Saturday, October 1, 2022

Dog wheel for butter churn

Dog powered wheels are different enough that I have written about turnspits HERE and treadmill to churn butter HERE. This excerpt shows the mechanism of the tread-wheel.


"The Dog-power Churn, Fig. 107, economizes labor, while, at the same time, more butter is obtained, on account of the uniformity of the agitation produced. It is in use in all the Dutch provinces. The form and size of the churn are comparatively indifferent; but the tread-wheel and direction of the moving power are the important points. The diameter of the wheel is from ten to twelve feet, and the rim or outer circumference is made of boards two feet wide. The weight of the animal turns the wheel and moves the dasher by means of cogs, as shown in the figure.

Where there is a sufficient supply of moving power, a churn with two dashers is sometimes attached, as shown in Fig. 108, in which case one dasher moves down while the other is raised.

A large and strong dog is required, and he is easily taught to keep to his work, by beginning with short trials, and gradually lengthening them. A steady and uniform step is necessary, and this will soon be acquired. The dog is sometimes left free, and sometimes tied by a line."
Flint, Charles Louis. Milch Cows and Dairy Farming. Boston: 1866

Dogs and sheep churning butter ... on a treadmill HERE

Dog powered turnspits HERE

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CALENDAR OF VIRTUAL FOOD HISTORY TALKS HERE

©2022 Patricia Bixler Reber
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1 comment:

  1. Great post! I never thought about using a dog wheel for a butter churn, but it makes perfect sense. The ingenuity of our ancestors never ceases to amaze me. Using a Butter Churner like this not only saves time and effort but also adds an extra layer of charm and authenticity to the process. Thanks for sharing this unique idea with us

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