AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR PRESERVING ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Monteith of Carstairs, in the County of
Lanark, Gentleman, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR
PRESERVING ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES."--A communication
from abroad by David Urquhart, residing at Montreux, Canton de
Vaud, Switzerland.
Scaled the 28th May 1872, and dated the 19th March 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Monteith at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 19th March 1872.
t
I, ROBERT MONTEITH, of Carstairs, in the County of Lanark, Gentle-
man, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED PROCESS FOR PRESERVING ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES," to be
as follows:-
:-
The principal object of the improved process is to preserve animal and
vegetable substances used as food. This is effected by dessicating and
operating upon such substances in vacuo, until they are brought to such
a state that they may be kept (even when exposed to the air) for a con-

page_text: siderable length of time without the risk of their undergoing decom-
position..
In carrying out the Invention, say for the preservation of meat, the
flesh is either cut in strips or it must be opened out so as to leave a
thickness of from two to three inches. The strips of flesh are then
suspended in a chamber or close vessel from which the air is to be
exhausted, and over the fleshy matters there is a shelf on which are
placed chemical substances which have a strong affinity for moisture,
such as farina, lime, sulphuric acid, or other absorbents of water.
When the air is exhausted from the vessel and the temperature is
raised, exhalations of moisture will arise from the meat, and will be
absorbed by the chemical substances on the shelf. When the flesh has
been reduced in weight from three to five per cent. the temperature of
the vessel must be raised for a time, and a valve connecting the vacuum
chamber or vessel with an exhausted refrigerating chamber is opened, so
that the aqueous vapour from the one chamber may pass into the cooler
one and be there condensed.
As a modification of this arrangement for condensation, a plate of
metal or other equivalent refrigerating medium may be placed inside
the first chamber and cooled from without. It will then act as a con-
denser, and the liquid thereby condensed will escape through a valve or
orifice provided with a stop-cock into a vessel placed there for the
purpose. The condensed moisture may thus be withdrawn from the
preserving vessel without admitting any atmospheric air into the
interior of the chamber.
The same process may be applied for preserving cooked meats, but
they do not require previous desiccation at a low temperature.
From the moment that fresh meats have reached the necessary point
of desiccation in the vacuum vessel, the substance of the meat becomes
utterly unchangeable by exposure, except that it is liable to induration
by evaporation, to prevent which the preserved meat may be packed in
large quantities in vessels and covered with lard, or it may be packed in
oiled or waxed wrappers.
If the flesh be entirely desiccated it may be ground up into powder, and
in this form may be used for many culinary purposes, such as for

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Monteith in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 19th September 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
MONTEITH, of Carstairs, in the County of Lanark, Gentleman; send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Robert Monteith, Her special licence that
I, the said Robert Monteith, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Robert Monteith, my executors, adminis-'
trators, 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 "AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR
PRESERVING ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES," being a communication to
me from abroad by David Urquhart, now residing at Montreaux,
Canton de Vaud, Switzerland, upon the condition (amongst others).
that I, the said Robert Monteith, 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 manner 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 Robert Monteith, do hereby declaro
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say): :―
The principal object of the improved process is to preserve animal and
vegetable substances used as food. This is effected by desiccating and

page_text: operating upon such substances in vacuo until they are brought to such
a state that they may be kept (even when exposed to the air) for a
considerable length of time without the risk of undergoing decom-
position.
In carrying out the Invention, say for the preservation of meat, the
flesh is either cut in strips, or it must be opened out so as to leave a
thickness of from two to three inches. The strips of flesh are then
suspended in a chamber or close vessel from which the air is to be
exhausted, and over the fleshy matters there is a shelf c¹ on which
are placed chemical substances which have a strong affinity for
moisture, such as farina, lime, sulphuric acid, chloride of calcium, or
other absorbents of water. When the air is partially exhausted from
the vessel and the temperature is raised, exhalations of moisture will
arise from the meat, and will be absorbed by the chemical substance on
the shelf. When the flesh has been reduced in weight from three to five
per cent. the temperature of the vessel must be raised for a time, and a
valve connecting the vacuum chamber or vessel with an exhausted
refrigerating chamber is opened so that the aqueous vapours from the
one chamber may pass into the cooler one, and be there condensed.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 is a vertical section of one form
of apparatus whereby I am enabled to effect the object of my Invention.
A, A, is a chamber the walls a, a, of which are constructed of brickwork
or other suitable material, the roof a¹, a³, being made of sheet metal, so
that ice, cold water, or other refrigerating substance may be applied
thereto. b, b, are metal posts or columns for supporting the roof, which
is formed of inclined sheets of metal tied and supported by cross ties or
girders c, c, and king posts to enable the roof to resist the external
pressure of the atmosphere. Any vapours arising from the lower part of
the chamber A will on coming into contact with the cool metal sides of
the roof a¹, a¹, be condensed, and will run down the inside of the roof
into gutters e, e, which are carried all round the inside of the chamber.
The condensed vapours which are collected in the gutters are conducted
out of the chamber by the pipe e¹ into a reservoir ƒ, from which the
liquid may be drawn off from time to time. During a portion of the
time in which the substances to be preserved are under operation, the
chamber A must be heated, and this is done by preference by introducing
steam or hot air into the metal pipes g, g. The meat or other substance
to be operated upon is cut up in the manner already explained, and

page_text: packed upon trucks or carriages which are run into the chamber A on
the rails h, h.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of an apparatus which is a
modification of that just described. In this instance the condensing
chamber is placed outside the chamber A, as shewn at B. It is con-
structed of sheet metal so that it may be cooled from the outside, but in
the case shewn at Fig. 2 the chamber B may be entirely enveloped with
ice or other refrigerant. The aqueous vapour passes from the
chamber A into the chamber B through the short pipe or channel k,
and when it condenses it runs into the vessel fas in the former instance.
Access to the interior of the chamber may be obtained by opening the
metal door j, which may be secured in any convenient manner, and heat
may be applied thereto when required instead of heating the chamber by
means of steam or hot air in pipes placed inside as in Fig. 1.
A modification of the arrangement of parts shewn in Fig. 1, and a
different mode of condensing the aqueous vapours arising from the meat,
is shewn at Figs. 3 and 4. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of this
apparatus in which condensation is effected by means of a plate of metal
or other equivalent refrigerating medium i, so placed as to form one of
the sides of the chamber A, and which is cooled from without by the
application of cold water, or other refrigerating substance. The metal
plate will then act as a condenser, and the liquid thereby con-
densed will escape through a valve or orifice provided with a stop-cock,
and will run into a vessel placed there for the purpose. The condensed
moisture may thus be withdrawn from the preserving vessel without
admitting any atmospheric air into the interior of the chamber. Fig. 4
is a vertical section of the apparatus shewn at Fig. 3. The same process
may be applied for preserving cooked meats, but they do not require
previous desiccation at a low temperature. From the moment that fresh
meats have reached the necessary point of desiccation in the vacuum
vessel or chamber A the substance of the meat becomes utterly un-
changeable by exposure except that it is liable to induration by evapo-
ration. To prevent this desiccation the preserved meat may be packed
in oiled or waxed wrappers. If the flesh be entirely desiccated it may be
ground up into powder, and in this form may be used for many culinary
purposes, such as for making forced meat stuffing or soup.

page_text: me from abroad, and having explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as
aforesaid, the process herein set forth of subjecting meat,.flesh, fish,
and vegetable and other organic substances to a partly evaporating and
partly dessicating operation in a close chamber from which the air is
partly exhausted, so that the moist exhalations from the organic
substances may arise and be absorbed by any suitable chemical agent
which has an affinity for moisture, or may be condensed and carried off
in a liquid state as above described. I also claim the several arrange-
ments of apparatus herein set forth, or any mere modification thereof, for
effecting the preservation of organic substances as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Monteith, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Sixth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.