Vat, Food Processing

Description

(a) Coopered vat with 1 3/8" thick white pine staves, white pine bottom header, iron hoops (five extant, appears that it originally had eight). Three heavy swiveling iron castors are mounted under the bottom to allow the vat to be moved. An iron pin is lagged into the center of the inside of the bottom and two further pins are lagged into the top rim or opposite sides. Exterior of vat is stained dark but not known whether this was intentional or through use. (b) Mixing vat assembly consists of a turned ash shaft (2" dia. x 37" h). A rail (cherry or maple) is secured to either end and the leading edges are rounded. Two cherry vanes are mortised into the ends of this rail extending 17 1/2" upward. Two other empty mortises exist near the center of the rail so two more vanes may have been present originally. A 1 1/4" high relieve is turned into the ash shaft at about 22 1/2" above the bottom. A cherry rail is affixed into this relieve via a hole large enough that the shaft rotates freely. A relieve on the underside of the rail near each end allows this rail to fit down over the top rim of the vat and 1/2" diameter holes through the rail into the relieves fit over the iron pins lagged into the vat rim. This serves to fit this rail to the vat. Two further vanes are mortised into the underside of this rail 10" or so to either side of center. A hole in the bottom of the shaft fits over the pin lagged into the center of the bottom providing a point of rotation for the shaft and its associated rail and vanes. (c&d) Trapezoidal shaped racks of 7/8" x 1" cross-section white pine joined by half-laps held with steel flat head wood screws. Function of these racks is unclear. Perhaps they were used to support medicine bottle carriers as medicine bottles were filled. (e) Another rack that fits over the rim of the medicine mixing vat. Similar to (c&d), but slightly larger and with a center rail and a stop on the outer rail. Probably to hold bottle carrier and bottles while bottles were filled. (f) Turned cherry cylinder (1 5/8" dia. x 33 7/8") with bottom notched to fit over tenon in end of mixer assembly shaft and reinforced with an iron ferrule (1 7/8"). At its top end, the shaft is cut to form a 3/8" thick x 3" high tenon which is faced out with tapered maple "cheeks" which are riveted on to either side of the tenon. This forms a tapered tenon that fits into the forked end of the metal connecting shaft which connected into the line shaft. A 3/8" dia. hole through the tapered tenon accepted the lockin pin securing this shaft extension to the connector shaft. (g&h) G-shaft for connecting medicine mixing vat mixer assembly to a line-shaft power supply. Device consists of a hand forged iron head with a forked end which fits over the tapered tenon on end of extension shaft with 3/8" holes lining up with hole through tenon to lock connector to shaft extension. Above this fork is a machined section of shaft (approx. 3/4" dia.) terminating at a machined steel collar welded to the shaft. The upper portion of the forging (approx. 7/8" dia.) is jammed into a steel or iron, welded pipe 1" x 41 1/4". The upper end of this pipe is more polished as if it were centered in a drive pulley. (h) is an iron locking pin of 1/4" iron rod with a straight section which fits through fork and tenon and an eye bent into the other end for a grip.