IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESERVING ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE MATTERS, AND IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Settle Barff, of Kilburn, in the County of
Middlesex, Professor of..Chemistry, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PRESERVING ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE MATTERS, AND IN THE MEANS AND
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Sealed the 12th April 1876, and dated the 22nd February 1876..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Settle Barff at the.
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd February 1876.
FREDERICK SETTLE BARFF, of Kilburn, in the County of Middlesex, Professor of
Chemistry. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESERVING ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE MATTERS, AND.
IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
This Invention relates to the preservation of animal and vegetable substances,
whether for use as food or for other purposes, so as to preserve food, meat, fish,
vegetables, and fruit, either in transit from foreign countries to this country, or vice
versa, or from one country to another. It further relates to the preservation for a
longer or shorter time of such animal and vegetable substances as are usually con-
tained in butchers', fishmongers', poulterers', fruiterers', and greengrocers' shops;
also to the preservation of such or similar substances either in private houses, in
suitable safes, or in public institutions; and, lastly, to the preservation of vegetable
and animal substances or products when employed for other purposes than food,
such, for example, as flowers for sale or for decorative purposes; skins of animals in
the wet state, either here, or abroad, or in transit; species of organic bodies in
zoological or in pathological museums, or in botanical collections; and consists in
the employment and use of chemical compounds or of elements which are able to
absorb oxygen gas when in the free state, viz. :-
:-
1stly. Soluble metallic salts or compounds capable of absorbing oxygen, salts of
metallic or other oxides which when decomposed set free that oxide which, admitting
of a higher state of oxidation, readily takes up the oxygen from the air, that is to
say, proto-sulphate of iron and all the proto-salts of iron, proto-chloride of manganese,
and all the proto-salts of this metal.
2ndly. Of such salts as pyro-gallate of potash or of soda, which readily absorbs
free oxygen.
3rdly. Of elements such as sodium or potassium also capable of absorbing oxygen:

page_text: Any or all these salts I use either in solution or otherwise, i.e., solid or in partial
solution.
When I employ salts of metallic or other oxides I prefer to use proto-sulphate of
iron (F, SO), and I mix it with water not sufficient to dissolve it at once, and then
I prefer to pass the oxide by lime or soda lime, which I use in sufficient quantity to
completely decompose the iron salt. I then add a slight excess of the precipitant,
and mix it with some substance, such as bran, to keep it from setting into a hard
or compact mass; or the same effect may be attained by keeping the preserving
material in a state of agitation. I also use any other similar precipitant capable of
effecting the liberation of the oxide or oxides, such as caustic soda alone, or caustic
potash, or hydrate of baryta, carbonite of lime, or baryta.
By the use of these and analogous substances either in solution or in a divided
state I absorb the oxygen contained in air-tight vessels in which the substances to be
preserved are placed; and moreover in the case of cellular substances from whose
cells the air does not at once escape on the absorption of the oxygen in the vessel
about them, I absorb the oxygen of the air as it diffuses out by using an excess of
the absorbent, and in this way for a time, at least until the absorbent is exhausted,
any air entering the vessel loses its oxygen, and by a suitable apparatus attached
to the containing vessel indicates its entrance, and gives time for the addition of a
further supply of the absorbing substance, and for the rendering the vessel perfectly
air-tight.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Frederick Settle Barff in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th
August 1876.
FREDERICK SETTLE BARFF, of Kilburn, in the County of Middlesex, Professor of
Chemistry. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESERVING ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE MATTERS, AND
IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
This Invention relates to the preservation of animal and vegetable substances,
whether for use as food or for other purposes, so as to preserve the food, meat,
fisli, vegetables, and fruit, either in transit from foreign countries to this country, or
vice versa, or from one country to another. It further relates to the preservation
for a longer or shorter time of such animal and vegetable substances as are usually
contained in butchers', fishmongers', poulterers', fruiterers' and greengrocers' shops;
also to the preservation of such or similar substances either in private houses, in
suitable safes, or in public institutions; and also to the preservation of vegetable
and animal substances or products when employed for other purposes than food,
such, for example, as flowers for sale or for decorative purposes; also skins, either in
the dry or the wet state; also specimens in zoological or in pathological museums,
or in botanical collections; and consists in the employment and use of chemical
compounds or of elements which are able to absorb oxygen gas when existing in the
atmosphere or when in free state, such for example as,
Soluble metallic salts or compounds which are capable of absorbing oxygen or
salts of metallic or other oxides, which when decomposed set free an oxide which is
capable of assuming a higher state of oxidation, and in consequence readily taking
up the oxygen from the air or when existing in a free state, that is to say, for
example, proto-salts. of metals such as the proto-chloride of manganesc.
Also, such salts as, for example, pryo-gallate of potash or of soda, which as is well
known readily absorbs oxygen.
Also, of elements such as sodium or potassium, being likewise capable of absorbing
oxygen.
Any or all of these salts or compounds I employ either in solution or otherwise.
When I employ the proto or lower salts or lower oxygen compounds of the
metals, as, for example, in the case of manganese, I prefer to employ the hydrated

page_text: protoxide or lower oxides of the same, either alone or in conjunction with an
absorbing material, so that such oxide or oxides may be more readily capable of
absorbing oxygen.
When I employ other metallic salts or compounds, such, for example, as the proto-
sulphate of iron or the protoxide obtained by means of a base therefrom, I employ
them in conjunction with an absorbent material; and in order to effect this object I
mix the metallic salt and precipitant, either in solution or in a solid condition, with
a substance which shall act as a diluent, which has been before described as an
absorbent, because by keeping the particles of metallic oxide asunder it assists as an
absorbent, and virtually acts as a diluent.
In order to obtain such before-mentioned protoxides or lower oxides I prefer to
precipitate such oxides by means of lime or of soda lime from their salts, which
lime or soda lime I use in sufficient quantity to completely decompose the proto-
salts employed. I prefer in every case to add an excess of the precipitant. The
same preservative effect may be attained by the conservative maintaining materials
in a state of agitation by mechanical means. I also use any other precipitant
capable of effecting the liberation of the proto-oxides or of the lower oxides, such,
for example, as caustic soda, or caustic potash, or hydrate of baryta, or carbonate of
lime or of baryta, or mixtures of the saine.
By the use of one or more of the before-mentioned substances or compounds, or
mixtures of the same, either in solution or in a divided state, I absorb the oxygen
contained in air-tight vessels in which the substances to be preserved are placed;
and moreover in the case of cellular substances from the cells of which the residual
gases do not at once escape on the absorption of the oxygen in the vessel containing
them, I absorb the oxygen of the residual gases as it diffuses out by using an excess
of its absorbent, and until the absorbent is exhausted or has been oxidised any air
entering the vessel will be deprived of its oxygen, and by means of a suitable appa-
ratus attached to the containing vessel such ingress will be indicated, and thus give
timely notice for the addition of a further supply of the absorbing substance, and
also for rendering the vessel perfectly air-tight.
As diluents I employ either bran, or cork, or oak bark, or oak sawdust, or any
other vegetable substance containing tannic, gallic, or other analogoes acids, as these
when employed either alone or in conjunction with a solution of caustic soda or
potash absorb oxygen, and these I use either alone or in conjunction with the
before-mentioned metallic salts or compounds. I thus avail myself of the absorbent
action, as before mentioned, of potassic and of sodic pyro-gallates.
In carrying out this Invention I prefer to produce and to effect the mixture of
the preservative agents with the diluents in the vessel containing the substances or
materials to be preserved. This I do by having a rake, the handle of which passes
through an air-tight stuffing box, and is connected with a vessel which can be so
arranged as to be capable of inversion, and at the same time permitting the impreg
nation of the oak or cork bark without the admission of air; or other methods may
be adopted.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I
would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
First. The employment for effecting the preservation of animal and of vegetable
matters of the lower oxides of manganese, such oxide or oxides being capable of
absorbing oxygen, and becoming converted into higher oxides.
Second. The employment for effecting the preservation of animal and of vegetable
substances of the lower oxides of manganese and of iron in conjunction with a
diluent, in the manner herein-before described.
Third. The employment for effecting the preservation of animal or of vegetable
matters of organic salts or compounds which are capable of absorbing oxygen, such,

page_text: for example, as the tannates, gallates, pyro-gallates, or analogous bodies, either
employed alone or when contained in vegetable or other matter.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Settle Barff, have to this my Speci-
fication set my hand and seal, this Second day of August, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-six.
ICHTEתתתתת
CEBBI B DADEE