Year: 1888

page_text: I, EDWIN BALTZLEY, residing at 2548-50 Callowhill Street, in the City of
Philadelphia, in the County of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, one of the
United States of America, Gentleman, 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:-
This invention relates to egg beaters which have a shaft journalled horizontally in a
vessel, said shaft being provided with whips or beaters. These beaters as heretofore
constructed have been rigid or inflexible, of inferior number and disposition, and
so arranged that the one is independent of the other, in rows of four or less.
Experience has proven that the rigid whip or beater is not a good or successful
form, and also that the arrangement of the whips on the shaft does not give practical
results. In the first instance the rigid or unyielding beater is necessarily heavy,
and in operation obstructs the egg from the operation of the air, and makes one
movement through the mass, cutting a wide path into which the air rushes, and'
forms large and few air cells, which are readily broken down. In the latter instance,
that is by having the whips independently arranged on the shaft, in rows of four
or less, an insufficient lifting and aerating surface results and the interval between
the beaters is too great so that the shaft must be driven at a high speed which is
destructive of air cells after a limited consistency is reached, in this form of the
beater, both by its violent action of the egg, and dashing it against the sides of the
vessel.
Again when the egg is of thin consistency these beaters as heretofore constructed
are found to be insufficient by reason of spaces between the ends of the vessel whips.
The object of the invention is to remedy these objections and produce a device
which can be run at a low speed, and which will beat up the mass and aerate it
thoroughly, producing minute air cells which cannot be readily or easily broken
down, but will expand the mixture to the greatest degree and give it "body," or a
firm sponginess, and in which said device the beaters will form a web-fan in which
they not only mutually sustain each other, but permit a free circulation to every
particle of the mixture, and be arranged in rows of more than four, or in sufficient
number to prevent a too great interval between one beater and the next whereby the
mass of batter will be carried on the outer ends of the whips forming a cylinder of it.

page_text: around them, thereby exposing an extended surface to the action of the air and at the
same securing a gentle but patent air cell forming action and preventing it from being
dashed against the sides of the vessel and breaking down the air cells.
A further object of the invention is to increase the lifting capacity of the lifter by
providing a sweep or an uninterrupted straight edge which may be formed of a single
wire, or of the outer ends of a series of whippers, the ends being straight and
arranged to form a practically continuous straight edge. The sweep or edge
approaches close to and conforms to the contour of the bottom of the vessel for
which it is designed, be it straight or curved, and acts as a scraper to remove the
egg and prevent it adhering to the bottom of the vessel, and insure its being
thoroughly aerated. This sweep or edge conforming to the bottom of the vessel,
may be obtained in beaters as heretofore constructed by providing a supplemental
bar which is arranged in juxtaposition to the ends of the whips, or at any desired
point, or the beater may be composed of a series of such bars.
A still further object consists in improving the general structure of the machine,
and particularly that part which forms the bearings for the shaft and the means for
coupling and uncoupling the crank from the side shaft.
The improvement consists, 1st, in having the shaft provided with beaters or whips
of fine wire which will yield and have a variety of movements in its passage through
the mass; 2nd, in having the whips or beaters crossing and recrossing to form a web
surface and mutually support each other; 3rd, in having the whips arranged in rows of
sufficient number so as not to leave a too great space between one whip and the next;
4th, in having the vessel peculiarly constructed whereby it is best adapted for my
improved whip; 5th, in the means whereby the crank and the shaft can be readily
connected and disconnected, and 6th, in the provisions for holding the crank to the
vessel when uncoupled from the shaft so that it will not become lost or accidentally
misplaced.
The improvement further consists of the peculiar construction of the whips, whereby
the aerating capacity of the beater is increased, and in the manner of securing the
whips to their supporting shaft which will be more fully hereinafter set forth and
claimed and shown in the annexed drawing in which—
Figure 1 is a side view, parts being broken away, of an egg-beater embodying my
invention.
Figure 2 a cross section on the line X X of figure 1.
Figure 3 a front view of the shaft, showing a single row of whips or beaters.
Figure 4 a top plan view of a row of beaters.
Figure 5 a detail view showing the bearings and the manner of connecting the
crank with the shaft..
Figure 6 a detail view showing the bearing and the manner of holding the crank in
the bearing when detached from the shaft.
Figure 7 a detail view of one end of the vessel, showing the groove and the side
seated in the groove, and
Figure 8 a vertical longitudinal section of a modified form of beater.
Figure 9 a front view of the upper half of a modified form of beater.
Figure 10 a top edge view of a row of whips, of the beater shown in figure 8.
Figure 11 a front view of the lower half of a modified form of beater showing a
curved edge.
Figure 12 an end view of one-half of a modification.
Figure 13 an end view of one-half of a further modification.
The vessel is composed of the ends A and A', preferably of cast metal, having a
groove close to their edges, and the body B of sheet metal, bent into desired form and
having its edges fitted into the grooves in the end pieces which are clamped to the
edges of the body by the bolts passing through ears, a, cast at each upper corner and
at the bottom of the end pieces. The lower edges of the ends curve in a circle which
has the shaft for its center, and the bottom of the body is correspondingly curved so
that the ends of the whips or heaters may touch or approach close to the bottom of the
vessel and operate on the mass or substance without leaving any of it in the vessel

page_text: untouched. The feet D extending from the lower edges of the end pieces, form a
support for the machine and extend to give a broad purchase so that the machine will
not readily topple over.
The semi-circular flanges, d, on the inner sides of the end pieces form a support for
the ends of the shaft E when placing it in the vessel. The end A has a housing F
opposite the semi-circular flange in which is placed the bearing, being held by the
set screw f1, to receive the reduced end e of the shaft E. The end A' has a tubular
bearing G for the crank H. The bore of the bearing is contracted at its inner end g,
to receive the reduced end of the crank, which, near its outer end, is provided with
two annular grooves and h2, and the annular rib or flange / separating the two
grooves h¹ and h².
The groove his much narrower than the groove h¹ so that when the set screw I
is projected therein, the crank will not have any sliding movement in its bearing G,
whereas when projected into groove ', the crank is free to move in and out in its
bearing a limited distance to engage its end with the end of the shaft. The surface
of the rib or flange is not flush with the surface of the crank on each side of the
grooves and 2, so that when the set screw I is turned out to free it of the
groove 2, the crank can be slipped out longitudinally in its bearings to disengage it
from the shaft, but cannot be entirely withdrawn because the end of the set screw
will engage with the inner wall of the groove h¹. Thus it will be seen that the crank
cannot be accidentally misplaced and lost, and will always be in position to be coupled
with the shaft. The pintle at the end of the crank, is adapted to enter an openinge
in the end of the shaft to hold the shaft down on the flange d, and the end of h is cut
away to receive a corresponding projection e¹ on the end of shaft E for coupling the
crank and shaft together.
The whips or beaters J composed of fine wire, are loop shaped, and are secured to
their inner ends to the shaft E in rows, the whips of a row crossing and recrossing
mutually brace each other and form a web beater composed of a series of fine wires
arranged in such close relationship that they cut through the mass very readily
and leave a number of openings or narrow channels into which the air rushes, and is
caught by the substance, quickly over it.
The beaters are arranged in rows of more than four, preferably eight, which, after
a series of practical experiments has been found to give the best results. It is not
absolutely necessary to arrange the whips in rows as will be readily appreciated, but
for strength and purpose of cleaning this arrangement is preferred. In operation the
whips being composed of elastic wire, have a variety of movement in their passage
through the mass, yielding and springing in all and every direction greatly facilitating
rapid aeration.
The tenacious character of albumen renders it comparatively easy to beat the white
of an egg stiff. This tenacity is reduced when the yolk is added and still more when
sugar is joined with it, thus making the aeration of eggs and sugar up to the high
standard required by good baking very difficult. In beating the white of an egg the
action should be comparatively slow in the beginning and increase as the albumen
expands. But the opposite of this must be observed in beating the yolks and whites,
or the yolks, whites and sugar, else after a certain consistency is reached the air cells
will be broken as fast as they are formed.
In my invention this slowing down of the mechanical action takes place auto-
matically without changing the speed of the machine. In the beginning of a beating
operation the web whips acting as a fan creates a forward draft of air into the mixture
as they pass down into it. There is therefore a pressure of air upon the forward body
of the mixture as the five whips pass into it, leaving in their wake, channels into
which the air rushes and is quickly enclosed in five cells, which are not easily broken
down. Added to this-after the first revolution of the whips-they carry with them
some of the egg which first distributes itself over their vertical length practically in
sheets, and thus not only add to the fan character of the whips, but as it is carried
down on the mixture in the bottom of the vessel, folds over and imprisons the air
driven before them. On the opposite side of the vessel the upward movement of the

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whips, by reason of this number and distribution, gently lift the egg and carry it
upward and forward. At first it partially drops as it proceeds toward the vertical,
but in so doing it is caught on the numerous meshed wires or whips, each of which
being tremulous gently agitate and stretch it out, and thereby continue to form air
cells. For it must be remembered that this is taking place around the center of
movement in the vessel, toward which the air is driven. As the mixture thickens it
gradually clings more and more to the outer ends of the whips or periphery of move-
ment, the first effort of which is to decrease the violence of agitation. The egg
apparently becomes a solid rim around the ends of the whips, but continues to aerate
though slower and more gently in conformity to the requirements of its greater
sensitiveness. At this stage a change in the process of aeration has taken place. The
egg is stretched upon the outer ends of the whips forming a circular thin sheet around
them, the movement of which forces the air down and on its interior sides to which it
has the freest access by reason of the whips being composed of fine wires, and forming
no body of obstruction at any point. The air circulates and expands its penetrative
force upon the whole interior of the sheet of egg, while a similar process is taking
place in a lesser degree on the outside. Air cells are more readily formed therefrom
by the even shifting of the body of the egg on the whips, by reason of relation and the
force of gravity, the independence of the whips and their elasticity, all of which form
openings in the egg into which the air rushes and is enclosed in minute cells.
The sweep approaches close to and conforms to the contour of the bottom of the
vessel and may be a single wire K as shown in figure 12, or it may be formed by
having the ends of the whips which are straight arranged substantially as shown in
figures 8 and 9. The sweep K fits the ends and bottom of the vessel snugly, and may
be arranged in the plane of the row of whips J or to the front or in the rear of the
said row as may be desired. A number of these sweeps may be arranged in groups
or bunches about the shaft where a great lifting surface is desired as shown in
figure 13, and they may be placed between the rows of whips as shown in figure 12.
The beaters as generally constructed have the ends of the whips rounded as shown
in figures 1 and 11, consequently the edge presented is corrugated, a depression being
formed between each two of the whips which permits a large quantity of the egg to
escape the action of the beater especially if the egg be watery and of thin consistency.
The sweep bridges these gaps and ensures the action of the beater on all the egg.
The whip K shown in figure 9, has a straight end, and that shown in figure 8, also
has a straight end and eyes, m, in the angles to increase the aerating surface and
capacity of the whip. These eyes m are formed by coiling the wire and the convolutes
of the coil and are separated to facilitate the operation and increase the action of the
whip. Two whips diametrically disposed, are formed from a single wire which is
passed diagonally through the shaft and has each end bent to form a loop and fastened
in the said shaft.
The sweep may be curved to conform to the curved bottom of a vessel as shown
most clearly in figure 11, and is yielding or flexible to fit close to the bottom and sides
of the vessels without producing any material action.
Having now described my Invention and the manner in which the same may be
carried into the practical effect what I claim and desire to secure by Letters
Patent is :
1. A beater composed of a shaft, and radial whips of fine wire, substantially, as
described.
2. The combination with the shaft, of the whips arranged radially to the shaft
and adapted to yield in all directions, substantially as described for the purpose
specified.
3. The combination with the shaft, of the radial loop shaped beaters of elastic wire,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
4. The combination with the shaft, of the loop shaped beaters of fine wire arranged
to cross and recross each other, substantially as described for the purpose specified.
5. The combination with the shaft, of the whips radially disposed about the shaft,

page_text: and having the end of the whip close to the end of the next whip, substantially as
described for the purpose specified.
6. The combination with the shaft, of the whips arranged in rows and disposed
about the shaft in series of more than four, substantially as described.
7. The combination with the shaft, of the loop shaped beaters of fine wire arranged
in rows of more than four about the shaft, the beaters of each crossing and recrossing,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
8. In an egg beater the combination with the beater, of a sweep, substantially as
and for the purpose described.
9. In an egg-beater the combination with the beater of a yielding sweep, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose described.
10. The combination with the vessel, and the shaft, of a sweep conforming to the
contour of the bottom of the vessel, substantially as set forth.
11. The combination with the beater, of the sweep arranged in groups, substantially
as set forth.
12. The combination with the beater, of the sweep arranged between the beaters,
substantially as set forth.
13. The combination with the shaft, of the whips having straight ends and arranged
to form a sweep or straight uninterrupted edge.
14. The combination with the shaft, of the whips having straight ends and arranged
to overlap to form a sweep-lifter or straight uninterrupted edge.
15. The combination with the shaft, of the sweeps having flat ends and eyes at each
end of the flat ends, substantially as and for the purpose described.
16. The combination with the shaft, of the whips having flat ends and eyes, the
eyes being formed by coils in the wire, which eyes have their convolutes separated,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
17. The combination with the shaft, of the wire passed through the shaft and
having its ends bent to form loops and fastened in the shaft, substantially as shown
and described.
18. The combination with the shaft, of the wire passed through the hollow shaft
and having its ends bent or roughened, and embedded in metal in the shaft,
substantially as shown and described.
19. The combination with the vessel having cast metal ends provided with grooves
and the body fitted in said grooves and held therein by bolts passing through ears on
the said ends, and the semi-circular flanges on the inner sides of the said ends, of the
shaft having whips or beaters, adapted to rest on the flanges, substantially as
set forth.
20. The combination with the vessel, having bearings in its end, and the shaft
having whips or beaters, of the crank fitting in one of the bearings and having two
annular grooves, and the set screw, whereby the crank can be held in engagement
with the shaft, and from accidental displacement when disengaged from the shaft,
substantially as described.