Improved Means for Heating Food Preserved in Closed vessels.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 25th July, 1898-Accepted, 22nd Oct., 1898
Improved Means for Heating Food Preserved in Closed vessels.
I, ALBERT REISE, of Wulfel, near Hanover, in the Empire of Germany, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in or connected with preserving food in
hermetically closed receptacles, and more especially to that class of preserves
which need to be heated before consumption. The invention has for its object to
combine preserves of this class with a permanent heating device.
According to the invention, solidified fuel such for example as alcohol absorbed
by jelly of agar-agar, or a mixture of ozokerite, petroleum and cotton threads, etc.,
is used. A layer of such solidified fuel is spread upon the bottom of a sheet
metal box, open at the top and closely surrounding the preserve receptacle, with
which it is connected by means of lugs, projecting from its top edge, and folded
down against the top of the preserve receptacle.
The sides of the enclosing sheet metal box are perforated in order to admit air
for supporting combustion, and also in order to permit a match to be introduced
for igniting the fuel; whilst the opened preserve, receptacle rests upon the afore-
said lugs, which perform the office of a grid.
To enable the invention to be fully understood I will describe it by reference to
the accompanying drawing, in which;
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a preserve tin or can with my sheet metal
box or pot enveloping it:
Figure 2 is a partial plan thereof;
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation, showing the opened can resting on the lugs
of the box in position for being heated.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a is the preserve can and 6 is the sheet metal box,
open at its top and closely enveloping the can, the said sheet metal box being pro-
vided at its upper edge with lugs which are folded down against the head of the
can, thereby securing the box b to the can a.
The bottom of the sheet metal enveloping box is formed with a dish-shaped
recess e designed to hold the solidified, originally liquid, fuel d, such fuel being
preferably alcohol in the form of jelly. In order to prevent the alcohol from being
volatilized, the dish-shaped recess c is closed by a lid f also dish-shaped and made
of sheet iron. Below the flange of the lid a rubber packing ring is fitted.
After having bent up the lugs b', the can a can be shaken out of the box b; the
lid f is then removed by means of a knife introduced through the slot h and also
shaken out. The box or pot 6 being thus ready for use, the lugs 61 are bent down.
again into the radial position and the opened preserve can is placed upon them.
The solidified fuel d is then ignited by means of a match introduced through the
sloth in the side of the box b. During the combustion of the fuel, air is sucked
in through the slots ; in the sides of the box b, whereby a high temperature is
obtained on the Bunsen burner principle.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A heating device for food preserved in closed vessels, consisting of a sheet
metal box open at the top and closely enveloping the vessel containing the preserve,
the said enveloping vessel having its top edge provided with lugs, which when
folded down secure the enveloping vessel to the preserve can, the bottom of the said
box being covered with a layer of solid fuel and its sides perforated, substantially
as herein before described and illustrated.
2. In a heating device of the kind described in Claim 1 forming the bottom of
the enveloping box with a dish shaped recess,, the said recess containing a volatile
fuel in a solid state and being covered by a tightly closing lid, substantially as
hereinbefore described and illustrated.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.