EARLY 1900's APPARATUS FOR CONDUCTING THE BABCOCK TEST TO DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF BUTTERFAT IN MILK AND CREAM
IN 1890 STEPHEN M. BABCOCK, A CHIEF CHEMIST WORKING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION, DEVISED A SIMPLE AND RELIABLE TEST FOR DETERMINING THE AMOUNT OF BUTTERFAT IN MILK. BEFORE THAT TIME THE SMALL DAIRY FARMER HAD NO EASY/QUICK WAY OF CONDUCTING THIS TEST TO DETERMINE THE QUALITY OF THEIR MILK AND TO ASSESS THE QUALITY OF MILK THAT CAME FROM INDIVIDUAL COWS. THE SAME GOES FOR DAIRIES THAT PURCHASED THE MILK FROM INDIVIDUAL DAIRY FARMERS. THE TEST WAS AS FOLLOWS:
1. USING A PIPETTE, MEASURE 17.6 cc OF MILK INTO A SPECIALLY MADE, THIN NECKED FLASK
2. ADD 17.5 cc OF SULPHURIC ACID TO THE TEST FLASK AND GENTLY SWIRL THE ACID AND MILK TOGETHER. THE ACID DISSOLVES THE CASEIN, OR PROTEINS, IN THE MILK, FREEING THE FAT GLOBULES FROM THE LIQUID
3. SPIN THE FLASKS IN A "WHIRLER," OR CENTRIFUGE, FOR 5 MINUTES, ROTATING AT 700 TO 1200 rpm. CENTRIFUGAL FORCE PULLS THE HEAVIER PORTION OF THE MIX TO THE BOTTOM OF THE FLASK AND FORCES THE LIGHTER PORTION -THE BUTTERFAT- TOWARDS THE TOP
4. ADD HOT WATER TO THE 7% MARK ON THE NECK OF THE FLASK AND SPIN FOR ANOTHER MINUTE. THIS HELPS THE FAT STAY FLUID AND FLOAT UP INTO THE NECK. IF NECESSARY, PLACE THE FLASKS IN HOT WATER BEFORE MEASURING AGAIN, SO THAT THE BUTTERFAT CAN FLOW INTO THE NECK EASILY
5. READ THE HEIGHT OF THE COLUMN OF FAT IN THE NECK OF THE FLASK, SUBTRACTING THE LOWER READING FROM THE UPPER. THE FLASK IS MARKED IN BUTTERFAT PERCENTAGE, RATHER THAN IN CUBIC CENTIMETERS (cc's), SO NO FURHTER CALCULATIONS ARE NEEDED
(ABOVE TAKEN FROM DESCRIPTION BY DAVID DRISCOLL TITLED "SIMPLICITY, SIMPLICITY, SIMPLICITY" ON THE UNIV. OF WISC. WEBSITE TITLED "HOW DOES A BABCOCK TESTER WORK"). MORE COMPREHENSIVE DESCRIPTIONS CAN BE FOUND ONLINE (e.g., SEE THE ARTICLE TITLED "THE BABCOCK TEST FOR THE ESTIMATION OF BUTTERFAT IN MILK AND CREAM" BY A. H. HOBBS PUBLISHED IN THE JOURNAL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, WESTERN AUSTRALIA, SERIES 3 (VOLUME 3, NO. 2, MARCH-APRIL, 1954, pp. 192-202).
AS AN INTERESTING SIDE NOTE I RECENTLY FOUND OUT THAT BABCOCK DID NOT ORIGINATE THE IDEA FOR THIS TEST. IN FACT THE IDEA CAME FROM ANOTHER UNIV. OF WISCONSIN CHEMIST, FREDERICK GARLAND SHORT. HE SUGGESTED IN AN 1888 PUBLICATION THE BASIS FOR THE SIMPLE TEST DESCRIBED ABOVE. BABCOCK ARRIVED THE SAME YEAR AND SHORT LEFT A YEAR LATER. BABCOCK WAS PERSUADED 1N 1890 BY THE DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, WILLIAM HENRY, TO DEVELOP SHORT'S PROPOSAL INTO A PRACTICAL METHOD. THE REST IS HISTORY. SHORT WAS ALL BUT FORGOTTEN AND THE TEST RETAIN'S BABCOCK'S NAME. (THIS INFORMATION WAS ALSO PROVIDED BY DAVID DRISCOLL IN A SHORT ARTICLE TITLED "THE REAL INVENTOR" IN A UNIV. OF WISC. WEBSITE TITLED "THE MEN BEHIND THE BUTTERFAT TEST".
THIS PARTICULAR TEST APPARATUS CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING:
ONE CAST IRON CENTRIFUGE DRIVING MECHANISM WITH DETACHABLE CRANK HANDLE. CAST ON THE DRIVING MECHANISM ITSELF IS THE FOLLOWING: 'FACILE' 'PAT APR 21 1903'. ON THE TOP OF THE HANDLE IS CAST: '100 TURNS PER MIN' '453' (LIKELY THE PART NO.). I BELIEVE 'FACILE' IS THE NAME GIVEN TO THE CENTRIFUGE, NOT THE MANUFACTURER. THE STEEL PIN SECURING THE HANDLE TO THE DRIVE MECHANISM LOOKS TO NOT BE ORIGINAL; NONETHELESS, IT WORKS FINE.
ONE 4-TUBE CENTRIFUGE. THE 4 TUBES ARE MADE OF BRASS WHILE THE REST OF THE MECHANISM IS MADE OF IRON. CAST ON THE TOP OF THE CENTRIFUGE ARE THE NUMBERS '1' '2' '3' '4' IN FRONT OF EACH BRASS TUBE SO THE DIFFERENT MILK-ACID MIXTURES CAN BE KEPT TRACT OF EASILY. CAST UNDERNEATH IS '456' WHICH IS LIKELY THE PART NO. EACH TUBE IS 5-1/4" IN HEIGHT x 1-5/8" OUTSIDE DIAMETER. I PARTIALLY CLEANED THE OUTSIDE OF EACH TUBE WITH A QUALITY BRASS CLEANER/POLISH SO THAT THE ACTUALY COLOR OF BRASS WAS VISIBLE
SIX GLASS BABCOCK TEST BOTTLES/FLASKS WITH NARROW NECKS GRADUATED FROM 0 TO 10% FOR TESTING OF MILK (6-3/8" IN HEIGHT)
TWO BABCOCK TEST BOTTLES/FLASKS WITH LARGER VOLUME NECKS GRADUATED FROM 0 TO 30% FOR TESTING OF CREAM (SINCE CREAM HAS A HIGHER BUTTERFAT CONTENT THAN MILK)
THREE ORDINARY TEST TUBES
ONE MORTAR AND PESTLE (NOT SURE WHAT THIS WAS USED FOR AS THERE IS NOTHING THAT I COULD FIND IN THE TEST THAT CALLS FOR ITS USE; PERHAPS IT WAS USED TO GRIND UP CHEESE FOR TESTING?)
ONE WELL MADE OAK WOOD BOX WITH CORNER BOX OR FINGER JOINTS; STILL HAS ITS ORIGINAL LEATHER HANDLE AND MOST OF ITS HARDWARE (ONE OF THE TWO FRONT LATCHES IS PARTIALLY MISSING - SEE PHOTOS). BOX HAS INSIDE 'CUT-OUT' MADE FOR STORING EACH OF THE PARTS INDIVIDUALLY. OUTSIDE BOX DIMENSIONS: 15-3/4" L x
7" W x 8-3/8" H
THE ENTIRE CENTRIFUGE CLAMPED TO A TABLE MEASURES APPROXIMATELY 10" IN HEIGHT WHILE THE CRANK HANDLE IS APPROXIMATELY 10" IN LENGTH (WATCH VIDEO FOR ITS OPERATION). IT STILL WORKS VERY WELL!
ALL GLASS ITEMS ARE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION
NOTE THAT THERE IS A MISSING PART THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN STORED ON THE INSIDE, UPPER TOP (SEE THE 2 PIECES OF WOOD ATTACHED THERE). I SUSPECT THAT THIS WAS FOR EITHER THE PIPETTE USED TO MEASURE A SPECIFIC VOLUME OF MILK OR THE BRUSH USED TO CLEAN THE FLASKS. GLASSWARE FOR THE BABCOCK TEST CAN STILL BE ORDERED FROM VARIOUS SUPPLY HOUSES (e.g., SEE THE WEBER SCIENTIFIC WEBSITE).
TWO PAGES FROM THE APRIL 21, 1903 PATENT MARKED ON THE DRIVING MECHANISM IS SHOWN IN THE LAST 2 PHOTOS. THIS IS US PATENT NO. 725,832 TITLED "DRIVING MECHANISM FOR CENTRIFUGAL MACHINES" INVENTED BY HARVEY FELDMEIRER OF LITTLEFALLS, NY. IT IS UNKNOWN WHO MADE THIS PARTICULAR TESTING KIT. SEVERAL OTHER COMPANIES SOLD SIMILAR KITS (SEE 3RD PHOTO FROM END FOR EXAMPLE OF ONE). IT IS POSSIBLE IT WAS MADE BY THE COMPANY THAT THE PATENT WAS ASSIGNED TO: D. H. BURRELL & COMPANY OF LITTLEFALLS, NY. A BIOGRAPHY OF DAVID HAMLIN BURRELL CAN BE FOUND ON THE SCHENECTADYHISTORY.ORG WEBSITE. HE WAS WELL-KNOWN IN THE DAIRY INDUSTRY FOR HAVING, IN 1881, INTRODUCED COMMERCIALLY IN AMERICA THE FIRST CENTRIFUGAL CREAM SEPARATOR. HE ALSO DEVELOPED AND MARKETED MANY OTHER DAIRY-RELATED DEVICES INCLUDING CHURNS, BUTTER WORKERS, MILK TESTERS, PASTEURIZERS AND COOLERS, GANG PRESSES AND SELF-BANDAGING HOOPS (FOR CHEESE MAKING) AND MILKING MACHINES.
FINDING A BABCOCK TESTING APPARATUS HOUSED IN ITS ORIGINAL WOOD BOX IS VERY RARE. I COULD NOT FIND ANY OTHER EXAMPLES LIKE THIS EXCEPT FOR A 2-TUBE CENTRIFUGE HOUSED IN A LESS SOPHISTICATED BOX LABELLED FACILE JR.
THIS WILL BE SENT WELL-PACKED AND DOUBLE-BOXED TO INSURE SAFE SHIPPING. SHIPPING BY EITHER FEDEX OR UPS (BUYER WILL HAVE THEIR CHOICE).
THANKS FOR LOOKING!