Food in Casks or Vessels under Pressure.
Year: 1884

page_text: Food in Casks or Vessels under Pressure.
I, JOHN CLAYTON. MEWBURN of 169 Fleet Street in the City of London, Fellow
of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
A METHOD OF TRANSPORTING, KEEPING OR STORING IMPREGNATED FOOD IN CASKS
OR VESSELS UNDER PRESSURE to be as follows:-
In the methods hitherto employed for the impregnation of meat, fish and other
food with an antiseptic solution or with ordinary saltwater for the prevention
of putrefaction, an apparatus has been made use of, in which the food has been
exposed for a certain period to the action of the impregnating solution under
pressure; after such exposure under pressure the impregnated food has been
removed from the apparatus and been packed in casks or other suitable vessels for
transport, storage or keeping.
In the methods referred to the food comes in contact with the air after the
impregnation has taken place and such contact with the air can subsequently occur
because the casks or vessels do not exclude the air; thus putrefaction of the food is
not absolutely prevented.
Now in order to absolutely prevent the food coming into contact with the air
after the impregnation and thus to avoid any change in the state or condition of
the food, storing casks or other suitable vessels are according to the present
invention made use of, which are capable of resisting a certain internal pressure
and in which casks or vessels the impregnating process takes place, so that the
impregnated food is not afterwards exposed to the air, but remains under the
impregnating pressure during transport, storage or keeping. The casks or vessels
are provided at one end with a man hole and a suitable cover for such hole, with
an outlet cock for the escape of the air and a screw device with a valve; by means
of this screw hole the cask or vessel may be connected by means of a pipe with a
pump, the pipe or pump being provided with a pressure gauge, to indicate the pressure.
The valve serves to close the cask or vessel when the connection between the cask
and the pressure pump is removed.
I proceed as follows:-
After the meat, fish or other food has been placed in the cask or vessel and the

page_text: closed and the cask is then connected by means of the screw hole and a pipe with
the pressure pump. As soon as the latter is started, the air cock of the vessel is
opened, to allow of the escape of all air from the cask or vessel. This cock is then
closed and the desired pressure is created within the cask or vessel by means of the
pump; this pressure may be raised to six atmospheres or even higher-When the
pipe connection is unscrewed, the reduction of the pressure in the cask or vessel
will be prevented by the above mentioned valve. The contents of the cask or
vessel now remain under this pressure while transported or stored and thus the food
in the cask or vessel is preserved from any putrefaction. The formation of any
putrefying or fungoid matter within the casks or vessels is altogether prevented on
account of the pressure of the impregnating solution while any entrance of
putrefying or fungoid matter into the casks or vessels is prevented for the same
reason.
For some purposes it is desirable to extract the air from the cask or vessel or to
form a vacuum or partial vacuum within the cask or vessel before the impregnating
fluid is allowed to enter it.

page_text: Food in Casks or Vessels under Pressure.
"
I JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN, of 169 Fleet Street, in the City of London, Fellow
of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"A METHOD OF TRANSPORTING, KEEPING OR STORING IMPREGNATED FOOD IN CASKS
OR VESSELS UNDER PRESSURE," and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
The communicator of this invention has found that an effective preservation of
animal or vegetable substances so as to render them capable of storage or transport
can only be attained by bringing the substances to be preserved under the
continuous action of a preservative in vessels or receptacles from which the air has
been expelled and wherein the substances remain stored for such time as they are
required to be preserved.
By simply immersing or by impregnating the substances with a preservative,
Buch for example as an antiseptic solution, and then packing them in barrels or casks
as has hitherto been the practice, the preservation is not accomplished, because it
ceases the moment that the substances are brought again into contact with the air
and it requires a fresh immersion or renewed impregnation with a preservative to
kill fresh germs of decay which the impurity of the air creates and deposits upon
the substances.
The communicator has further found that antiseptic solutions lose their power of
reacting when air has access to the vessels in which the substances are packed.
The contents of such vessels, if they are first impregnated or packed by simply
adding the preserving solution invariably turn bad after some time and a warm or
moist state of the atmosphere accelerates the process of putrefaction.
For these reasons all attempts to transport fresh food preserved by antiseptics
in ordinary barrels or casks to any distance or to store or keep it for any length
of time, have hitherto completely failed and the trade in perishable articles of
food has not derived any benefit from the use of antiseptics for the purpose of
preservation.
The present invention consists in keeping the substances in the vessels in which
they are stored or transported under continuous pressure of a preservative, after the
air has been expelled therefrom, and in preventing access of air to the vessel. The
transport or storage of such food is thus effected in a simple manner.
I proceed as follows:-
I place the substance to be preserved into the cask or receptacle in which it is to
be kept for storage or transport. The vessel must be strong enough to resist a
certain internal pressure. When nearly filled, I pour an antiseptic solution over
the contents of the vessel thereby filling the vessel The maubole of the vessel is
then closed with an air tight cover. By means of a pressure pump, which can be
connected with the vessel by means of a connecting pipe, additional solution is
pumped into the vessel and as the solution enters it, the air from the vessel is
expelled through an air pipe which is closed when the solution spurts out of it.
The pumping is then continued until a pressure gauge fixed on the connecting pipe

page_text: indicates the pressure desired to be obtained in the vessel; the inlet of the solution
is then closed and the pump detached. The contents of the vessel then remain
under pressure and as no air is left in the vessel nor can penetrate it, the antiseptic
solution maintains its power and under its continuous action the substances can
undergo no change.
If the food is in a liquid state I completely fill the vessel with the liquid to which
the preservative has been added. More liquid is forced into the vessel so that the
air is expelled and the air pipe is then closed as above described and the required
pressure is created by further pumping after the vessel has been hermetically
closed.
Instead of an antiseptic or preservative solution an antiseptic gas such as carbonic
acid gas may be employed for filling the vessel and the required pressure obtained
by the expansion of the gas in the vessel.
Any of the well known antiseptics or antiseptic compounds which are harmless
and non-injurious to health will answer as the preservative; also common salt and
or a saline solution or in the case of fish sea water.
Any vessel of any form and of any material such as casks, cans &* which is air-
tight and capable of resisting internal pressure will answer the purpose of the
invention. I do not limit myself to any particular pressure; 1 to 6 atmospheres and
more (above ordinary atmospheric pressure) may be applied.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed (as communicated
to me from abroad) I declare that I do not claim generally the process of preserving
food by impregnating it with a saline or antiseptic solution or gas under pressure
in a closed vessel but what I claim is :-
t
The transporting, keeping or storing of impregnated food in suitable casks or
vessels under continuous pressure of a saline or other antiseptic solution or gas, the
air having been expelled from such casks or vessels, substantially as hereinbefore
set forth.

page_text: I, JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN of 169 Fleet Street in the City of London, Fellow
of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
A METHOD OF TRANSPORTING, KEEPING OR STORING IMPREGNATED FOOD IN CASKS
OR VESSELS UNDER PRESSURE to be as follows:-
J
In the methods hitherto employed for the impregnation of meat, fish and other
food with an antiseptic solution or with ordinary saltwater for the prevention
of putrefaction, an apparatus has been made use of, in which the food has been
exposed for a certain period to the action of the impregnating solution under
pressure; after such exposure under pressure the impregnated food has been
removed from the apparatus and been packed in casks or other suitable vessels for
transport, storage or keeping.
In the methods referred to the food comes in contact with the air after the
impregnation has taken place and such contact with the air can subsequently occur
because the casks or vessels do not exclude the air; thus putrefaction of the food is
not absolutely prevented.
Now in order to absolutely prevent the food coming into contact with the air
after the impregnation and thus to avoid any change in the state or condition of
the food, storing casks or other suitable vessels are according to the present
invention made use of, which are capable of resisting a certain internal pressure
and in which casks or vessels the impregnating process takes place, so that the
impregnated food is not afterwards exposed to the air, but remains under the
impregnating pressure during transport, storage or keeping. The casks or vessels
are provided at one end with a man hole and a suitable cover for such hole, with
an outlet cock for the escape of the air and a screw device with a valve; by means
of this screw hole the cask or vessel may be connected by means of a pipe with a
pump, the pipe or pump being provided with a pressure gauge, to indicate the pressure.
The valve serves to close the cask or vessel when the connection between the cask
and the pressure pump is removed.
I proceed as follows :-
After the meat, fish or other food has been placed in the cask or vessel and the
11
°

page_text: closed and the cask is then connected by means of the screw hole and a pipe with
the pressure pump. As soon as the latter is started, the air cock of the vessel is
opened, to allow of the escape of all air from the cask or vessel. This cock is then
closed and the desired pressure is created within the cask or vessel by means of the
pump; this pressure may be raised to six atmospheres or even higher--When the
pipe connection is unscrewed, the reduction of the pressure in the cask or vessel
will be prevented by the above mentioned valve. The contents of the cask or
vessel now remain under this pressure while transported or stored and thus the food
in the cask or vessel is preserved from any putrefaction. The formation of any
putrefying or fungoid matter within the casks or vessels is altogether prevented on
account of the pressure of the impregnating solution while any entrance of
putrefying or fungoid matter into the casks or vessels is prevented for the same
reason.
For some purposes it is desirable to extract the air from the cask or vessel or to
form a vacuum or partial vacuum within the cask or vessel before the impregnating
fluid is allowed to enter it.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN, of 169 Fleet Street, in the City of London, Fellow
of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"A METHOD OF TRANSPORTING, KEEPING OR STORING IMPREGNATED FOOD IN CASKS
OR VESSELS UNDER PRESSURE," and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
The communicator of this invention has found that an effective preservation of
animal or vegetable substances so as to render them capable of storage or transport
can only be attained by bringing the substances to be preserved under the
continuous action of a preservative in vessels or receptacles from which the air has
been expelled and wherein the substances remain stored for such time as they are
required to be preserved.
By simply immersing or by impregnating the substances with a preservative,
Buch for example as an antiseptic solution, and then packing them in barrels or casks
as has hitherto been the practice, the preservation' is not accomplished, because it
ceases the moment that the substances are brought again into contact with the air
and it requires a fresh immersion or renewed impregnation with a preservative to
kill fresh germs of decay which the impurity of the air creates and deposits upon
the substances.
The communicator has further found that antiseptic solutions lose their power of
reacting when air has access to the vessels in which the substances are packed.
The contents of such vessels, if they are first impregnated or packed by simply
adding the preserving solution invariably turn bad after some time and a warm or
moist state of the atmosphere accelerates the process of putrefaction.
For these reasons all attempts to transport fresh food preserved by antiseptics
in ordinary barrels or casks to any distance or to store or keep it for any length
of time, have hitherto completely failed and the trade in perishable articles of
food has not derived any benefit from the use of antiseptics for the purpose of
preservation.
The present invention consists in keeping the substances in the vessels in which
they are stored or transported under continuous pressure of a preservative, after the
air has been expelled therefrom, and in preventing access of air to the vessel. The
transport or storage of such food is thus effected in a simple manner.
I proceed as follows :―
I place the substance to be preserved into the cask or receptacle in which it is to
be kept for storage or transport. The vessel must be strong enough to resist a
certain internal pressure. When nearly filled, I pour an antiseptic solution over
the contents of the vessel thereby filling the vessel
The manhole of the vessel is
then closed with an air tight cover. By means of a pressure pump, which can be
connected with the vessel by means of a connecting pipe, additional solution is
pumped into the vessel and as the solution enters it, the air from the vessel is
expelled through an air pipe which is closed when the solution spurts out of it.
The pumping is then continued until a pressure gauge fixed on the connecting pipe

page_text: indicates the pressure desired to be obtained in the vessel; the inlet of the solution
is then closed and the pump detached. The contents of the vessel then remain
under pressure and as no air is left in the vessel nor can penetrate it, the antiseptic
solution maintains its power and under its continuous action the substances can
undergo no change.
If the food is in a liquid state I completely fill the vessel with the liquid to which
the preservative has been added. More liquid is forced into the vessel so that the
air is expelled and the air pipe is then closed as above described and the required
pressure is created by further pumping after the vessel has been hermetically
closed.
Instead of an antiseptic or preservative solution an antiseptic gas such as carbonic
acid gas may be employed for filling the vessel and the required pressure obtained
by the expansion of the gas in the vessel.
Any of the well known antiseptics or antiseptic compounds which are harmless
and non-injurious to health will answer as the preservative; also common salt and
a saline solution or sea water.
Any vessel of any form and of any material such as casks, cans & which is air-
tight and capable of resisting internal pressure will answer the purpose of the
"invention. I do not limit myself to any particular pressure; 1 to 6 atmospheres and
more (above ordinary atmospheric pressure) may be applied.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed (as communicated
to me from abroad) I declare that I do not claim the process of preserving food by
impregnating it with a saline or antiseptic solution or gas under pressure in a
closed vessel but what I claim is
The transporting, keeping or storing of impregnated food in suitable casks or
vessels under continuous pressure of a saline or other antiseptic solution or gas, the
air having been expelled from such casks or vessels, substantially as herein before
set forth.
T