The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 10, 1985
Filed:
Aug. 22, 1983
Ian P Brockwell, Wyckoff, NJ (US);
Herbert W Hancock, Merriott, GB;
Alfa-Laval Cheese Systems Limited, Somerset, GB;
Abstract
Cheese curd is fed into the top of a hollow perforated column in a tower at a sub-atmospheric pressure so as to form in the column a pillar of curd supported on a guillotine blade which closes off an opening in the bottom of the tower. A former unit below the tower has an upright open-ended cylinder sealed against the bottom of the tower, and an elevator within the cylinder. The guillotine blade is withdrawn, the pillar of curd lowered into the cylinder by the elevator, and the guillotine blade returned to its closed position so as to cut off a block of curd from the bottom end of the pillar of curd. The elevator is then forced upwards to compress the block of curd within the cylinder. The former unit is subsequently lowered, pivoted into a horizontal position, and the elevator driven along the cylinder to eject the block of curd.