IMPROVED PROCESSES FOR THE PRESERVATION OF FOOD, AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bristow Hunt, of Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in
the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVED
PROCESSES FOR THE PRESERVATION OF FOOD, AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREFOR.”—A communication from abroad by Alvaro Francisco
Carlos Reynoso, of Paris, France, Ohemist.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Bristow Hunt at the
· Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
-80th July 1878.
"
I, BRISTOW HUNT, of Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVED PROCESSES FOR THE PRESERVATION OF FOOD, AND˜APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREFOB," (a communication from Alvaro Francisco Carlos
Reynoso, of Paris, France, Chemist), to be as follows:-
1. The first process consists in effecting the desiccation of animal or
vegetable alimentary matters and of all other kinds of products employed
in the arts by means of an atmosphere perfectly confined, in which is
placed an apparatus particularly designed for agitating sulphuric acid or

page_text: other body capable of absorbing the humidity of the air, thus placing it
continually in contact with all the particles of air, and drying and
renewing the surfaces in contact with the matters to be dessiccated. In
order to render these two effects more intense there is also another
apparatus intended exclusively to agitate the air in order that the matter
to be desiccated may be continually surrounded by dry air, and that the
latter may be often in contact with sulphuric acid or other matter
capable of absorbing humidity. The desiccation of the air and also that
of the alimentary matters may also be obtained by purely physical means
suited to effect the condensation of aqueous vapors. Whatever may be
the process employed the matters will be agglomerated by the action of
the hydraulic press.
2. The second process consists in previously forming bricks or blocks
of different dimensions by submitting the animal or vegetable alimentary.
matters suitably divided (either alone or mixed with small doses of pre-
servative agents, such as sea salt, acetic, formic, or citric acid, bi-
phosphite of lime, phosphites and hypophosphites of potash, or soda, or
of lime, or other suitable agents) to a strong pressure obtained by a
hydraulic press of great power. The bricks or blocks thus obtained are
then submitted to desiccation.
•
3. This process is commenced by finely disintegrating the animal or
vegetable matters (either alone or mixed with small doses of the pre-
servative agents above named), and then submitting them in a centrifugal
apparatus to the action of air either heated or otherwise. The bodies
thus obtained are then agglomerated by means of the hydraulic
press.
4. This is based on the principle of the agitation (either hot or cold)
of a matter susceptible. of being more or less dissolved. or altered by a
liquid, the acting body being placed in an apparatus capable of producing
the desired agitation. This process is applicable to the preparation of
extract of meat and of all kinds of extracts of vegetable products soluble
in water or other liquids. To put it into operation the matters are first
to be finely disintegrated and then agitated (either cold or hot) with
water or other liquid in a suitable vessel capable of making at least two
· hundred oscillations per minute in a vertical or horizontal direction, or
the agitation may be produced by a rotatory movement, or by any other
mechanism which by its rapid motion will forcibly agitate the bodies

page_text: contained in the vessel, in such a manner as to place the molecules in
contact. The agitator may in some cases be driven at a velocity
reaching one thousand revolutions per minute.
Whatever be the process adopted the extract thereby obtained is
reduced to a solid state if required by the means employed to effect
the desiccation, as before described. This process of cold agitation is also
applicable to certain chemical and pharmaceutical preparations which
are at present effected by heat alone, or by heat and pressure combined,
or by other special means.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Bristow Hunt in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 29th January 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BRISTOW
HUNT, of Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Bristow Hunt, Her special licence
that I, the said Bristow Hunt, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Bristow Hunt, 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 "IMPROVED PROCESSES
FOR THE PRESERVATION OF FOOD, AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR,” (a com-
munication to me from abroad by Alvaro Francisco Carlos Reynoso,
of Paris, France, Chemist), upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Bristow Hunt, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
.

page_text: 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 Bristow Hunt, 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 in writing, that is to say :-
-
-
I. The first process consists in effecting the desiccation of animal or
vegetable alimentary matters and of all other kinds of products employed
in the arts by means of an atmosphere perfectly confined, in which is 1
placed an apparatus particularly designed for agitating sulphuric acid or
other body capable of absorbing the humidity of the air, thus placing
it continually in contact with all the particles of air, and drying and
renewing the surfaces in contact with the matters to be desiccated. In
order to render these two effects more intense there is also another 1
apparatus intended exclusively to agitate the air in order that the matter
to be desiccated may be continually surrounded by dry air, and that the
latter may be often in contact with sulphuric acid or other matter
capable of absorbing humidity.
Instead of agitating the sulphuric acid or other desiccating agent the
absorbing surface thereof may be augmented by increasing the breadth
and shallowness of the vessels containing them.
The apparatus is principally composed of a strong framing of iron or
wood, in which are inserted stout plates of glass in such a way that the
space enclosed shall be hermetically sealed when the operation com-
mences. This apparatus is made in a simple form or composed of
several layers of glass superposed, according to the use for which it is
intended or the temperature desired to be maintained in its interior.
In some cases other means of closing instead of the plates of glass
may be employed. In the case of desiccation of meat or other matters
susceptible of rapid alteration a certain quantity of sulphur should be
burned in the interior of the apparatus, or matters capable of preventing
putrefaction should be distributed by mixing them with the air, and
thus bringing them into contact with the body to be desiccated. The
matters to be ordinarily employed for this purpose are acetic and formic
acids, either aldehyde, acetone, essence of lemon, and in general all
essences capable of absorbing the oxygen of the atmosphere with

page_text: rapidity. These matters should be employed in very small quantities
relatively to the volume of the air, because they should only exert a
primary action whilst the desiccation is taking place. It is this result.
which should be considered the general and definite aim, which may
however be arrived at by any collateral means.
In other cases stoves should be employed so constructed as to close
hermetically and having the same internal arrangements for renewing
and augmenting the absorbing surfaces of the sulphuric acid or other.
matter capable of absorbing the humidity of the air, the production of
sulphurous acid, the introduction of the preservative agents above
named, and lastly in some cases glass chambers provided with openings
at the two extremities in order to allow of the creation of a current of
air either by blowing or exhausting. The desiccation of the air and
also that of the alimentary matters may also be obtained by purely
physical means suited to effect the condensation of aqueous vapors.
Whatever may be the process employed the matters will be agglomerated
by the action of the hydraulic press.
2. The second process consists in previously forming bricks or blocks
of different dimensions by submitting the animal or vegetable alimentary
matters suitably divided (either alone or mixed with small doses of pre-
servative agents, such as sea salt, acetic, formic, or citric acid, bi-
phosphite of lime, phosphites and hypophosphites of potash, or soda, or
of lime, or other suitable agents) to a strong pressure obtained by a
hydraulic press of great power. The bricks or blocks thus obtained are
3 then submitted to desiccation.
8. This process is commenced by finely disintegrating the animal
or vegetable matters (either alone or mixed with small doses of the
preservative agents above named), and then submitting them in a.
centrifugal apparatus to, the action of air either heated or otherwise.
The bodies thus obtained are then agglomerated by means of the
hydraulic press.
4. This is based on the principle of the agitation (either hot or cold,
and either at the ordinary or at a high pressure, or in a vacuum) of a
matter susceptible of being more or less dissolved or altered by a liquid,
5 the acting body being placed in an apparatus capable of producing the
desired agitation. This process is applicable to the preparation of extract
of meat and of all kinds of extracts of vegetable products, soluble in

page_text: 2
water or other liquids. To put it into operation the matters are first to
be finely disintegrated and then agitated (either cold or hot, and either
at the ordinary or at a high pressure, or in a vacuum) with water or
other liquid in a suitable vessel capable of making at least two hundred
oscillations per minute in a vertical or horizontal direction.
In some cases instead of this apparatus horizontal cylinders may be
employed, to which is communicated a rotary motion round their own
axes at a greater or less speed according to the effect desired to be
obtained. It may also be useful to arrange the apparatus in the form
of a wheel, on which are fixed in different directions the vessels con-
taining the matters to be operated on. The wheel should be driven by
a power capable of imparting to it as much as one thousand revolutions
per minute, or the agitation may be produced by a rotatory movement or
by any other mechanism which by its rapid motion will forcibly agitate
the bodies contained in the vessel in such a manner as to place the
molecules in contact. The agitator may in some cases be driven at a
velocity reaching one thousand revolutions per minute. Whatever be
the process adopted the extract thereby obtained is reduced to a solid
state if required by the means employed to effect desiccation, as before
described. This process of cold agitation is also applicable to certain
chemical and pharmaceutical preparations which are at present effected
by heat alone, or by heat and pressure combined, or by other special
means.
5. This process of preserving animal and vegetable matters consists in
placing them under great pressure in contact with air perfectly filtered
through cotton or wool and dried by means of sulphuric acid, chloride
of calcium, quicklime, or similar means. This operation is carried on
by first placing the matters in a vessel suitably arranged and compressing
the purified and dried air by means of a pump. Instead of dried and
filtered air other gases may be employed, such as carbonic acid, oxide of
carbon, illuminating gas, oxygen, protoxide of azote, and other gases
capable of having the organic matters intact after being brought into
contact with the open air after cooking.
6. Meat or other alimentary matter being placed in a suitable
apparatus, hermetically closed, electric sparks must be caused to pass
through the same either by means of a Ruhmkorff's induction apparatus
or otherwise. Instead of operating with the ordinary atmosphere it will

page_text: be much more suitable and certain under all circumstances to establish
an atmosphere of air filtered through cotton or wool and dried by means
of sulphuric acid, chloride of calcium, &c. This arrangement may be
varied in special cases, that is to say, that it will be convenient to
increase the pressure of the dried and filtered air before passing the
electric sparks through.
Lastly, a combination of these two latter processes consists in com-
pressing air at a high pressure on matters to be preserved after passing
long electric sparks through the same by the Ruhmhorff apparatus, and
to have the same filtered, dried, and passed through pumicestone im-
pregnated with soda or potash, and another tube with sodaized lime.
The passage of the electric sparks is also applicable to cases where other
gases are compressed on to the alimentary matters.
The processes described in this Specification are intended to effect the
preservation of food with all its characteristics and its essential proper-
ties. It is especially the physical means which take the first rank; the
chemical matters are employed as accessories and in small quantities.
Besides which these matters are condiments and increase the value of
the food.
In witness whereof, I, the said Bristow Hunt, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.