Improved Means for Effecting the Air-tight Closure of Jars and other Receptacles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Feb., 1898-Accepted, 12th Mar., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Effecting the Air-tight Closure of Jars and
other Receptacles.
I, FRANZ BRÜCKMANN, of 1, Julius Strasse, Brunswick, Germany, Manufacturer, 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 state-
ment-
Air tight closing devices of known construction for jars and other receptacles, in
which the receptacles are maintained closed by means of a partial vacuum formed in
them, are subject to two main disadvantages.
On the one hand, the separate parts of the closing devices require to fit very
accurately upon one another, and secondly the covers move during the heating,
whereby it is rendered impossible to arrange several such vessels one on top of the
other when subjecting them to the heating process.
These disadvantages are obviated by my present invention, which I will describe
with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figs. 1 to 6 shew variously
modified forms of the improved closing appliance.
The vessel A and cover B are so arranged that on fitting on the latter, an open groove
is formed externally which may have any desired transverse sectional form. This
groove serves for the reception of an elastic packing ring C, also of any desired
sectional form, as shewn at Figs. 2 to 5, and which is advantageously so arranged as
to be in a state of tension when in the groove. Owing to this tension it has a
tendency to contract, and consequently it presses closely against the sides of the
groove, thus hermetically closing the joint between the vessel and the cover.
order to prevent the packing ring from pushing the lid upward away from the vessel
before boiling, and also to prevent the cover from being raised by the steam pressure
in boiling, the cover is held down on the vessel by means of a suitable device such as
a yoke D as shewn in Fig. 1; also, several receptacles can be placed one on top of the
other and be secured by one and the same clamping device.
In
The vessel being filled with liquid the packing ring C is in the first instance fitted
in the shallow groove E formed for this purpose on the lower part of the vessel A,
the cover B is then placed upon the vessel A and the whole is then placed in the frame
or yoke D, the cover being made with projections or recesses that engage with
recesses or projections on the vessel for preventing any lateral displacement of the
cover. The packing ring C is then shifted from the groove E upward and into the
groove a where it effects an air tight closure as before described. The cover does not
of itself fit air tight on to the vessel, but only more or less closely.
If now the vessel be heated the steam or vapour under pressure generated will be
able to force its way out together with the expanding air on account of the elastic
yielding nature of the ring C without the cover being thereby forced upward, the
ring C being made to act as a check valve in preventing the re-entrance of air when
the vessel is cooled and a partial vacuum is thereby formed in the vessel, so that after
removal from the yoke the cover will be held on the vessel firmly in an air tight
manner, by the pressure of the external atmosphere. For opening the vessel it is
only necessary to introduce the blade of a knife or other suitable object between the

page_text: packing ring C and the side of the groove a so as to allow the air to penetrate into
the vessel.
If it be desired to prevent the liquid in the vessel from coming in contact with the
packing ring C, a second packing ring may be introduced as at F Fig. 6 between
the parts of the vessel and the cover that otherwise come in contact with each other
which ring is of a material that is watertight but not air tight, such as cork, or
other more or less porous material, so that the air and steam can escape past it, but
the liquid is prevented thereby from passing outward to the ring C.
It will of course be evident that the above described device is also applicable to
vessels from which the air is exhausted by other means than by boiling, such as by
placing the vessels in a recipient or chamber from which the air is exhausted by
pumping or otherwise.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
0
Appliance for effecting the air tight closure of receptacles, in particular vessels for
sterilizing liquids, consisting in fitting into a groove formed at the joint between the
vessel and its cover an elastic ring so arranged as to act as a check valve in allowing
the air and steam to escape past it from the receptacle, but preventing the external
air from entering the vessel when this is more or less exhausted of air, substantially
as described.
11
3
1000