Ix- PROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR PRESERVING GRAIN, FLOUR, EGGS, AND OTHER VEGETABLE AND ANIMAL SUBSTANCES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of "Ix-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR PRESERVING GRAIN, FLOUR,
EGGS, AND OTHER VEGETABLE AND ANIMAL SUBSTANCES." -A communication
from Louis Jacques Chateau, of Paris Notary.
Sealed the 26th July 1859, and dated the 4th February 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th
February 1859.
T, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR PRESERVING GRAIN
FLOUR, EGGS, & OTHER VEGETABLE AND ANIMAL SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
My Invention relating to preserving grain, flour, fruit, eggs, and other
vegetable, and animal matters, consists in enclosing the substances to be
preserved in a recipient of a cylindrical form, of say about three feet three
inches in diameter, & six feel six inches in height, this wood cylinder is formed
of staves united by iron hoops, the same as a tun or cask; it is enclosed with
a tinned iron case, perfectly soldered so as to ensure the exclusion of air; this
casing is furnished at top and bottom with a hoop of brass, rivetted and soldered
to the cylinder; this brass hoop is formed with a brim or flange of about an
[Price 8d.]

page_text: inch and an half in width, extending on the interior of the cylinder. and it is
by means of this brim that the lid is bolted securely thereto. To render the
joint air-tight, a thickness of india-rubber is placed between the lid &
cylinder. On the metallic casing is rivetted and soldered a plate furnished
with a stop-cock; the object of the latter is to place the cylinder in communi-
cation with an air pump. The substances to be preserved being placed, as
stated, in this cylinder the most perfect vacuim possible is obtained by means
of an air pump. In order that the substances shall be perfectly preserved,
care is taken to place in the cylinder, but not in contact with the substances
to be preserved, quicklime in the proportion of about 18 pints to the cubic
yard; the object of this lime is to absorb the carbonic acid produced by the
tendency to heat in the grain by any air which is shut in the cylinder. When
eggs are preserved, hydro-sulphuric acid is generated which is equally absorbed
by the lime.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd August 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lanc, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Clark, Her special licence that I, the said William
Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
and William Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR PRESERVING GRAIN, FLOUR,
Eees, AND OTHER VEGETABLE AND ANIMAL SUBSTANCES," a communication from
Louis Jacques Chateau, of Paris, in the Empire of France, Notary, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Clark, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of

page_text: their hands and seals. should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Clark, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to preserving grain, flour, fruit, eggs, and other
vegetable and animal matters, and consists in enclosing the substances to be
preserved in a recipient of a cylindrical form as follows:-This cylinder is
formed of wooden staves united by iron hoops, the same as a tun or cask; it
is enclosed within a tinned iron case, perfectly soldered so as to ensure the
exclusion of air; this casing is furnished at top and bottom with a hoop of
brass, rivetted and soldered to the cylinder; this brass hoop is formed with a
brim or flange of about an inch and an half in width, extending on the interior
of the cylinder, and it is by means of this brim that the lid is bolted securely
thereto. To render the joint air-tight, a thickness of india-rubber is placed
between the lid and cylinder. On the metallic casing is rivetted and soldered
a plate furnished with a stop-cock; the object of the latter is to place the
cylinder in communication with an air-pump. The substances to be preserved
being placed, as stated, in this cylinder the most perfect vacuum possible is
obtained by means of an air pump. In order that the substance shall be
perfectly preserved, care is taken to place in the cylinder, but not in contact
with the substances to be preserved, quicklime, in the proportion of about
eighteen pints to the cubic yard; the object of this lime is to absorb the
carbonic acid produced by the tendency to heat in the grain by any air which
is shut in the cylinder. When eggs are preserved, hydro-sulphuric acid is
generated, which is equally absorbed by the lime.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is an elevation of the apparatus, and Fig. 2 a central vertical section
of the same.
a, wooden staves connected together; b, lid or cover connected
by bolts to the flanges c of the staves; d, outside sheathing of tin; e, india-
rubber washers for the hermetical closure of the lid or cover; /, stop-cock,
by which the vessel or apparatus is placed in communication with the air-

page_text: Having described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention communicated to me,
and to be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the
preservation of alementary or other substances in vacuo, by means or apparatus
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.