IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING EGGS FOR THE PURPOSES OF FooD
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
CARSON, of Norwood, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Fourth day of November, in the ninth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Samuel Carson, my exors, adñors, and assigns, Her especial license, full
power,. sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Samuel Carson, my exors,
adiñors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Samuel Carson, my exors,
adñiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and
the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING
EGGS FOR THE PURPOSES OF FooD;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso that I, the said Samuel Carson, shall cause a particular description of
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Samuel Carson, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:-
My Invention consists consists in packing eggs in cases from which the
atmospheric air is withdrawn, and partially cooking the eggs so packed, by
which means eggs may be preserved for the purposes of food for a length of

page_text: time. The eggs treated according to my Invention may be in the shells, or
the shells may be removed, as hereafter explained. It is well known that in
cooking eggs that they require a boiling heat to be applied for only two to
three minutes, if it be desired that the eggs should be eaten in what is called
the soft state. If the boiling heat be kept up for more than that time the
whole of the interior of the eggs quickly becomes boiled hard, as it is called, or
set. Hence it is important, in treating eggs to preserve them, that the means
resorted to should be such that, although partially cooked in the process, they
should still require to be further boiled for a minute or so when to be eaten,
and according to my Invention this desirable result may be readily obtained.
Figure 1 is a section of a vessel such as I employ for preserving eggs, and it is
similar to those used for preserving meat by the aid of vacuum; and I would
at once state that I make no claim to such vessel, nor the obtaining a vacuum
therein, my Invention consisting in adapting such description of vessels, and
a process of obtaining vacuum therein, to the purposes of preserving eggs.
Figure 2 shows a side view of apparatus used by me in obtaining a vacuum in
the metal cases, and for sealing or closing the opening into such vessels when
the vacuum has been obtained. Figure 3 shows a section of the upper part
of one of the vessels, showing how the case is closed. Figure 4 is a plan of
the vessel. Figure 5 shows an underside view of part of the apparatus used
for obtaining a vacuum; Figure 6 shows the tool used for soldering and
unsoldering the portion of pipe to the cover of the case; and Figure 7 shows
a plan and section of a tool for melting the solder in the groove, where the
cover of the case or vessel is fastened.
The manner of proceeding is as follows: -I take fresh eggs, and puncture a
small hole through one end by a needle point, and in packing the eggs in the case
I keep such hole upwards, and having filled the case I solder on the lid a, which
has a short tube b soldered thereto. The case thus filled is placed on the table c,
and raised up by the trendle d, so that the end of the tube e enters the tube b;
this tube e has a quantity of solder around it, which is melted by embracing it
with the heated tool, Figure 6, and thus an air-tight joint is produced between
the tubes b and e. The upper end of the tube e is closed, and this tube has two
pipes, and 9, opening into it, each pipe having a stopcock. The pipe f leads
to an air pump or other means of obtaining vacuum, and the pipe 9 is in con-
nection with a steam boiler or generator, producing steam of about one pound to
one pound and a half on the inch, over the atmosphere. Vacuum to the extent
of twenty-seven inches of mercury is to be obtained, when the stopcock inf is
to be closed and the steam cock opened, so that steam rushes in and fills the
case, but partially condensing when coming in contact with the case and its
contents. To remove the water so formed, a drop of solder covering a small

page_text: hole in the bottom of the case, as at z, is removed by a hot iron, and allowed to
remain off till steam is seen to issue. When it is again closed, and at the time
of again closing the aperture = I close the steam cock, and the exhaustion cock
infI open, and vacuum is again obtained; the cock in f is then to be closed,
and the cock in g opened, and the steam allowed to flow in again for about
fifteen seconds, when the tube b is to be pinched closely together by a pair of
pincers, the steam cock is to be closed, and then by care the solder which has
closed the junction of the pipes b and e may be caused to be melted (by the
tool above mentioned, and shown at Figure 6), and the same caused to run into
the tube b, by which the tube, and consequently the case or vessel, will be
sealed air-tight. The eggs thus treated will, when taken out of the case or
vessel, require to be put into boiling water for about one minute, and they will
be found to be similar to what a fresh egg would, if boiled for about two and a
half or three minutes. If the eggs are not to have their shells, then the eggs
are to be broken, and the contents placed in the vessel or case, and the same
process resorted to as before described, except, in this instance, very little con-
densation takes place, and the hole z is not required.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the best means I am
acquainted with for performing the same, I would have it understood that I do
not confine myself to the details herein described, so long as eggs are preserved
by placing them in vessels or cases, and then removing the atmospheric air,
and causing the cases to be closed air-tight, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Carson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-six.