An Improved Process for Preserving Organic and more particularly Alimentary Substances, and Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd July, 1895-Accepted, 7th Sept.,
1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process for Preserving Organic and more particularly
Alimentary Substances, and Apparatus therefor.
I, PIERRE ASSIÉGÉ BACHELERIE of 42 Avenue Flachat, Asnières in the
Department of the Seine in the Republic of France, Chemist, 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 :-
The numerous processes hitherto employed for the preservation of organic, and
more particularly alimentary, substances have always been based either on the
addition to such substances of an antiseptic, or preservative substance, either in a
solid, liquid or gaseous form, or by covering the substances to be preserved with a
layer or coating, thus protecting them from direct contact with the air, or by
boiling them in a closed vessel with a partial vacuum, or finally by simple
congelation.
None of these processes are however free from serious inconveniences and
drawbacks, the result of which is that the means for preserving and transporting
alimentary substances of all kinds in their natural condition is still to be
discovered.
The use of an antiseptic adds to an edible product a foreign and more frequently
injurious element. The coating or covering does not prevent the product from
drying up, thereby losing a part of its qualities and also its natural appearance.
The employment of heat at the temperature of boiling point with a partial
subsequent vacuum modifies too greatly the condition of the product to be capable
of general application. It only succeeds in the case of preserved vegetables.
Simple freezing in addition to being a costly process, has also the serious drawback
that frozen articles undergo a rapid decomposition very shortly after being
thawed.
The improved process forming the object of this invention avoids all these
drawbacks; it consists essentially in the combined use of cold and vacuum in
suitable apparatuses, either for the preparation of substances, or for their
conservation and transport. Cold is employed for a sufficient length of time and
to an extent sufficient to destroy the germs of fermentation. A vacuum is
afterwards produced in the closed receptacles in order to protect the substances
from the germs contained in the air.
The object of this invention will be easily understood from the following
description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing-in which,
for
and
Figures 1 and 2 are respectively an elevation and vertical section of a chamber
preparing the boxes or cases containing the substances to be preserved ;
Figures 3 and 4 two forms of preserving boxes or vessels;
Figure 5 another form of preserving chamber;
Figure 6, an elevation of a preserving chamber mounted on a railway truck,
Figure 7 an elevation of a portable preserving chamber mounted on a wagon
suitable for animal traction.
The chamber shown in Figures 1 and 2, the form and dimensions of which may
vary, is composed of a metallic cylinder A, mounted on a table or support B, the
latter being fixed or movable as may be desired. It is constructed of metal,
preferably of rivetted sheet iron, sufficiently strong to support the pressure of the
atmosphere, and above all it is hermetically tight. This chamber is provided with
flooring C and lateral shelves D for supporting the vessels or boxes E.

page_text: door F.
A manhole is formed in the side and closed by an ordinary hinged manhole
Connected with an air pump or other suitable apparatus for forming the vacuum
is a pipe provided with a tap G another pipe having a tap H serving to admit air
at any desired moment, that is to say, at the end of the operation. These two
pipes, which are shown in Figure 1 as arranged on the door F, may be placed at
any other suitable point. Glazed windows allow of the inspection of what is
going on inside the apparatus. A pipe K serves for discharging purposes after the
chamber has been washed and cleaned.
He is
The substances contained in the vessels or boxes E, which latter remain open,
are subjected in this chamber to the action of cold to a degree and for a length of
time varying according to the nature and the bulk of the substances to be treated.
A vacuum must then be produced in the receptacles, and then they must be closed.
For this purpose a man clothed in a diving costume enters the chamber A.
provided with the usual respirating apparatus which communicates with the external
air by means of a flexible tube 1 connected with the air supply pipe J. Vacuum
is then produced in the chamber, and the man proceeds to close the boxes or vessels,
the closing being effected in various ways as will be hereinafter shown. For this
purpose, a soldering iron may be heated on an electrical furnace, or any other
suitable means of heating may be employed.
The low temperature necessary for destroying or paralysing ferments and
deleterious germs may be obtained in many different ways. None of these ways
have been shown on the drawing as the invention is not limited as regards this
point to any given process. Thus, for instance, by making the chamber with
double walls, the interval between the walls may be filled with ice or with any
suitable freezing mixture, or a non-freezing liquid chilled to the desired extent may
be caused to circulate therein.
When the boxes or cases have been prepared and closed, they are removed from
the chamber, and in this condition the substances which they contain may be
preserved for a very long time without the slightest deterioration.
This process is applicable to any alimentary solid or liquid substance such as
meat, fish, shell-fish, molasses, eggs, vegetables, fruits, milk, soup and the like.
These substances preserve not only all their qualities but all their natural
appearance. They may be conveyed and shipped to all latitudes and in various
climates without taking any special precaution, seeing that the ferments have
been destroyed and that they are protected against fresh germs.
The boxes or vessels may be made of any suitable material and of any suitable
form or size. As an example I will describe the specimens shown in Figures 3
and 4. The box shown in Figure 3 has the form of a book. It is formed from a
sheet of metal such as tinplate, enamelled iron or the like, bent back on itself.
The two side openings are closed by two metallic bands soldered thereto. The
meat or other substance to be preserved is inserted by the third opening, and
this latter opening is then closed inside the apparatus whilst subjected to vacuum and
freezing, by metallic strip, which is also soldered thereto. Boxes or receptacles of
this shape are very convenient for storage and conveyance. They are more
particularly suitable for military and naval purposes and for persons making
journeys of exploration.
The box or receptacle shown in Figure 4 is cylindrical or prismatic. An opening
for filling is provided on one of its sides which is recessed toward the interior, and
thus the level of this filling opening stands a little below the surface of the bottoin.
This opening is simply closed by placing above the same, whilst inside the cold air
and vacuum chamber, a plate of metal, glass, mica, or the like, provided or not as
may be desired, with an indiarubber flange or edge. When the chilling operation is
completed and immediately the external air is admitted into the refrigerating
chamber, the atmospheric pressure instantaneously presses all the covers on their
corresponding orifices and thereby the receptacles or boxes are closed. For
greater security it is well to cover the closing plates with a layer of plaster,

page_text: resin or other suitable luting material up to the level of the bottom of the box or
receptacle.
The easily portable boxes or receptacles which I have just described are more
particularly intended to contain substances of small volume in quantities measured
out beforehand, but my process is also applicable for the preservation of organic
substances of large volume or in comparatively large quantities.
Figure 5 shows a sample of the case or chest which may be employed. In this
metal thoroughly air tight case, the substances to be preserved may be suitably
arranged so that they cannot move about to any considerable extent. They are
then submitted to the action of cold, and vacuum is produced in this hermetically
closed case. Communication is interrupted with the vacuum pump either by
squeezing together the lead or tin pipe, or by closing a tap and the case or chest
may then be conveyed to warehouses or docks, or placed on board ship, or dealt
with in other suitable manner. A thermometer indicates the temperature during
the application of the cold. A manometer indicates the degree of vacuum existing
and enables any interruption caused by the accidental admission of air to be
immediately ascertained.
In these cases which may be of any suitable form and size quarters of animals,
fishes, vegetables and the like may be piled or hung up. Such cases or chests may
have an elongated form, if they are to travel on railway trucks, as shown in
Figure 6, or they may be rendered portable by mounting them on wheels, as shown
in Figure 7, and in this form they are extremely suitable for the use of troops on
a campaign.
It is needless to state that of course these cases or chambers whether fixed or
portable, may be divided into several compartments by internal partitions, in order
that all their contents may not be exposed to the air when it is desired to remove
only a portion of such contents.
My process is not only applicable to alimentary substances, but as already stated,
may be applied to the conservation and transport of any other organic materials,
whether solid or liquid, such as corpses, anatomical specimens, leather, skius or
the like, either in a natural condition or even after having been treated with other
processes.
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. An improved process for the preservation of organic and alimentary substances,
consisting essentially in applying to such substances a temporary cold and a
permanent vacuum, by packing them in tins or cases inside a refrigerating and
vacuum chamber, substantially as hereinbefore described and shown in Figures 1
and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
2. The improved form of construction of, and method of closing the boxes or
cases for containing the alimentary or other substances prepared by the process
described in Claim 1; substantially as herein before described and shown in
Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawing.
3. A modification of the apparatus employed for holding and conveying alimentary
or organic substances treated by this improved combined refrigerating and vacuum
process, such modification consisting of a hermetically tight metallic case or chest
preferably of elongated form so as to allow of its being placed on a railway wagon,
or mounted on wheels for animal traction; substantially as herein before described
and shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 1st day of July 1895
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.