Anker Hoth self-balancing #6 cream separator. 1917. In 1878, the first mechanical cream separators were introduced in America by France's DeLaval Company. The new device offered a quick and efficient means of separating cream and eliminated the need for farmers to haul whole milk to creameries. By the beginning of World War I, the machines were a common fixture on dairy farms, despite the painstaking task of cleaning them after each use. H. 3'9".