IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING POTATOES FOR BOILING OR COOKING
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Anderson, of No. 92, Farringdon Street, in
the City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING
POTATOES FOR BOILING OR COOKING."
Sealed the 17th May 1861, and dated the 23rd November 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Anderson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd November 1860.
I, JAMES ANDERSON, of No. 92, Farringdon Street, in the City of London,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PREPARING POTATOES FOR BOILING OR COOKING," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for object the treating or preparing of potatoes in such
a way as to insure the obtainment of a more certain or uniform result than
hitherto, when the potatoes are subjected to boiling, steaming, or otherwise
cooking either for culinary or manufacturing purposes. And whereas the
effect of the cooking depends upon the time during which the potatoes are.
subjected to its action, and upon the sizes and specific gravities of the
individual potatoes; and whereas in any parcel of potatoes as ordinarily
obtained the sizes and specific gravities are various, so that a uniform
result cannot be obtained by cooking them in their ordinary mixed state.
now it is by this Invention proposed in preparing potatoes for the market to

page_text: separate and sort the individuals of a parcel into smaller parcels, each com-
prising individuals not appreciably differing in size and in specific gravity, in
order that each such uniform parcel may be cooked separately and to the
extent best suited for its particular quality.
In carrying out this Invention, I propose, firstly, to separate or assort the
potatoes according to their relative specific gravities by passing them suc-
cessively through different vessels containing liquids of different densities, as
described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me, bearing date
the 11th day of November 1848, No. 12,324, or by any other suitable and
convenient means. I then take the parcels of potatoes so assorted, and
separate or assort them according to size by passing them through a revolving
cylinder provided with openings of various sizes, through which the potatoes
fall into suitable receptacles beneath, or by any other similar or suitable
means.
It will be evident that these two processes may be arranged inversely, that is
to say, the potatoes may be first assorted according to size, and afterwards
according to specific gravity; but it is the combination of these two processes
which forms the principal feature of novelty in the present Invention, whereby
the potatoes are assorted into different lots or parcels, each of which is
composed of potatoes of similar size and specific gravity, whereby the effect of
boiling or cooking is rendered much more certain and uniform than
heretofore.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Anderson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th May 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES.
ANDERSON, of 92, Farringdon Street, in the City of London, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters.
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
James Anderson, Her special licence that I, the said James Anderson, my.
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Anderson, 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

page_text: 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING
POTATOES FOR BOILING OR COOKING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said James Anderson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and 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 James Anderson, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, that is to say:-
:
My said Invention has for object the treating or preparing of potatoes in
such a way as to insure the obtainment of a more certain or uniform result
than hitherto when the potatoes are subjected to boiling, steaming, or other
cooking treatment, either for culinary or manufacturing purposes.
And:
whereas the effect of the cooking depends in part upon the time during which
the potatoes are subjected to its action, and in part upon the sizes and specific
gravities of the individual potatoes; and whereas in any parcel of potatoes as
ordinarily obtained the sizes and specific gravities are various, so that a
uniform result cannot be obtained by cooking them in their ordinary mixed
state, now it is by this Invention proposed in preparing potatoes for the
market, or for use, to separate and assort the individuals of a parcel into smaller
parcels, each comprising individuals not appreciably differing in size and.
specific gravity, in order that each such uniform parcel may be cooked or
treated separately, and to the extent or degree best suited for its particular
quality.
In carrying out my said Invention according to one plan I first separate or
assort the potatoes according to their specific gravities by passing them suc-
cessively through different vessels containing liquids of different densities, as
described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me, and bearing
date the 11th day of November 1848, (No. 12,324,) or by any other
suitable and convenient means. I then take the parcels of potatoes so
assorted, and separate or assort the individuals composing them according to
size; this assorting or separating of the different sizes may be effected by
hand or by means of special mechanical contrivances. For example, a
cylindrical riddle or screen may be used, such screen being placed in an

page_text: inclined position, and being formed with openings of different sizes, whilst
separate receptacles are arranged beneath the respective openings. The screen
is caused to rotate and the potatoes are introduced at the upper end, and find
their
way each at some part of the descent into the several receptacles.
In practice, the number of classes into which the potatoes are assorted or
separated may be considerably varied, but, by way of example, it may be stated
that it is convenient to assort ordinary parcels of potatoes into three specific
gravity classes, marking respectively 18°, 20°, and 22° upon Twaddle's
hydrometer. Each of the three parcels thus obtained is then separately
assorted into, say, four classes, such that the potatoes of each class are of a
nearly uniform size, weighing respectively, say, about 3, 5, 7, and 9 ounces.
Twelve separate parcels are thus obtained, with reference to which it may be
observed that the quality depends solely on the specific gravity, those of higher
specific gravity being the better, whilst the uniformity (or approximate
uniformity) of size of each parcel insures the best and most equal cooking or
treatment thereof.
It will be evident that the two assorting processes described may be
arranged inversely, that is to say, the potatoes may be first assorted according
to size, and afterwards according to specific gravity.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I have to state
that what I consider to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is the com-
bining of the two assorting processes herein-before described, whereby the
potatoes are assorted or separated into different lots or parcels, each of which
is composed of potatoes of similar size and specific gravity.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Anderson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
JAMES ANDERSON.
(L.S.)