Improved Means for Preserving Food Material, and in Apparatus for the purpose.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 8th May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 10th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 14th Mar., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Preserving Food Material, and in Apparatus for
the purpose.
I, ALFRED SOWERBUTTS, of 5 Melrose Villas, New Southgate, County of
Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improved means for preserving food material and in
apparatus for the pin pose, and consists of an antight case or vessel and a tank in a
single body filled by a neutral gas 1. nitrogen, carbonic oxide, or carbonic acid,
or a mixture of the thice gases. The vessel is connected with a flexible bag to
The vessel
allow for expansion and contraction of the pas contained in the case
is provided with holes fitted with flexible air tight gloves or sleeves through which
the workers can place their aims to perform the work of filling and closing the
bottles or cases in which food 19 to be preserved, the whole operation being thus
performed without contact with the atmosphere and all spaces in the bottles or
cases being filled with an mert gas. Between tho gloves or sleeves a sheet of glass
fitted in the side of the vessel will enable the operator to see to do his work. The
vessel has two movable hoods, one inside and one outside, each hood being capable
of being raised and lowered, and when lowered the bottom end dips into a water
trough, thus forming a water joint. To place goods into the vessel, the outer hood
is first raised to form a space between them, after which the outer hood is closed
and gas allowed to flow in from a gas holder, thus expelling the atmosphere and
filling the chamber with inert gas.
The inner hood is then opened and the goods shifted and placed in position, the
operation being reversed for removing them from the vessel
To do the necessary work inside the vessel, I provide a helmet with air tubes
connected with an au pump outside. The an tubes are flexible and hit under the
edge of the hood in the water trough. For goods that are not injured by being
wet such as fish or bottles and cases I provide a tank half inside and half outside
the vessel with a seal hip dipping into the water along the centre of the tank, thus
forming an an tight joint. The goods while being placed in the tank and passed
under the lip can he taken out inside the case, thus saving any loss of gas. To
provide any power that may be necessary, I place a shaft in the tank secured by
suitable bearings, the cog wheel being on each end partly out of the water, any
power requned may then be transmitted to the interior of the case.
To provide for the expansion and contraction of the gas within the bottles and
cases containing the food to be preserved, I place a flexible compression bag open
to the atmosphere for always maintaining an equilibrium within the vessel.
When the vessel is used for exposing food to the action of gases for the purpose
of being preserved, I cause a current of gas to flow through it by means of two small
gasometers connected together, one of thein being provided with a tank on the top
which on 11sing opens a valve and allows the tank to fill with water, the extra
weight then causes the gasonieter bell to descend, thus cutting off the water and
causing the bell of the other gasometer with which it is connected to rise.
When the bell enches the bottom it comes in contact with a projection which
causes a flexible siphon with which it is fitted to descend below the level of the
water; the whole of the water then flows out thus lightening the weight, it then

page_text: begins to rise and the other to sink until the first reaches the top when the
operation is repented
The interior of each gasomoter I provide with a well containing pyroligneous
acid or other preservative compound, and I provide wicks (suspended in the
gasometer) dipping to the well to keep them always wet, the gas on being drawn
through the wicks becomes charged with vapour of the presei vative compound, so
that it enters the vessel till fully charged, and thus circulates among the food to be
preserved.
Improved Means for Preserving Food Material, and in Apparatus for
the purpose.
I, ALFRED SOWERBUTTS, of 5 Meliose Villas, New Southgate, County of
Middlesex, Engineer, 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 improved means for preserving food material and in
apparatus for the purpose and cousists of an au tight case or vessel and a tank A
in a single body filled by a neutral gas ris. nitrogen, carbonic oxide, or carbonic
acid, or a mixture of the three gases. The vessel A is connected with a flexible bng B
to allow for expansiou and contraction of the gas contumel in the case A
The
vessel A is provided with holes fitted with flexible an tight gloves C, or sleeves D
through which the workers can place their aims to por form the work of filling and
closing the bottles or cases in which food is to be preserved, the whole operation
being thus performed without contact with the atmosphere and all spaces in the
bottles or cases being filled with an inert gas. Between the gloves or sleeves a
sheet of glass E Figure 2 fitted in the side of the vessel will enable the operator to
see to do his work.
The vessel A has two movable hoods, one inside and one outside, each hood
being capable of being raised and lowered, and when lowered the bottom end dips
into a water trough H, thus forming a water joint
To place goods into the vessel, the outer hood is first raised to form a space
between them, after which the outer hood F is closed and gas allowed to flow in
from a gas holder, pipe I thus expelling the atmosphere by the pipe J and filling
the chamber K with inert gas. The mer hood G is theu opened and the goods
shifted and placed in position, the operation being reversed for removing them from
the vessel A.
To do the necessary work inside the vessel, I provide a helmet with air
tubes L, L, connected with an air pump outside The air tubes L, L, are flexible
and fit under the edge of the hood in the water though in the manner shown at
Figure 1. For goods that are not injured by being wet such as fish or bottles and
cases, I provide a tank M halt inside and half outside the vessel A with a seal
lip N dipping into the water contained in the tank M along the centre of the tank,
thus forming an air tight joint. The goods while being placed m the said tank M
and passed under the lip N can be taken out inside the case thus saving any loss of
gas. To provide any power that may bc necessary place a shaft P in the tank M
secured by suitable bearings Q, Q, the cog wheels R, R, being ou each end partly
out of the water as shown.
Any power required may then be transmitted to the interior of the case without

page_text: escape of the contained gases. To provide for the expansion and contraction of
the gas within the bottles and casos containing the food to bo preserved, I place a
flexible compression bag S as shown in Figure 4, or in the alternative and preferable
manner as shown at Figure 5, open to the atmosphere for always maintaining an
equilibrium within the vessel. When the vessel is used for exposing food to the
action of gases for the purpose of being preserved, I cause a current of gas to flow
through it by means of t vo small gasometers T, T', connected together as shown
in Figure 3, one of them T being provided with a tank U on the top which on
rising opens a valve V and allows said tank U to fill with water, the extra weight
then causes the gasometer bell T' to descend, thus cutting off the water and causing
the bell T of the other gasometer with which it is connected by a rope or chain W
When the bell reaches the bottom it comes in contact with a projection X
which causes a flexible siphon Y with which it is fitted to descend below the level
of the water in the tank U, the whole of the water then Hows out thus lightening
the weight, and the bell T¹ then begins to rise and the other bell T to sink until
the first reaches the top when the operation is repeated, which by means of the
pipes b, b, leading from said gasometers causes a circulation of the inert gases
within the vessel A.
to rise.
The interior of each gasometer I provide with a well Z containing pyrolignous
acid or other preservative compound, and I provide wicks a (suspended in the
gasometer) dipping into the well to keep them always wet. The gas on being
drawn through the wicks becomes charged with the vapour of the preservative
compound, so that it enters the vessel till fully charged and thus cnculates among
the food to be presci ved.
Having now particularly described and ascertamed the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The her embefore described apparatus comprising a tank or vessel closable by
a double hooded and luted door, and with an expansion bag in combination with
two gasometers so connected with each other and to the tank that a constant
circulation of inert gases impregnated with the preservative acid is caused to take
place within the tank or vessel, as set forth.
2. The particular arrangement of appliances for operating the gasometers as
represented at Figure 3 of the annexed drawings.
3. In scaled food pieserving vessels, the application of flexible compression bags
within such vessel and open to the atmosphere, or within an openworked or
perforated cover, said bag being then closed to the atmosphere, as and for the
purpose described.
Tol 1...
1000
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166 Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said A. Sowerbutts.