Improvement in Sterilizing Apparatus.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Sterilizing Apparatus.
I, JOHANN WECK, Merchant, of Oeflingen, in the Grand Duchy of Baden, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
This invention, relates to apparatus for sterilizing provisions by means of heat,
and more especially to the means for closing the vessels containing: the material
to be sterilized, the vessels being closed with lids held down by springs in such
a manner, that the springs will yield and allow the air or vapour contained in the
vessels to escape, if the internal pressure exceeds a given limit.
The cylindrical jars or other receptacles for the said material are usually placed
in an air tight receiver and treated therein by means of hot water or steam.
According to my invention I mount the receptacle on a baseplate or false bottom,
preferably in a circular row, and provide one or more stands or posts serving as
supports or points of attachment for bent springs adapted to press with their
opposite ends on the lids of the receptacles, which stands may be connected at
the top by a hoop or ring. The fulcrum of each spring is formed by a pin secured
to one of the vertical posts and extending horizontally from the same. The springs
have preferably the shape or nature of a bell-crank-lever, the long and approxi-
mately radial arm being bent downward at its extremity and resting on the lid of
the receptacle, while the short arm is approximately vertical and abuts with its
bent extremity against one of the vertical posts or against the hoop connecting
the same.
To adapt the apparatus for jars or liquid receptacles of different heights, two or
more fulcrum pins may be secured to the same post one above the other. The
fulcrum pins, may however, be provided with sleeves or clips and adjustable up
and down on the stands. The vertical stands may be placed in the centre of the
vessel, or along the walls.
If the receiver is partly filled with water and then heated,, the air contained in
the receptacles is driven out, a partial vacuum is formed in the same, which helps
to press the lid upon the mouth. The mouth of the receptacles and the lids may
be ground smooth, or provided with a suitable packing.
Dated this 15th day of November 1897.
I, JOHANN WECK, Merchant, of Oeflingen, in the Grand Duchy of Baden, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
[Price 8d.1

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to apparatus for sterilizing perishable provisions by means of
heat, and more especially to the means for closing the vessels containing the material
to be sterilized, the vessels being closed with lids held down by springs in such
a manner, that the springs will yield and allow the air or vapour contained in the
vessels to escape, if the internal pressure exceeds a given limit.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Fig. 1 is an elevation of a sterilizing apparatus embodying my invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the same.
Figs. 3 and 4 represent a modification.
The cylindrical jars or other provision receptacles are usually placed in an air-
tight receiver and heated therein by means of hot water or steam. According to
my invention I mount the receptacles on a base-plate or false bottom a, preferably
in a circular row, and provide one or more stands or posts s, serving as rigid
supports or points of attachment for bent springs f, f¹ adapted to press on the
lids of the provision receptacles, which stands are connected at the top by a hoop
or ring r, or by a pair of rings. The fulcrum of each spring is formed by a pin d
secured to one of the vertical posts s and extending horizontally from the same,
as shown in Fig. 1. The springs have preferably the shape or nature of a bell-
crank-lever, as represented by Fig. 1, the long and approximately radial arm f
being bent downward at its extremity and resting on the lid of the receptacle,
while the short arm f¹ is approximately vertical and abuts with its bent extremity
against one of the vertical posts s, or against the hoop r connecting the same.
To adapt the apparatus for jars or liquid receptacles of different heights, two or
more fulcrum pins d may be secured to the same post s, one above the other. The
fulcrum pins, may however, be provided with sleeves or clips and may be adjustable
up and down on the stands. The vertical stands s may be made from flat iron and
placed in the centre of the vessel, as shown by Figs. 1 and 2, or along the walls,
as shown by Figs. 3 and 4.
The mouths of the receptacles and the lids are either ground smooth, or pro-
vided with a suitable packing. In Figs. 3 and 4 the stands s are slotted at the
top, and the ring, together with the pins is adjustable up and down and
secured in the desired position by means of clamping screws, which hold the
pins by means of sleeves .
If the receiver is partly filled with water and then heated, the air contained
in the receptacles is driven out, a partial vacuum is formed in the same, in
consequence of which the external air will assist in pressing the lid upon the
mouth.
The springs f, f¹ may now be removed from the lids and the jars taken out
of the apparatus, because the external air pressure is sufficient to maintain an
air-tight joint.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. Apparatus for temporarily closing or securing the lids of sterilizing recep-
tacles, comprising one or more rigid stands or posts, mounted on a base-plate,
and adapted to serve as supports for bent leaf springs pressing on the lids of the
said receptacles, substantially as described.
2. In apparatus for sterilizing by heat, the combination of one or more rigid
stands or posts mounted on a base-plate and provided with laterally projecting
fulcrum pins, with bent leaf springs, adapted to be mounted on the said fulcrum
pins so as to press with one end on the lids of the corresponding receptacles,
substantially as described.

page_text: 3. The various forms of temporary closing or fastening devices for the lids of
provision receptacles in sterilizing apparatus, substantially as described and
shown by the drawings.
Dated this 10th day of August 1898.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
Agents, 37 and 39, Essex Street, Strand, London.