Improved Jar Cover, and Combined Jar and Cover for Preserving Fruit, Meat, Fish, and other Perishable Substances.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Apr., 1895-Accepted, 4th May, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Jar Cover, and Combined Jar and Cover for Preserving
Fruit, Meat, Fish, and other Perishable Substances.
I, RUTH ANN GILCHRIST residing at 39 Hanover Street, Wilkes Barre in the
County of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, one of the United States of
America, Lady (married) 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 :-
My invention consists in a novel cover, comprising only two parts, for jars in
which fruit, meat, fish, and other perishable substances are preserved; and it also
consists in the combination of the said cover, and a jar in which meat, fruit, fish,
and other perishable substances are preserved. The improvements are designed
to simplify the construction of the cover and enhance the preserving capabilities
of the jar the cover being so constructed and proportioned relatively to the
diameter of the neck of the jar that when applied, it displaces a portion of the
perishable substance within the jar, and expels all atmospheric air; the paris
affording room for the fruit or other article displaced, in order to expel the air,
and said displaced fruit filling the space occupied by the air, and the cover sealing
the jars air-tight by screw pressure upon a rubber gasket applied on the shoulder
of the jar, and no room remaining in the jar for the air to occupy.
In the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1. is a sectional elevation showing my improved hermetically sealing cover,
and a jar, the jar being represented as filled and sealed airtight;
Fig. 2. is an inverted plan view of the cover represented in Fig. 1; and
Fig. 3. is a detail view in vertical section of the improved cover, the lining being
slightly modified in outline on its underside.
In Fig. 1, A represents a preserving jar which is, preferably, made of glass, but
may be of other suitable material. A shoulder a is formed near the upper edge
of the body portion of the jar upon which an elastic washer or gasket a' is applied.
The exterior of the jar, above the shoulder a is screw threaded as indicated at a³.
The relative diameters of the body portion of the jar and the neck portion
thereof are, preferably, substantially as represented that is, the diameter of the
neck and mouth of the jar being nearly equal to the diameter of that portion
of the jar which is below the shoulder a. The preferable form of the jar and
its neck is circular, and with vertical sides. The screw thread of the jar is,
preferably, formed integral with the neck of the jar on the outside. The cover
which comprises portions B, C, and D is constructed as follows: The portion B C,
is made of metal in form of a flat disk designated by the letter B, with a depending
flange designated by C. The flange is screw threaded by swaging or otherwise,
and is adapted to match the thread a' on the jar. This flange is, preferably, flared
downwardly, in order to make a good tight contact with the jar. The portion D
constitutes a lining to the metallic portion just described, and is, preferably, inade
of porcelain, or other suitable non-corrodible material. At its top it is of a
diameter sufficient to extend entirely over the underside of the metal portion B,
and from its underside depends a central conical projection d. This projection
starts downward from a thin, brond, annular flange, d, of the lining portion D.
This lining D is fastened by its flange to the metal portion B, by inserting it into
the depending rim or flange, C, after the screw a³ is formed upon the said portion C,
and then swaging the metal beneath the bevel of the flange. The conical portion d'
of the lining is of considerably less diameter then the flanged portion thereof, and

page_text: therefore a large annular reception chamber is formed between the surface of the
conical portion and the inner surface of the upper portion of the jar. The
conical portion d, is made of greater depth than the screw thread on the jar, in
order that it may enter deep enough into the mass of fruit or food enclosed in the
jar to displace the requisite quantity of the same for expelling all the air, before
the joint at the shoulder a, is hermetically sealed by the flared edge of the portion C
resting firmly against the gasket on the shoulder a. This construction of the cover
insures a complete expulsion of the air from the jar, and its free escape along the
line of the screw threads a³, a³, while the annular chamber, about the conical
projection of the lining portion B and the jar, is completely filled by the fruit,
meat, fish, or other perishable substance which is displaced by the descent of the
conical projection, and said displaced substance is so completely compacted in the
chamber that the air is effectually expelled, and no space for air remains within
the jar.
When the cover is applied to the jar, the conical portion presses outward and
upward against the fruit or other article, and displaces a part of the same, and
simultaneously expels all air that may exist in the jar, and between the cover
and contents of the jar. The object of the expulsion of the air and the complete
filling of the jar, is to prevent the deterioration or decay of the fruit, meat, fish,
or other edible enclosed in the jar, which takes place when air is present in the
jar and the jar not packed completely full.
Thus
It is important, in order to accomplish the complete filling of the jar from
its bottom to its top, or cover, with the articles to be preserved, to relatively
proportion the diameter of the conical projection and the diameter of the
upper portion of the jar; and the best relative proportion of the upper
reduced part of the jar, and the conical projection d, is to have, as
shown, the space from which the air is expelled, and which is filled by the
displaced fruit or other substance, of such a size that, after the jar is filled
within of an inch of its top, and the cover is applied and forced home, the
displaced quantity of fruit or other substance will just completely fill the jar, and
in doing so displace every portion of the air and expel it from the jar.
relatively proportioning the jar and the conical projection d, of the cover, obviates
the objection arising from overflow of the substances upon the outside of the jar
and the gasket ring, as no overflow need occur when care is taken, and the stated
proper relative proportions are observed, which relative proportions must be such
that an annular chamber shall be formed between the circumference of the conical
projection and the interior surface of the neck portion of the jar, and said chamber
must be large enough for the free movement into it of the displaced portion of
fruit, meat, fish, or other edible, and the same must be permitted to enter between
the inner surface of the neck portion of the jar and the conical projection, and also
to be crowded up, by the action of the conical surface, against the annular flange
of the lining, and thus ensure that every portion of the room of the chamber is filled
and all atmospheric air expelled from the jar. I therefore have reduced the
diameter of the inverted conical projection very greatly from the point where
the flange connects with the screw threaded metal portion of the cover,
down to its inverted apex ; and to facilitate the evolutions of the fruit, meat, or
other edibles during the penetration of the conical projection into the mass below
the dotted line x-x, I have made the outline of the conical projection nearly semi-
spherical, as in Figs. 1 and 2; or as in Fig. 3, of an approximately cyma form, the
cyma being united to a rounded apex. Either of these forms enables the meat,
fruit, or other edibles to rise into the chamber and roll over until the chamber is
completely filled, and all air expelled.
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 1
claim is :
1. The within described improved preserve jar cover formed of a screw threaded

page_text: outer metallic sealing portion, and a fruit or food displacing and air expelling non-
corrodible lining portion, the two parts being constructed and united as follows:
Each part being provided with integral uniting projections, and the upper part of
the said lining portion having a diameter about equal to that of the under surface
of the top of the outer metal portion, and provided with a downwardly extending
inverted conical projection of much less diameter than the top surface of the lining
portion, and of a greater depth than the height of that portion of the cover which
is screw threaded; whereby a preserving jar cover is provided, comprising simply two
united parts, the inner one of which is formed with a thin aunular flange by which
it is connected to the outer screw threaded metallic portion; and which cover,
when applied to a jar serves for acting upon the enclosed substances so as to cause
them to entirely occupy the inside area of the jar from top to bottom, and thereby
expel all atmospheric air from the jar, and, finally, for hermetically sealing the jar
when screwed tight down upon a rubber gasket applied on the shoulder of the jar,
substantially as described.
2. The within described cover for a fruit, meat, or other preserving jar, consisting
of the sheet metal screw threaded portion B, C, and the lining portion D, the said
lining portion having a thin annular connecting flange d and a downwardly
extending fruit or food displacing and air expelling conical projection d, substantially
as described.
3. In combination with a jar for preserving fruit, meat, or other substances,
having a gasket shoulder, a screw threaded and a neck portion of nearly an equal
diameter with its body portion, a cover consisting of the sheet metal screw threaded
portion B, C, and a fruit or meat displacing and air expelling lining portion D
having an annular flange d¹ and a downwardly extending conical projection d,
substantially as described.
Dated this 1st day of Anril 1895
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.