A NEW OR IMPROVED METHOD OF PRESERVING FOOD OR OTHER PERISHABLE ARTICLES
Year: 1881

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edwin Jackson and Josiah Kershaw
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th January
1881.
EDWIN JACKSON, of Brixton, in the County of Surrey, Land Surveyor, and
JOSIAH KERSHAW, of Cullum Street, in the City of London, Timber Merchant.
"A NEW OR IMPROVED METHOD OF PRESERVING FOOD OR OTHER PERISHABLE
ARTICLES."
The object of our Invention is to preserve meat, fish, poultry, vegetables, fruit,
butter, eggs, and other farm produce. With this object we construct near the
slaughter house a substantial preserving house containing one or more heat proof
rooms built with cellular or thick solid walls so as to exclude the heat and preserve
an equable cool temperature throughout. The animal being killed in the most
approved method, the carcase properly prepared is brought immediately into the
preserving or heat proof room." The air in this room must be dry and pure, and in
some places it will be necessary to effect this by some artificial process, and we
should always keep this room at a cool temperature, but above the freezing point,
also by some approved method. The meat is hung in this room for any necessary
time according to the climate. The meat then having been brought to the
requisite dry and cool state is well wrapped in cotton or other cloth as free from
size or other impurities as possible, or it may be wrapped in paper or other similar
material so as to exclude the air. This cotton cloth or other material has been
previously steeped or washed in glycerine and paraffin or either of them or other
similar substance. This may be done on one side or on both sides. We make
boxes or casks for the reception of the meat of convenient size or shape. We line
these boxes or casks with cotton or other cloth or paper which has been steeped in
paraffin or glycerine, or we can wash the inside of these boxes or casks with
paraffin or glycerine. The outside of these boxes or casks may be painted with
fluid indian rubber or caoutchouc paint or other similar material for the purpose
of excluding heat and moisture and preserving the material of which the boxes or
casks are made, These boxes or casks having been brought into the preserving or
heat proof room, the meat thoroughly wrapped in the cloth or paper is placed
inside the box, and any vacant spaces that may be left in the box or cask may be
filled with flour, powdered charcoal, or whatever material we may prefer. This
box or cask is then properly fastened down. We prefer to make these boxes or

page_text: casks without any nails or fastenings of iron or other metal. This box or cask so
prepared is to be placed in another box or cask of similar shape but slightly
larger in all the dimensions. We can if we choose treat this box or cask internally
in the same way we have treated the smaller box or cask, and we may whitewash
or tar or pitch the outside. We fill the space between the two boxes or casks with
powdered gypsum, dry sawdust, hair, chaff, powdered charcoal, or any one or more
of these or other similar substances, and the outer box or cask is then carefully
closed. The boxes or casks must be prepared very carefully for the purpose
of excluding air, heat and moisture, and may be made of wood, paper, or
other material. The meat is now ready and will keep fresh and good for a lengthened
period.
For preserving all other perishable articles of food we should proceed generally
in the same manner.