Improvements in and relating to Churns.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 15th June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 15th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 28th Apr., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Churns.
I, JOHN HENRY HILL DUNCAN, of 39 Coleman Street, in the City of London,
Chartered Accountant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
.
In the Specifications of Letters Patent granted to me dated 24 July 1891
No. 12549 and dated 1 December 1891 No. 20989 and in the Specification of an
application for Letters Patent filed by me dated 6 December 1892 No. 22386, I
have described constructions of churns or apparatus for making butter wherein one
or more rotary vertical discs is or are employed for picking up cream and throwing
it against a baffle or guard so that the particles of cream are subjected in succession
instead of in the mass to rapid individual concussive action with the result that'the
duration of the churning operation is considerably shortened as compared with
apparatus of other constructions. Such discs are according to my above mentioned
application also employed for causing the butter granules to circulate through
water for the purpose of washing them, and, it may be, brining them.
Now my present invention has reference to churns of the kind herein referred to
wherein instead of using one or more rotary vertical discs each made in one piece
I employ one or more disc-like bodies each consisting of a number of sector-shaped
blades or plates arranged in the same vertical plane and at a short distance apart
the action of such disc-like body being substantially the same as that of the
continuous discs.
This invention is moreover designed to provide such churns with means:whereby
the shaft carrying vertical discs or other rotary bodies by which the churning is
effected can when power is used for driving the churn, be readily caused to rotate
in either direction and at different speeds, and can be quickly thrown in and out of
action, according to the varying requirements of the churning operation.
For this purpose the said shaft is extended at one end and fitted with a wheel or
disc adapted to be placed in frictional driving contact with a second wheel or disc
mounted upon a driving shaft, and means are provided whereby the attendant in
charge of the churn can readily cause the periphery of one of the discs to move
across the face of the other in order to vary the speed or the direction of motion
of the churn shaft, and whereby one of the wheels can be easily and quickly thrown
out of driving contact with the other.
In one arrangement for this purpose a disc is carried by an extension of the
churn shaft, which shaft may be made detachable from such extension so as to
permit of its being easily reinoved when necessary for washing or other purpose.
The disc is so arranged that its periphery can be caused to bear against the face of
a driving disc fixed upon a driving shaft capable of slight end ways motion and
carrying a belt pulley. The disc is connected to the churn shaft or the extension
thereof by a feather or key so that when it is rotated it will rotate such shaft but
so that it can be caused to slide across the face of the driving disc by means of a
forked arm carried by a nut fitting a screw-threaded spindle provided with a hand
wheel. In proximity to this hand wheel is arranged a second hand wheel fixed
upon a spindle formed with a screw-threaded portion adapted to engage with and
actuate a lever arranged to bear against the outer end of the driving shaft, the
arrangement being such that by rotating the spindle in one direction, the driving
shaft will be forced end ways in a direction to force the disc carried thereby firmly
gainst the periphery of the other disc, and when turned in the opposite direction

page_text: 1
to reduce or entirely remove the pressure between the two discs and permit the
second or driving disc to rotate without actuating the other disc. The arrangement
of the hand wheels is such that either of these hand wheels can be readily operated
by an attendant standing in a position in which he can watch the progress of the
churning operation.
The
Each of the discs may be of iron, but the periphery of the disc which bears
against the face of the other disc should be fitted with a ring or rings of leather or
other suitable substance, preferably gripped between the disc and a retaining ring
and adapted to ensure a good frictional grip between the surfaces in contact.
driving disc may be made slightly concave at the centre, so that when the other
disc is being moved past this portion, it will be out of contact with the
driving disc and undue wear of the rings of leather or other material will be
avoided.
In a modified arrangement the spindle for adjusting the pressure of contact of
.the discs carries a chain wheel arranged to actuate an endless chain running over
another chain wheel formed on the outer periphery of a screw-nut which is arranged
to work on a screw-threaded extension of the standard carrying one end of the
shaft and which nut acts either to move the spindle inward or to relieve the spindle
of endways pressure, according to the direction in which it is turned. This nut
will also serve to take up the wear of the contact surfaces.
Dated this 15th day of June 1893.
:
3
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Churns.
::
I, JOHN HENRY HILL DUNCAN, of 39 Coleman Street, in the City of London,
Chartered Accountant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
In the Specifications of Letters Patent granted to me Nos. 12549 and 20989.
both of 1891 and No. 22386 of 1892, have described constructions of churns or
apparatus for making butter wherein one or more rotary vertical discs is or are
employed for picking up cream and throwing it against a baffle or guard so that
the particles of cream are subjected in succession, instead of in the mass, to rapid
individual concussive action, with the result that the duration of the churning
operation is considerably shortened as compared with apparatus of other construc-
tions. Such discs are according to one of my above mentioned Letters Patent,
viz. No. 22386 of 1892, also employed for causing the butter granules to circulate
through water for the purpose of washing them, and, it may be, brining them.
Now my present invention has reference inter alia to churns of the kind herein-
above referred to, wherein instead of using one or more rotary vertical discs each
made in one continuous piece, as in my previous constructions, I employ one or
more disc-like bodies each consisting of a number of sector-shaped blades or
plates arranged in the same vertical plane and at a short distance apart, the action
of such disc-like body or bodies being substantially the same as that of the
continuous discs.
:)
In the accompanying drawings,
Figs. 1 and 2 show respectively in side and edge elevation a disc constructed
according to this invention. 1, 1 are the sector-shaped blades arranged at a short
distance apart in the same vertical plane and carried by a boss or central portion 2
by which they are fixed to the driving shaft 3, the said blades being of gradually

page_text: decreasing thickness from root to tip, and forming a disc-like body of circular
form.
Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively side and edge elevations illustrating a disc-like
body similar to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 but the periphery of which is of
notched, serrated or star-like form.
Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively a side elevation and a cross section, in which the
blades 1 are made of gradually increasing thickness from root to tip, their opposite
sides being preferably of concave form as shown. These blades may advantageously
be arranged at a greater distance apart than those shown in Figs. 1 to 4, say for
example in a 13 inch disc at a distance of 2 inches apart at their tips, and have their
end surfaces slightly recessed as shown at 1°, so that when the disc-like body is rotated
in either direction, the air within the leading or forward recess of each blade will
act as a cushion between the cream and the forward end surface of the blade each
time the latter enters the cream and so prevent injurious action of the blades on
the cream or on the butter granules produced therefrom.
This invention has reference also to improvements in or relating to factory churns,
that is to say, churns of large size and such as are operated by mechanical power,
and a further object of this invention is to provide such churns with means whereby
the shaft carrying the vertical discs or other rotary bodies by which the churning
is effected, can be readily caused to rotate in either direction and at different
speeds, and can be quickly thrown in and out of action, according to the varying
requirements of the churning operation.
For this purpose the said shaft is extended at one end and fitted with a wheel or
disc adapted to be placed in frictional driving contact with a second wheel or disc
mounted upon a driving shaft, and means are provided whereby the attendant in
charge of the churn can readily cause the periphery of one of the discs to move
across the face of the other in order to vary the speed or the direction of motion of
the churn shaft, and whereby one of the wheels can be easily and quickly thrown
out of driving contact with the other.
Figs. 7 and 8 are respectively a side elevation and plan, of a factory churn with
driving mechanism of the kind referred to.
In this arrangement 4 is a disc carried by an extension 3*, of the churn shaft 3,
which shaft may, as shown, be coupled to, so as to be capable of being detached
from, such extension to permit of its being easily removed when necessary for
washing or other purpose. The disc 4 is so arranged that its periphery can be
caused to bear against the face of a driving disc 5 fixed upon a driving shaft 6
that is capable of slight end ways motion and carries a belt pulley 7. The disc 4
is connected to the churn shaft by a feather or key so that when it is rotated it
will rotate such shaft, but so that it can be caused to slide upon the said shaft
across the face of the pulley 5 by means of a forked arm 8 carried by a nut 9
fitting a screw-threaded spindle 10 provided with a hand wheel 11. In proximity
to this hand wheel 11 may be arranged a second hand wheel 12 fixed upon a
spindle 13 formed with a screw-threaded portion 14 that is adapted to engage with
and actuate a lever 15 arranged to bear against the outer end of the driving i
shaft 6, the arrangement being such that by rotating the spindle 12. in one
direction, the driving shaft will be forced endways in a direction to force the
disc 5 carried thereby firmly against the periphery of the disc 4, and when turned
in the opposite direction, will reduce or entirely remove the pressure between the
two discs and permit the second or driving disc 5 to rotate without actuating the
lisc 4. As will be seen, the arrangement of the hand wheels 11 and 12 is such
that either of these hand wheels can be readily operated by an attendant standing
in a position in which he can watch the progress of the churning operation in the
vessel A. In lieu of the hand wheel 12 and shaft 13, equivalent means, such as a
foot lever, may be provided to enable the assistant whilst standing near to the
wheel 11 to also operate the lever 15.
Each of the discs may be of metal such as iron or of other suitable material such
as wood. The periphery of the disc 4 may, when necessary, be fitted with a ring

page_text: or rings 4ª of suitable material such as vulcanized fibre, or leather, which is
preferably gripped between the disc and a ring 4 and is adapted to ensure a good
frictional grip between the surfaces in contact. The driving disc 5 may be made
slightly concave at the centre as shown in dotted lines at 5", so that when the
disc 4 is being moved past this portion, it will be out of frictional contact with
the driving disc 5 and undue wear of the rings 4" of vulcanized fibre, leather or
other material will be avoided.
In the modified arrangement shown in the detail view Fig. 9, the spindle 13
carries a chain wheel 16 arranged to actuate an endless chain 17 running over a
chain wheel 18 formed on the exterior of a screw-nut 18. This screw-nut is
arranged to work on a screw-threaded extension 19 of the standard 19" carrying
one end of the shaft 6, and is in the form of a cap the closed outer end of which
bears against the outer end of the shaft 6, the nut acting either to move the
spindle inward, or to relieve the spindle of endways pressure, according to the
direction in which it is turned. This nut will also serve to take up the wear of
the contact surfaces..
The churn proper may be of any suitable construction, but I prefer to use a
churn comprising a number of vertical discs 1 carried by a hollow boss 2 fixed
upon the shaft 3 and mounted to rotate in an open vessel 20 provided with a
number of inverted trough shape hoods, covers or guards 21 arranged one above
each disc, the sides and ends of the vessel being extended to a height above
the top of the discs so that after the butter granules have been formed they
can be washed, and if necessary brined, in the same vessel as that in which
they are produced substantially in the manner described in one of my said former
Specificatious viz.: No. 22386 of 1892.
To enable the liquid contents of a churn of the kind herein referred to, to
be drawn off in a convenient manner when required, and to obviate the presence
of receptacles or pockets in which cream or butter granules might collect and
escape treatment, I prefer to fit each outlet aperture 22 of the churning vessel 20
with a tap or closure of the kind shown in section in the detail view Fig. 11. This
tap comprises a tube 23 of suitable material such as wood, porcelain or metal,
formed with a downwardly extending draw off branch 24 and provided with a
cover 25. This tube is secured in the outlet 22 and is fitted with a plug 26
preferably composed of india rubber or leather clamped between two discs and
fixed to a rod 27, that extends through the cover and is provided with a handle 28
by which the plug can be moved endways. The arrangement as will be seen is
such that normally the inner end of the plug 26 is flush with the inner side of the
vessel 20, but by drawing back the plug to a greater or less extent by the
handle 28 it can be caused to place the branch 24 in more or less open com-
munication with the interior of the vessel and thus permit of the liquid contents of
the vessel being drawn off at any required rate and without splashing, the current
being directed downwards into a pail or other receptacle for carrying it away.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A churn or apparatus of the kind herein referred to for making butter, in
which the rotary disc-like body used for throwing cream against a baffle or each
such body when more than one is used, is composed of sector-shaped blades or
plates arranged in the same plane and at a comparatively short distance apart,
substantially as herein before described with reference to the several examples
shown in Figs 1 to 6 inclusive of the drawings annexed.
2. The combination with a factory churn, of mechanism whereby the churn shaft
can be rotated at different speeds and in opposite directions or can be arrested at
will, said mechanism comprising a disc fixed to the chuin shaft and a disc fixed to a
separate driving shaft the face of one of said discs being adapted to be placed in
frictional driving contact with the periphery of the other dise, means for forcing

page_text: the two discs against each other, and means for traversing one disc relatively to
the other so as to cause the periphery of one to move across the face of the other
substantially as herein described for the purposes specified.
3. The improved combined factory churn and mechanism for driving the same at
different speeds constructed arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore.
described with reference to and shown in Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings annexed,
or modified as set forth.
J. H. DUNCAN.