Eggbeater (blueprint)
*On this date in 1884, a Black inventor patented a mechanical eggbeater. African American, Willis Johnson of Cincinnati, Ohio, patented the device (U.S. Pat# 292,821).
Johnson's eggbeater improved over an earlier model and was intended to mix many more ingredients than just eggs. He had designed his invention and mixer for eggs, batter, and other baker's ingredients with the double-acting machine with two chambers.
The batter could be beaten in one section, and eggs could be beaten in another, or one section could be cleaned while the other could continue beating. This ensured a rapid revolution in the driving wheel. Anyone who's ever made a cake from scratch knows how much mixing is involved. In the days before electric mixers, cooks and bakers had to blend all ingredients by hand, an arm-wearying chore!
