Gravity or Dilution Separators. 11 



is an essential feature of the operation of this can, as is seen by the 

 following extract from the specifications, it will be further noticed 

 that nothing whatever is claimed for dilution in the " claim " under 

 which the patent is granted. 



"In operation the milk is first placed in the can. The distribut- 

 ing device is then inserted. Water of low temperature is after- 

 ward introduced into the funnel at the top of the distributer. The 

 water, being cold, immediately settles to the 1)ottom, and being dis- 

 tributed regularly through the apertures of the distributing-head of 

 the distributer, rises through the bottom of the can, carrying the 

 particles of cream upward, while the blue milk is assimilated, the 

 cream floating on the top. The milk is allowed to stand in this 

 condition for a few moments, and the water and blue milk are then 

 drawn off through the opening in the bottom of the can, leaving the 

 cream in the can, from which it may be drawn at any time through 

 the bottom opening. 



" I have found that cream can be separated from milk very rap- 

 idly by this means and with but little trouble, the animal heat of 

 the milk passing off through the perforated top." 



" Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and 

 desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is 



In a creamingcan the combination with the can-body having a 

 conical base formed with a discharge-opening in its apex, and a 

 neck, of a distributing device located wholly within the can and 

 consisting of a tube having a funnel-shaped upper end positioned in 

 the neck and a perforated distributer at the lower end of the tube 

 resting on the bottom, substantially as described." 



Wheeler's Gravity Cream Separator. 



Although several rivals secured patents earlier, this is claimed to 

 be the only " true and original " gravity separator. On Nov. 22, 

 1898, a patent (No. 29,715) was issued to G. T. Wheeler, Mexico, 

 N. Y., on the design for a can as shown in the cut. So far as we 

 have been able to discover the only novel feature of this can lies in 

 the fact that the bottom is both curved and slanting. Up to August, 

 1898, this separator was made and sold with a flat bottom, so that 

 the peculiar shape of the bottom cannot be considered as essential 

 even by the " inventors." 



