An Improved Process for Preserving Solid Organic Alimentary Substances.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application; 3rd June, 1896-Accepted, 18th July, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process for Preserving Solid Organic Alimentary
Substances.
I FRANCOIS-OSCAR JACOB of 21 Boulevard Poissonnière, Paris, in the.
Republic of France, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be perforined, to be particularly described and ascertained.
in and by the following statement:--
This invention relates to a process for preserving solid organic alimentary
substances.
Up to this time, no one has found a good process, at once economical and
reliable, for preserving meat and. solid organic alimentary substances, because.no
one has studied with sufficient care the various stages of fermentation. of complex
bodies, which, speaking generally, form the organic tissue of foods...
To preserve these matters from fermentation and decomposition,. it is..proposed,..
for certain of them, to make use of an acid re-action, and for others, of a basic or
neutral re-action.
The process which forms the subject of the present invention,..has..two well-
defined or distinct phases, as will be gathered from. the following description,
reference being also had to the accompanying drawings.
The first phase of the process consists in submitting the matters to be preserved,,
to the action of carbonic anhydride..
To obtain this gas economically, two different modes may be employed.
•
1st, by the action of carbonate of lime, in presence of sulphuric of hydrochloric..
acid, according to the following equation:-
CO,Cả + 2 HCl, 16 HgO = CaCl, +17 H,O + CO
2nd, by the reaction of bicarbonate of soda in presence. of sulphurió.or hydro-
chloric acid, according to the equation:-
CO,NaH+HCI, 8 H,O NaCI+ 9'HO+00%;
===
These reactions are. produced, the one or the other, in the
partly in section on the annexed drawings.
apparatus represented
This apparatus consists of a cylinder. A.of. steel or copper, lined withelead, and
provided with an agitator, the axle E of which passes through a stuffing box, and
receives at its outer end a crank handle D.. This cylinder A has at the bottom.
means, C, for emptying it, and at the top, an opening a (closed by a pressure
screw) for the introduction, for example, of the bicarbonate of soda, and also two
tubes provided 'with cocks G G', to carry off. the..carbonic anhydride:gas produced!
by the reaction, as will be seen further.on..
At the upper part of the cylinder is a. reservoir B, lined. with lead; intended to,
contain the hydrochloric or sulphuric acid, from which it runs into the cylinder. A.
An opening, closed by a screw bung or stopper, allows for the introduction of 'the.
acid into the reservoir B. A:hole-Fforms the connection between the reservoir B.
and the cylinder A. This hole Freceives a conical plug, which, more or less
raised, permits the flow more or less rapid of the acid. The red of this conical
plug has, as its upper part, a thread h, which engages with. a.fixed threaded part in:
the cover, and receives a laterally extending rod or arm g, which is displaced or
moved with regard to a graduated sector, thus fixing the amount of flow. Alead.
tube K makes connection between the upper part of the cylinder A and the upper
part of the reservoir B, to equalize the pressure in the two vessels
The apparatus is completed by two receivers in sheet steel, R and R', in

page_text: connection respectively with the cylinder A, by the tubes H and H', connected to
the tubes G and G¹. These receivers are each provided with a suitable cover,
carrying a manometer and an indicator of vacuum. They possess also, each, an
emptying cock N, a cock M, by means of which the vacuum is made, and
a cock V, on which is screwed a ball O, capable of resisting a considerable
pressure.
The meat or organic substances are placed in the receivers R and R'. One of
them can be working while the other is being charged. The cylinder A is full,
say, of bicarbonate of soda, and the reservoir B of hydrochloric acid. All the
openings are closed, and the conical plug F which closes the hole of communication
between A and B is opened. The acid runs more or less quickly onto the soda,
which is agitated by turning the handle D, to hasten the re-action. Carbonic
anhydride is thus produced, which, as soon as the cocks G and G are opened,
rushes into the receivers R and R', and surrounds entirely the organic substances
therein contained. The pressure is calculated according to the co-efficient of
resistance of the meat, to the penetration and the size of the pieces to be operated
upon.
It may be here mentioned, that the reaction above described does not produce
pure carbonic anhydride, but there is also produced chlorine gas in a nascent state,
which gives a very pronounced flavour to the alimentary substances contained in
the receivers R and R'.
If the meat is left in this state, the acid vapours will quickly produce acetic
fermentation, and then putrefaction.
It is here that comes in the second phase of the process.
To destroy the effect of the acid vapours, and prevent entirely the production
of micro-organisms in the tissue of the meat taken from the apparatus, methanal is
employed.
Once the meat has been bathed in the carbonic anhydride as indicated above,
the cocks G and G' are closed, in order to isolate the receivers R and R' from the
generator A.
By means of the cocks M, the gas is removed from the receivers R, and a stout
india rubber tube is attached to the cock, and also connected to a suitable pump,
by which a vacuum may be produced.
During this time the cocks V V' are closed, and the balls O O' are removed
filled with a solution of methanal, and then replaced. When sufficient vacuum
is obtained, the cocks VV are opened, so that the liquid contained in the bali O
vapourizes instantly. To obtain a sufficient tension of vapours, the ball O may be
slightly heated in any convenient manner. It is necessary that the pressure be
equal to that of the first operation.
Once the meat has been treated in these vapours for about a quarter of an hour,
it can be taken out of the apparatus. It can then be kept in the air without any
package for more than a month. It has no smell, and it contains no toxic principle,
or anything contrary to the hygiene of alimentation.
It will be understood that the apparatus above described may be modified in its
details, without departing from the nature of the present invention, as experience
may suggest, and that the various operations may be reversed, or they may even
be simultaneously carried out under pressure.
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
1st. For the preservation of meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, and, in a word, all
solid organic alimentary substances, the process herein described, which consists in
submitting the substances successively to the action of the vapour of carbonic
anhydride and the vapour of methanal, under pressure.
2nd. For the preservation of these said substances, the process which consists in
treating them by the inverse means to that which is the subject of Claim 1, that is

page_text: to say, submitting them first to the action of vapour of methanal, and then to the
carbonic anhydride, under pressure.
3rd. For preserving the said substances, the process which consists in treating
them simultaneously with a mixture of gas formed from carbonic anhydride and
the vapour of methanal, under pressure.
4th. An apparatus intended for the treatment of organic substances or products,
by the action of the vapours of carbonic anhydride and of methanal, consisting of
a generator for the production of the carbonic anhydride vapour, of receivers to
receive the substances or products to be treated, and of balls to receive a solution
of methanal, the generator and the balls being put successively in communication
with the receivers, as above specified.
Dated this 3rd day of Inne 1806
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.