A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PRESERVING ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES AND LIQUIDS
Year: 1881

page_text: A commu-
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Henri Adrien Bonneville at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th April 1881.
cation by Arthur Robert, of 277, Rue St. Honoré, Paris, France.
HENRI ADRIEN BONNEVILLE, of the British and Foreign Patent Offices, 18 Rue
de la Chaussée d'Antin, Paris, France, and 90, Cannon Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent. A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PRESERVING
ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES AND LIQUIDS." A communcation by Arthur
Robert of 277, Rue St. Honoré, Paris, France.
The Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawings which represent
several modifications of the apparatus according to its different applications."
These apparatuses are intended to preserve alimentary and fermentescible
products, solid or liquid, by securing them against fermentation due to the germs of
fermentation in the air, and for rapidly improving liquids by keeping them in
constant contact with the oxygen of pure air.
I. The apparatus consists of 1° a recipient R of any shape whatever, made of
metal, glass, porcelaine, or other sustable material, and of any form whatever, which
is filled with a substance or matter capable of sifting or filtering the air which
passes through it, that is to purify such air of all its germs of fermentation, as, for
example, cotton or asbestos, according to circumstances. 2°. A tube T of any form
required connecting the filtering apparatus R with the recipient containing the
product to be preserved. 3°. A lid C which may be modified according to its
application. 4° A bottom c¹ which may also be modified. 5°. A perforated false
bottom F having 6° a valve S of india rubber, metal, or other, preventing the
communication of the interior with the outside, necessary in certain cases, which
will hereafter be indicated.
Suppose any alimentary or fermentescible products contained in any kitchen
utensil or apparatus, and still heated to about 60°, now if they are left to cool
down in the usual manner they will undergo fermentations that will spoil them.
If on the contrary, as seen Fig. 1, the lid or cover is hermetically closed by an
hydraulic joint, as shown in Fig. 1, by pouring water into the circular rim for the

page_text: cover U, or by an india-rubber joint, and if the filtering apparatus is fitted to the
top of the cover or lid, and the recipient V containing the product to be preserved
is left to cool there will be a condensation in the interior of the said recipient V,
and a vacuum produced which will be supplied with air, which passing through the
filtering apparatus R and the small holes t, t, t, in the top and bottom of the
apparatus will be purified and cleared of all its germs of fermentation and replace
the gases and condensed vapours ; the product thereby will only be in contact with
pure or inert air, all fermentation will be impossible, and the product, whatever it
be, is preserved indefinitely.
For this application the filtering apparatus is simple, for it is only necessary to
ensure the admittance of pure air. This filtering apparatus may be placed upon
the utensil or apparatus in which the product has been prepared, as well as upon
some other vessel into which it may have been transferred.
II. Suppose a fermentescible liquid, wine, beer, liquor, for example, contained in
a cask, barrel, or other recipient, and it being necessary to draw it off, wholly
or partly, at undetermined epochs or by intervals, the liquid drawn off in the
ordinary manner will cause the external air containing germs of fermentation to
enter and replace it, whereby the remaining liquid will be in contact with the said
germs of fermentation and which causes fermentations of all kinds. Beers become
cloudy and acetic, musty and ropy. Wines undergo similar fermentations as well
as all fermented liquids.
If, on the contrary, the air instead of entering the recipient directly by any inlet
hole is caused to pass through the filtering apparatus before coming in contact with
the liquid there is no fear of fermentation. The shape of the filtering apparatus
may be modified in two manners.
1º. The interior pressure of the recipient being equal or greater than the
atmospheric pressure, the apparatus, Fig. 2, is sufficient; it is screwed or fitted in
some way upon the top of the recipient, the interior of which is thus in com-
munication with the atinospheric air through the tube T which is here threaded to
be screwed into a hole made in the wood of a cask or barrel, for example, containing
wine, beer, or some other ferinentescible liquid destined to be drawn off at irregular
intervals. The working of the apparatus is very simple.
If part of the liquid is drawn off a depression is produced in the interior which
is supplied by air through the tube T, but before coming in contact with the liquid
it passes through the filtering substance in R, entering through the small holes t, t, t,
raises the valve S, after passing through the small holes t', t, t¹, and replaces in volume
the liquid drawn off by tapping, and as soon as an equilibrium is established the
valve S shuts automatically to shut off all communication between the interior and
the atmospheric air, and thus prevents the evaporation of the liquid, that is the
loss of the essences forming its flavour. A double end is thus obtained by the
filtering apparatus 1°. The withdrawn liquid is replaced with pure air, and all
fermentation is prevented 2°. The escape of the essential principles of the liquid,
that is the evaporation thereof, is prevented..
2º. If the interior pressure of the recipient is feebler than that of the exterior
pressure, which often takes place in casks filled with wine, and when an air-hole,
as is generally done, is made, the impure atmospheric air containing germs of
fermentation, which entering the cask will be developed and modify the liquid.
To avoid this the filtering apparatus is modified, as shown in Fig 3. The tube T
being made in the form of a gimlet, the hole is made with it immediately, and it is
left in the hole while the liquid is drawn off; it is at once seen by referring to
Fig. 3, that the air enters only after passing through the filtering substance R, the
tube T, and finally through the small holes a, a, a, by which the interior of T
communicates with the recipient containing the liquid. With the apparatus thus
modified no entering of impure air is to be feared, nor is any fermentation possible.
The evaporation is also prevented, the valves S, S, shutting off the escape of the
gases.
III. The filtering apparatus, Fig. 4, is modified to be put upon a bottle or jar, or

page_text: other similar vessel. C is a conical stopper; T, the hollow tube; R, the filtering
chamber; S, the valve.
Having thus described the Invention, and the manner of carrying it into effect, I
would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details above
enumerated, as these may obviously be modified without departing from the
principle of the Invention, but what I claim is, an apparatus consisting of a
chamber provided with inlet holes and valves filled with any suitable filtering
matter or substance through which the impure atmospheric air passes and is filtered
before entering a recipient or vessel containing animal or vegetable substances,
especially solid or liquid alimentary products to be preserved in combination with
said chamber, substantially as above described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henri Adrien Bonneville, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Second day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
:
H. BONNEVILLE. (LS.)