US20209A - Improvement in cans for preserving food - Google Patents

Description

A. S. LYMAN'.

Preserving Food.

:Patentd May I1, 1858.

N. PETERS, rma-Mmm waningm. uc.

A. S. LYMAN, OF NET YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN CANS FOR PRESERVING FOOD.

Specification forming part of Leiters Patent No. 20,209, dated Muy ll, LESS.V

To all w/tom it may concern:

Be it known that I, A. S. LYMAN, of the city, county, and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Cans for Preserving Food by Filtering from the Air the Causes of Decomposition; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the principles of my invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, making a part of this speciiication.

The nature of my invention consists in combining with a can'of large size, having an arrangement for drawing off its contents, a reservoir of some material which shall filter from or neutralize in the air any substance which may act as the cause of the commencement of the process of decomposition, so that when ever any of the food is drawn oit' air or gas free from the primary cause of putrefaction shall supply its place.

The iigure represents a vertical section of the apparatus.

A represents the can, which generally consists of a cylinder holding from five to thirty gallons; V, the valve for drawing off its contents; B C, the filter as constructed for using charcoal; m m, colored blue, metallic rubber packing and elastic valve for closing the hole n; w w, colored yellow, a plate bearing 011 the packing m m and covering the tops of the iilter-tubes; t', a small opening for admitting air when food is drawn off. It is closed by the valve o, attached to the lever D. D, a lever for opening and closing the air-valves i and u,- r, a small tube leading from the filter up under the cap x,- m, a cap for supporting the rubber sheet used for closing the hole a.

If the lever D is raised and food is drawn oft` from the valve V, a portion of air from the upper part of the branch B of the lter passes in the direction of the arrows through the small tube 1* up under the cap x, covered by the sheet m, and down through the valve n into the can, supplying the place of the food, while air flows up the branch B of the filter from the branch c, and this in turn is supplied by air from the atmosphere by the valve t'.

Great care must be taken, if charcoal is used, that the iilter be hot at the time it is introduced into the can, and that the charcoal be fresh burned and properly packed.

I have made the reservoirs for filters of tinned iron with soft solder in the joints, and have prepared them for use as follows: First, I set the empty filter-chamber B C, which is attached to the cover, into another can of hot water without any cement in the top, and take living softwood coals from the fire, drop t-hem into the filter-tubes, and with an iron rod crush them there. By the time the tubes can be properly packed and are full, if whitepine coa-l or other soft wood is used, there is no fire except a very little at the upper end. Then place the packing m m around the openings at the top of the filter. Upon this packing place the plate w w, covering the openings of the filter, and draw it down with screws and nuts. Now lift the iilter out of the can of hot water and set it immediately into the can of food while the steam is escaping from the food. The steam will in a few moments have forced the air from the can ofi' at s under the joints of the cover; but there is probably some uneombined oxygen in the small tube r and under the cap x, and possibly a little between theeharcoal and top plate above the branch B of the ilter. To drive this out I open a small hole at t and the valve n and turn the cement into the outer joint, s. The vapor will then escape by the valve u, in a direction contrary to the arrows, down into the upper part of the branch B of the filter, up through the tube h, and off by the hole t. It probably dampens the charcoal in the top of that branch of the filter through which it passes; but if it deposits nothing there but pure distilled water it is thought that no harm will result. Vhen the vapor has escaped a few moments from the hole t, I close this hole t effectually and immediately remove the can from t the heater. Air now enters ,the filter at t' and passes, in the direction of the arrows, down into the branch c of the filter, while air deprived of its oxygen, also ot' all animalculze and of all impurities which might act as a ferment, moves up from the branch B of the lter, thence by the small tube 1' up under the cap fr, down the valve u into the spa-ce above the food, iilling the vacuum being formed by the condensing steam.

It is not impossible but that a very small portion of carbonio acid may pass with the iirst nitrogen from the lter into the can; but it is believed that as long as no free oxygen enters the can the carbonio-acid gas will do no harm. After the first few minutes nothing but pure nitrogen can enter the can.

If the filter is proportioned as shown inthe figurefthe canrcontaining twenty-five gallons of food, thefilter would contain over two gallons of charcoal, and all the air entering the can must pass a distance of over four feet in this lter. The charcoal in the filter will absorb five times as much oxygen as is contained in a can full of atmospheric air. rIhe charcoal also absorbs any impurity which might by acting as a ferment cause decomposition.

Zhen we wish to transport this can of food or letit stand a long time without being used, fasten down the lever D, so as to close the openings fi and n. Vhen this is done, the fluid cannot be dashed over into the charcoal filter. All communication is also by this means cut off between the charcoal filter and the atmosphere. If we would preserve the *Y filter in the most perfect condition possible,

we should open the passages (by raising the lever D) only when Ywe would draw off' food from the pan.

It is a somewhat serious defect in this can 'that fruit cannot be preserved in it without not only being deprived of its skin and stones, but also mashed, so that it will iiow from the valve. Fresh fish must be deprived of its bones, oured, and mixed with gelatine or water, so that it can be drawn off. Beef, mutton,` and other meats must also be prepared in the same manner'.

The filter may perhaps be made much smaller and more convenient by usingmerely a small reservoir of binoXide of nitrogen, which immediately seizes the free oxygen of the air and converts it into nitrous acid vapors. rI`hese vapors are absorbed by water, but I believe do no harm in small quantities; but,

sorbs all these particles that would otherwise v enter. It also absorbs the oxygen, and will, I believe, strain out all animalculze or fungi. At any rate, it answers the purpose well, and is everywhere-easily obtained.

It is evident that we may vary the materials used for the filter and the form and size of their reservoir without altering the general principles of the apparatus in any important Y particular. It will, however, be found true in every arrangement of' this improved can that wheneverwe draw off food bythe valve V air to supply its place enters the can, leaving in the filter the oxygen, the animalculte,

the leaven, or whatever it may be` that causes the commencement of the process of decomposition.

I claim as my improvement in cans for preserving food-- The combination of the reservoir or filter of suitable material with a can having an arrangement for discharging its contents in such a manner that whenever any food is drawn off air or gas deprived of the primary cause of decomposition shall supply its place, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

AZEL STORES LYMAN. lVitnesses:

J. W. Posr, WVM. T. LYMAN.

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