IMPROVEMENTS IN DESICCATED EGG AND IN THE MACHINERY FOR ITS PRODUCTION
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert John Allison, of 41 Southampton Buildings,
Holboro, in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN DESICCATED EGG AND IN THE MACHINERY FOR ITS PRODUCTION." Com-
municated to him from abroad by Peter Cooper and Charles A. La Mont, both
of the City and State of New York, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herbert John Allison at the
Office of the Cominissioners of Patents on the 31st January 1883.
"
"
HERBERT JOHN ALLISON, of 41 Southampton Buildings, Holborn, in the County
of Middlesex, IMPROVEMENTS IN DESICCATED EGG AND IN THE MACHINERY FOR
ITS PRODUCTION a communication to me from abroad by Peter Cooper and
Charles A. La Mont, both of the City and State of New York, United States of
America,
This invention has for its object, first the conservation of the desiccated egg in
its original purity; and second, the re-inforcement of the rotating plates used in its
desiccation.
Eggs removed from the shell and thereafter dried and concentrated in the
form of minute particles admitting of being readily dissolved by the addition of
water, milk, or other liquid, have furnished a most desirable product as an article
of condensed food, but whilst approximating very closely when freshly prepare 1,
to the pure, fresh egg in its natural state, it has been found nevertheless, that the
desiccated product will, in course of time, become flat, stale and so far deteriorated
in quality as to lose measurably its original sweet, pure quality.
This tendency to partial decomposition is prevented in this invention by an
admixture of finely pulverized salt to the meat or batter of the eggs when removed
from the shell, in the proportions of about 2 ounces of salt to about 20 dozen of
eggs. After the salt has been thoroughly incorporated with the eggs, the mass is
quickly dried, in a thin coat, upon revolving discs, and dropping from the discs in
thin scales or flakes may in this form be kept for a very long time without
Price dl

page_text: marked change in its quality. This compound of salt and egg in desiccated forni
is claimed as new to the art, and as a useful invention for the purpose set forth.
In the desiccation of the eggs upon rotating discs it has been found that thin,
flat discs or circular plates of slate or other stone, cement, etc., are best adapted for
the purpose. But these discs are liable to fracture.
Also
The invention relates secondly, to the re-inforcement of these flat discs, by first
binding the periphery of the disc with coils of wire wrapped around it in a groove
cut in its edge, and then soldering the coil with solder so as to unite the separate
strands into a solid band filling the groove in which the band is embedded.
to the repair of the disc when broken, by passing the wires transversely across the
line of fracture through apertures drilled on either side thereof, to rest in grooves
extending from the one aperture to the other, and then soldering the strands with
solder until they are united solidly into a strong compound band.
It relates furthermore to the protection of the re-inforcing band from undue
expansion under the influence of the heat to which the disc is exposed, by means
of a compound of plaster of Paris, litharge and oil, or equivalent non-conducting
cement or covering material. In this case the groove for the reception of the
re-inforcing band is made deep enough and wide enough to receive and protect the
auxiliary non-conducting covering.
Instead of using a number of strands of wire to be united by solder in forming
a peripheral re-inforcing band it is contemplated to bind the disc with a band of
rod-iron covered with a non-conducting coating applied thereto after it has been
shrunk into place upon the periphery of the disc, to prevent its expansion.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Herbert John Allison in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
31st July 1883.
"
HERBERT JOHN ALLISON, of 41 Southampton Buildings, Holborn, in the County
of Middlesex, "IMPROVEMENTS IN DESSICATED EGG AND IN THE MACHINERY
FOR ITS PRODUCTION a communication to me from abroad by Peter Cooper and
Charles A. La Mont, both of the City and State of New York, United States of
America,
This invention relates to the article of commerce known as dessicated eggs and
has for its object, first, to preserve the sweetness and delicacy of the dried egg for
a long period of time; and second, the re-inforcement of the rotating plates used in
its dessication.
Eggs removed from the shell and thereafter dried and concentrated in the form
of minute particles admitting of being readily dissolved in water, have furnished a
most desirable product as an article of condensed food, but whilst approximating
very closely when freshly prepared, to the pure, fresh egg in its natural state, it
has been found nevertheless, that the dessicated product will, in course of time,
become flat, stale and so far deteriorated in quality as to lose measurably its
original sweet, pure quality. It has been sought to prevent this undesirable result
by combining sugar with the egg but as the sugar is itself an organic, unstable
element which is liable to fermentation the compound has been found quite as
unstable as the dried egg in pure and simple form.
The present invention relates to an admixture as hereinafter described, of
chloride of sodium or common salt, with the meat or batter of the eggs as it is
removed from the shell and immediately before it is subjected to the process of
dessication, producing when the process is completed, a compound which will not
only possess all the superior advantages of the simple, fresh dessicated eggs, but
will remain unchanged and unaltered in a good, sweet, wholesome condition, for a
great length of time.
The invention consists therefore in the improved article of food obtained by
mixing chloride of sodium in proper proportion with the viscid mass of egg taken
from its shell, and thereafter dessicating the same in manner as already known to
the art, upon a rotating disc or other moving surface so that it shall assume the
form of thin, flaky particles, which are readily and completely soluble in water.
In carrying out the invention, the meat or batter of the eggs is removed from
the shells, and finely pulverized salt is added thereto in the proportion of about
1 ounce of salt to about 20 dozen of eggs; the mass is then thoroughly agigated to
effect a complete dissolution and admixture of the salt throughout the egg, which
is then immediately and quickly dried upon revolving discs,-preferably of slate
or russia-iron, or by such other known process as shall convert the semi-liquid egg
into hard, fine, dry particles. The compound thus obtained in a dry, finely
comminuted condition, will readily dissolve in water, milk or other liquid, and
when kept dry, will remain unaltered and in its original fresh, pure condition for a
long time.
The use of salt as a preservative for the eggs is not broadly claimed herein as
new, but simply the soluble, solidified compound of egg and salt prepared substan-
tially as herein described which, whilst possessing the characteristics of simple,
fresh dessicated eggs, will retain said characteristics for a longer time.
In the well known process of dessicating eggs by exposing a thin film of the

page_text: batter upon rotating discs to currents of dry air (which is the process best adapted
to the production of this improved compound) it has been found that thin, flat
discs or circular plates of slate or other stone, are most suitable for the purpose.
But these stone discs are liable to fracture because of their exposure to heat and
to sudden variations in temperature, and the present invention relates in the second
place to a prevention thereof, by a re-inforcement of these flat slate discs accom-
plished by binding the periphery of the disc with coils of wire wrapped around it
in a groove cut in its edge, and then wiping the coil with solder so as to unite the
separate strands into a solid homogeneous band filling completely the groove in
which the band is imbedded.
The re-inforcing band thus produced is protected from undue expansion under
the influence of the heat to which the disc is exposed by means of a covering of
cement composed mainly of litharge, oil, and plaster-of-paris, or other equivalent
non-conducting cement or cementing material. In this case the groove for the
reception of the re-inforcing band is made deep enough and wide enough to receive
and protect the auxiliary non-conducting covering.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1, is an edge view of one of the discs having its periphery grooved to
receive the clamping wires.
Figure 2 a similar view showing the wires laid in the groove ready to receive
the envelope of solder.
Figure 3 a side or face view of the disc shown in Figure 2 with a section cut
away, and
Figure 4 a transverse, diametric section in line x, x, of Figure 3 showing the
wire soldered.
My invention is carried out practically by cutting a groove b, in the narrow
periphery of the disc A, deep enough to receive two or more strands B of iron
or other wire, and of such maximum width as the thickness of the disc will admit.
The wire B is closed, wrapped or coiled about the disc within this peripheral
groove, and solder is then applied thereto with a suitable soldering iron, or the
wire may be wiped with solder until the interstices of the coil are filled thereby,
and the several strands joined into a solid band having more than the united
strength of all the strands.
By thus soldering all the coils of the wire continuously together, if one of them
is broken by an undue strain, it does not lessen or impair the strength of the
remainder, and the solder effects a close combination and engagement of the coils
with the disc which adds materially to the efficacy of its re-inforcement thereby.
To produce a more perfect tension of the wire upon the disc, I prefer to heat and
tin the wire before applying it to the disc. This is accomplished by leading the
wire from the reel through a suitable furnace and through a bath of molten solder,
and then coiling it while at its high temperature, about the disc, or through the
apertures therein in manner as described. The metal in cooling will bind the disc
very firmly, and being tinned, will readily take the solder applied thereto.
After the disc is bound with a metallic band as described, the band is covered
by a coating of plaster-of-paris, litharge and oil or other equivalent non-conducting
material adapted to firmly adhere thereto, which, filling the groove, is rounded off
and finished exteriorly to form a smooth uniform edge upon the disc.
In brief, I claim herein as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent,
1st The soluble solidified compound of egg and salt prepared substantially as
herein described.
2nd The improvement in the art of re-inforcing thin discs of stone, clay, or its
equivalent, which consists in forming the disc with a peripheral groove, then
winding in the formed groove two or more coils of wire, and covering and uniting
the coils with solder so as to unite its separate strands into a solid band filling
the groove in which it is imbedded, substantially as herein described.
3rd An improved rotating disc for the dessication of eggs, re-inforced by a coil

page_text: of wire laid in a peripheral groove encircling the edge of the disc, and cemented
by a continuous coating of solder, and protected by a covering of non-conducting
cement, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Herbert John Allison, have bereunto set my
hand and seal, this thirty-first day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty-three.
HERBERT. J. ALLISON. (L.S.)