IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRESERVATION OF MILK AND IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN "
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Harmann Bibo at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th February 1882. A communi-
cation from abroad by Eduard Scherff of Wendisch-Buchholz near Berlin,
in the Kingdom of Prussia and Empire of Germany
JOHN HARMANN BIBO of Byfleets near Horsham in the County of Sussex
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRESERVATION OF MILK AND IN MEANS OR APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN "
A communication from abroad by Eduard Scherff of
Wendisch-Buchholz near Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia and Empire of
Germany
Pure milk, fresh from the cow, is filled into bottles on the spot, or as near the
spot of milking as possible, in order to prevent the formation of acidity by transport
before the process. The filled bottles are then each closed by a cork, this cork is
cut off with a sharp knife level with the neck of the bottle. A disc of cork is then
placed on the top of this stopper a little larger in diameter than the foregoing so as
to cover the mouth of the bottle completely, this is then pressed down with &
suitable lever pressure so that the closure is capable of standing a pressure from
within the bottle of about five atmospheres. In this condition the bottles are placed
in a cistern of cylindrical or other form, and in a suitable place for that purpose, are
placed a thermometer and a manometer.
The bottom of this cistern is fitted with a coil of tubes, which at the commencement
of the process is empty, but the cistern itself must be filled with water so far as to
nearly cover this tubo. The cistern is then firmly and hermetically closed.
At the bottom of the cistern, underneath the above mentioned tubes is a valve or
other suitable arrangement so as to enable the operator to let on steam to a pressure
of from two to four atmospheres, this steam quickly brings the water contained in
the cistern to the boiling point, and the steain developed condenses on the glass
bottles until the heat is equalised throughout the contents of the cistern.
When the manometer shows the desired pressure, the steam is then turned off
when the thermometer will show the milk and steam bath to have a temperature
of somewhat over 100° centigrade. Cold water is then introduced into the before
named coil, whereupon the manometer will show a relief from all pressure while the
Lavion 1

page_text: bottles themselves undergo a slow process of cooling. Now a differential pressure
takes place in the bottles themselves, which forces some butter into the double cork,
until it appears on the outer surface of the same, while through the tannin contained
in the cork, albumen is deposited, penetrating the double cork.
The bottles are now lifted out of the apparatus, and placed for further, but still
gentle cooling. The milk now contracts more and more as it cools down, and the
empty space again fills with air, but this air is filtered so completely through the
cork which is now charged with butter and coagulated albumen, that all spores or
germs from the atmosphere are completely excluded, and any spoiling or decay of
the milk is henceforth perfectly impossible.
All spores or germs, which may have been contained latent in the milk itself, are
by the high pressure and heat, partially destroyed, and partially expelled and filtered
off through the corks, and are finally removed, by removing the outer cork disc.
The remaining stopper is then coated over with a layer of paraffine, and a capsule
of tin-foil, pitch-paper, or any desired substance over the neck of the bottle, finishes
the process of preservation of the milk so completely that it will keep unchangeable
for many years, and as far as it has been tested for any length of time.