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Geared Crank-Frame Churn: A Frame Over an Ordinary Churn Gears a Hand Crank Up to Drive a Grated Dasher by Pitman
Buttercup

Created by

Buttercup

11. November 2026IE
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Geared Crank-Frame Churn: A Frame Over an Ordinary Churn Gears a Hand Crank Up to Drive a Grated Dasher by Pitman

J. W. Evans of Forsyth, Georgia, received US 28,462, dated 29 May 1860, for a frame on legs that stands over an ordinary churn. A hand crank turns a cogged wheel and a pinion, whose crank works a pitman and a sliding sash; the dasher is held in the sash by a set screw, so it is put in or taken out in a moment, and makes several strokes to each turn of the handle. The dasher is a grated one. The patent gives no sizes; every size here is ours.
Intermediate
About 2 days, plus printing

Instructions

1

Several strokes to one turn

Loading Jupyter Notebook...
2

More strokes than turns, three months before

Clement gets two strokes a turn from a toggle. Evans gears his crank up for four.
3

Read US 28,462

"The nature of my invention consists in providing a frame with suitable gearing to communicate a reciprocating motion to which the dasher of an ordinary churn can be attached or detached with facility, the whole forming a churn which can be worked to great advantage by a laborer by means of a crank."
4

Print the grated dasher h

Disc 200 mm across and 10 thick with seven slots 14 mm wide, a rim and a cross bar. PETG, 0.2 mm layers, 40 % infill, 4 walls.
Design FileSTLCC0 - Free
5

Print the cogged wheel w

Spur gear, module 2.5, 48 teeth, 12 mm wide, with a hub; bored 16.4 mm. PETG, 0.2 mm layers, 40 % infill, 4 walls.
Design FileSTLCC0 - Free
6

Print the pinion p

Spur pinion, module 2.5, 12 teeth, 12 mm wide, with a hub; bored 16.4 mm. PETG, 0.2 mm layers, 40 % infill, 4 walls.
Design FileSTLCC0 - Free
7

Frame A and legs L

From pine lumber 40 x 80 mm cut two uprights 570 mm long and a top bar 380 long, and join them 300 mm apart inside. Rout a groove 12 x 42 mm down the inside of each upright for the sash. Stand the frame on two rails and four legs 400 tall, the rails across the bucket's place so the frame stands over it. Screw a hardwood strap 60 x 20 mm upright behind the frame's middle, with a cross piece near its foot, and bore it 16.6 mm for the shafts c and d, 75 mm apart, 400 and 475 mm above the frame's foot.

Materials for this step:

Pine LumberPine Lumber3 pieces
Hardwood BoardHardwood Board1 piece
Wood GlueWood Glue1 piece
Wood ScrewsWood Screws30 pieces

Tools needed:

Table SawTable Saw
RouterRouter
Cordless DrillCordless Drill
Drill Bit SetDrill Bit Set
Spade Bit SetSpade Bit Set
Bar ClampBar Clamp
Screwdriver SetScrewdriver Set
Tape MeasureTape Measure
8

Wheel w, pinion p, cranks k and d

Pass a 16 mm stainless shaft c through the upper hole with the wheel w on its front end and a hardwood crank k 140 mm long with a dowel handle on its back end. Pass a short 16 mm shaft through the lower hole with the pinion p meshing w, and in front of it a hardwood crank d with a 12 mm stainless pin 40 mm from the shaft. Hold both with collars.

Materials for this step:

Stainless Steel RodStainless Steel Rod2 pieces
Hardwood BoardHardwood Board1 piece
Hardwood DowelsHardwood Dowels1 piece
Wood GlueWood Glue1 piece
Shaft CollarShaft Collar4 pieces
PETG FilamentPETG Filament1 piece

Tools needed:

FDM 3D PrinterFDM 3D Printer
HacksawHacksaw
Files (Hand File)Files (Hand File)
Bench ViseBench Vise
Cordless DrillCordless Drill
Drill Bit SetDrill Bit Set
SandpaperSandpaper
9

Pitman e, sash f and set screw i

Cut a hardwood pitman 20 x 10 mm with 12.6 mm holes 220 mm apart. Cut a hardwood sash 320 x 40 x 40 mm with tongues on its ends to slide in the grooves; bore it 22.6 mm through the middle for the dasher rod, slot its front for the pitman, and pin the pitman in the slot. Drill and tap a hole through the sash's back into the bore, or set a nut in it, and run in a short piece of threaded rod with a wing nut as the set screw i.

Materials for this step:

Hardwood BoardHardwood Board1 piece
Stainless Steel RodStainless Steel Rod1 piece
Split PinSplit Pin2 pieces
Threaded RodThreaded Rod1 piece
Hex NutHex Nut1 piece
Wing NutWing Nut1 piece

Tools needed:

Table SawTable Saw
JigsawJigsaw
Cordless DrillCordless Drill
Drill Bit SetDrill Bit Set
Spade Bit SetSpade Bit Set
HacksawHacksaw
Adjustable SpannerAdjustable Spanner
10

Dasher g with the grate h

Glue a 22 mm hardwood dowel 555 mm long into the printed grate's centre, and cut a 28 mm hole in the centre of the bucket's lid for it.

Materials for this step:

Hardwood DowelsHardwood Dowels1 piece
Wood GlueWood Glue1 piece
20-Liter Bucket20-Liter Bucket1 piece

Tools needed:

HacksawHacksaw
Spade Bit SetSpade Bit Set
Cordless DrillCordless Drill
11

The build in 3D

FreeCAD model of this build, the bucket cut open: the frame on its legs, the wheel w and pinion p behind the crank d, the pitman and the sash in its grooves, the dasher held by the set screw, and the grated dasher near the bucket's floor.
Design FileBLENDCC0 - Free
12

Churn

Pour about 8 litres of heavy cream at about 15 °C, checked with the thermometer, into the bucket and put on the lid. Stand the frame over it, pass the dasher down through the sash into the bucket, set it so it just clears the floor at the bottom of the stroke and tighten the set screw. Turn the crank k steadily, timing it. When the butter comes, loosen the set screw and lift the dasher out, take out the butter, pour the buttermilk into a bowl, wash the butter in cold water until it runs clear, salt and weigh it.

Materials for this step:

Heavy CreamHeavy Cream8 l
Coarse Sea SaltCoarse Sea Salt1 piece
WaterWater1 piece

Tools needed:

Leave-In Probe ThermometerLeave-In Probe Thermometer
StopwatchStopwatch
Digital Kitchen ScaleDigital Kitchen Scale
Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl (Large)Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl (Large)
13

Troubleshooting

Geared crank-frame churn troubleshooting.

Flow

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14

History and honest limits

**J. W. Evans** of Forsyth, Monroe County, Georgia, US 28,462, 29 May 1860, "Churn". He did not claim churn dashers worked by a crank nor the grated dasher, "as they are old and well known", but the arrangement with the grated dasher, sash and set screw. His frame is arched and on curved legs, and his wheel and pinion are drawn face-toothed; ours are spur gears on a strap behind a straight frame. Every size is ours.

Materials

16

Tools Required

19

Design Files

4

CC0 Public Domain

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