Improvements in Apparatus for Use in the Sterilization of Materials in Bottles, Jars, or other Vessels.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Feb., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 27th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 27th Oct., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Use in the Sterilization of Materials
in Bottles, Jars, or other Vessels.
I, ALBERT HÜSSENER of Gelsenkirchen, in the Empire of Germany, Factory
Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is the formation of an apparatus by which I am
enabled mechanically to close, and make perfectly tight against the access of the
outer air, by means of a plain flat cover, vessels of any shape intended for
preserving articles of food, the said vessels and their contents having been
previously sterilised by heating in a hot water bath. To this end, the apparatus is
so constructed and arranged that it not only effects the closure of the vessels, but
also, during the process of sterilisation exhausts the air from the interior of the
vessels, without the atmospheric air outside being able to penetrate into the interior
of the vessels, either during or subsequent to the process of sterilisation.
The apparatus consists of a bottom-plate of any suitable form, in the centre of
which is placed a vertical rod or standard provided throughout its entire height
with two projecting ribs diametrically opposite to each other. The standard also
carries a cover-carrying frame having say three arms, or more or less, at equal
angular intervals.
This frame has a central orifice, for the standard provided with two slots or
recesses to receive the ribs, being, for that purpose of form and dimensions to
correspond therewith, in such manner that the said frame can move up and down
freely on the standard, but is prevented from rotating thereon.
The frame carries covers secured to the vertical rods suspended in slots near the
outer ends of the arms. Between the frame and the covers themselves are placed
helical springs coiled round the rods.. To the underside of the frame is attached,
centrally, the upper end of a central helical spring coiled round the central standard
to which its lower end is secured by a pin or stop. Secured to the upper side of
the frame are two suitably bent hooks or handles which are intended for the purpose
of lifting the frame (and cover), a cross-bar being provided at the upper end of the
standard, so that, to assist in this, by grasping the hooks with the fingers, the frame
can be lifted up, while at the same time the spring around the standard is stretched
and thereby placed in tension.
At the upper part of the standard the above named ribs are interrupted at
suitable parts so as to form notches or gaps for the purpose of sustaining the frame
in its elevated position, which is attained by turning it partly round, when the slots
in the frame (which fit on the ribs) coincide with the gaps or notches in the ribs,
Buch rotation being, in all other positions, prevented by the ribs, as previously
stated.
The vessels containing the fluid or other matter to be sterilised are placed in
position on the bottom plate, and then the frame is turned back, until it can be
released and permitted to slide down the ribs, under the influence of its spring
until the covers are pressed down upon the open months of the vessels so as to close
them. The arrangement of the spiral spring for the frame round the standard, in
relation to said frame and covers requires to be so regulated and adjusted that the
latter exert an adequate pressure on the vessels to close them hermetically.
The mode of operation, in the use of the apparatus is as follows ;-
After the vessels have been placed on the bed-plate in the manner above described,
the whole apparatus with the said vessels is immersed (up to the necks of the

page_text: vessels) in a water-vessel which is thereupon heated to boiling point. As the water-
bath becomes heated, the spiral spring acting on the cover-carrying frame expands,
and its actual length, already considerable owing to the number of the coils,
becomes increased, so that its pressure is correspondingly increased, which
causes the covers of the vessels under treatment to be lifted so as to allow free
escape to the heated air that is to be expelled from the vessels; further, when the
apparatus and the vessels are taken out of the water-bath the covers are again
tightly pressed on the vessels' mouths, and keeps them closed, until, owing to the
cooling and consequent condensation of the contents, the pressure of the outer
atmosphere comes into operation to effect or maintain the hermetic closure of the
vessels by the covers alone, without the aid of the central spring.
Dated this 97th day of February 1804
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Of London, Nottingham, Liverpool, and Manchester.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Use in the Sterilization of Materials
in Bottles, Jars, or other Vessels.
1, ALBERT HÜSSENER, of Gelsenkirchen, in the Empire of Germany, Factory
Manager, 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 object of this invention is the formation of an apparatus by which I am
enabled mechanically to close and make perfectly air-tight by the pressure of the
outer air itself, by means of a plain flat cover, vessels of any shape intended for
preserving articles of food, the said vessels and their contents having been
previously sterilised by heating in a hot-water bath. To this end, the apparatus is
so constructed and arranged that it not only effects the closure of the vessels, but
also, during the process of sterilisation, exhausts the air from the interior of the
vessels, without the atmospheric air outside being able to penetrate into the interior
of the vessels, either during or subsequent to the process of sterilisation.
My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which the same
reference letters throughout indicate similar parts.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the water-vessel for the reception of the
apparatus, which is shown partly in elevation and partly in section;
Figure 2 is a view of the apparatus as seen from above, (partly in section) on
the line of Figure 1 ;
Figure 3 is an elevation of the apparatus, showing the covers raised to their
extreme height and
Figure 4 is a plan of the apparatus with the arm or frame carrying the covers
turned partly round.
The apparatus consists of a bottom-plate P, of any suitable form, in the centre
of which is placed a preferably cylindrical vertical rod or standard A provided
throughout its entire height with two projecting ribs a a diametrically opposite to
each other. The standard A also carries a cover-carrying frame D which is here
shown by way of example, as having three arms at equal angular intervals 'apart
as shown in Figure 2.
This frame D has a central orifice, for the standard A provided with two
grooves or recesses to receive the ribs a a, being for that purpose of form and
dimensions to correspond therewith, in such manner that the said frame D can
move up and down freely on the standard A but is prevented from rotating
thereon.
The frame D carries the covers E secured to the vertical rods e suspended in
slots near the outer ends of the three arms as shown in Figure 2.
Between the

page_text: b
frame D and the covers themselves are placed helical springs e¹ coiled round the
rods e.
To the underside of the frame D is attached, centrally, the upper end of a
central helical spring F' coiled round the central standard A to which its lower
end is secured by a pin or stop. Secured to the upper side of the frame D
are two suitably bent hooks or handles which are intended for the purpose
of lifting the frame D (and covers E) a cross-bar A' being provided at the
upper end of the standard A, so that, to assist in this, by grasping the hooks b
with the fingers, the frame D can be lifted up, while at the same time the
spring F around the standard is stretched and thereby placed in tension.
At the upper part of the standard A the above-named ribs a a are interrupted
at suitable parts so as to form notches or gaps for the purpose of sustaining the
frame D in its elevated position, which is attained by turning it partly round, when
the slots in the frame D (which fit on the ribs a a) coincide with the gaps or
notches in the ribs, such rotation being, in all other positions, prevented by the
ribs, as previously stated.
The vessels containing the fluid or other matter to be sterilised are placed in
position on the bottom plate P, and then the frame D is turned back together with
the covers E until it can be released and permitted to slide down the ribs, under
the influence of its spring F, until the covers E are pressed down upon the open
mouths of the vessels so as to close them. The arrangement of the spiral spring F
round the standard A, in relation to said frame D and covers E requires to be so
regulated and adjusted that the latter exert an adequate pressure on the vessels to
close them hermetically:
The mode of operation, in the use of the apparatus is as follows;―
After the vessels have been placed on the bed-plate P in the manner above
described, the whole apparatus with the said vessels is immersed (up to the necks
of the vessels) in a water vessel G which is thereupon heated to boiling point. As
the water-bath becomes heated, the spiral spring F¹ expands, and its actual length,
already considerable owing to the number of the coils becomes increased, which
causes the covers of the vessels under treatment to be lifted so as to allow free
escape to the heated air to be expelled from the vessels; further, when the
apparatus and the vessels are taken out of the water-bath, the covers are again
tightly pressed on the vessels' mouths, and keep them closed, until, owing to the
cooling and consequent condensation of the contents, the pressure of the outer
atmosphere comes into operation to effect or maintain the hermetic closure of the
vessels by the covers E alone, without the aid of the central spring F.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;-
1. An apparatus for the automatic closure of an exhaustion of air from sterilising
vessels comprising a standard A provided with ribs such as a and arranged on a
bottom plate P for the said vessels a spring F and frame such as D provided with
hooks or handles b which frame D during the sterilising process presses the closing
plates or covers of the vessels by means of detached covers E but nevertheless by
reason of the expansion of the spring F due to the rise of temperature allows the
air to escape from the interior of the vessels while when the apparatus charged
with the sterilised vessels is removed from the heating or sterilising medium and
the temperature of the spring consequently decreases the covers are firmly held
air-tight upon the said vessels by the atmospheric pressure only.
Dated this 27th day of September 1894.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.