AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PACKING FRESH MEAT AND OTHER ORGANIC SUBSTANCES IN ORDER TO PREVENT DECOMPOSITION
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Phillips Thompson of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors 6 Lord Street Liverpool in the county of Lancaster and of
323 High Holborn in the county of Middlesex Civil Engineer for an
Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PACKING
FRESH MEAT AND OTHER ORGANIC SUBSTANCES IN ORDER TO PREVENT
DECOMPOSITION A communication to him from abroad by Doctor Mathieu
Closset of Liége in the kingdom of Belgium
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Phillips Thompson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th November 1882.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON of the Agency for Foreign Patent Solicitors
6 Lord Street Liverpool in the county of Lancaster and of 323 High Holborn in
the county of Middlesex Civil Engineer "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND
APPARATUS FOR PACKING FRESH MEAT AND OTHER ORGANIC SUBSTANCES IN
ORDER TO PREVENT DECOMPOSITION "
a communication to me from abroad by
Doctor Mathieu Closset of Liége in the Kingdom of Belgium
The herein-described process has for its object to preserve fresh ment and
organic tissues in general from all fermenting action, by keeping them in
hermetically sealed cases in an atmosphere deprived of all substances which could
produce or facilitate fermentation.
In order that the process may succeed perfectly it is necessary to take certain
precautions in the preparation of the meat. The animal must be skinned without
insufflation" and cut into pieces proportioned to the size of the cases, these pieces
are then wrapped in coarse cloth to prevent contact and immediately enclosed in
the cases, the lid being hermetically closed by a packing of india-rubber. The
cases are made of sheet iron preferably enamelled; the lid can be made convex in
order to stand screw pressure, and the bottom is funnel-shaped terminated by a
short tube.

page_text: If considered necessary. when the meat is enclosed in the case this tube may be
put in communication with the barrel of a small air pump in order to extract the
air contained in the pores and surface vossels; the tube is then placed on top and
the case filled with an antiseptic liquid such as alcohol vinegar, a solution of borax
in water, or any other chemical substance which is efficacious and inoffensive to
health
Thanks to the form of the receiver all the air is expelled by the liquid and when
this fills the tube, it is closed by means of a stopper or in any other appropriato
manner. The case is then reversed and the tube plunged into a small vessel full of
water; the stopper is then taken out and by means of an india rubber or other tube,
atmospheric air previously raised to a high temperature and deprived of its oxygen
is passed in or any other gas which does not contain oxygen, or any gas which
will not act upon the meat may be used. Atmospheric air which has been calcined
and carefully filtered if considered necessary might for example be employed; or
some oxides of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen et cetera et cetera but odourless and
tasteless gases without active affinities are to be preferred.
The liquid is thus gradually replaced by the air or a purified gas and runs into a
vat placed underneath the case. The stopper is replaced or the tube closed in any
other manner and the operation is finished Ment thus packed is protected from
nearly every chemical and physical agent which might decompose it This process
is based upon scientific principles and on experiment, and permits says my
correspondent of the unlimited preservation of the most delicate organic tissues.
The form and arrangements of the case might also be modified. Thus a small
hole might be made in the lid in which to fix the tube for the calcined air which
would enter in proportion as the liquid descends by its own weight Two openings
..might also be made in the case one in the bottom the other in the lid, to fill the
case with liquid-by-immersion, -and-the-openings afterwards closed_by_any_con--
-venient-means. Lastly the india rubber packing might be dispensed with and tho
case fastened by solder or any other appropriate means. The same result can be
obtained by making use of an antiseptic liquid charged with a soluble gas such as
carbonic acid for example; the liquid would be removed from the case by means of
a pump with a double valve placed in the lower part. The gas escaping from its
solution entirely fills the case.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Phillips Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 10th May 1883.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON of the Agency for Foreign Patent Solicitors,
6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster and of 323, High Holborn
in the County of Middlesex Civil Engineer "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND
APPARATUS FOR PACKING FRESH MEAT AND OTHER ORGANIC SUBSTANCES IN
ORDER TO PREVENT DECOMPOSITION." A communication to me from abroad by
Doctor Mathieu Closset, of Liége, in the kingdom of Belgium.
The herein-described process has for its object to preserve fresh meat and organic
tissues in general from all fermenting action, by keeping them in hermetically
sealed cases in an atmosphere deprived of all substances which could produce or
facilitato fermentation.
In order that the process may succeed perfectly it is necessary to take certain
precautions in the preparation of the ment. The animal must be skinned without
"insufllation" and cut into pieces proportioned to the size of the cases, these pieces
aro then wrapped in coarse cloth to prevent contact and immediately enclosed in
the cases, the lid being hermetically closed by a packing of india-rubber. The
cases are made of sheet iron preferably enamelled; the lid can be made convex in
order to stand screw pressure, and the bottom is funnel-shaped terminated by a
short tube.
If considered necessary when the meat is enclosed in the case this tube may be
put in communication with the barrel of a small air pump in order to extract the
air contained in the pores and surfaco vessels of the meat; the tube is then placed
on top and the case completely filled with an antiseptic liquid such as alcohol,
vinegar, a solution of borax in water, or any other chemical substance which is
efficacious and inoffensive to health.
Thanks to the form of the receiver, all the air is expelled by the liquid and when
this fills the tube, it is closed by means of a stopper or in any other appropriate
manner. The case is then reversed and the tube plunged into a small vessel full
of water; the stopper is then taken out and by means of an india-rubber or other tube,
atmospheric air previously raised to a high temperature and deprived of its oxygen
is passed in, or any other gas which does not contain oxygen, or any gas which
will not act upon the meat may be used. Atmospheric air which has been calcined
and carefully filtered if considered necessary might for example be employed, or
some oxides of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen et cetera et cetera but odourless and
tasteless gases without active affinities are to be preferred.
The liquid is thus gradually replaced by the air or a purified gas and runs into
a vat placed underneath the case. The stopper is replaced or the tube closed in
any other manner and the operation is finished. Meat thus packed is protected
from nearly every chemical and physical agent which might decompose it. This
process is based upon scientific principles and on experiment, and permits, says my
correspondent, of the unlimited preservation of the most delicate organic tissues.
The form and arrangements of the case might also be modified. Thus a small
hole might be made in the lid in which to fix the tubo for the calcined air which
would enter in proportion as the liquid descends by its own weight. Two openings
might also be made in the case one in the bottom the other in the lid, to fill the
case with liquid by immersion, and the openings afterwards closed by any con-
venient means. Lastly the india rubber packing might be dispensed with and the
case fastened by solder or any other appropriate means. The same result can be

page_text: obtained by making use of an antiseptic liquid charged with a soluble gas such as
carbonic acid for example; the liquid would be removed from the case by means of
a pump with a double valve placed in the lower part. The gas escaping from its
solution entirely fills the case.
In order to render this antiseptic process available for large receivers, brine is
made use of for economy, producing a superficial salting, or even pure water may
be used which is rendered anti-septic in the second place, by the introduction in
the next part of the operation, of a gas for preventing fermentation, partly
soluble in the liquid. For this purpose oxysulphide of carbon is preferably to be
employed.
The term anti-septic liquid is to be taken to include that which would be formed
by previously coating the pieces of meat with an antiseptic substance and afterwards
proceeding as described.
Having thus described the invention as communicated to me, I wish it to be
understood that what is claimed under the Letters Patent is :-
1 The employment of any antiseptic liquid, filling the whole of the case con-
taining the meat, so as to expel from it all the air and disinfect the surfaces,
followed immediately by the introduction of a gas not containing oxygen or even
of purified air, which will completely replace the liquid for the purpose of
preserving meat and all organic tissues in general without introducing any foreign
principles
2nd The method of producing in the cases, before the introduction of the
antiseptic liquid, a relative vacuum by means of an air pump or by any other
suitable process for the purpose of extracting all the air which might be present
in the pores and surface vessels of the meat.
3rd The method of using for the before specified purpose, a soluble gas such as
-carbonic acid-or-oxysulphide of carbon which-in-escaping from-its-solution-entirely
fills the case.
4th The special arrangement of the cases which terminate in the form-of-cones-
or funnels in such manner that in the filling with the antiseptic liquid, and in the
replacing of this latter by the gas or purified air, no part of the case can escape
from the action and remain unoccupied by the active agent.
5th The process substantially as described for packing fresh meat and other
organic substances whatever may be the form and dimensions of the cases, the
material employed in their construction, the mode of scaling, or the system of
stoppering.
In witness whereof I the said William Phillips Thompson havo hereunto set my
hand and seal, this ninth day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.
W* P. THOMPSON (L.S.)