Vegetables, Meat, Fish, and other Perishable Articles of Food.
Year: 1888

page_text: Vegetables, Meat, Fish, and other Perishable Articles of Food.
I WILLIAM PEACOCK of South Melbourne in the Colony of Victoria Australia and
Kinson Lodge, Parkstone, in the County of Dorset Manufacturer do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
This invention relates to a peculiar combination and arrangement of apparatus for
carrying out the process of preserving fruit set forth in the Specification to Letters
Patent granted to John Ellor Taylor No. 14233 A.D. 1885 which apparatus is also
suitable for use in effecting the preservation by the action of sulphurous acid of
vegetables, meat; fish and other like perishable articles of food.
The apparatus which I employ in carrying out the aforesaid process consists of a
Sulphurous Acid generator, a receptacle or container for the articles whilst under-
going the Sulphurous Acid treatment and serving also after having been closed air
tight as the packing case or container in which the preserved articles are sent to the
market, and an Exhauster by preference in the form of an Ejector worked by a jet
of steam, but which may also consist of a vacuum fan or an air pump for withdrawing
the air from the said container. The Sulphurous Acid generator consists of a closed
vessel or generating chamber provided with an air inlet pipe descending from the top
nearly to the bottom thereof within which chamber the Sulphur for the generation of
the Sulphurous Acid is to be burned. To the upper part of this generating chamber
there is connected a tubular "worm "for the passage of the Sulphurous Acid both
the generating chamber and the worm being contained in a cold water tank or other
suitable refrigerator in order to lower the temperature of the fumes. To the projecting
nozzle of the worm outside the tank or refrigerator there is permanently connected a
flexible tube having two branches leading therefrom each of which terminates in
a nozzle and stop cock inserted into bung holes on opposite sides of the case or
receptacle for the fruit or other articles to be treated at or near the bottom thereof.
The top of this case or receptacle is hermetically united to the body after it has been
filled and an aperture is left therein for the connection therewith of the end of an

page_text: Exhaust pipe leading to the air Exhauster-This connection may be effected by any
well known coupling but I prefer to employ a rubber flap valve or disc on the end of
the exhaust ipe which is held tightly over the aperture in the cover by atmospheric
pressure when a partial vacuum has been produced in the receptacle, and is released
when the vacuum is destroyed by the sulphurous acid which enters through the
flexible branch pipes from the worm as fast as the air is exhausted and takes its
place.
The articles under treatment having been saturated with the acid the further supply
of acid is cut off by closing the stop cocks on the nozzles of the two branch pipes, the
nozzles themselves are withdrawn and apertures in the sides and top of the receptacle
are permanently closed air tight by plugs or stoppers when the receptacle with its
contents is ready for the market.
Apparatus to be Employed in Effecting the Preservation of Fruit,
Vegetables, Meat, Fish, and other Perishable Articles of Food.
I WILLIAM PEACOCK of South Melbourne in the Colony of Victoria, Australia,
and Kinson Lodge, Parkstone in the County of Dorset Manufacturer 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:-
This invention relates to a peculiar combination and arrangement of apparatus for
carrying out the process of preserving fruit set forth in the specification to Letters
Patent granted to John Ellor Taylor No. 14233 A.D. 1885 which apparatus is also
suitable for use in effecting the preservation by the action of Sulphurous Acid, of
vegetables, meat, fish, and other like perishable articles of food.
The apparatus which I employ in carrying out the aforesaid process consists of
a sulphurous acid generator, a receptacle or container for the articles whilst
undergoing the sulphurous acid treatment and serving also after having been closed.
air tight as the packing case or container in which the preserved articles are sent
to the market, and an exhauster by preference in the form of an ejector worked by
a jet of steam (but which may also consist of a vacuum fan or an air pump) for
withdrawing the air from the said container. The sulphurous acid generator consists
of a closed vessel or generating chamber provided with an air inlet pipe descending
from the top nearly to the bottom thereof within which chamber the sulphur for
the generation of the sulphurous acid is to be burned. To the upper part of the
generating chamber is connected a tubular worm for the passage of the sulphurous

page_text: acid, both the generating chamber and the worm being contained in a cold water tank
or other suitable refrigerator in order to lower. the temperature of the fumes. To
the projecting nozzle of the worm outside the tank or refrigerator there is connected
a flexible tube having two branches leading therefrom each of which terminates in a
nozzle and stop cock inserted in holes on opposite sides, and at or near the bottom
of the case or receptacle for the fruit or other articles to be treated. The top of this
case or receptacle is hermetically united to the body after it has been filled, and an
aperture is left therein for the connection therewith of the end of an exhaust pipe
leading to an exhauster. This connection may be effected by any well known
coupling, but I prefer to employ a rubber flap valve or disc on the end of the
exhauster pipe which is held tightly over the aperture in the cover by atmospheric
pressure when a partial vacuum has been produced in the receptacle. The
Sulphurous Acid is drawn in through the flexible branch pipes from the worm as fast
as the air is exhausted and takes its place.
The articles under treatment having been saturated with the acid, the further
supply of acid is cut off by closing the stop cocks on the nozzles of the two branch
pipes, the nozzles themselves are withdrawn, and the apertures in the sides and top
of the receptacle permanently closed air tight by plugs or stoppers, when the
receptacle with its contents is ready for the market.
In the accompanying drawings:-
A is the sulphurous acid generator consisting of a closed vessel or generating
chamber in which the sulphur is burned, provided with a cover, and an air inlet
pipe B descending from the top nearly to the bottom thereof-C is a tubular worm
connected to the upper part of, and coiled around, the generator A-D is a cold water
tank or other suitable refrigerator for the purpose of lowering the temperature of the
sulphurous acid fumes in their passage through the worm C. The lower extremity of
the worm C passes through the bottom of the tank D and to it are connected the
flexible pipes E E (preferably of rubber hose) the extremities of each of which
terminate in nozzles and stop cocks F. G is the barrel or receptacle containing the
fruit, vegetables, or other perishable articles of food, to be treated into apertures at or
near the bottom of which the nozzles of the pipes E are inserted. His a flexible.
pipe (preferably of rubber hose) one extremity of which is connected with the.
exhauster K (here shewn in the form of an ejector worked by a jet of steam) whilst
its other extremity is fitted with a nozzle passing through an aperture in the
receptacle G and provided with a rubber flap I covering and held tightly over said
aperture by atmospheric pressure when a partial vacuum is produced in the barrel or
receptacle G by means of the exhauster K. The Sulphurous Acid is drawn in through
the pipes EE from the worm C as fast as the air is exhausted and takes its place.
If preferred an exhaust fan or air pump may be employed in lieu of the ejector K
for exhausting the air from the barrel or receptacle G.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
The fruit, vegetables, or other articles to be treated are placed within the barrel or
receptacle G the top of which is then united to the body hermetically. The nozzles
of the pipes E from the generator and the pipe H from the exhauster or ejector K
are then inserted in suitable apertures made in the receptacle G. As fast as the air
is exhausted from the barrel G by the ejector K the Sulphurous acid from the
generator A enters the barrel and takes its place. When the articles in the barrel G
are completely saturated with the acid the further supply is cut off by closing the
stop cocks F, the nozzles and pipe H are then withdrawn and the apertures through
which they passed permanently closed air tight by plugs or stoppers when the
receptacle with its contents is ready for the market.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. For effecting the preservation of fruit vegetables, and other perishable articles
of food, the use in combination with a sulphurous acid generator connected by pipes

page_text: with the receptacle containing the articles to be treated, of an exhauster of any
suitable description, also connected with said receptacle, substantially in the manner
specified.
2. For effecting the preservation of fruit, vegetables, and other perishable articles
of food, the use in combination with a sulphurous acid generator, situate within a
cold water tank, or other suitable refrigerator, and connected by pipes with the
receptacle containing the articles to be treated, of an exhauster either in the form of
an ejector worked by a jet of steam, an exhaust fan, or an air pump, connected with
the said receptacle substantially in the manner specified.
3. In apparatus for effecting the preservation of fruit, vegetables, and other perish-
able articles of food the use in combination with the sulphurous acid generator A,
contained within the cold water tank or refrigerator D, and provided with a tubular
worm C, to which are secured the branch pipes E E, connected with the receptacle G
by the nozzles and stop cocks F F, of the ejector K connected with the said
receptacle G by the pipe H, provided with the rubber flap I, substantially in the
manner and for the purpose specified and illustrated.
4. The apparatus for effecting the preservation of fruit, vegetables, and other
perishable articles of food, consisting of a receptacle G for containing the articles to
be treated, a sulphurous acid generator A, and an exhauster K (which may be of
any suitable description), combined and arranged substantially as specified and
illustrated.
TL 1712 da.. of Novambar 1000