Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 4th June, 1887.
Specification Accepted, 5th July, 1887.
[Communicated from abroad by JOHN JONES BATE, of Brooklyn, County of Kings,
State of New York, United States of America, Merchant.]
I JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN, of 169 Fleet Street, in the City of London, Fellow
of the Institute of Patent Agents, 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 :-
As is well known, it is practically impossible to keep crustacea fresh and sweet for
more than about two or three days after removing them from their native element.
Even if boiled in water in the ordinary way, they will not remain sweet and edible
longer than about three or four days.
By means of the present invention however, lobsters, crabs, prawns, and the like
may be preserved sweet and edible for considerably longer periods of time, as for
instance, three or four weeks, thus rendering it possible for the markets of Great
Britain to be supplied with crustacean food from Canada, and other foreign
countries.
In the practice of the invention, I take the lobsters, crabs, or prawns, and boil
them in a preservative solution composed of boracic acid and glycerine dissolved in
water, preferably in the proportions of one pound of boracic acid to six pounds of
glycerine, and sixteen gallons of water. Although not absolutely necessary, it is
preferable to add to the solution a quarter of a pound of bicarbonate of soda,―the
proportions of the other ingredients remaining as before stated.
If desired a saline flavor may be given to the solution by the addition of three or
four pounds of common salt." In lieu of the pound of boracic acid, a pound of
salicylic acid, or a pound of a mixture of salicylic and boracic acids may be used in
making up the solution.

page_text: The lobsters, crabs, or prawns,-preferably with their shells on, are boiled in the
preservative solution until substantially permeated therewith, the time required
therefor being usually from fifteen to twenty minutes.
After having been thus boiled, the lobsters, crabs or prawns upon being removed
from the solution, will remain sweet and fresh for a considerable period of time, at
least eight or nine days; but, in order to longer preserve them, and in order to
prevent the drying out of the flesh, it is desirable that they should either remain in the
old solution, preferably without further boiling, or the application of further heat,-
or preferably be placed in a fresh solution of the same character, until about to be
sold to consumers.
The flesh of the lobsters, crabs, or prawns, after being subjected to the treatment
referred to, will be found sweet, edible, and adapted for use as human food; and will
so remain for at least three or four weeks, if kept, meanwhile, in the solution.
In order to have the preservative solution properly permeate the mass of flesh, and
preserve the same, the lobsters. crabs, or prawns should, preferably, be boiled therein.
Although actual boiling in the solution may not be absolutely necessary, it is essential,
in order to insure their proper preservation for long periods, that the preservative
solution, during the first treatment of the lobsters, &c. should at least be maintained
at a high temperature.
The lobsters, crabs, or prawns, or their flesh simply, may be still longer preserved,
if treated as follows:-By first boiling (preferably) them, or their flesh only, in one
of the preservative solutions herein described or referred to, for from fifteen to,
twenty minutes preferably, or until substantially permeated by the solution; secondly,
by then removing the lobsters, crabs, or prawns, from the solution, and placing them
in air tight packages, preferably of glass or metal,-such packages being, thereupon,
placed in hot or boiling water, or being otherwise suitably heated; and, thirdly, by
then puncturing, or otherwise suitably opening, the packages, and allowing a portion
of the contained heated air to escape, and then hermetically resealing or reclosing.
the packages so as to secure a partial vacuum within the same, substantially as is done
in the business of canning lobsters.
The term "sweet" is used herein in the sense of meaning "well preserved."
The glycerine used in carrying out the invention has been in the form of liquid
glycerine, while the bi-carbonate of soda, salicylic acid, boracic acid, and common salt
have been in the form of powder or crystals.
'
In referring to pounds in weight I have intended to refer to pounds Avoirdupois.
Chemical equivalents of the ingredients named, suitable for the purpose, may be
used in the preparation of the preservative solution, and the proportions of the
contained ingredients may, also, be varied within reasonable limits.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me, I declare
that what I claim is :-
1. The herein described process of preserving crustacea by subjecting the same to
the action of a suitably heated preservative solution of suitable character, substantially
as set forth.
2. The herein described process of preserving crustacea by subjecting the same, in
the first instance to the action of a suitably heated preservative solution of suitable
character, and, secondly, in then steeping such crustacea in the same solution without
the application of further heat, substantially as set forth.
3. The herein described process of preserving crustacea by subjecting the same, in
the first instance, to the action of a suitably heated preservative solution of suitable
character, and, secondly, in then steeping such erustacea without the application of
further heat, in a fresh solution of the same character, substantially as set forth.
4. The herein described process of preserving crustacea, by subjecting the same
to the action of a suitably heated solution composed of boracic acid, glycerine and
water, substantially as set forth.
5. The herein described process of preserving crustacea, by subjecting the same, in

page_text: the first instance, to the action of a suitably heated solution composed of horacic acid,
glycerine, and water, substantially as described, and secondly, in then steeping such
crustacea, without the application of further heat, in the same solution, substantially
as set forth.
in
6. The herein described process of preserving crustacea, by subjecting the same,
the first instance, to the action of a suitably heated solution composed of boracic acid,
glycerine, and water, substantially as described; and secondly, in then steeping such
crustacea, without the application of further heat, in a fresh solution, substantially as
set forth.
7. The herein described process of preserving crustacea by subjecting the same to
the action of a suitably heated solution composed of bi-carbonate of soda, boracic acid,
glycerine, and water, substantially as set forth.
8. The herein described process of preserving crustacea by subjecting the same, in
the first instance, to the action of a suitably heated solution composed of bi-carbonate
of soda, boracic acid, glycerine, and water, substantially as described; and, secondly,
in then steeping such crustacea, without the application of further heat, in the same
solution, substantially as set forth.
9. The herein described process of preserving crustacea by subjecting the same, in
the first instance, to the action of a suitably heated solution composed of bi-carbonate
of soda, boracic acid, glycerine, and water, substantially as described; and secondly,
in then steeping such crustacea, without the application of further heat, in a fresh
solution, substantially as set forth.
10. The herein described process of preserving crustacea by subjecting the same in
the first instance, to the action of a suitably heated solution composed of bi-carbonate
of soda, boracic acid, common salt, glycerine, and water, substantially as described;
and, secondly, in then steeping such crustacea, without the application of further
heat, in the same solution, substantially as set forth.
11. The herein described process of preserving crustacea by subjecting the same, in
the first instance, to the action of a suitably heated solution composed of bi-carbonate
of soda, boracic acid, common salt, glycerine, and water, substantially as described;
and secondly, in then steeping such crustacea, without the application of further heat,
in a fresh solution, substantially as set forth.
12. The herein described process of preserving crustacea by subjecting the same to
the action of a suitably heated solution composed of salicylic acid, glycerine, and
water, substantially as set forth.
13. The herein described process of preserving crustacea by subjecting the same,
in the first instance, to the action of a suitably heated solution composed of salicylic
acid, glycerine, and water, substantially as described; and, secondly, in then steeping
such crustacea, without the application of further heat, in the same or å fresh solution,
substantially as set forth.
14. The herein described preservative solution composed of boracic acid, glycerine,
and water, or their chemical equivalents suitable for the purpose, substantially as set
forth.
15. The herein described preservative solution composed of boracic acid, glycerine,
and water, substantially as set forth.
16. The herein described preservative solution composed of bi-carbonate of soda,
horacic acid, glycerine, and water, substantially as set forth.
17. The herein described preservative solution composed of bi-carbonate of soda,
boracic acid, glycerine, and water, or their chemical equivalents, suitable for the
purpose, substantially as set forth.
18. The herein described preservative solution composed of bi-carbonate of soda,
boracic acid, common salt, glycerine, and water, substantially as set forth.
19. The herein described preservative solution composed of bi-carbonate of soda,
boracic acid, common salt, glycerine, and water, or their chemical equivalents suitable
for the purpose, substantially as set forth.
20. The herein described preservative solution composed of salicylic acid, glycerine,
and water, substantially as set forth.

page_text: 21. The herein described preservative solution composed of salicylic acid, bi-
carbonate of soda, glycerine, and water, substantially as set forth.
22. The herein described preservative solution composed of salicylic acid, boracic
acid, glycerine, and water, substantially as set forth.
:-
23. The herein described process of preserving crustacea consisting of the following
steps first subjecting the crustacea to the action of a suitably heated preservative
solution of suitable character, substantially as set forth; secondly, then removing the
crustacea from the solution, and placing them in air-tight packages, the latter being,
thereupon, subjected to heat, substantially as set forth; and, thirdly, puncturing, or
otherwise suitably opening, the packages, and permitting a portion of the contained
heated air to escape, and then hermetically resealing or reclosing the packages so
as to secure a partial vacuum within the same, substantially as set forth.
24. The herein described process of preserving crustacea, consisting of the following
steps first subjecting the crustacea, substantially as described, to the action of any
one of the preservative solutions herein described or referred to, substantially as set
forth secondly, then removing the crustacea from the solution, and placing them
in air-tight packages, the latter being, thereupon, subjected to heat substantially as
set forth and, thirdly, puncturing, or otherwise suitably opening the packages, and
permitting a portion of the contained heated air to escape, and then hermetically
resealing or reclosing the packages so as to secure a partial vacuum within the same,
substantially as set forth.