Improvements in or relating to the Preservation of Foods and other Perishable Goods.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Apr., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 18th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 17th Apr., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Preservation of Foods and other
Perishable Goods.
I, HUBERT HIGGINS of 26 Trinity Street, Cambridge, County of Cambridge,
Demonstrator of Anatomy to Cambridge University, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the preservation of foods and other perishable goods where
sterilization is employed. The invention relates to the means of preventing the access
of atmospheric air and hermetically sealing the vessels.
In carrying out this invention I provide the vessel with a cork or equivalent and
preferably surround it with a projecting flange or wall in which I may place, if a low
temperature is to be employed, a fluid, such as oil, or if a high temperature is
employed I may use paraffin wax or other substitute. I employ a tube or equivalent,
a portion of which is preferably small, pointed at its inner end and provided with
openings to the interior of the tube while the outer end of this tube or a suitablo
vessel in connection with it, may be stuffed with dry cotton wool or other medium to
prevent the access of impure air. The vessel being charged with the contents and
corked, and the oil or other liquid applied, the tube which may be formed as a worm
or spiral can be screwed into the cork until the openings at the inner end havo
passed the cork so that a free passage is provided between the interior of the
vessel and the interior of the air filter, and the whole placed in the sterilizing
chamber. After the sterilizing operation is completed the vessel can be withdrawn, and
allowed to cool preferably to the highest temperature to which the contents are likely
to be subjected before the vessel is opened for use. This cooling may take place in
the ordinary atmosphere as the air filter will prevent damage to the contents of the
vessel. When the cooling is finished the air filter may be withdrawn by unscrewing
the tube from the cork, the liquid on top of the cork closing and preventing the access
of air; after this the whole can be sealed, up, or if the wax or equivalent used in a
liquid state for sealing purposes be sufficient, no further sealing would be required.
Instead of employing an ordinary cork, and screwing the tube into it, it will be
evident that other means may be employed so long as the access of atmospheric air is
prevented. For example, the air filter may have a straight tube fitting into a
corresponding tube extending telescopically from the vessel upwards through a funnel
is here intended the
or equivalent containing the liquid oil. (By the term "funnel
tube or recess into which the cork or equivalent is placed and as this is usually tapered
I here call it a "funnel.") The outer tube may be perforated so that when the air
filter is withdrawn the liquid would enter and close the orifice. Any suitable materials
may be employed in carrying out this invention.
To increase the security of the seal I prefer to provide a lip to the edge of the
funnel, tube, neck or orifice in which the cork is placed, the outer edge of the lip
extending higher than the edge of the funnel which latter may flare outwardly so that
when the wax is applied it forms as it were an annular dovetail around the orifice in
which the cork is placed.
A suitable cement for sealing the vessel may be made by melting together
indiarubber or guttapercha, one of the paraffin series, and resin, to which any suitable
colouring material may be added..

page_text: Another cement may be made of silicate of magnesia, one of the paraffin series and
resin with or without a colouring agent.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or relating to the Preservation of Foods and other
Perishable Goods.
I, HUBERT HIGGINS of 26 Trinity Street, Cambridge, County of Cambridge,
Demonstrator of Anatomy to Cambridge University 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:-
This invention relates to the preservation of foods and other perishable goods where
sterilization is employed. The invention relates to the means of preventing the access
of germ polluted atmospheric air and hermetically sealing the vessels.
When heating, for the purposes of sterilization, a receptacle containing liquids or
organic material, the pressure within is greater than the pressure without, so that
vapours and gases escape; when the receptacle cools unsterilized and germ-polluted
atmospheric air would tend to enter, but is filtered by means of a tube containing
cotton-wool or other suitable material so that actually the air which enters tho
receptacle is gorm-free. This filtering device is hereinafter referred to as the air
filter. The principal feature of my invention is the employment of a fluid seal and an
air filter in such a manner with regard to the vent to be sealed, that by or upon the
withdrawal of the filter the fluid sealing medium is caused to seal the vent, it being
understood that this withdrawal is delayed until the sterilization process has been
completely effected and the receptacle cooled.
'
It is also to be understood that the "fluid seal" hereinafter referred to may be
one which ultimately solidifies, or one which remains permanently fluid, as may be
desired.
This invention comprises various apparatus by which this end is attained, which are
illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal central section of the upper end of a receptacle with air
filter according to this invention inserted through a stopper therein;
Fig. 2 is a similar view showing an alternative construction of air filter and its
appurtenances;
Fig. 3 is another similar view embodying an alternative construction of a portion
of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 2, and
Fig. 4 is a vertical central section of the upper end of a bottle neck for instance
to which is applied a novel form of closure according to this invention.
Like parts indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
With reference first to Fig. 1, A is a tube of fine calibre, having a solid pointed
end B; it is perforated in one or two places as at C. At the part D it is connected
to or otherwise provided with an expanded part E capable of containing cotton-wool
or other suitable air-filtering material.
That portion of the tube intervening between the point B and the end D may
be straight, or, if desired, may be twisted spirally or provided with a screw-
thread.
The expanded part E is preferably of some such shape as is indicated in the
figure; its rim is turned inward as at El around the whole or parts of its
circumference to enable the wool to be tightly packed into the cavity and securely
retained in place therein. This device constitutes the air filter; the manner in which

page_text: it is used is as follows:-A receptacle such as F, which contains the substances under
treatment and may be of any size required, has the organic material placed in its
interior and thereafter is hermetically closed by well-known methods (forming no
part of the present invention) with the exception of an orifice in which the stopper G
is placed; or this may be the only orifice into the receptacle when the material
treated is such that it can conveniently be introduced through it. The stopper G is
placed in the mouth of the receptacle at a lower level than that of its upper edge Fi
and the tube A of the air filter is inserted in the stopper, which if it is of cork or
indiarubber does not necessitate the previous provision of the vent G, as the tube A
is capable of being pushed through it, next a little paraffin wax or any suitable
material which is fluid at the temperature, employed in the sterilizing process is
introduced into the space H immediately above the stopper. This is for the purpose
of filling up any interstices in the stopper. After being heated the receptacle F is
allowed to cool, a suitable hot fluid material is then placed in the space H, upon the
withdrawal of the tube A the fluid medium in the space H begins to flow into the hole
made by the tube A or else the vent G, in the stopper, thereby immediately and
effectually sealing the orifice and preventing the passage of unsterilized air into the
receptacle F.
With reference to the sealing material or fluid seal employed it is only necessary
that it should be such that it is fluid when employed for sealing, thus wax, paraffin
wax, fusible metal and various mixtures hereinafter referred to are solid at ordinary
temperatures, but ordinary oils, glycerine and the like would be efficient if previously
sterilized by heat and the rest of the space H afterwards filled with bottle wax or
some other suitable material.
The mouth of the receptacle is further sealed with bottle wax or the like, in the
ordinary manner if desired, but preferably in the particular fashion hereinafter set
forth.
In the alternative construction illustrated in Fig. 2 the stopper G is provided with
a central vent tube G2 bent as at G³ after the manner of an inverted syphon, into the
upper end G of this tube fits tightly the stem A of the air filter which in this case is
open at the bottom. When this device is used the liquid sealing medium is delivered
as in the preceding example into the space H. When the sterilization is completed
the air filter is withdrawn from the top end of the tube G2, and as in the preceding
example by this withdrawal the sealing medium in the space H is caused to descend
the tube G and is received and retained in the bend G3, which prevents the sealing
medium going into the contents of the receptacle F.
In this example the lower portion of the tube A is tapered to such an extent that
directly it is raised from the position in which it is shown in the figure the descent of
the sealing medium from the space H begins, the area available for this descent
increasing rapidly as the tube is withdrawn by reason of the taper given to that tube.
The bend G serves also to prevent liquid from being carried up the tube during the
heating process.
In the modification illustrated in Fig. 3 the stopper G is provided with a vent
passage G', which is considerably tapered and may if desired be provided with a
lining G; the object of thus tapering the vent is that the sealing medium dropping
into it shall not be liable to drop too far through it.
1
In Fig. 4 which shows a stopper G the central vent G' of which has been sealed
according to this invention with the filling G, there is shown in addition a novel
form of closure hereinbefore referred to. According to this part of the invention
the receptacle is provided with an outer flange F* extending above the level of the
ordinary inner flange F3 as shown, there being an annular cavity between them. One
or both of the sides of this cavity are turned inward and the final filling J of bottle
wax or the like is poured over the end of the receptacle so as to be protected by the
flange F and also to interlock with one or both of the flanges F' F'.
A suitable cement for sealing the vessel may be made by melting together india-
rubber or guttapercha, one of the paraffin series such as paraffin wax, and resin, to
which any suitable colouring material may be added.

page_text: Another cement may be made of silicate of magnesia, one of the paraffin series
and resine with or without a colouring agent. A suitable cement may be made as
follows:-
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The treatment of foods and other perishable goods the employment of a fluid
seal for the purpose of sealing a vent by the withdrawing of a filter.
2. In the treatment of foods and other perishable goods the use of an air filter a
stopper with or without a vent and a sealing fluid substantially in the manner
described.
3. In the treatment of foods and other perishable goods the employment of an air-
filter such as E with perforated tube A and point B substantially as and for-the
purpose described and illustrated in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.
4. The vented stopper substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated
in Figure 2 or Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.
5. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting a complete sealing
apparatus substantially as described and illustrated in Figure 1 or Figure 2 of the
accompanying drawings.
6. In the treatment of foods and other perishable goods the combination with a seal
such as J of one or more undercut flanges such as F2 or F substantially as and for
the purpose specified.
7. In the treatment of foods and other perishable goods the employment of a sealing
cement composed of ingredients such as herein before described.
Dated this 16th day of January 1897
HUBERT HIGGINS.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant.