Method of and means for sterilizing and preserving foods and other materials in containers

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF AUTOMATICALLY AND HERMETICALLY CLOSING AND SEALING CONTAINERS FILLED WITH FOOD TO BE PRESERVED AND STERILIZED AFTER COMPLETE AND INTEGRAL EVACUATION OF THE CONTAINED AIR AND GASES, IN WHICH THE UPPER PORTIOIN OF EACH FILLED CONTAINER IS PROVIDED WITH A CONTROLLED VALVE RETAINED FIRMLY OPEN DURING THE TREATMENT OF THE CONTAINERS AND OF THEIR CONTENTS, SAID CONTROLLED VALVE INCLUDING A VALVE SEAT STRUCTURE SURROUNDING AN OPENING, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PLACING A BODY OF FUSIBLE MATERIAL WHICH IS SOLID AT ORDINARY TEMPERATURES OUTSIDE AND ADJACENT SAID SEAT, APPLYING A CLOSURE FOR SAID OPENING AND A GASKET OF SOFT SEALING MATERIAL FOR THE CLOSURE SEAT OVER THE CLOSURE SEAT AND THE OPENING WHILE THE FUSIBLE MATERIAL IS SOLID, WITH THE CLOSURE MAINTAINED FIRMLY RAISED AND SPACED FROM THE SEAT AND THE OPENING BY SAID SOLID FUSIBLE MATERIAL, SO THAT THE GASKET IS UNCOMPRESSED AND THAT A FREE PASSAGEWAY IS LEFT FOT THE FLOW OF GASES FROM AND TO THE INTERIOR OF EACH CONTAINER THROUGH THE OPENING, ELASTICALLY URGING THE CLOSURE TOWARDS THE VALVE SEAT, PLACING THE CONTAINERS IN A HERMETICALLY CLOSED SPACE AND THEN EVACUATING THE AIR AND GASES FROM ALL THE CONTAINERS SIMULTANEOUSLY AND INSIDE THE FOOD THEREIN UNDER HIGH VACUUM CONDITIONS UNTIL THE AIR AND GASES IN THE CONTAINERS AND INSIDE THE CONTAINED FOOD ARE COMPLETELY EXHAUSTED, IN ORDER TO FORM IN THE CONTAINERS A SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE AND INTEGRAL VACUUM, THEREAFTER INTRODUCING SATURATED STEAM INTO THE CLOSED SPACE AND INTO THE CONTAINERS THEMSELVES, THROUGH THEIR OPENINGS, TO STERILIZE THEIR CONTENT OF FOOD, THEREAFTER SEALING OFF ALL THE CONTAINERS SIMULTANEOUSLY BY THE HEAT OF THE STEAM WHICH CAUSES THE SIMULTANEOUS FUSION OF SAID SOLID FUSIBLE MATERIAL OF ALL OF THE CONTAINERS WHEREBY THE VALVE CLOSURES ENGAGE THE CORRESPONDING VALVE SEATS AND COMPRESS THE GASKETS TO SEAL OFF THE OPENINGS.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF AUTOMATICALLY AND HERMETICALLY CLOSING AND SEALING CONTAINERS FILLED WITH FOOD TO BE PRESERVED AND STERILIZED AFTER COMPLETE AND INTEGRAL EVACUATION OF THE CONTAINED AIR AND GASES, IN WHICH THE UPPER PORTIOIN OF EACH FILLED CONTAINER IS PROVIDED WITH A CONTROLLED VALVE RETAINED FIRMLY OPEN DURING THE TREATMENT OF THE CONTAINERS AND OF THEIR CONTENTS, SAID CONTROLLED VALVE INCLUDING A VALVE SEAT STRUCTURE SURROUNDING AN OPENING, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PLACING A BODY OF FUSIBLE MATERIAL WHICH IS SOLID AT ORDINARY TEMPERATURES OUTSIDE AND ADJACENT SAID SEAT, APPLYING A CLOSURE FOR SAID OPENING AND A GASKET OF SOFT SEALING MATERIAL FOR THE CLOSURE SEAT OVER THE CLOSURE SEAT AND THE OPENING WHILE THE FUSIBLE MATERIAL IS SOLID, WITH THE CLOSURE MAINTAINED FIRMLY RAISED AND SPACED FROM THE SEAT AND THE OPENING BY SAID SOLID FUSIBLE MATERIAL, SO THAT THE GASKET IS UNCOMPRESSED AND THAT A FREE PASSAGEWAY IS LEFT FOT THE FLOW OF GASES FROM AND TO THE INTERIOR OF EACH CONTAINER THROUGH THE OPENING, ELASTICALLY URGING THE CLOSURE TOWARDS THE VALVE SEAT, PLACING THE CONTAINERS IN A HERMETICALLY CLOSED SPACE AND THEN EVACUATING THE AIR AND GASES FROM ALL THE CONTAINERS SIMULTANEOUSLY AND INSIDE THE FOOD THEREIN UNDER HIGH VACUUM CONDITIONS UNTIL THE AIR AND GASES IN THE CONTAINERS AND INSIDE THE CONTAINED FOOD ARE COMPLETELY EXHAUSTED, IN ORDER TO FORM IN THE CONTAINERS A SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE AND INTEGRAL VACUUM, THEREAFTER INTRODUCING SATURATED STEAM INTO THE CLOSED SPACE AND INTO THE CONTAINERS THEMSELVES, THROUGH THEIR OPENINGS, TO STERILIZE THEIR CONTENT OF FOOD, THEREAFTER SEALING OFF ALL THE CONTAINERS SIMULTANEOUSLY BY THE HEAT OF THE STEAM WHICH CAUSES THE SIMULTANEOUS FUSION OF SAID SOLID FUSIBLE MATERIAL OF ALL OF THE CONTAINERS WHEREBY THE VALVE CLOSURES ENGAGE THE CORRESPONDING VALVE SEATS AND COMPRESS THE GASKETS TO SEAL OFF THE OPENINGS.