IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHLOROPHYLLE AND IN ITS APPLICATION FOR IMPARTING A GREEN COLOUR TO PRESERVED VEGETABLES AND FRUITS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to François Lecourt, Manufacturer, and Achille Guillemare,
Chemist, of No. 1, Rue Laffitte, Paris, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF CHLOROPHYLLE AND IN ITS APPLICATION FOR IMPARTING
A GREEN COLOUR TO PRESERVED VEGETABLES AND FRUITS."
Sealed the 12th June 1877, and dated the 9th April 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said François Lecourt and Achille
Guillemare at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th April
1877.
FRANÇOIS LECOURT, Manufacturer, and ACHILLE GUILLEMARE, Chemist, of No. 1,
Rue Laffitte, Paris. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHLOROPHYLLE AND
IN ITS APPLICATION FOR IMPARTING A GREEN COLOR TO PRESERVED VEGETABLES
AND FRUITS."
For the manufacture or extraction of chlorophylle contained in alimentary plants,
such as spinach, sorrel, nettles, and others, we take a certain quantity of these
plants which we submit to the action of caustic soda; with the product of this
operation we form a chlorophylle lacker by means of the alumen obtained by the
simple or double salts of this basis, and then we wash this insoluble lacker in an
abundance of water to eliminate therefrom all the soda.
For the application of the chlorophylle contained in the lacker thus obtained we
first liquify it by means of soluble phosphates, or citrates, or double tartrates, and
we immerge the vegetables or other vegetable products in this liquor, heated, the
duration of their immersion as well as the temperature of the liquor varying
according to the nature of the products treated.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said François Lecourt and Achille Guillemare in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 19th July 1877.
FRANÇOIS LECOURT, Manufacturer, and ACHILLE GUILLEMARE, Chemist, of 1, Rue
Laffitte, Paris. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHLOROPHYLLE AND
Urine 71

page_text: IN ITS APPLICATION FOR IMPARTING A GREEN COLOUR TO PRESERVED VEGETABLES
AND FRUITS."
The nature of our Invention consists in applying to vegetables, such as peas,
French beans, and others, to fruits, such as greengages and others, to pickles, such
as gherkins and others, the chlorophylle extracted from plants such as spinach,
sorrel, clover, and others in sufficient quantity, so that when thus treated these
vegetables, fruits, and pickles maintain their fine natural green colour when they
are boiled in vacuum or subjected to any of the usual known processes for effecting
their preservation or when they are ultimately cooked for food. Therefore the
object of this Invention is to substitute to salts of copper and other metallic
preparations (which are known to be dangerous and prejudicial to health) actually
in general use for imparting a green colour to preserved vegetables and fruits in
general, the exclusive application for this purpose of chlorophylle extracted from
alimentary plants which contain the same in abundance.
Our process may be subdivided in five successive operations, thus,--
Firstly. Having selected the green leaves of spinach, sorrel, or other similar
plants, we scald them for a few minutes with boiling water, then let them drain,
and triturate them with knives or other cutting instruments.
Secondly. We submit the triturated mass to the action of alkalies, thus taking,
say, sixty pounds of the same; we add thereto about the same weight of a solution
of caustic soda, marking 12-5 degrees on a Beaumé scale, we boil this mixture until
the leaves are dissolved.
Thirdly. We prepare therewith a lacker by precipitating ordinary alum with this
alkaline solution of chlorophylle, we then draw off and wash the precipitate in
abundance of water, and finally, express therefrom the excess of water.
Fourthly. We make use of this lacker by placing about thirty pounds of the same
in a basin with about fifteen pounds of soluble phosphates, specially phosphates of
soda, of potassium, of aminonia, or of acid phosphates, or alkaline citrates, or double
tartrates, and we add thereto water until the liquor marks 2 to 5 degrees on a
Beaumé scale.
And, Fifthly. For the purpose of communicating the green colour contained in
this preparation of chlorophylle, first, to preserved vegetable products which have
been previously boiled or partly boiled; second, to vegetable products or fruits
preserved by the well-known processes of dessication and compression; and third,
to the preservation of green vegetables previously discoloured by salt and for which
the vacuum process is not necessary; we simply scald either of the three above-
mentioned products in such liquefied chlorophylle, marking from 2 to 5 degrees on
a Beaumé scale and heated to about 212 degrees Fahrenheit; the duration of the
immersion may vary from 2 to 15 minutes according to the nature of the vegetables
or fruits thus treated; after allowing them to cool and drain they are in a proper
state for boxing according to one or other of the three processes of preservation
above mentioned. The effect of this operation is to impart to the products treated
a fine permanent green colour due to the absorption and fixation of an excess of
chlorophylle.
We claim as our Invention,-
Firstly. The process above described of treating scalded and triturated vegetable
products, such as spinach and other similar plants, with an alkali, such as caustic
soda, marking 12.5 degrees on a Beaumé scale, in about equal proportions by weight,
and boiling this mixture until the said vegetable product is dissolved.
Secondly. Producing a lacker by precipitating alum with the alkaline solution
of chlorophylle thus obtained, washing the precipitate in an abundance of water,
and finally expressing therefrom the excess of said water.
Thirdly. Mixing with this lacker soluble phosphates, specially phosphates of soda,
of potassium, of ammonia or acid phosphates, or alkaline citrates, or double
tartrates, in the proportion by weight of about two of the former to one of the
latter, and subsequently adding water to this mixture until it marks from 2 to 5
degrees on a Beaumé scale.

page_text: And, Fourthly. Imparting a permanent green colour to vegetables, fruits, or
pickles to be preserved according to any known process by scalding such vegetable
products from 2 to 15 minutes, with the solution heated to about 212 degrees
Fahrenheit, and as obtained under the third claim above mentioned.
In witness whereof, we, the said François Lecourt and Achille Guillemare,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fourteenth day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.