IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESERVING MILK AND OTHER FLUIDS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Symington, of 41, Gracechurch Street,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESERVING MILK AND
OTHER FLUIDS."
Scaled the 27th April 1853, and dated the 25th February 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Symington
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 25th February 1853.
I, WILLIAM SYMINGTON, of 41, Gracechurch Street, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESERVING MILK
AND OTHER FLUIDS" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of means of obtaining a vacuum in the vessel
which is to contain the milk or other fluid, and then to fill such vessel
and to close it air-tight. The milk or other fluid is placed in an open
vessel, and is kept líeated by a steam-jacket, or otherwise. The vessel
in which the milk or other fluid is to be preserved is provided with a
short tube of soft metal, to which, by a suitable coupling, a longer tube
is attached, which is introduced into the open vessel containing the
liquid. Heat is applied to the vessel which is to receive the fluid;
and such heat may be most conveniently applied by a gas-light. The

page_text: heat expands and drives out the air, which, passing through the tube,
ascends through the milk or other fluid, so that when the gas-light is
put out, or the heat removed, a vacuum will take place within the vessel
and tube, and the milk will flow into and fill the vessel; the short
tube is then pinched together, and the end melted or soldered.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Symington, in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 23d August 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
WILLIAM SYMINGTON, of 41, Gracechurch Street, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of February in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Symington, Her special
licence that I, the said William Symington, my executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, or such other as I, the said William Symington, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PRESERVING MILK AND OTHER FLUIDS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Symington, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Symington, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof (that is to say):

page_text: This Invention consists of means of obtaining a vacuum in the vessel
which is to contain the milk or other fluid; and then to fill such vessel
and to close it air-tight. The milk or other fluid is placed in an open
vessel, and is kept heated by a steam-jacket or, otherwise. The vessel
in which the milk or other fluid is to be preserved is provided with a
short tube of soft metal, to which, by a suitable coupling, a longer tube.
is attached, which is introduced into the open vessel containing the
liquid. Heat is applied to the vessel which is to receive the fluid, and
such heat may be most conveniently applied by a gas-light. The heat
expands and drives out the air, which, passing through the tube; ascends
through the milk or other fluid, so that when the gas-light is put out or
the heat removed a vacuum will take place within the vessel and tube,
and the milk will flow into and fill the vessel; the short tube is then
pinched together, and the end melted or soldered:
And in order that my Invention may be more fully understood and
readily carried into effect I will proceed to describe the means pursued
by me.
My Improvements consist of means of obtaining a vacuum in the
vessels to contain the milk or other fluid previously to their being filled,
preventing atmospheric air re-entering the vessels while being filled,
and then hermetically closing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
The milk or other fluid to be
Steam is admitted into the spacé
In the accompanying drawing, A, represents a pan or section to
contain milk or other fluid; B, a steam casing; C, a pipe for con-
veying steam from a boiler into the space D; E, is a cock for
regulating the supply of steam.
preserved is put into the pan A.
D; and in order to prevent the milk or other fluid becoming too much
heated where it is in contact with the metal of the pan, the milk
or fluid should be stirred or otherwise agitated until it is in a
state of ebullition, which state should be continued for a sufficient
time to free the milk or other fluid from air. F, represents a tin
vessel, which has a nipple or short tube J, on the top, which I recom-
mend should be formed of lead; G, a bent tube, one end of which

page_text: dips into the milk or other fluid in the pan, and the other or socket end
connects it to the nipple of the tin vessel, these parts fitting air-tight
into each other. A small quantity of water is first put into the tin
vessel; heat is applied by means of the gas-burner H, whereby the
water is speedily converted into steam; and thus the whole of the
atmospheric air in the tin vessel is expelled, and the vessel pervaded
with steam; the socket-end of the pipe (which is lined with an elastic
material; such as vulcanized india-rubber, to make it air-tight) is
pressed in contact with the nipple or short tube J; or the connexion
may be first made, and the air and steam driven off through the bent
pipe. The heat is withdrawn, whereby a vacuum will be obtained
in the tin vessel F. The tap I, is to be opened, when the milk or other
fluid in the pan A, will flow through the tube G, until the vessel F, is
filled; the atmospheric air being at the same time excluded. The
nipple or short tube is then to be hermetically closed by causing the
nipple to be compressed and the end soldered. In lieu of using water
or any other expanding element to form a vacuum, the air from the
interior of the vessels, before and after they are filled, may be exhausted
by an air-punip, or any other suitable means or apparatus.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
means of performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim
the combined means herein described of preserving milk and other fluids.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Symington, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
-')
T
Witness, JOHN EDKINS.
T
W. SIMINGTON.. (L.S.)