Louis Firth Nafis

Last updated

Louis Firth Nafis was an American entrepreneur and inventor, best known as the first manufacturer of the standard Babcock milk test bottle. He was born in Jersey City, New Jersey on November 1, 1884, and died on February 26, 1955, in Evanston, Illinois. [1]

Contents

Life and career

Nafis started his career selling thermometers. In 1908, he was listed as secretary of the Kimble Glass Company in Chicago. [2] Friends in the butter industry led him to the supplying of accurate test bottles and pipettes for testing the quality of dairy products. He consulted with professors Stephen M. Babcock (1843-1931) and Edward H. Farrington (1860-1934) [3] [4] at the University of Wisconsin, who had been commissioned to develop a practical standard test for measuring the fat content of milk. Babcock had designed a special flask, now known as a Babcock bottle, for that purpose. [1]

In the wake of that visit, Louis founded the company Louis F. Nafis, Inc. in Chicago to make scientific glassware, [5] and was the first company to market Babcock's standard flask. In 1932 he sold the company to Kimble Glass, which was later taken over by Owens-Illinois Glass [1] and is now part of DWK Life Sciences. By 1934-1937, his former company still retained its identity as a division of Kimble (with address 23 North Desplaines St. [6] ), and marketed reagents for milk testing, as well as glassware. [7] By 1943, the Babcock bottles from Kimble still had "K/Nafis" etched on their bodies. [8]

Louis Nafis was an active member of the American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) and of the local Masonic lodge. [1]

Louis Nasif was married to Mabel Siller Nasif and had a sister, Emily Nafis. [1] [9]

Inventions

In 1901, Louis Nafis obtained a patent (US684850A) for a tool to verify the accuracy of the graduated scale on the neck of the standard Babcock bottle. It consisted of two slender metal cylinders connected lengthwise by a thin rod and topped by a wire handle. The device was supposed to be inserted into the neck of the bottle, previously filled with water to the "0%" mark. As the two cylinders were pushed into the liquid, its level on the neck, if correctly graduated, should rise to the "4%" and to the "8%" mark, respectively.

In 1917, the Louis F. Nafis company was awarded a patent (US1261451) for a special caliper to measure the distance between graduations of the Babcock bottle. The inventor was listed as Jerome T. Smith of Scotland, South Dakota.

In 1918, Louis and his wife Mabel were granted a patent (US1275723) for a color scale enclosed in a glass tube for protection against soiling, to be used in visual evaluations of colors — such as the yellow tones of various kinds of butter, or litmus tests of acidity. A "NAFIS faultless stirring rod for salt test" was marketed for some time by the Nafis division of Kimble Glass. [9] [10]

In 1921, he was granted a patent (US1499188A) for a modified Babcock bottle, intended to be less susceptible to accidental breakage. Instead of the integral long graduated neck, it had a short neck to which a rubber ring was fitted. After processing and centrifuging the milk in the bottom part, two other glass parts would be added. A wider glass tube would be hermetically fitted on the outer edge of that ring, and inside it would be placed a narrow graduated tube, with a flared opening at bottom, resting on the rubber ring without a seal. Warm water would be poured down between the two tubes, seep under the inner tube, and lift the fat into the latter.

Related Research Articles

Milk White liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals

Milk is a nutrient-rich liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals, including breastfed human infants before they are able to digest solid food. Early-lactation milk is called colostrum, which contains antibodies that strengthen the immune system and thus reduces the risk of many diseases. It holds many other nutrients, including protein and lactose. Interspecies consumption of milk is not uncommon, particularly among humans, many of whom consume the milk of other mammals.

Pasteurization Process of preserving foods with heat

Pasteurization or pasteurisation is a process in which packaged and non-packaged foods are treated with mild heat, usually to less than 100 °C (212 °F), to eliminate pathogens and extend shelf life. The process is intended to destroy or deactivate organisms and enzymes that contribute to spoilage or risk of disease, including vegetative bacteria, but not bacterial spores.

Laboratory glassware

Laboratory glassware refers to a variety of equipment used in scientific work, and traditionally made of glass. Glass can be blown, bent, cut, molded, and formed into many sizes and shapes, and is therefore common in chemistry, biology, and analytical laboratories. Many laboratories have training programs to demonstrate how glassware is used and to alert first–time users to the safety hazards involved with using glassware.

Casein Family of proteins found in milk

Casein is a family of related phosphoproteins. These proteins are commonly found in mammalian milk, comprising about 80% of the proteins in cow's milk and between 20% and 60% of the proteins in human milk. Sheep and buffalo milk have a higher casein content than other types of milk with human milk having a particularly low casein content.

Baby bottle Bottle containing liquid (usually milk or formula) to nourish infant

A baby bottle, nursing bottle, or feeding bottle is a bottle with an attached teat on the top opening, on which can be suckled, and from thereby drank directly. It is typically used by infants and young children, or if someone cannot drink from a cup, for feeding oneself or being fed. It can also be used to feed non-human mammals. Hard plastic is the most common material used, for being transparent and resistant to breakage.

Ultra-high-temperature processing food sterilization process

Ultra-high temperature processing (UHT), ultra-heat treatment, or ultra-pasteurization is a food processing technology that almost sterilizes liquid food by heating it above 135 °C (275 °F) – the temperature required to kill many bacterial endospores – for 2 to 5 seconds. UHT is most commonly used in milk production, but the process is also used for fruit juices, cream, soy milk, yogurt, wine, soups, honey, and stews. UHT milk was first developed in the 1960s and became generally available for consumption in the 1970s.

Volumetric flask

A volumetric flask is a piece of laboratory apparatus, a type of laboratory flask, calibrated to contain a precise volume at a certain temperature. Volumetric flasks are used for precise dilutions and preparation of standard solutions. These flasks are usually pear-shaped, with a flat bottom, and made of glass or plastic. The flask's mouth is either furnished with a plastic snap/screw cap or fitted with a joint to accommodate a PTFE or glass stopper. The neck of volumetric flasks is elongated and narrow with an etched ring graduation marking. The marking indicates the volume of liquid contained when filled up to that point. The marking is typically calibrated "to contain" at 20 °C and indicated correspondingly on a label. The flask's label also indicates the nominal volume, tolerance, precision class, relevant manufacturing standard and the manufacturer's logo. Volumetric flasks are of various sizes, containing from 1 milliliter to 20 liters of liquid.

Blow molding manufacturing process for forming and joining together hollow plastic parts

Blow molding is a manufacturing process for forming and joining together hollow plastic parts. It is also used for forming glass bottles or other hollow shapes.

Glass milk bottle

Glass milk bottles are glass bottles used for milk and are generally reusable and returnable. Milk bottles are used mainly for doorstep delivery of fresh milk by milkmen: retail store sale is available in some regions. After customers have finished the milk they are expected to rinse the empty bottles and leave it on the doorstep for collection, or return it to the retail store. The standard size of a bottle varies with location, common sizes are pint, quart, Litre, etc.

Babcock test

The Babcock test is an inexpensive and practical procedure to determine the fat content of milk. It is named after its developer, Stephen M. Babcock (1843–1931), professor at the University of Wisconsin.

The American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) is a non-profit professional organization for the advancement of dairy science. ADSA is headquartered in Champaign, Illinois.

Otto Frederick Hunziker

Otto Frederick Hunziker was a pioneer in the American and international dairy industry, as both an educator and a technical innovator. Hunziker was born and raised in Switzerland, emigrated to the U.S., and studied at Cornell University. He started and developed the dairy program at Purdue University when such programs were at their infancy. At this same time, Hunziker was heavily involved with the development of the American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) and the standardization and improvement of many dairy tests and processes. Hunziker wrote several of the leading dairy processing texts, which continue to be cited. After leaving Purdue University, Hunziker managed research and operations at a large, national condensary, continued to drive ADSA's standardization and publishing efforts, represented the U.S. at international dairy congresses, and facilitated dairy industry improvements across the globe.

Fat content of milk

The fat content of milk is the proportion of milk, by weight, made up by butterfat. The fat content, particularly of cow's milk, is modified to make a variety of products. The fat content of milk is usually stated on the container, and the color of the label or milk bottle top varied to enable quick recognition.

The Gerber method is a primary and historic chemical test to determine the fat content of substances, most commonly milk and cream. The Gerber method is the primary testing method in Europe and much of the world. The fairly similar Babcock test is used primarily in the United States, although the Gerber method also enjoys significant use in the U.S. as well.

Norwegian Red Breed of cattle

Norwegian Red is a breed of dairy cattle developed in Norway since 1935. Since the 1970s, breeders strongly emphasized functional and production traits resulting in excellent production combined with world-leading performance in health and fertility traits. Norwegian Red cows can have either a red and white or black coat and have a high proportion of genetically polled animals.

Lore Alford Rogers

Lore Alford Rogers was an American bacteriologist and dairy scientist. He is credited with discovering that butter made from pasteurized sweet cream remained fresher than that made from sour ripened cream, while suggesting that surplus milk could still be sold as concentrated sour milk products. He refined the steps for manufacture of high quality Swiss cheese and, new to the United States, production of Roquefort cheese. He was instrumental in finding ways to discourage fungal growth in sweetened condensed milk and preventing losses in evaporated milk from heat coagulation.

Hartford-Empire Co. v. United States, 323 U.S. 386 (1945), was a patent-antitrust case that the Government brought against a cartel in the glass container industry. The cartel, among other things, divided the fields of manufacture of glass containers, first, into blown glass and pressed glass, which was subdivided into: products made under the suction process, milk bottles, and fruit jars. The trial court found the cartel violative of the antitrust laws and the Supreme Court agreed that the market division and related conduct were illegal. The trial court required royalty-free licensing of present patents and reasonable royalty licensing of future patents. A divided Supreme Court reversed the requirement for royalty-free licensing as "confiscatory," but sustained the requirement for reasonable royalty licensing of the patents.

Indiana Glass Company manufactured pressed, blown and hand-molded glassware and tableware for almost 100 years. Predecessors to the company began operations in Dunkirk, Indiana, in 1896 and 1904, when East Central Indiana experienced the Indiana gas boom. The start date for the company is considered 1907, when a group of investors led by Frank W. Merry formed a company to buy the Dunkirk glass plant that belonged to the bankrupt National Glass Company. National Glass was a trust for glass tableware that originally owned 19 glass factories including the plant in Dunkirk. National Glass went bankrupt in 1907, and its assets were sold in late 1908.

Babcock bottle

A Babcock bottle is a clear glass flask with a long graduated neck, used in the Babcock test to evaluate the cream contents of milk. It is also called a Babcock milk test bottle, milk test bottle, cream test bottle, and other similar names.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 (1955): "L. F. Nafis Dies". Journal of Dairy Science, volume 34, issue 8, pages 442–448. doi : 10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(55)94997-3
  2. ↑ Government of Illinois (1908): Certified List of Illinois Corporations , page 205.
  3. ↑ (2019): Online books by Edward Holyoke Farrington. Online search page. Accessed 2019-03-12.
  4. ↑ (2019?) "Farrington, Edward Holyoke 1860 - 1934". Online biographical summary, Wisconsin Historical Society. Accessed on 2019-03-12.
  5. ↑ (1928): "Illustrated catalog of Nafis scientific glass apparatus for the dairy industries". Louis F. Nafis, Inc., Chicago. At the Rakow Research Library, Corning Museum of Glass, item ID 139984. 44 pages.
  6. ↑ G. J. Hucker and Poul Arne Hansen (1934): "Valeur relative des examens dans la mammite chronique des bovidés". Le Lait, INRA Editions, volume 14, issue 133, pages 226-248. Article ID <hal-00895148>
  7. ↑ E. W.. Bird and D. F. Breazeale (1937): "A study of the several Minnesota reagents for the determination of fat in buttermilk". Journal of Dairy Science, volume 20, issue 1, pages 1-7. doi : 10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(37)95653-4
  8. ↑ Kimble Glass Company (1943): "Kimble Dairy Glassware". Advertisement in Journal of Dairy Science, volume 26, issue 3, page 3. Accessed on 2019-03-04.
  9. 1 2 Louis F. Nafis and Mabel Siller Nafis (1928), "Color-comparing rod". US patent application US1499188A.
  10. ↑ (2014): "Kimble Glass Company No. 612 - stirring rod for salt test." Catalog entry 2014.1.378a-b, Museum of American Glass of West Virginia. Accessedon 2019-03-12.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.