Improved Apparatus for the Determination of Butter Fat in Milk.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 12th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 7th Apr., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for the Determination of Butter Fat in Milk.
CHARLES ROBERT CLARKE TICHBORNE, L.L.D., Ph.D., 15 North Great
Georges Street, Dublin, Professor of Chemistry, and CHARLES JOSEPH THOMPSON,
Engineer Warburton Terrace, Bray, Co. Wicklow, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows :-
The machine as used by us consists of a cast iron bed plate upon which, supported
by two brackets is a driving wheel. This driving wheel can be worked by hand,
or by pulleys attached to the axle to be driven off the shafting connected with a
steam engine.
די
The driving wheel is grooved, & over it fits a leather band which passes on the
other side over a small pulley fixed in a sliding rack, so that the belt can always
be regulated at a sufficient tension to properly drive the machine.
The belt drives a vertical shaft, at the end of which is fitted a frame, with any
convenient number of spaces in it, to hold bottles of the proper size. The bottles
are to hold the milk to be tested. The necks of these bottles are graduated to
estimate the amount of butter fat separated from the milk by the centrifugal force
when the machine is worked. The frame is enclosed in a case with a space in the
hottom, into which hot water may be placed if necessary, but which is now
superseded, & better provided for, by applying the heat from above. The upper
cover to the apparatus is jacketed, & is so arranged to contain hot water, or steam.
This is intended to keep the butter fat fluid as thrown into the stems of the bottles.
It is absolutely necessary for the quick & accurate working of the process that this
should be done.
The revolving frame holding the bottles is capable of adjustment to a proper
height in connection with the hot cover by means of an adjusting screw.
Any of the usual chemicals may be used in this machine, for the purpose of
breaking up the milk into its constituent parts,-such as sulphuric acid, hydrochloric
acid etc.
By this method an accurate estimation can be arrived at in about of the
ordinary time.
2
CHARLES ROBERT CLARKE TICHBORNE.
CHARLES JOSEPH THOMPSON.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for the Determination of Butter Fat in Milk.
We, CHARLES ROBERT CLARKE TICHBORNE, of 15 North Great Georges
Street, Dublin, Professor of Chemistry, and CHARLES JOSEPH THOMPSON
of Warburton Terrace, Bray, Co. Wicklow, Engineer, 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 :-
Our present invention applies to an improved form of the apparatus used for
determining the amount of butter fat in milk, for the purpose of estimating its
richness.

page_text: The essential parts of our invention are represented in the subjoined drawing.
A vertical shaft "A" carries a frame which has any convenient number of
spaces, or rests, "B" to hold the glass bottles "C." The bottles are those
generally used in similar processes of milk determination, being made of the proper
size, and so graduated on the stems, as to estimate the percentage of butter fat,
separated from the milk under examination, on working the machine.
This frame is enclosed in a case "DDD" which is made as small and shallow
as will conveniently hold the required number of bottles. This chamber and its
details are shewn upon the drawing by dotted lines. The case may be made water
tight, so that hot water may be put into the bottom, if necessary, in exceptionally
cold weather, or cold countries, but its general use is superseded and better provided
for, by the arrangement now to be described.
The heat is now uniformly applied from above by the following arrangement.
An upper cover to the case is jacketted, and is so arranged that either hot water
or steam can be introduced into the jacket. The stems of the bottles lie parallel
with the incline of the lid, this keeps the butter fat as it escapes from the liquid
in the body of the bottles in a fluid condition, and at a uniform heat, - points, which
we maintain, are essential to the correct working of any kind of machine, where we
estimate the butter in milk by its actual mechanical separation, either with, or
without the aid of chemicals.
In the case of hot water, about a quart of boiling water is poured into the
jacketted lid by aid of the funnel "E." Or, in the case of steam, it is only
necessary to loosely insert in a hole at the centre of the lid, a flexible steam jet at
a low pressure.
The revolving frame holding the bottles is capable of adjustment to the proper
height, by means of an adjusting screw at the bottom. The shaft carrying the
frame, works in a socket on a lower screw, which passes through the frame of the
machine. By turning this screw, the shaft of the revolving frame may be lowered
or raised.
The frame with the bottles is made to revolve by connecting it with an ordinary
bed plate on which is a driving wheel. This may be worked either by hand or by
connecting to pulleys driven off the shafting of a steam engine.
The driving wheel is connected with the apparatus proper, by the small band "G"
given in dots in the drawing. As this was found difficult to control owing to the
Huids connected with this machine, we have found it desirable to use a small
pulley fixed in a sliding rack, so that the belt can always be raised or lowered to
the proper tension.
All.
It is not desirable to have air openings in the centre of the case, as found in the
usual machine the result of the working of such a machine, is to throw a violent
current of cold air over the graduated stems of the bottles, which is the part
required to be maintained during the whole of the experiment at a uniform
temperature which shall slightly exceed the melting point of butter fat.
currents of air produced by our arrangement strike upon the lid and are thrown
back across the stems. Our arrangement not only ensures accuracy in measuring
the amount of butter fat, but in cold weather perfect separation of the butter fat is
effected in about 3rd of the time.
Any of the usual chemicals may be used with this machine for the purpose of
breaking up the constituents of milk. We generally use sulphuric acid, or sulphuric
and hydrochloric acids combined.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
:-
The special application of the heat from the top of the apparatus instead of from
the bottom of the tank, to avoid the chilling of the bottles, and an arrangement by
which currents of air produced by the revolution of the machine fall back upon the
stems containing the separating fat.

page_text: We also claim as a minor improvement of details applied to this and similar
machines:-
A screw which regulates the height of the shaft carrying the frame & holding
the bottles.
Dated this 10th dox of
1804
CHARLES ROBERT CLARKE TICHBORNE.
CHARLES JOSEPH THOMPSON.