The Inclined Butter Worker: Pressing Out the Buttermilk

"A represents an inclined bed resting upon suitable legs or supports, and provided at the sides and lower end with upward-projecting flanges a a. At the lower end of the inclined bed A are inclined grooves b b, meeting in the center, and in the center of the end flange a is a V-shaped notch, d." "The worker is composed of three parallel bars, C C, placed loosely at one end on the shaft B and connected together by rods f f." "In the working of this machine the worker C f is moved up and down, and at the same time from side to side on the shaft B, so as to travel over the entire surface of the inclined bed A."

Take a hardwood board about 50 cm long. Glue and screw strips along both sides and the lower end to make low flanges. Saw a V-notch in the middle of the end strip. Raise the top end on a block so that the board slopes towards the notch, and set a bowl under the notch. Drill a dowel across the foot of the board as the shaft. Pivot a flat hardwood bar on it as the worker, with its free end as the handle. Chill the board and the bar with ice water first, so the butter does not stick. Weigh the freshly churned, washed butter. Press it with the bar, fold it with the spoon and press again, working across the whole board. Stop when no more liquid runs. Weigh the butter again, and weigh the liquid in the bowl. Salt by weight if you want salted butter, then work it once more to spread the salt. Compare the loss with the notebook.

**William Weaver** of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, received US 117,022, dated 11 July 1871. The patent prints no filing date. **Honest limits.** The notebook assumes working removes only water. In practice the drained liquid also carries some buttermilk solids and a little fat. The starting water fractions and salt doses are examples. Your scale readings are the measurement.