of IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESERVING MEAT, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Jensen, of Chancery Lane, London, for the Invention
"
of IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESERVING MEAT, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR." A
communication from abroad by Theodor Achtelstetter, of Nuremberg, in
Bavaria, and Sigismund von Sawiczewsky, of Vienna, in Austria.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Peter Jenson at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 7th April 1876.
PETER JENSON, of Chancery Lane, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESERVING
MEAT, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR." A communication from abroad by Theodor
Achtelstetter, of Nuremberg, in Bavaria, and Sigismund von Sawiczewsky, of
Vienna, in Austria.
According to this Invention the flesh of cattle or other animals, game, birds, or
fishes, is carefully separated and cleansed from the sinews, bones, skin, and other
such parts, and while fresh cut into rather small even pieces and placed for about an
hour in fresh water containing some natron bicarbonicum. The best proportions
are about 10 grammes of natron bicarbonicum to about 10 litres of water, but this
proportion is not of so great importance. The meat is then rinsed several times in
fresh water and placed in a vacuum of about 26 or 27 inches of mercury. Here it
remains for one to two hours, the vacuum being the while maintained by means of
an air pump or other suitable means; while in the sustained vacuum it is then
sprinkled with a weak alcoholic solution of salycylic acid until it is perfectly covered
by it; a suitable proportion is made of 5 grammes of acid, 30 grammes of alcohol,
and 100 litres of water. As the air practically has been removed from the flesh
tissues the solution enters the pores of the meat thoroughly, being kept cool all the
while. The meat is then packed with salt in tins so as just to be covered by the
alcoholic solution of salicylic acid and frozen as hard as possible by a natural or
artificial cold. The open tins which may be of the form shown at Fig. 3 of the
accompanying Drawings are then in the ice covered by means of a double-bottomed
or box cover, practically excluding the air; the cover is soldered air-tight and then
bard frozen in its place; the tins are then kept some days in an ice cellar or
American ice safe or box, the air in the double cover forming a cushion and
preventing the bursting of the tin, which otherwise would be caused by expansion
by the frost. The tins can then be kept or forwarded to their destination in any

page_text: desired manner; the meat keeps perfectly fresh and savory as if fresh killed; this
has been found to be the case 3 and 4 months after the preparation as aforesaid.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a vertical cross section of a vacuum
apparatus which is or may be used in this process; Figure 2 is a plan of same; and
Figure 3 is a section through a tin.
The vacuum apparatus consists of a strong copper cylinder a wherein the
standard by means of the casting c, c, c, keyed thereto carries the perforated sieve
plates d, d, whereon the meat is packed. This is done outside of the vacuum
apparatus, while the standard b hangs with its upper loop in a block fall or tackle,
by means of which it is again brought into the vacuum cylinder when packed full.
The cover c is then put on; a movable pipe leads herefrom to the vessel
9 which
contains the solution of salicylic acid; when the air pump has worked sufficiently
the solution is by the pipe and cock let down on to the meat in the vacuum
apparatus till it is all soaked or saturated therewith; the standard bis then again
raised and the meat packed into the tins, Figure 3. The tins are beforehand covered
with clean salt inside; m is the tin cover or cushion, which is soldered firmly on, it
can be so much compressed as the fluids expand in freezing, the tins can therefore
not burst.
And having thus fully described the nature of this Invention, and the mode and
means whereby the same is or may be performed, I declare that I claim,
Firstly. The mode or process of preserving, substantially as herein set forth.
Secondly. The apparatus herein described when applied to the purpose herein set
forth.
Thirdly. The application of hollow tin covers, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Jensen, have hereunto set my hand and
seal this Seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-six.
PETER JENSEN. (L.S.)