Improvements relating to the Preservation of Lobsters and other Crustacea Packed in Metal Cans or other Receptacles.
Year: 1897

page_text: This Print is in accordance with the Original Specification as it stands after
Amendment (under Section 18 of the latents, &c., Act, 1883) as allowed by
the decision of the Comptroller General of the 9th day of January 1899.
Date of Application, 30th July, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 12th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 18th Sept.,
1897
Improvements relating to the Preservation of Lobsters and other
Crustacea Packed in Metal Cans or other Receptacles.
I, LUDWIG WURZBURG, of 4, Fenchurch Buildings, in the City and County of
London, Lobster Canner, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to the preservation of lobsters and other crustacea packed
in metal cans or other receptacles and has for its object to prevent the formation
of what is technically known as "smut," that is to say, the decomposition of the
fish meat inside the can or receptacle after packing.
Numerous attempts have been made and processes adopted to prevent the de-
composition of the fish meat after canning but hitherto with only partial success,
and the evil still remains and causes a serious loss to lobster canners.
In the course of my experiments I have discovered that lobsters and other
crustacea treated in the manner to be hereinafter described will not decompose
in the can or receptacle, but will be quite fresh and wholly good as a food product
whenever the can or receptacle may be opened.
In the process of canning the lobsters or other crustacea I treat them as
follows: After the fish meat has been washed in the ordinary way I din it into
a solution of boracic acid or other of the well known so-called preserving salts
which contain for the greater part boracic acid or its equivalent. Before filling
the cans or other receptacles I wipe them with a dry cloth, and then put side and
bottom linings in, and din them into a second solution similar to the first but
stronger. The cans or other receptacles must be handled in such a manner as
to allow the solution to touch every part of them including the ton edge; they
should then be taken out bottom up and put on the packing table bottom up,
the fish meat filled into them at once and the top lining and cover then dipped
into the second solution and put in position into the can or receptacle and the
latter sealed up and put through the bath as quickly as possible.
The solution for dipping the meat is prepared in the following way:-Heat
ocean water, or where it is absolutely pure, fresh water may be used instead of
ocean water, and when hot remove from the fire and add boracic acid or its
equivalent in the proportion of two ounces to every pint. Let this solution get
quite cold and do not use it for dipping until quite cold. Stir it well so as to
dissolve all the boracic acid or equivalent. The solution may be used as long as
it is fairly clean. When it becomes too cloudy with sediment it must be thrown
away

page_text: The solution for dipping the cans or other receptacles is made in the same way
but the boracic acid or its equivalent is added in the proportion of three ounces
to every pint. What is not, used of this solution at the end of the day maybe
kept in a bottle corked up.
The water for mixing the boracic acid or equivalent must be hot, but it must
never be allowed to boil. Take a little of it at a time and mix with a little of
the boracic acid or equivalent just as if making paste and when dissolved add
more and continue until all the requisite quantity of boracic acid or equivalent
has been dissolved in the proper quantity of water.
1
Improvements relating to the Preservation of Lobsters and other
Crustacea Packed in Metal Cans or other Receptacles.
I, LUDWIG WURZBURG, of 4, Fenchurch Buildings, in the City and County of
London, Lobster Canner, 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 lobsters and other crustacea packed
in metal cans or other receptacles and has for its object to prevent the formation
of what is technically known as "smut," that is to say, the decomposition of the
fish meat inside the can or receptacle after packing,
Numerous attempts have been made and processes adopted to prevent the de-
composition of the fish meat after canning but hitherto with only partial success,
and the evil still remains and causes a serious loss to lobster canners.
After numerous experiments I have found that lobsters and other crustacea
treated in the manner to be hereinafter described will not decompose in the can
or receptacle, but will be quite fresh and wholly good as a food product whenever
the can or receptacle may be opened.
In the process of canning the lobsters or other crustacea I treat them as
follows; After the fish meat has been washed in the ordinary way I dip it into
a solution of boracic acid or other of the well known so-called preserving salts
which contain for the greater part boracic acid or its equivalent. Before filling
the cans or other receptacles I wipe them with a dry cloth and then put side and
bottom linings in, and dip them into a second solution similar to the first but
stronger. The cans or other receptacles must be handled in such a manner as
to allow the solution to touch every part of them including the top edge; they
should then be taken out bottom up and put on the packing table bottom up,
the fish meat filled into them at once and the top lining and cover then dipped
into the second solution and put in position into the can or receptacle and the
latter sealed up and put through the bath as quickly as possible.
The solution for dipping the meat is prepared in the following way:-Heat
ocean water, or where it is absolutely pure, fresh water may be used instead of
ocean water, and when hot remove from the fire and add boracic acid or its
equivalent in the proportion of 3 to 4 ounces of boracic acid or its equivalent to
one gallon of water." Let this solution get quite cold and do not use it for
dipping until quite cold. Stir it well so as to dissolve all the boracic acid or

page_text: equivalent. The solution may be used as long as it is fairly clean. When it
becomes too cloudy with sediment it must be thrown away.
The solution for dipping the cans or other receptacles is made in the same way.
What is not used of this solution at the end of the day may be kept in a bottle
corked up.
The water for mixing the boracic acid or equivalent must be hot, but it must
never be allowed to boil. Take a little of it at a time and mix with a little of
the boracic acid or equivalent just as if making paste and when dissolved add
more and continue until all the requisite quantity of boracic acid or equivalent
has been dissolved in the proper quantity of water.
There must be no sediment of boracic acid or equivalent in either vessel, nor
must there be any powder floating on the water. Where it is absolutely pure,
soft fresh water is preferable to ocean water, because in the cold state it is sure
to dissolve 4 ounces of the boracic acid or equivalent, whereas cold ocean water
will not dissolve more than 3 ounces at the outside, holding already so much
salt in solution.
.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
-
The method or process herein described for canning crustacea meat, consisting
in dipping the meat, and the metal cans or other receptacles for containing the
same, into solutions of boracic acid or similar preserving salts containing boracic
acid or its equivalent prepared substantially as and for the purpose specified and
in about the proportions stated.
Dated thin 191
7000
F. W. GOLBY,
36, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Patent Agent for the Applicant.