Process of curing meat.

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Drawing sheet — no readable text.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. LINCOLN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTs, To THE ELECTRIC MEAT CURING COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF

MAINE.

PROCESS of CURING MEAT.

No. 930,772. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 10, 1909. Application filed May 4, 1907. serial No. 371,795.

To all whom it may concern: trodes in the cups 9 are connected with the Be it known that I, JoHN C. LINCOLN, a conductor 11 and those in the cups 10 with citizen of the United States, residing at Cleve the conductor 12. These conductors lead to land, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of the terminals of a suitable source of alternat 5 Ohio, have invented a certain new and use ing current, as a transformer or a generator 60 ful limprovement in Processes of Curing 13. During the curing, this generator is Meat, of which the following is a full, clear, caused to pass an alternate current from and exact description, reference being had either set of electrodes to the other through to the accompanying drawings. the meat. The electric current increases the 10 This invention relates to a process of cur rapidity of curing to a very great degree. 65 ing meat with the aid of a current of elec - Heretofore in the electric curing of meat tricity. a direct current has been used, which has the One of the objects of the present inven disadvantage of liberating chlorin at the tion is to do away with the chloringas ordi positive electrodes. With an alternating 15 narily resulting from the action of electricity current, however, this is obviated, for as on brine. soon as the current decomposes the salt Another object is to render the process into sodium and chlorin, the sodium reacts more efficient and continuous, the brine be on the water to produce sodium hydrate ing properly cooled so that it may be circu and this hydrate and chlorin react to O 20 lated through the curing tank continuously. duce chlorates and chlorites without liber 7. My process, in the preferred form includes ating free chlorin. This is of great impor the use of an alternating current which tanice, for it has heretofore been troublesome causes such reactions at the electrodes that to take care of the chlorin gas. The allow the chlorin immediately enters into combi able variation in current strength through 25 nation instead of being given off as a gas, and the meat is not great, and the properamper 80 by continuously cooling the brine outside of age can be much easier obtained with an al the curing tank, I am enabled to overcome ternating current derived from a properly any harmful heating by the current and to. selected transformer. Moreover, the alter provide a continuous circulation at proper. nating current produces a very regular and 30 temperature around the meat. even action on the meat. For all of these 85 In carrying out this process I have devised reasons it is preferable to use an alternating certain apparatus, hereinafter more fully de current. The process may be carried out, scribed. however, by using a direct current, which The drawings show the apparatus and operates efficiently with my system of cir 35 thereby illustrate the process. culating the brine and circulating it outside 90 Figure 1 is a vertical section through the of the maintank. The porous cups 9, which curing and cooling tanks of the apparatus are preferably used with the alternating cur and Fig.2 is a plan of the apparatus. rent to hold the sediment from the disinte As shown in the drawings, 1 represents a grating electrodes, become of further value 40 curing tank adapted to contain meat 2, with a direct current in preventing the chlo 95 which is separated by suitable frames or ringas passing into the meat.

slattings 20. This tank has a rubber. over To prevent the circulating pipes from flow pipe 3 which is adapted to discharge into short circuiting the current, I provide the a tank 4 and from this latter tank near its rubber connections 3 and 8 referred to, which 45 bottom leads a pipe 5 to a pump 6. From interrupt any electric conductor by way of 100 this pump a pipe 7 leads to the other end of such pipes.

the tank 1 and discharges into that tank As the current heats the brine, I provide through a rubber hose 8. This enables the means for cooling it so that it may be used brine to be circulated continuously, which is continuously. In order to cool the brine 05 50 one of the essential steps in my method. . . quickly

g to allow the roper circula

Contained in the tank 1 near its opposite tion, the cooling means must E. a consid ends are porous cups arranged in two sets 9 erable area exposed to the brine and must be and 10, as shown. The cups contain elec metallic to be a proper heat conductor. To trodes, all the electrodes in each set of cups enable such cooling. means to act properly 55 being connected in parallel. Thus the elec on the brine without being sitedto elec 10

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trolysis by the current or interfering with the meat, cooling such brine outside of the the curing tank itself, I provide the extra tank during its circulation by means which tank 4 described and I cool the brine in this do not dilute the brine, and passing an elec tank by means of a coil 16 of pipe from a tric current through the meat and brine dur 40 cooling system, which is indicated by the ing such curing, while protecting by porous pipes. 17. This system may have com members the contents of the tank from con ressed ammonia or other cooling medium. tamination at the electrodes. t serves to lower the temperature of the brine 3. The process of curing meat which con while passing through E. tank sufficiently sists in circulating brine about the meat, 45 tomaximum

its rising curing.above the desirable curing cooling, the brine in a tank outside of the

As there is considerable frothing of the rent through tank and passing an alternating cur the brine and meat.

brine in the tank 4, I close its top providing 4. The process of culing meat consisting it with a cover 18, and I provide a suitable immersing the same in a tank containing 50 15 strainer 19 over the Note: of the pipe 3 to of catch any particles of meat carried over cooling brine, circulating the brine through the tank, from the curing tank. the brine outside of the tank during its circulation

I found that my apparatus operates very the brine, and passing by means which do not dilute efficiently with a strong brine, say, of about through the meat an brine and alternating during current such 40 82%, with temperature maintained between curing while protecting the contents of the 33 degrees and 38 degrees F., and with a tank from contamination at the electrodes current of between 34 and 38 amperes.

With such current and termperature and the by5.theTheinterposition process of of porous members.

curing meat consisting brine continuously circulated, I am enabled 25 to produce well-nigh perfect results in cur of circulating brine through a tank contain 60 ing the meat, cooling such brine outside of ingmeat. - the tank during its circulation by means Having thus described my invention, I which do not dilute the brine, and passing

an electric 1. The process of curing meat consisting brine current through the met ani during such curing.

30 of circulating brine through a tank contain

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix ing the meat, cooling the brine in a tank out my side of the curing tank, and passing an elec eSS6S.

signature in the presence of two wit tric such ing current through the meat and brine dur curing. -Witnesses: JOHN. C. LINCOLN. 35 2. The process of curing meat consisting ALBERT H. BATEs, of circulating brine through a tank containing S. E. FOUTs.