Historical information

This device would separate the cream from milk using a hand operated lever. When turned, the lever would activate a disc which would spin the separator bowl at a great speed. Through this use of centrifugal force, the cream would gather in the middle while the milk would be pulled towards the outside walls of the bowl. Once the rotation ceased, the milk and cream would flow out of two separate spouts.

Prior to the invention of the separator, gravity was used to naturally separate the cream from the milk. The cream rose to the top and was then skimmed by hand. This process was lengthy and often resulted in sour milk, so the invention of the mechanical separator was popular in the dairy industry as there was less waste and encouraged greater production levels.

Physical description

Silver bowl with black base with handle; mounted on board