Improvements relating to the Preservation of Bread and similar Substances, and to Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1890

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Preservation of Bread and similar
Substances, and to Apparatus therefor.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the firm of G. F. Redfern & Co.. the General
Patent Office, No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication from abroad
by Edmund Schramın, of Charlottenburg, Manufacturer, and Adalbert Chechong, of
Berlin, Chef de Cuisine, both in the Empire of Germany) and in what manner the same
is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The object of the present invention is to enable bread and similar baked goods to be
preserved in their natural condition without the use of antiseptics.
According to the said invention the baked bread is preferably conveyed from the
oven and placed into packing tins and hermetically sealed whilst in a hot state and
without coming into contact with the external atmosphere and to enable this to be
carried out I advantageously make use of the apparatus hereinafter described.
To enable the invention to be fully understood I will describe the same with
Reference to the accompanying drawing, in which :-
Figure 1 is a sectional view of a baker's oven having packing apparatus in connec-
ion therewith according to my invention; and,
Figure 2 is a plan of a portion of the same.
Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 illustrating the operation of the
apparatus.
Figures 4 and 5 are views hereinafter described.
A indicates the oven the floor of which is extended into a passage b.
The passage leads into the packing chamber B which is provided with a
removable air-tight cover or otherwise formed so that the packing tins may be
introduced and removed. As shown in Figures 1 and 3 the packing tin and its
cover are represented as placed entirely within the hermetically closed packing
chamber, whilst as indicated in Figure 5 the packing tin is only partly within
the packing chamber. Each packing tin has a hole near the bottom to which
is fitted a lead or other soft metal pipe which serves to form a connection with
the pipe d of an air-pump or exhauster D.
In the arrangement shewn in Figures 1 and 3 the lead pipe d passes through the
walls of the packing chamber B, a stuffing box e being provided to prevent the outer
air from entering the chamber.
After the bread is baked a sliding door f in the passage is raised and, by means
of the air-pumps or exhauster D the hot air from the oven is drawn through the packing
chamber and the packing tin until all the air therein is in a thoroughly sterilized con-
dition. The loaves are now pushed from the oven into the passage to be taken by
the packer and placed in the packing tin (.
As while this work is being done the atmospheric air must be excluded the top or
cover of the packing chamber is provided with openings 9, 9 in which pockets or
gloves, formed of air-tight material are secured, so that the packer can insert bis
hands into the packing chamber, as shown in Figure 3.
Air-tight sight holes i, i are also provided in suitable places to allow the packer to
see into the packing chamber.
After the tin is filled with loaves the cover is placed on the top and fastened with
clamping screws Figure 4. The tin can now be removed and the lid soldered or
otherwise hermetically sealed thereon, the heat of the loaves rendering it impossible
for the cold outer air to enter the tin even if the cover is not thoroughly tightened
down by the clamping screws. After soldering the clamp screws are taken off.

page_text: C
The opening c in connection with which the lead pipe is fixed is rendered air-tight
by cutting off and flattening the said pipe..
The bread thus packed can be kept for years without losing in flavour.
Where the bread is not packed into tins directly from the oven, the proceedings
are somewhat modified, the tins being then filled with hot loaves and made air-tight,
the air inside the tins being pumped out and replaced by sterilized air or by air
saturated with moisture.
It will be obvious that this invention possesses great advantages as regards both
economy and hygiene. The advantages as to economy are chiefly due to the fact that
bakers will be enabled to make large quantities of bread when flour is cheap, and
thereby also to sell proportionately cheap without regard to the market price
of flour.
The chief advantages from a hygienic point of view are that it will be possible to
supply mariners and large bodies of troops with a sufficient supply of bread having all
the qualities of newly baked bread.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what 1
claim is :-
f
1. The process for the preservation of bread or similar baked goods, consisting in
packing such goods whilst in a hot condition into packing tins which are then
hermetically sealed, the air in the said packing tins being either sterilized previous to
the introduction of the goods or introduced after the tins have been sealed, the
atmospheric air being previously exhausted.
2. The apparatus hereinbefore described for use in packing bread for the preservation
of the same, substantially in the manner set forth.
Dated the 14th day of October 1890
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant