IMPROVED MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE PRESERVATIVE TREATMENT OF MEAT
Year: 1885

page_text: Treatment of meat..
I PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature
of said invention for IMPROVED MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE PRESERVATIVE
TREATMENT OF MEAT, a communication to me from abroad by George Holgate of
1502 South Juniper Street, Philadelphia in the State of Pennsylvania, United
States of America, to be as follows:-
In the ordinary preparation of meats for the market, whether intended for
comparatively iminediate consumption, or to be preserved by any of the usual
processes, it has been the custom after slaughtering the animal to deposit the
carcase in a refrigerator and to expose it to a low temperature for from one to
three weeks before putting it upon the market, or subjecting it to the preservative
treatment. This treatment is attended with a considerable expense, not only
arising from the cost of constructing and using the refrigerating apparatus but also
from the delay and the handling and transportation of the meat This treatment
of the meat is also prejudicial to its subsequent treatment by gases with the object
of preserving the same, inasmuch as the meat becomes oxidised by contact with
the air, and as it shrinks in cooling, so that the preservative gases will not
penetrate the same so thoroughly as they otherwise might, and as the coating
formed upon the surfaces tends to resist the action of the gases.
I overcome these objections in the ordinary modes of preparation and treatment,
by subjecting the meat while retaining the animal heat and without preliminary
refrigeration to a direct action of preservative gases, so applied as to cool the meat
simultaneously with the exertion of their preservative action. In carrying out
my mode of treatment I employ any suitable tank or chamber, having an opening
for the admission and withdrawal of the meat capable of being made practically
air tight and with openings whereby the air may be exhausted to form a vacuum
and for the admission of the preservative agent or agents.

page_text: The meat immediately after the animal is slaughtered is deposited within the
tank the latter is sealed and the air is exhausted to as great an extent as possible.
By thus exhausting the air from the meat while the latter is warm from the
animal heat, the pores are opened or distended to a much greater extent than is
possible by treatment in a vacuum after the meat has become cooled. After the
exhaustion of the air the preservative agent is introduced into the chamber, or
the latter is put in communication with a chamber containing it, in such manner
that the expansion of the said agent will result in a rapid extraction of the heat
and a corresponding reduction of the temperature of the meat. I have found in
practice that the most effective agent is sulphurous anhydride or sulphurous acid
gas (S. O₂) which is in a liquid or crystalline condition at the time that it is
introduced into the chamber or put into communication therewith, and which
immediately expands, rapidly absorbs the heat, and creates such a low temperature
that the meat is thoroughly chilled, and the animal heat wholly extracted in the
course of a very few minutes, but not so quickly as to prevent the gas from
penetrating the pores and acting upon the entire body of the meat.
Inasmuch as the meat is treated immediately after the slaughter of the animal,
the surfaces are in their natural condition without being obstructed by any
coating or film and the gas can act upon the same and penetrate the body of the
meat much more effectively than would be possible in treating meats that have
been subjected for any considerable time to the action of atmospheric air. I have
found that by treating the meat with anhydrous sulphurous gas a much better
preservative effect secured, the presence of even a small quantity of water being
objectionable.
After the treatment with the sulphurous anhydride I introduce carbonic acid
gas which has the effect of further lowering the temperature and so co-operates
with the sulphurous gas as to improve the preservative action upon the meat so
that when the latter is withdrawn from the chamber (which may be done after an
exposure of about thirty minutes) it may be exposed to the atmosphere for many
months without deterioration or without in any way impairing its qualities.
By this treatment I not only impart to the meat such qualities as will perinit
its exposure to the atmospheric air without deterioration, but I also avoid the
expense and trouble incident to the preliminary refrigeration and its maintenance
at a low temperature for a great length of time.
While the use of both sulphurous anhydride and carbonic acid gases is most
desirable and for some purposes essential, the sulphurous anhydride may in some
instances be employed alone to secure a preservative and refrigerating effect. The
characteristics of the articles produced as above set forth are that the same are
free from any peculiar taste odour or colour, that when cut, the fresh surface is like
that of fresh meats except that when old the fibres are more compact and hard
from the loss of moisture that the fats retain their odour and preserve their
nominal appearance, except that they are slightly bleached, and that the meat
when exposed to the air will not be decomposed, a characteristic by which mainly
it can be distinguished from untreated meat.
After the article is cooked it corresponds in every respect with freshly killed
and cooked meat..
'
I will now proceed to describe the apparatus I employ for carrying out my
invention. It consists of a chest or building which contains the vacuum chamber
to which access is had through a convenient door. Situated near this chamber is
an exhaust pump by which the air is removed from the chamber before the gas is
admitted. The sulphurous acid or anhydrous sulphurous acid is stored in a suitable
vessel which is surrounded by a cooling substance or is otherwise kept cool. This
vessel may connect with a tank arranged over a fire place, said vessel being
adapted to hold carbon and sulphuric acid, the heating of which will generate
sulphur and carbon gases which pass into said first vessel, and from which they pass
to the vacuum chamber on the opening of a cock; after the said chamber has been

page_text: practically exhausted of air.
When the carbonic acid gas is to be generated
separately, sulphuric acid and marble dust are put in a tank which communicates
either with the chest or chamber or with another vessel in which the gas is
collected and stored for use. The above described apparatus may be used to subject
the articles in the chest or chamber to the action of one or more preservative gases
or vapours applied separately or together, and to generate the gases separately or
together. A modification consists in burning sulphur and carbon together in a
case, from whence the gases are drawn into the cylinder of the pump and then
forced into the chest or chamber after the air has been removed, the operation
being continued until the gases are compressed in the chest under a pressure
greater than that of the atmosphere, whereby a better action is secured, and the
process facilitated.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means of and Apparatus for the Preservative
Treatment of Meat.
I PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane, in the county of
Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature
of this invention, a communication from abroad by George Holgate of 1502. South
Juniper Street, Philadelphia in the State of Pennsylvania, United States of
America, and in what manner the same is to be performed,. to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
In the ordinary preparation of meats for the market, whether intended for
comparatively immediate consumption or to be preserved by any of the usual
processes, it has been the custom after slaughtering the animal to deposit the
carcass in a refrigerator and to expose it to a low temperature for from one to
three weeks before putting it upon the market, or subjecting it to the preservative
treatment.
This treatment is attended with a considerable expense, not only arising from
the cost of constructing and using the refrigerating apparatus, but also from the
delay and the handling and transportation of the meat.
This treatment of the meat is also prejudicial to its subsequent treatment by
gases with the object of preserving the same, inasmuch as the meat becomes
oxidized by contact with the air, and as it shrinks in cooling, so that the pre-
servative gases will not penetrate the same so thoroughly as they otherwise
might, and as the coating formed upon the surfaces tends to resist the action of the
gases.
I overcome these objections in the ordinary modes of preparation and treatment,
by subjecting the meat while retaining the animal heat and without preliminary
refrigeration to a direct action of preservative gases, so applied as to cool the meat
simultaneously with the exertion of their preservative action.
In carrying out my mode of treatment I employ any suitable tank or chamber,
having an opening for the admission and withdrawal of the meat, capable of being
made practically air tight, and with openings whereby the air may be exhausted
to form a vacuum and for the admission of the preservative agent or agents.
The meat immediately after the animal is slaughtered is deposited within the
tank, the latter is sealed and the air is exhausted to as great an extent as possible.
By thus exhausting the air from the meat while the latter is warm from the
animal heat, the pores are opened or distended to a much greater extent than is
possible by treatment in a vacuum after the meat has become cooled.
After the exhaustion of the air the preservative agent is introduced into the
chamber, or the latter is put in communication with a chamber containing it, in
such manner that the expansion of the said agent will result in a rapid extraction
of the heat and a corresponding reduction of the temperature of the meat.
I have found in practice that the most effective agent is sulphurous anhydride
or sulphurous acid gas, (S. O,,) which is in a liquid or crystalline condition at the
time that it is introduced into the chamber or put into communication therewith,

page_text: and which immediately expands, rapidly absorbs the heat, and creates such a low
temperature that the meat is thoroughly chilled and the animal heat wholly
extracted in the course of a very few minutes, but not so quickly as to prevent the
gas from penetrating the pores and acting upon the entire body of the meat.
Inasmuch as the meat is treated immediately after the slaughter of the animal,
the surfaces are in their natural condition, without being obstructed by any
coating or film and the gas can act upon the same and penetrate the body of the
meat much more effectively than would be possible in treating meats that have
been subjected for any considerable time to the action of atmospheric air.
I have found that by treating the meat with anhydrous sulphurous gas a much
better preservative effect is secured, the presence of even a small quantity of water
being objectionable.
After the treatment with the sulphurous anhydride I introduce carbonic acid
gas, which has the effect of further lowering the temperature and so co-operates
with the sulphurous gas as to improve the preservative action upon the meat, so
that when the latter is withdrawn from the chamber, (which may be done after an
exposure of about thirty minutes,) it may be exposed to the atmosphere for many
months without deterioration, or without in any way impairing its qualities.
By this treatment I not only impart to the meat such qualities as will permit
its exposure to the atmospheric air without deterioration, but I also avoid the
expense and trouble incident to the preliminary refrigeration and its maintenance
at a low temperature for a great length of time.
While the use of both sulphurous anhydride and carbonic acid gases is most
desirable, and for some purposes essential, the sulphurous anhydride may in some
instances be employed alone to secure a preservative and refrigerating effect.
The characteristics of the articles produced as above set forth are that the same
are free from any peculiar taste odor or color, that when cut the fresh surface is
like that of fresh meats, except that when old the fibres are more compact and
hard from the loss of moisture, that the fats retain their odor and preserve their
nominal appearance except that they are slightly bleached, and that the meat when
exposed to the air will not be decomposed, a characteristic by which mainly it can
be distinguished from untreated meat.
After the article is cooked it corresponds in every respect with freshly killed
and cooked meat.
Apparatus for carrying out this invention is illustrated in the accompanying
drawing, in which
Fig. 1 is an elevation in section of such apparatus, and
Fig. 2 a modification.
A, is the chest or building containing the vacuum chamber to which access is
had through the door F. G, is an exhaust pump by which the air is removed from
the chamber before the gas is admitted. J, is a vessel in which sulphurous acid
or anhydrous sulphurous acid is stored, and which is surrounded by a cover J¹ and
a cooling substance, or is otherwise kept cool. The vessel J may connect by a
pipe K with a tank J2 arranged over a fire place J³ and adapted to hold carbon
and sulphuric acid, the heating of which will generate sulphur and carbon gases
which pass into the vessel J, and from which they pass to the vacuum chamber A,
by the pipe K, on the opening of the cock K³, after the chamber has been
practically exhausted of air. When the carbonic acid gas is to be generated
separately, sulphuric acid and marble dust are put in a tank L, which commu-
nicates either with the chest or chamber A or by a pipe N with a vessel L in which
the gas is collected and stored for use.
The above described apparatus may be used to subject the article in the chest
or chamber A, to the action of one or more preservative gases or vapors applied
separately or together, and to generate the gases separately or together. In the
apparatus shown in Fig. 2 sulphur and carbon are burned together in a case P and
then drawn into the cylinder S, of the pump G and forced into the chamber A
through pipe H after the air has been removed, the operation being continued

page_text: until the gases are compressed in the chest under a pressure greater than that of
the atmosphere, whereby a better action is secured and the process facilitated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is
1. The mode of treating meats to preserve the same, consisting in introducing
them immediately after slaughter, and while retaining the animal heat into a
chamber, exhausting the air therefrom, introducing a preservative agent into the
chamber and causing it to expand therein and refrigerate the meat, and then
removing the latter and exposing it to the atmosphere until desired for use,
substantially as set forth.
2. In the preservation of meats, subjecting the same immediately after slaughter
in a chamber from which the air has been withdrawn to the action of sulphurous
anhydride, expanded in the presence of the meat, and to carbonic acid gas and
then removing the meat after it is cool, and exposing it to the atmosphere until
desired for use, substantially as specified.
3. In the treatment of animal matters to preserve the same, first removing the
air and then subjecting them to the action of a sulphuric gas, and then to the
action of a carbon gas and then removing and exposing to the atmosphere, as
specified.
4. In an apparatus for the preservation of animal and vegetable substances, the
combination of an air tight chamber, having a covered opening for the insertion
and removal of the material, with a vacuum pump, chambers constructed to
contain and supply Sulphurous and Carbonic acid gases, and connecting pipes
and valves, all substantially as and for the purposes specifiod.
5. A new meat product, consisting of preserved meat capable of exposure to the
atmosphere without decomposition and having the other characteristics described,
resulting from removing the air from the meat and subjecting it while in a vacuum
to the action of carbon and sulphur gases, substantially as set forth.
6. Preserved meat having open pores, an uncoated surface, free from peculiar
odor and taste, and capable of exposure to the atmosphere and of being therein
preserved without decomposition or deleterious change substantially as described.
7. The preserved meat product hereinbefore specified, having the characteristics
set forth.