A Germ-proof Safe or Storage Receptacle for Articles of Food.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 16th Mar., 1895
A Germ-proof Safe or Storage Receptacle for Articles of Food.
1
We, ROBERT HOWE GOULD, of 28 Neue Loch Strasse Berlin, in the Kingdom
of Prussia, Engineer, and ROBERT GERSBACH of 45/46 Manerstrasse, Berlin,
Germany Rentier, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
It is well known that air when filtered through cotton wool is not only freed
from all impurities, such as dust, smell, etc., but also from all disease germs
such as bacteria and other micro-organisms.
This invention has for its object to so construct a safe or like receptacle, in
view of the above facts, that, whilst the door can be opened and closed, when
desired, the interior will be continuously filled with air free from germs.
And in order that our said invention may be properly understood we have
hereunto appended an explanatory sheet of drawings, whereon,
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the safe,
Fig. 2 a cross section of the safe on the line ex Fig. 1,
Fig. 3 a vertical section of the safe on the line y-y Fig. 2.
Figs. 4, 5 and 6 show, to an enlarged scale, details of construction.
Figs. 7 and 8 show in perspective and sectional views respectively an ice safe
constructed in accordance with the invention.
Referring to the drawings whereon the same reference numerals wherever
repeated indicate the same or similar parts.
As clearly shown in Figs. 1 to 3 the suspended safe consists of a box or case 1
provided with a door 2. Arranged in both door and case are air inlets 3 which
are covered with wire gauze 4 fitted in the manner indicated in section at
Fig. 4. As will be seen from the figure the inlets 3 are so cut that each one
has two parallel steps or ledges 31 31 for the reception of two discs of wire
gauze 4 between which the cotton wool 5 is placed. An outer frame 7 is secured
firmly to the step 3 by means of screws, glue, or cement, in such manner as to
press the outer gauze 4 firmly in place and in so doing to press the cotton wool
tightly between the two discs and cause it to occupy the whole of the enclosed
space.
'
All the joints of the safe are rendered thoroughly air tight by luting them
with thick varnish or white lead.
In order to render the door of the safe air tight when shut, cotton wool
beadings or strips 8 (Fig. 5) are inserted in grooves made for their reception
and which extend right round the recessed edges 9 of the door frame or opening.
This wool is tightly packed so as to be germ proof.
When the door of the receptacle is closed no air can gain access thereto
except through the openings 3 and as such entering air must pass through the
cotton wool it is in its passage filtered and freed of its germs.
The hereinbefore mentioned contrivances are not however sufficient in them-
selves as the air already within the safe or that which may enter whenever the
door, is opened may be contaminated. In order to remove this contaminated air
before it has time to exert any injurious influence upon the articles being
preserved we provide the safe with a pumping device consisting, preferably, of
bellows 10, the valves 11 and 12 of which are so arranged as shown at Fig. 3,
that, when the bellows are set in motion the air within the safe can be exhausted
and replaced by a supply of fresh air entering through the germ proof openings 3.
17

page_text: In the suspended safe shown in Fig. 1 the bellows are advantageously fitted to
the bottom of the safe. In order to prevent any action on the food by the air as
it exhausts from the safe, the valve 11 is, not allowed. to communicate directly
with the interior but with a canal 13 (see Figs. 2 and 6) which extends along the
bottom and up one side of the safe, to a given height. The bellows are large
enough to pump the air out of the safe and replace it by innocuous air after being
extended, concertina-like, 8 or 10 times. If, after the contaminated air has been
exhausted from the safe, it should be necessary to again open the door for the
purpose of removing a portion of the contents, then, after the food has been
removed it is necessary to close the door again tightly and at once operate the
bellows pump a few times so as to exhaust any impure air, which may have gained
an entrance through such opening of the door, before the germs have time to
settle on the remaining food and injuriously affect it.
It is advisable to pump the air out of the safe before opening it and to
recommence pumping immediately after it has been again closed.
The bellows in the arrangement Figs. 1 to 3, may be advantageously provided
with a bolt 14 which can be turned, in a horizontal plane, by its handle 15. This
bolt whilst serving to actuate the bellows, can also be used, when the bellows are
collapsed, to lock them in the compressed position by merely turning the bolt
round until its ends engage with the catches 16, as shown at Fig. 1.
The invention can also be successfully applied to ice safes of the construction
shown in Figs. 7 and 8. As will be seen the exhausting bellows pump, which, is,
in this case, also secured to the bottom of the safe, but is actuated however from
the side by means of the rod 17. The air can only gain access to the interior of
the safe, by passing through the cotton wool filters 3 in the door. The main
difference in the construction of the safe as compared with that hereinbefore
described is that a space 18 is provided at the top for the reception of pieces of
ice, which keep the air throughout the interior at a low temperature. The water
resulting from the melting of the ice is also used to cool the interior as it is
conveyed through the pipe 19 to a collecting pan or reservoir 20 arranged at the
bottom of the safe. Excess of water is drawn off from the reservoir by means
of a stop cock 21.
As the inner chamber of the ice safe is both air and watertight and is protected
from contact with the ice or ice water it follows that any microbes in the ice can
have no influence on the food placed in the chamber.
As it is necessary in order to render the safe properly efficient, to thoroughly
and completely remove the impure air from the interior of the safe and replace it
by pure fresh air filtered through the cotton wool, it is advisable to fit the meat
safe and ice safe with controlling apparatus so constructed as to indicate on a
dial, provided with suitable divisions, the number of motions made by the bellows.
The index of the dial would return to zero each time the door was opened.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
consider novel and desire to claim is:-
An anti-bacterial or germ proof safe or receptacle provided with cotton wool
filters for the filtration and disinfection of the air supply, and with a pumping
device so arranged that any impure air within the safe or which may enter when-
ever the safe-door is opened can be efficiently and promptly removed, substantially
as herein before described with reference to the drawings annexed.
Dated this 5th day of January 1895.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.