USRE370E - Improvement in self-sealing preserve-cans - Google Patents

Description

l BEST AVAILABLE COPY UNITED STATES Paranirl @erica ROBERT ARTHUR, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN SELF-SEALING PRESERVE-CANS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 12,153, dated January k2, 1855; Reissue No. 370, dated June 10, 18.36.

'To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, ROBERT ARTHUR, oi the city of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, and late ofthe city and county of Vashington, in the District of Columbia, have-invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Method of Constructing and Closing Vessels I-Iermctically for Domestic and other Purposes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying draWingsWhich make part of this specification, and in whioh- Figure l represents a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a vertical section, of a tin canister constructed upon my improved plan and hermetically sealed; and Figs. 3 and 4 represent similar views of an earthen j-ar upon this plan with a tin lid, also hermetically sealed in place.

It is well known that certain perishable substances-such as fruits. vegetables, meats, tc-may be preserved unchanged an indelinite length of time by tirstraisiug them to an elevated temperature, and while' they are at this temperature sealing so elfectually the lid upon the vessel in which they are contained as to cut them off completely from contact withthe atmosphere. It is so desirable, for

obvious reasons, that both vegetable and animal food should be preserved in this way that for some years past an extensive business devoted 4exclusively to the accomplishment of this object has been growing up. The vessels which have usually been employed for preserving meats and vegetables fresh are canisters of tinned iron, the lids of which are sol-y dered on, in a Way well known, at the moment when the temperature of the matter contained wit-hin them is raised to the proper point. This method has been found effectual for the ypurpose in view; but it is defective for general thing.

and easy method within the power of every individual to use is an exceedingly desirable Attempts have been made to supply this desideratum, but heretofore with imperfect success. By my simple invention the defects and difficulties attendant upon all the processes at present known are so entirely surmounted that. while but little is added to the cost of 'vessels constructrdas l propose to make them over those ot' ordinary form, it places within the reach of every individual the means of accomplishing this important object with ease and convenience.

My invention consists in making vessels with an annular groove or receptacle at or near the outer edge of the top, furnished With a cover, the rim of which passes loosely into the groove. The groove may either be formed while the material of which the vessel is made is in a plastic state, if made of such material, or it may be added after the vessel is other- Wise completed. The groove is to be filled with some compositionfwhieh melts only at a higher temperature than that at which it is necessary to seal the vessel. After the groove has been fill with this composition 'the vessel is complete. In order to use these vessels for substances which 'for preservation must be heated up to or near the boiling-point, it is only necessary to heat the vessel to this point and put the cover in position, placing a Weight upon it to maintain it in place until the cement hardens. rlhe effect of the heat is simply to soften the composition so that the cover may be pressed among it into place without rendering it so iiuid as to be driven into the vessel by the pressure of the external atmosphere as thecontents cool down and avacuum is formed in the interior. If deemed advisable, a hot iron may be rubbed round the cement in contact with the lid, to render itsvadherence to the latter more complete by a mere superficial melting of the cement.

It has been found by experience that vessels constructed with a simple groove and cover iitting imperfectly in it (as must be the case with all cheap vessels intended for common use) cannot be closed while the contents are at an elevated temperature by pouring into the groove any of the ordinary cements, or indeed any cementnowknown or used for such the canister by atmospheric pressure, gases generated from the substances contained in the canister will force their way through the cement, and thus leave vents oropenings in it. This difficulty has been encountered and attempts made to remove it by means more or less expensive. Sprattspatent, lately issued, proposes to make a temporary joint by a gasket screwed down upon the top of the opening into the canister, in order to prevent the effect described from occurring. Now, the effects alluded to occur, as Ais quite evident, from the imperfection of the joint. If the lower edge ofthe cover were ground to a joint with the part of the groove it touches,it would simply be necessary to hold it in place for a few minutes until the'cement hardens. The imperfection of the joint, however, may be remedied for this purpose by very simple means. If any elastic substance is packed into the bottom of the groove--such as a piece of raw cotton, a strip of cotton fabric of any kind, a piece of leather, or even apiece of newspaper cut of the proper size, rolled up, and placed in the bottom of the groove-it will effectually prevent the cement in its most fluid state from passing into the can, or any gas from escaping, if the cover is snugly retained 'in situ by means of a weight place upon it.

In order to retain the cot-ton or other elastic l packing in place, it is necessary that the sides of the groove should form an acute angle with the side of the vessel, as in Fig. 2, or be parallel `to it for a considerable distance down, as shown in Fig. 4, that the elasticmaterial may be properly retained in its place until the cement is thoroughly hardened, and also to prevent the elastic packing from being withdrawn from the groove when the lid is re moved. This I have proved by actual experiment, and claim to have made this discovery, which, simple and obvious as it is, has remained undiscovered until now. The means of closing the canister described may sometimes supersede the necessityof this process; but unless the cement is prepared with great care it is not so safe and reliable to depend upon the cement alone, in consequence of the imperfect quality of the cement, which of course cannot always be prepared under the supervision of a skillful person. y For,` pose in view a simple, cheap, and e cient cement may be made of gutta-percha-and common resin, in proportions varying, as the case may require, from half an ounce to three ounces of gutta-percha to the pound of rosin. Other compositions will doubtless answer the purpose, and perhaps equally well; but I prefer this. Then the canister or vessel is to be sealed' at the boiling-point, the composition ought to contain a larger proportion of rosin. The smallest lquantityof gutta-percha indicated above is sufficient; but if the object`- is to preserve butter or such articles as` do not require to be heated at all, or only require a slight elevation of temperature, a larger proportion of gutta-percha should be used, and the cover heated by being immersed y in boiling water or otherwise before it is put in place. In order to open the vessels sealed as described,it is only necessary to heat slightly the part in which the cement isk contained in order to soften it sufficiently to allow the cover with slight effort to be removed. The means.

of accomplishing this object are so numerous, simple, and various as not to require any particular description. The immersion for a few minutes of the upper part of the vessel in boiling water, or, if simple boiling water is not hot enough, boiling salt water, or heated oil, will fully answer. After the cover and contents of the vessel are removed, it may be cleansed and set aside for future use.

The vessel constructed as I propose (with the groove at the outer side of the top) offers f the advantage of being perfectly accessible, and, as there is no obstruction or projecting obstacle from the bottom to the opening, can. have its contents readily and perfectly removed and be thoroughly cleansed after the cover is removed, like any common cookingutensil. This, though apparentlya trifling change, must be seen to be a very useful feature.

I claim-vM l. The employment of elastic packing arranged in and retained by the groove of an acute form, or whose sides are in close proximity, in the manner and for the purpose above described.

2. As a new manufacture, a vessel made withl a groove, to surround its mouth, prepared with cement and ready for hermetically sealing; but to hermetical sealing itself I make no claim; neither doI claim a ground stopper; or cover and seat for hermetical sealing,` whether the ground surfaces of such stopper or cover and its seat be prepared with cement or not.

. ROBERT ARTHUR( lVitnesses JOHN H. B. JENKrNs, JN0. B. KENNEY.

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