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Valved Air-Tube Dasher Churn: A Double-Acting Valve Lets Air Out of a Tube That Swings With the Dashers
Buttercup

Created by

Buttercup

7. October 2026IE
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Valved Air-Tube Dasher Churn: A Double-Acting Valve Lets Air Out of a Tube That Swings With the Dashers

William A. Vertrees of Winchester, Missouri, received US 16,203, dated 9 December 1856, for an air tube turning with the dashers, bent horizontal at its foot, with "a double-acting valve" at its mouth that opens on the side away from the motion as the shaft is swung back and forth by a strap from a pulley and lever. This rung prints the dasher arms, step, elbow, valve flap, clips and pulley, builds the churn and makes butter.
Intermediate
About 4 hours, plus printing

Instructions

1

Air from the tube's mouth

Loading Jupyter Notebook...
2

Air drawn into the cream before it

Webster draws air down a turning agitator; Vertrees down a tube with a two-way valve.
3

Read US 16,203

"It may be seen that as the pipe revolves to the right the inner end of the valve (V,) will be pressed against the right side closing the right side of the aperture and allowing the air to pass out on the left side behind the wing of the valve by centrifugal force and when it revolves in the contrary direction the valve acts on the contrary side with similar effect."
4

Print the parts

Print the dasher arms (/uploads/blueprints/valved-air-tube-dasher-churn-dasher-arms.stl), the cross step (/uploads/blueprints/valved-air-tube-dasher-churn-cross-step.stl), the elbow with its orifice (/uploads/blueprints/valved-air-tube-dasher-churn-elbow-valve.stl), the valve flap (/uploads/blueprints/valved-air-tube-dasher-churn-valve-flap.stl), two tube clips (/uploads/blueprints/valved-air-tube-dasher-churn-tube-clip.stl) and the pulley (/uploads/blueprints/valved-air-tube-dasher-churn-pulley.stl). Print in PETG at 0.2 mm layers, 30 % infill, 4 walls; wash before first use.

Materials for this step:

PETG FilamentPETG Filament1 piece

Tools needed:

FDM 3D PrinterFDM 3D Printer
5

Dashers and air tube

Lay the cross step in a straight-sided round food-grade container about 190 mm across and stand a 10 mm square hardwood shaft in it, the dasher arms on its foot. Pin the flap in the elbow's orifice with a 2 mm stainless pin, glue the elbow on a 20 mm food-grade pipe reaching above the cream, and tie the pipe to the shaft with the clips, between the arms.

Materials for this step:

Food-Grade Storage ContainerFood-Grade Storage Container1 piece
Hardwood DowelsHardwood Dowels1 piece
PVC PipePVC Pipe1 piece
Mild Steel RodMild Steel Rod1 piece
Two-Part EpoxyTwo-Part Epoxy1 piece

Tools needed:

Hand SawHand Saw
HacksawHacksaw
6

Pulley, strap and lever

Stand a pine post beside the churn and mount the pulley on a 10 mm rod near its top. Fix one end of a leather strap to the pulley, wind it round the pulley, take it across and wind it a few turns round the shaft, and fix it. Glue a 12 mm dowel lever into the pulley's socket.

Materials for this step:

Pine BoardPine Board1 piece
Mild Steel RodMild Steel Rod1 piece
Leather StripLeather Strip1 piece
Hardwood DowelsHardwood Dowels1 piece
#8 x 1" Wood Screw#8 x 1" Wood Screw1 piece

Tools needed:

Hand SawHand Saw
Cordless DrillCordless Drill
Drill Bit SetDrill Bit Set
Screwdriver SetScrewdriver Set
7

The patent drawing

US 16,203 drawing sheet, public domain (expired patent).
Step 7 - Image 1
8

Churn

Let the heavy cream stand until it reaches about 15 °C, checked with the thermometer. Pour in 2 litres, below the pipe's top. Raise and lower the lever steadily so the shaft swings back and forth; watch for bubbles near the bottom; time until the butter comes. Pour off the buttermilk, add cold water, churn a little and pour off again until it runs clear; work in a pinch of salt and weigh the butter.

Materials for this step:

Heavy CreamHeavy Cream2000 ml
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)
9

Troubleshooting

Valved air-tube churn troubleshooting.

Flow

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10

History and honest limits

**William A. Vertrees** of Winchester, Clark County, Missouri, US 16,203, 9 December 1856. The shaft stood in a cross piece laid loosely in the bottom, easy to lift out for washing. He claimed the air tube with its double-acting valve. A container, pipe, pine and printed parts stand in for his; the notebook's speeds are estimates. FDM prints hold food in their layer lines, so wash well and replace when worn.

Materials

12

Tools Required

10

CC0 Public Domain

This blueprint is released under CC0. You are free to copy, modify, distribute, and use this work for any purpose, without asking permission.

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