any desired proportion of which should be added daily or as
often as required in order to maintain an uniform degree of temperature,
which can be always ascertained by means of a thermometer or gauge. The
metallic cases should be made, by preference, with double walls, bottom, and
cover, and the intervening space should be filled with any non-conducting
substance, such as wood, or cork, or sawdust in order to prevent the radiation
or conduction of heat. So also the cases should be made of suflicient strength
and thickness to prevent the atmospheric pressure from bulging them inwards.
The cases may be made of any required size. either to contain one, two, or
more carcases. In order to aid in preserving the carcase I also propose before
placing it in the receptacle to subject it to a current of dry air in order to
completely exhaust the water therefrom, and thus to place the carcase in the
receptacle absolutely free from water, by this means it is evident that every
element of decomposition would be withdrawn. The process of exhausting
the water from the meat would be easily accomplished by placing the carcase
in a covered trough, and by applying a pipe communicating with a blast of
air created by a revolving fan or blower, by which means a rapid current
of air would be passed through the trough or other vessel, and so completely
exhaust the water contained in the carcases by evaporation alone. If desired,
one or more large receptacles may be made in the vessel as fixtures, in
which any desired number of carcases may be placed and the air exhausted
as before and these receptacles being enclosed by an outer case, the walls
of which are somewhat higher than the receptacles, it would follow that the
refrigerating liquid would cover every surface of the inner case.
By this Invention meat may be conveyed from one part to another and
sold as fresh meat the same as if bought at the ordinary shops, whereas by
the ordinary preserving and curing processes the meat is either salted, and

page_text: thereby deprived of most of its nutritious qualities, or else it is cooked and
enclosed in hermetically sealed canisters.
With regard to vegetable food and other vegetable substances the process
is the same.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Don Francisco Lecocq in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th July 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DON
FRANCISCO LECOCQ, of Monte Video, South America, at present residing at
Ludgate Hill, in the City of London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria. by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of January in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Don Francisco Lecocq. Her special licence that 1, the said Don Francisco
Lecocq, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Don Francisco Lecocq, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MEANS OR METHOD OF PRESERVING IN A FRESH CONDITION ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE
SUBзTANCES, AND IN THE APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the condition
(amongst others), that I, the said Don Francisco Lecocq, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature.
of the said Invention, and in what manuer the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Don Francisco Lecocq, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
10 be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
My Invention relates to improved means of preserving animal and vegetable
food or other substances in a fresh condition, and in apparatus applicable to
the purpose of conveying such preserved substances from place to place.
.

page_text: The chief object of the Invention is to preserve the entire carcase of an
animal and to convey the same from one country to another in a fresh con-
dition, in order that the meat may be supplied in as fresh a state as if the
animal had been recently slaughtered. To effect. this object I propose, after
the carcase has been properly dressed, to deposit the same, or any convenient
number of them, in a dry state in a receptacle or receptacles, the tempe-
rature of which is to be maintained at a low degree. And the following are
the methods which I propose to employ:-1 propose, firstly, to withdraw from
the carcase all its moisture, or in order words to exhaust the watery consti-
tuents of the flesh, and thus to reduce the carcase to a perfectly dry state. To
accomplish this I subject the carcase to the action of a blast or current of air
created by a fan or blower of any suitable description, the carcase being placed
in a cylindrical vessel or tube open at both ends so as to expose it to the
drying influence of the air; and when the carcase is perfectly dry I place it
in a metallic receptacle or case of a suitable form, after which a lid or cover
is to be soldered or otherwise attached to form an air-tight closing. This
cover is to be provided with a short tube and stop-cock for the purpose of
applying the exhaust pipe of an air pump, whereby the air contained in the
metallic receptacle is to be entirely withdrawn or exhausted: the stop-cock is
then to be closed and the air pump removed. The object of withdrawing the
air is to prevent the effect it possesses of decomposing animal or vegetable
substances. The receptacle is then to be subjected to a low degree of tempe-
rature, but not so low as the freezing point, by any well-known means, such
as by the employment of ice or refrigerating compositions, and this tempe-
rature is to be maintained during the period for which the carcase is intended
to be preserved. If the carcase is to be conveyed by a vessel from the place
of slaughter to another country tanks should be provided for the reception of
the metallic cases; these tanks should contain water and some freezing
mixture, any desired proportion of which should be added daily or as often as
required in order to maintain an uniform degree of temperature, which can
always be ascertained and determined by means of a thermometer or gauge.
The metallic cases may be constructed, if preferred, with double walls or
linings, and the intervening spaces filled with any non-conducting substances,
such as wood, cork, or sawdust, in order to prevent the radiation or conduction
of heat. So also the cases should be of sufficient strength and thickness to
prevent the atmospheric pressure from bulging them inwards.
The cases.
may be made of any required size, either to contain one, two, or more
carcases. If desired, one or more large receptacles may be constructed for
permanent use as fixtures in the vessel, in which a number of carcases may

page_text: be deposited and the air exhausted as before described; and these receptacles
being enclosed by an outer case, the walls of which should be somewhat
higher than the receptacles, it would follow that the refrigerating liquid would
cover every surface of the inner case, and thereby maintain a constantly
uniform degree of cold. It is not however necessary to have recourse to refri-
gerating liquids for the production and maintenance of the low degree of
temperature required. The use of ice or liquids for this purpose would
involve expense in the construction of the apparatus, and would also require
considerable trouble, attention, and direct manipulation. I therefore propose
to employ a constant current or circulation of refrigerated or cold dry air
generated by any of the well-known apparatus for refrigerating air or gases,
and caused to circulate by an ordinary rotating fan or blower worked by hand
or by gearing in connection with a steam engine. By these means the
temperature of the receptacles could be most easily regulated and maintained,
and all direct manipulation or interference with the receptacles would be
avoided. I also propose to form in vessels specially constructed to carry out
this Invention a series of compartments or chambers, which may be con-
structed of wood; in these compartments a great number of dried carcases
are to be suspended as close together as possible; the chambers are then to
be closed and a constant current of cold dry fresh air generated as before
mentioned is to be forced into and through the chambers by means of a
system of tubes and outlets, whereby the carcases will be constantly subjected
to its influence, and any elements of decomposition given off will be as
quickly removed and the meat kept in a sweet and fresh condition. This
method would be the easiest to adopt and the least costly; it would only
require the attention of one person, who would regulate the supply of air
according to the indications of a thermometer placed inside the chamber in a
suitable position for observation. A vessel could be constructed with a series
of compartments for the operation of this part of the Invention capable of con-
taining a vast number of dry carcases and conveying them from one part of
the world to another in a fresh condition.
By this Invention meat may be conveyed from one part to another and sold
as fresh meat the same as if bought at the ordinary shops, whereas by the
ordinary preserving and curing processes the meat is either salted, and thereby
deprived of most of its nutritious qualities, or else it is cooked and enclosed
in hermetically sealed canisters.
With regard to vegetable food and other vegetable substances the process
is the same.
It is well known that flour possesses the property of preserving animal

page_text: substances from rapid decay or decomposition. For example, if suet or fat be
embedded in flour it will remain sweet for many weeks, whereas if exposed to
the air in a moist state it is the first portion of the carcase attacked by decom-
position; suet and fat are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and water, but the
lean red meat or fibrine and albumen, which is the nutritious portion or blood
and flesh producing mass of the carcase, contains a large amount of nitrogen,
the most necessary element of the food of man. This presence of nitrogen
renders the lean of meat more capable of preservation than the set and fat.
I therefore propose in carrying out my Invention to subject the carcases when
dry or nearly dry to a coating or covering of flour or malt dust.
The following are the means which I propose to employ for the purpose:-
The carcases after being subjected to the preliminary drying process are to be
removed and suspended in apartments constructed either on land or on
board the vessel, and at two opposite sides of the apartment a series of
rotating fans or blowers on the principle of a winnowing machine are to be
-adjusted in suitable bearings and are caused to rotate by hand or steam power.
Hoppers or receptacles for the flour are to be placed over each series of blowers,
and the flour contained therein is to be allowed to fall gradually towards the
fans, which, operating in contrary directions, will cause a cloud or whirlwind
of flour in the apartment, and thus completely and effectually cover the
carcases, absorbing any remaining surface moisture and adhering to the
carcases, and ultimately becoming perfectly dry by the continued blast or
current of air. The antiseptic property of the flour or meal of malted grain
would most materially aid in preserving the carcases in a fresh and sweet
condition, and the chief benefit would be found when the vessel reached her
destination and it became necessary to remove the carcases to the open air;
moreover the appearance of the carcases would be much improved.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would remark in conclusion that I do
not limit myself to any precise form of apparatus or receptacle, or to any
special means of subjecting the same to a cold degree of temperature, for the
purpose of preserving the carcases of animals in a fresh state, since other
modifications may of course be devised for effecting the object required; but
what I claim as my Invention, and desire to be secured to me by the herein
in part recited Letters Patent are, the methods of preserving animal and
vegetable substances, but chiefly the carcases of animals, fit for food by
exhausting the water therefrom and reducing them to a dry state, and sub-
jecting them to a cold and constant or uniform low degree of temperature, but
not so low as the freezing point, either in receptacles from which the air is

page_text: exhausted or in chambers through which a constant and uniform current of
cold dry air is caused to flow, and thus preserve and maintain the dry and
fresh condition of the carcases exposed to its influence during the voyage of a
vessel from the place of slaughter to another country, substantially as herein
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Don Francisco Lecocq. have hereunto
set my hand and seal. this Fifteenth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
ALEX
PRINCE.
Office for Patents.
4. Trafalgar Square.
Charing Cross.
FRANCO LECOCQ. (L.S.)