US989154A - Method of preserving bivalves. - Google Patents

Description

E. F. HULBERT.

METHOD OF PRESBRVING BIVALVBS.

APPLICATION nun) nov. 30, 1910.

989,154. Patented Apr. 11,1911;

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EDWIN F. HULBERT, OF SOUTH NORWALK, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO SEALSHIIPT OYSTER SYSTEM, OF SOUTH NORWALK, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

Application filed November 30, 1910. Serial No. 594,964.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN F. HULBERT, citizen of the United States, residing at South Norwalk, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented ce1= tain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Preserving Bivalves, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to methods for the preservation of oysters and other bivalves in the shell, by retaining the liquor in the shell and preventing the shell from opening while the oysters, for instance, are exposed to air or rough handling during shipment, the bill of the shell being left uncovered and the breathing opening in no wise obstructed.

I am aware that heretofore various methods have been proposed to secure the same result that my invention is designed to attain, but so far as I am aware, speaking from aetual experience and a knowledge of the conditions present in the handling of shell oys ters, each and every one of the methods heretofore proposed have been to a certain degree defective in some respects and have fallen short of complete fulfilment of the objects sought for. For example, it has been proposed to apply to the hinge end only of an oyster or similar shell fish, some hard setting substance, such as plaster mixed with cement, whereby to prevent the shell of the oyster from opening, while at the same time the breathing opening at the mouth is not obstructed, but this method just mentioned is open to the objection that no means are provided to insure the integrity of the mass of hard setting substance, nor the impermeability thereof, and hence, owing to the usual rough handling of the oysters in the shell, said material or substance has become broken and failed of its purpose and has also deteriorated and fallen short of its desired end, by being exposed to moisture and becoming permeated therewith.

With a knowledge of these conditions and the methods heretofore employed to accomplish the same result as my invention. my improved method has for its primary object to so coat the hinge end of the oysters or other bivalves that the mass of hard setting material will be maintained with its density and impermeability unimpaired, While at the same time a distinctive feature is 'added to the oyster, whereby it may be at once segregated from the other untreated oysters, and to this end my invention consists in the steps hereinafter specifically described and claimed, reference being had to the following description and accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a plan view of an oyster treated in accordance with my improved method of preservation and, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

In carrying out my invention, I first apply to the hinge end only of the oyster, a predetermined amount of cementitious and hard setting substance 1 as a coating, the mass of this material filling the space at the rear of the hinge which is provided by nature to permit the hinge action of the shells in opening, and I next redip the coated end in a bath of pigment, either before or after the coating has set. If before, the hard setting material will be more or less impregnated with the pigment which is preferably a water proof pigment; and if after, the pigment will serve as a protective coating 2 solely, and not both as a protective coating and as an impregnating binder. In either event, however, the coating 2 will serve as a binder and protector and will insure the integrity of the cementitious mass, the particles of the same being held together with tenacity and all danger of softening by the effect of moisture or of cracking by rough usage will be precluded. Furthermore, if the pigment be of some distinctive color, in contrast to the shell of the oyster, it is obvious that it will serve to distinguish the oyster prepared and protected by this method from other ordinary shell oysters.

It is to be understood that the pigment binder used may be any standard paint from which some of the volatile matter. such as the oils and drier, has been partially driven off by heating, leaving a somewhat pasty mass which is applied to the cement as a coating. The cement used is a quick setting cement and therefore brittle, and the pig- As has been indicated hereinbefore, I am aware that I am not the first to coat the hinge end of an oyster, or an entire oyster with some hard setting substance, nor the first to conceive the broad idea of holding the shell of an oyster tightly closed to prevent the escape of the liquor from the shell, and hence I do not claim such idea broadly; but

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The herein'described method of preserving bivalves in the shell, which consists in applying to the hinge end only of the shell of the bivalve, a mass of hard setting material designed to prevent the shells from opening and exposing the meat and permitting the liquor to escape, and also applying to said mass a pigment coating, adapted to preserve the integrity of the hard setting mass and to protect the same from cracking.

2. The herein described method of preserving bivalves in the shell, which consists in applying to the hinge end only of the shell a mass of hard setting material and in subsequently coating said mass with a water proof pigment binder.

3. The herein described method of preserving bivalves in the shell, which consists in applying to the hinge end only of the ,shell, a mass of hard setting material and coating said mass with a water proof binder. In testimony whereof, I afliX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

EDWIN F. HULBERT. [1. s] Witnesses H. W. BISSELL, FRANK S. SMITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 'D. C.

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