MECHANICS AND USEFUL ARTS. 77 



dasher, so situated that as the dasher revolved, the box containing the 

 cream, with its open mouth downwards, carried down a portion of the 

 air to the bottom of the churn, and as the mouth of the box inclined 

 upwards, the air escaped from it through the mass of the cream, while 

 the box itself filled with the cream, and as it came out and revolved in 

 the upper part of the churn above the cream, that contained in the 

 box was thrown out and scattered into spray. Both the descent and 

 size of the box occasioned a commingling of the air and cream, and 

 answered the purpose of agitation as well perhaps as any form of dasher. 

 In these atmospheric churns, the introduction of air plays no chemical 

 part in the production of butter ; its separation from cream being 

 merely a mechanical process. And although the atmospheric churns 

 operate to considerable advantage, yet it is by means of a more thorough 

 agitation, which is increased greatly by the diffusion of air throughout 

 the cream. As each portion of air rises through the cream, it forms a 

 bubble upon the surface before it escapes, and in some atmospheric 

 churns, where the dasher is constantly submerged, the whole mass of 

 cream is converted into a complete mass of foau^. 



" From the success of such a chum as that above named in producing 

 butter in a shorter time than other churns, a most enthusiastic specu- 

 lation was at once commenced upon atmospheric churns, and inventive 

 powers were racked to modify, mystify and contort a simple principle, 

 with a view of producing novelties rather than improvements. From 

 the immense number of churns used throughout the country, great 

 gains could not fail to follow the monopoly of a new and superior 

 churn. The golden prospects have tempted many into the field, and 

 it is quite curious to observe in this instance the natural drift of intel- 

 lect, bringing the workings of independent minds into one common 

 channel. A patent was granted for one species of atmospheric churn, 

 but before this could have been known far beyond the walls of the 

 Patent Office', two other inventors, each and all from different parts of 

 the country, had laid claim to the identical improvement. One was 

 from Ohio," the second from Illinois, and the third from Vermont. ^ An 

 interference was accordingly declared, and no sooner had the decision 

 been made in favor of the patentee, than three other inventors were 

 found pressing their claims to the same invention. It presents an 

 unprecedented case in the history of the Patent Office of seven persons, 

 each a bonafide inventor, all claiming the same thing and about the 

 same time, and all from distant portions of the country. _ This improve- 

 ment consists simply in boring a hole through the entire length of a 

 common upright churn dasher, and placing a valve either at the bot- 

 tom or top of the dasher. This valve opens downwards, and when the 

 dasher is raised with such rapidity that the cream cannot follow up. 

 the air rushes down through the valve under the dasher, and upon the 

 downward stroke the air is pressed out laterally and escapes _ by the 

 side of the dasher and up through the mass of cream. It requires not 

 a very quick motion, and but little force to effect this, and the agitation 

 is most complete. A full-size model was exhibited in the office showing 

 the operation with clear water only. Upon agitating the dasher, the 

 water appeared as if in intense ebullition. Another peculiarity belongs 



