Improvements in the Process of Packing Eggs.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 12th May, 1892—Accepted, 18th June, 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Process of Packing Eggs.
1 DANIEL TALLERMAN of 48 Rutland Square in the City of Dublin do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
An improved system for packing eggs, to enable them to be freshly collected,
safely packed, speedily transmitted, promptly distributed, and so effectively dealt
with, that the dishonesty of the producer may be detected, the careless and wanton
treatment in transit avoided, the heavy costs and charges guarded against, and
their highest market values realised.
The realisation of eggs produced in the remote agricultural districts of Great
Britain and Ireland has drifted into an unsatisfactory condition owing to the
difficulties that attend the efficient carrying out of the details incidental to their
prompt collection, accurate classification, suitable packing, careful transport, and
economical distribution.
Eggs while possessing a remarkably high nutritive value and have become a most
popular food product, are extremely fragile in character, and perishable in nature,
requiring at all times the utmost promptitude and careful attention in every stage
incidental to their collection and delivery, inasmuch as eggs possess their highest
nutritive and commercial value on the day that they are laid, from which time both
continue to decrease until they entirely disappear when they become valueless.
Eggs therefore require to be so dealt with that in their realisation they will reach
the consumer at the earliest time and at the least cost.
The production of eggs is carried out in Ireland by a large number of persons
upon a small scale in every district each of whom obtain a moderate number daily;
but not sufficient in quantity to enable them to make special deliveries to any long
distance.
In consequence of this, the eggs accumulate for several days until either the
collector visits the spot to buy them or the neighbouring market or fair day comes
round in both cases they are sold to dealers who pack them into very large cases
that will each hold two to three thousand eggs, and when several cases have been
obtained they are forwarded to England for sale.
A delay is thus incurred in every stage connected with the irregular system of
collection and delivery and incidental to the cumbersome mode of packing during
which a deterioration in the quality of the eggs takes place resulting in a marked
depreciation of their value to a greater or less extent dependant on the season of
the year.
:
In order to remedy the detrimental condition that the egg industry thus labours
under I have invented a means by the adoption of which the whole of the difficulties
referred to will be superseded, and the eggs brought within reach of consumers in
the ordinary course of business while they are recognised as "new laid" and possess
their highest valuė.
By means of the various appliances the utilisation of which I have invented for
the purpose, all the details incidental to the prompt collection of the eggs, together
with their accurate classification, suitable packing, careful transport speedy
distribution and economical realisation are brought within reach of all who have
the inclination to utilise them for their own benefit which they may do without any
special knowledge.
The advantages derivable by the use of the means I have invented are owing to
the fact that whenever eggs can be sold as "new laid" they realise fully double the
price that is obtainable for them than when they are stale or stocked eggs-the
market price of packed eggs usually ranging from 5s. to 7s. the long hundred,

page_text: viz. 124, being 6d. to 7 d. per dozen, while the current rates for new laid eggs
ranges from 1s. to 1: 6d. per dozen with a ready sale for them at all times.
י,
By my invention producers will obtain the high prices that are paid for "new
laid eggs, while consumers will be protected from having stale eggs sold to them
as fresh, the negligent and careless handling by the railway employés in transit
which results in damage is prevented, and eggs laid in a remote part of Ireland or
Scotland one day may be delivered to consumers in the principal centres of
consumption of England the next day without any additional cost for collection,
packing, transit, delivery, sale and other expenses than is at present incurred for
similar operations in connection with the egg trade.
In order to secure the desirable results above mentioned I provide a quantity of
each of the following articles.
1st. Small boxes made from wood pulp, straw boards prepared peat or other
inexpensive material, but preferably of wood pulp each box being fitted with
partitions of the same material arranged crosswise so as to form twelve spaces or
nests each to contain one egg-the boxes which will each hold one dozen eggs
vary in sizes and are designated, small, medium, and large according to size of the
eggs they are intended to contain.
The approximate size of the boxes for the small eggs is about seven inches long,
five and a quarter inches wide, and two and a quarter inches deep; but this
measurement is subject to variation to meet any particular sized eggs, such as the
medium and large eggs of fowls and ducks, also the eggs of turkeys and geese.
2nd. Small parchment, paper, grease or air proof bags each about three inches
wide by four inches deep, but slightly varying in dimensions in accordance with the
size of the eggs they have to contain.
3rd. A number of cards about five inches wide and six and a half inches long,
each card being perforated across its centre to enable it to be readily separated.
Upon these cards I caused the following or other suitable instructions to be printed
that is to say: On the lower half of the front of the card-
Should there be any cause for complaint with the eggs this box contains the 3
receiver will much oblige by writing the particulars on this card and posting it
promptly [with or without stamp] to the central or local agency when the matter
will be promptly attended to.

page_text: On the back of the upper half of the card is printed the name and address of the
central agency or local agent: each half of the cards are similarly numbered with
a rotation number, and the descriptions regulations and instructions may be altered
in any form that circumstances or experience may suggest.
4th. Paper wrappers six inches wide and seventeen inches long perforated across
one inch from the top and gummed at each end and in the centre. When in use the
paper is either made fast to the bottom of the box or retained loose, and after the
box is filled with eggs and the lid put on, the bottom end of the paper is fastened
down first, by the gum being damped, and it being made to adhere to the lid of the
box about one inch over the side, the top end of the wrapper which is gummed
above the perforation being also damped and wrapped round the box until it covers
the lower end of the wrapper to the extent of a one inch lap, it ending at the edge
of the lid, over the other end of the wrapper thus forming a strong and complete
wrapper for the box, and at the same time preventing the contents from being
tampered with until they reach the consumer, the dimensions of the wrappers vary
with the sizes of the boxes they have to envelope.
5th. Light wooden crates, cach to hold 12 of the boxes of eggs, varying in size
according to the class of eggs they are to contain, but preferably of the following
size say about fourteen and a half inches long, eleven inches wide, seven and half
inches deep. The crates are made from deal laths, and so constructed as to possess
two distinct characters, the one light and inexpensive so as to be non returnable,
this kind is made of 4 inch sides bottom ends and top. The second kind is intended.
for internal traffic where the railway charge for returning empties is light and may
be sent backwards and forwards being made of half inch sides, ends bottom and
top, the top being hinged and the corners strengthened with thin iron plates and
fitted with fastening hooks locks &c.
6th. India rubber stamps with moveable types, to print the names and addresses.
of producer and packer with size and class of eggs date of packing and such other
particulars that may be desired.
7th. Reflecting testers for enabling the density of the eggs to be inspected and
their condition and character determined.
8th. Sets of 3 rings of varying diameters for passing the eggs through them in
order to gauge their size and class so as to accurately determine whether they are
small medium or large sizes respectively.
9th. Substantial made crates or cases 36 inches deep, 60 inches long, 32 inches
wide and of the capacity to contain 40 small crates or of any other desired size, and
to contain any other desired quantity of small crates, the crates are made of inch
deal sides with 1 deal ends well fastened and bolted with wrought iron corners
and strapped with two inch iron bars round bottom and sides having round eye
ends at top to receive the hooks from a crane, that they may he lifted from a
railway truck and lowered into the hold of a steamer or vice versa lifted from the
hold of a steamer and placed on a railway truck thus avoiding the necessity for
handling the small crates; the sides and ends of these crates can if it be desired be
made with hinges at bottom, so that they may be folded flat and will occupy but
small space when returned as empties, these crates may have four rollers or wheels
fitted underneath to enable them to be readily passed along railway platforms and
into railway wagons.
10th. Address labels with and without the name of the consignor and consignee
or other instructions printed upon them.
11th. Consignment forms and way bills for particularizing the details of the
quantity, class, character and destinations of consignments from each district so
that they may be readily known at the ports of shipment and debarkation.
12th. All crates boxes and labels I cause to be conspicuously branded with the
word "eggs" in a prominent and effective manner.
I do not restrict myself in any manner as to the size of any of the packages or
to the materials that they would be made from or to the printing on the cards, as

page_text: a matter of convenience I prefer the boxes to be of the uniform size to hold
12 eggs that being a known number for purchasers to take also that 12 boxes
should be packed in a small crate, but it may be advisable in some districts to
provide half crates by reason of eggs sufficient to fill a whole crate not being
obtainable daily, especially in winter time and to delay the delivery and collection
of the eggs for a day or more would be to lose a portion of the value of the eggs
as "new laid" at a time when they are at their highest price.
Having named the various articles that I use for the purpose of practically
working my invention I proceed to arrange a number of centres, at which the
business may be carried on by the eggs being collected and packed for trans-
mission.
To each place I forward the quantities that may be required of the various
articles named, in order to establish the trade which preferably will be in con-
nection with existing members engaged in the egg trade of the locality; in selecting
the centres of collection I give preference to such places where there is a railway.
station or wharves or landing stages for barges or vessels by canal or river.
At each centre of collection I provide such of the articles named as may be
desired at the railway station or wharf of which the public will have due notice,
that eggs may be brought there daily by their owners, and received by the
local agent for examination, classification and packing, ready for despatch to
their destination by a defined train or vessel as may be arranged for with the
owners.
two
The selection of the local railway or place of despatch as the place for receiving
eggs, offers many advantages over that of an ordinary store by reason of its being
more generally known and readily approached from all parts of the surrounding
districts, their use will in all cases save one cartage and in many cases
cartages, with the consequent handling of the eggs, involving labour and risk
of breakage. At most local railway stations there is a supply of available
labour owing to their light traffic which could be beneficially utilised to mutual
advantage.
The system of examination and packing is as follows:-Each egg is placed in
the tester and examined, if new laid it will be perfectly clear and will be so
classed, if the egg appears spotted, thick and cloudy it will be more or less stale
or old and classed accordingly, it is then examined and if necessary gauged for
size and placed in the grease proof or air tight paper bag which is closed at the
mouth, or opening and lightly pressed close to the egg so that no air remains in
the bag the egg thus enveloped in a second skin or shell is then placed in one of
the partitions of the box provided for its size, whether it is a small, middling, or
large description of egg in accordance with the recognised standard of size and
weight acknowledged by the trade.
Upon a box being filled with 12 eggs the lower half of the card on which has
been inserted the particulars of the eggs and the name of the sender and packer
of them is placed in the box, the lid is put on and the gum at both ends and in
the middle of the wrapper is damped the right side of the lid is fastened up first
and then the other end of the wrapper is brought over it to form a lap of at least
one inch and when the wrapper is properly closed at the ends the gummed portion
in the middle of the wrapper is pressed close to the box and made to adhere to it
when it will be completely and perfectly well sealed, so that the contents cannot be
got at without destroying the wrapper which may be printed on as for a label.
When the box of eggs is fully closed up as described, the india rubber stamp
with type set to print the particulars of the contents of the box and the date of
their being packed is then inked and impressed twice on the perforated part of the
wrapper, at each end of the perforations so that upon opening the box the seals are
destroyed.
The eggs packed in this form are then in a condition to be easily handled and
distributed by shopkeepers with the minimum amount of labour and with ordinary.

page_text: care the eggs cannot be broken. One dozen eggs can be handled with the ease
and rapidity of a pound packet of tea or sugar and a customer can be supplied
with the "new laid " eggs they require with perfect confidence and without any
inspection of the contents being necessary, the enclosure of the cards relieves the
shopkeeper from all responsibility as to the character and condition of the eggs-
while any act of dishonesty or negligence on the part of the packer, is promptly
and effectively discovered by the nature of the information gathered from the
cards that are returned.
Thus if cards were returned from several persons making the same complaint of
the eggs packed by the same person on a given day it would indicate gross dis-
honesty or culpable negligence if the complaints referred to the packing of more
thau one day it proves dishonesty-if the complaints were received from but one or
two persons and referred to one or two eggs it might be taken as negligence of the
packer that would be more or less culpable according to the number of the com-
plaints, or if the complaints were received from one buyer alone out of a COD-
siderable number but little credence would be attached to it. While if the
complaints were isolated and large or continuous it might prove dishonesty on the
part of the buyer and little attention need be given to it.
It will thus be seen that my invention provides an automatic or self acting
means for detecting dishonesty on the part of either the buyer or seller of the
eggs-the certainty of action in the proposed system will be found to be absolute
as it arises from the fact that all transactions in connection with the buyers of new-
laid eggs must of necessity be small in extent while the number of buyers must
be very large:
My invention provides against the identification of the eggs being destroyed in
transit between the packer or producer and the buyer for what the one sends the
others receive.
The guarantee against dishonest complaints or claims on the part of the buyers
are two-fold-First, their value does not offer sufficient inducement for claims of
that character being made-Second, if made and not supported by similar
complaints from other buyers they to a great extent would
their own
refutation.
carry
The dishonesty on the part of producers or packers is more to be feared but
that is guarded against--
First By the absolute certainty of detection. Second-By a provision for the
repayment of any claims that may be made, and, Third-By the termination of
purchase at an enhanced price from parties against whose eggs complaints are
made, the fear of detection and loss will to a marked extent prove a guarantee for
the good faith of the producers and induce them to dispose of their eggs in small
numbers daily while they are new laid and high priced instead of allowing them to
accumulate until they become depreciated in value.
The facilities that my invention affords, will enable a considerable number of
traders to undertake the sale of eggs who at present are deterred from doing so by
reason of the time, labour, expense, and risk incidental to the egg trade as at
present conducted. For when shopkeepers know that they can receive a small
crate with 12 one dozen boxes of new laid eggs, each morning, and that each box
can be supplied to a customer without any sorting, or packing and a legitimate
profit made on the transaction, without any risk but an absolute guarantee furnished
for the quality and condition of the goods, then it may be safely assumed that
numbers in all districts will gladly avail themselves of the opportunity of dealing
in an article of continuous daily demand.
I would have it understood that I do not mean or intend to confine myself to
the precise apparatus herein described or to any definite dimensions of package, or
the material used in the construction of the package, or any precise arrangements
of the apparatus or articles to be used as described neither do I claim as of my
invention any of the parts separately or otherwise of such described apparatus
otherwise than as combined for the purpose mentioned or as hereafter set forth.

page_text: 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
1 claim is.
First The combination of simple inexpensive but effective packages for the
economical speedy and safe transmission of eggs by packing the eggs separately in
grease proof or air tight paper bags then packing each air tight bag containing
one egg in a separate compartment of a small inexpensive box then packing twelve
or any other number of small boxes in a small inexpensive crate then packing forty
or any other number of small crates into a large strongly made crate or case by
which means each egg may be separately safely and expeditiously conveyed from
the place of production to that of consumption with the minimum expenditure of
labour in packing in packages of a less aggregate cost than the packages and
material at present used for the purpose of transmitting eggs from the producer to
the consumer.
Second I claim as my invention the method of packing by the combination of
the small box with the wrapper or envelope and the descriptive cards together
with the seals by which means the identity of the eggs in transit is maintained
and any attempt at dishonesty on the part of either the sender or receiver promptly
detected.
D. TALLERMAN,
48, Rutland Square, Dublin.