Improvements in Apparatus for Thawing Frozen Meat and Produce.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 8th Jan., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Thawing Frozen Meat and
Produce.
I, WALTER PECK, of 54 Lambton Quay, Wellington, in the Colony of New Zealand,
Engineer, 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,
My invention relates to apparatus for thawing meat which has been frozen or
chilled for the purposes of transport and is an improvement on the apparatus for which
I applied for Letters Patent No. 15747, dated 16th July, 1896.
In my former apparatus the air after passing through the chamber was exhausted
into the open air and a fresh supply taken from the atmosphere or cold store, but in
my present apparatus whilst retaining this method I supplement it and may use the
air time after time by means of circulating pipes which conduct the air from the
chamber back to the fan or pump, whence it is again passed into the chamber. By
these means my process is a continuous one and a saving in cost of working is effected
by using less cold air from the cold store.
In my present form I admit the air to the chamber at the side or front of the
delivering trunk as desired, instead of the front only, with the effect that the air is
not delivered so directly towards the meat but mixes first with the air already in the
room with obvious advantages of equalising the temperature and moisture of the air
before it acts upon the meat.
In order that my invention may be most easily understood by one skilled in the
art to which it appertains, I will now proceed to describe the same in detail,
reference being made to the accompanying drawing which is a sectional elevation of
my apparatus.
As in my former application (a) is the chamber and (b) the hooks whereon the meat to
be thawed is hung. (c) is the door for obtaining access to the interior of the
chamber. (d) is the feed trunk, (f) the wet sponge, (g) the screw down lubricator,
(e) the tank, and (e¹) cross tubes in trunk (d).
Delivery trunk (a¹), however, has its slides (a2) and orifices (a) situated in the
sides and front thereof, so that the air from trunk (d) is admitted at the sides or
front into chamber (a) and the exhaust trunk (a³) is extended to form a seat for flap
valve (h). A return trunk (5) communicates with the extension of trunk (as) and
passes on to the usual admission orifice at the center of fan (k), and thence for a
distance beyond such fan. As shewn on the drawing the air is circulating in the
direction shewn by the arrows, the sliding valve (1) being withdrawn for this purpose.
When, however a fresh supply is necessary, valve (¹) is closed and valve (2) opened,
when communication will be opened to allow air to pass into the fan from the cold
store or atmosphere and after passing through chamber (a) be exhausted through the
flap valve (h).
When the air has reached the condition required, valve (j') is re-opened and valve (j')
closed when the circulation of the air as shewn by the arrows will be resumed.
It is obvious that the various trunks may be increased in number and placed in
positions other than that shewn on the drawing to meet exigences of space or shape

page_text: of buildings, and that the fan may be placed between the tank and the chamber
instead of beyond the tank as shewn.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,-
1. In an apparatus for thawing frozen meat and produce a chamber provided with
means for using the same air time after time by continuous circulation and for
admission of fresh air when required, substantially as and for the purposes set forth
herein.
2. In an apparatus for thawing frozen meat and produce a chamber having side or
front orifices in the delivery trunk in combination with a return trunk for circulating
the same air time after time, substantially as and for the purposes set forth herein.
Dated this 8th day of October 1896.
J. E. EVANS-JACKSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.