EP0028236A1 - A method of coating cheese with a protective layer and a plant for carrying out the process - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of coating the cheese with a protective layer, eg paraffin, consists in dipping each cheese (A, B), fixed by means of one or more suction cups (13, 14), into a container (3) containing a molten protective material, then each cheese (C, D, E) is turned over and soaked so that the protective layer completely covers the cheese (F). Installation for the automatic implementation of the process.

Description

A method of coating cheese with a protective layer and a plant for carrying out the process

The invention relates to a method of coating cheese with a protective layer of meltable material, said method comprising the steps of dipping each cheese in a bath of molten material, such as paraffin, wax or the like, and causing said molten material to solidify upon removal of the cheese from the bath.

It is essential that the protective layer around a cheese is uniform and has no holes e.g. because the cheese rapidly moulds on the non-protected spots. This has till now been difficult to achieve by methods of the present type because the means that secure the cheese in the molten material bring about bare spots which must then be treated. Further, the use of the known cheese securing means involves a risk of permanent marks being left on the cheese or of the protective layer just solidified being literally perforated during the treatment.

The object of the invention is to provide a method that allows a protective layer to be rapidly obtained which covers the cheese completely and has an even and uniform surface, and without leaving marks on the cheese.

This object is achieved by carrying out the method as described in the characterizing portion of claim 1.

The invention is based on the finding that suction cups may be used for securing a cheese in the melt bath as it has been found that they do not leave marks on the cheese when the suction pressure and type of suction cup are adapted to the weight and consistency of the cheese. The advantage of dipping the cheese only partly in the melt bath is that the suction cups do not touch the meltable material, and a continuous and thus quicker operation is provided by turning the cheese and repeating the process on solidification of the protective layer, there being no bare spots on the cheese to be treated.

A more even protective layer is obtained by carrying out the method as described in claim 2 because it does not contain any bulges caused by the formation of drops during solidification.

Cooling the cheese as described in claim 3 provides not only a more rapid cooling of the meltable material, but it has also been found that its surface becomes more even and bright by this method.

The invention also relates to a plant for carrying out the method, said plant being characterized by the construction stated in the characterizing portion of claim 4. This plant permits the entire process to be automatized and the costs of the plant to be reduced because two essentially uniform treatment sections are used.

The two treatment sections do not have to be mounted in immediate succession because, as stated in claim 5, a conveyor may be fitted between the two sections, which allows the plant to be installed more easily in existing buildings. Space permitting, the sections may be built very close together by means of the features defined in claim 6.

For dripping off, the cheese may be placed in an inclined position, e.g. in that the running rails mentioned in claim 4 have a certain pitch, but the suc tion cup assembly is preferably arranged as stated in claim 7. The cooling bath may be provided as stated in claim 8, and as stated in claim 9 it has engagement means located a little below the surface of the water. It will be appreciated that the protective layer only covers the lower part of the cheese after dipping in the melt bath of the first treatment section, and therefore it is important that the cheese is not extended so far down in the cooling bath that water may reach the unprotected cheese part.

The engagement means may advantageously be constructed as stated in claim 10, but it will be understood from the foregoing that in case of very flat cheeses it may be an advantage to arrange the cooling bath as stated in claim 11 so that the water may drip off before the cheese is turned if there is a risk of the water running over the unprotedted cheese part during the turning process.

The invention will be explained more fully in the following description of an embodiment with reference to the drawing, in which

fig. 1 diagrammatically shows the operation according to the invention, while

fig. 2 shows details of the plant of the invention shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 1 diagrammatically shows an embodiment of the plant of the invention comprising two essentially uniform treatment sections I and II. Each section comprises a receiving station 1, 2, a melt vessel 3, 4 for protective material (below this material is as sumed to be paraffin), a cooling vessel 5, 6, which preferably contains water, and a turning mechanism 7, 9 and 8, 10, respectively. A running rail 11 for suction cup assembly 12 is provided above the sections, said assembly having in the embodiment shown two suction cups 13, 14 for each cheese. The suction cup assembly may e.g. comprise a total of six suction cups for securing three cheeses side by side. The assembly 12 is movable along the running rail 11, and the suction cups 13, 14 are movable in a vertical direction.

A cheese 15, which is also designated by the letter A, is shown on the receiving station 1 of the first section. It is shown by dashed lines and serial letters how a cheese is moved through the plant. The suction cups 13, 14 first grip the cheese 15 and are moved across the melt vessel 3 where the cheese is lowered to the position indicated by B so that the paraffin extends at least halfway up the cheese. Then the cheese is lifted up again by the suction cups 13, 14 being moved upwards, and the assembly 12 is noved across the vessel 5 where the cheese is deposited on some support means just below the surface of the water. Here the position of the cheese is the same as shown at F in the vessel 6, the support means preferably being constituted by support means pivotable about an essentially horizontal axis in one extreme position thereof, which is shown in the vessel 6. In the other extreme position, which is shown in connection with the vessel 5, the cheese has been lifted out of the cooling bath to the position indicated at C where the cheese is deposited on a pivotable depositing table 9. When the depositing table 9, which is provided with rollers, is in its lower position, the cheese rolls down on to the receiving station 2 of the second section as shown at D, and now it is the upper half of the cheese which is coated with paraffin.

Then the process described in connection with the first treatment section is repeated in the second treatment section, the cheese being again dipped down in molten paraffin as shown at E so that on removal from the melt bath the cheese is completely coated with paraffin which is then cooled in the position shown at F, and is then turned as previously described and discharged from the turning table 10.

Fig. 2 shows details of the plant of fig. 2 and particularly the construction of the suction cup assembly 12 and the turning mechanism 7, 9. The suction cups 13 -and 14 are moved by means of hydraulic cylinders 15, 16, and the entire assembly 12 is suspended about a horizontal shaft 17 of a travelling frame 18 which is movable to and fro by means of a driving rod 19. Further, the travelling frame 18 has attached thereto a hydraulic cylinder 20 whose piston rod is secured to the assembly 12 so that the assembly may be pivoted about the shaft 17 to dashed-line position above the melt vessel 3 in which position the excessive molten paraffin runs off.

The suction cup assembly 12 shown by full lines in fig. 2 is shown in a position where the cheese has just been delivered on a support means 21 (which corresponds to the support means 7 previously mentioned) which is located below the surface of the water in the vessel 3. Then the suction cup assembly 12 may release the cheese and be moved to the left, backwards for receiving one or more cheeses on the receiving station of the section. The support means 21 are formed as a perforated plate which is connected, to a bracket 22 pivotable about a shaft 23, via an angle piece. This permits the plate 21 to be pivoted up to the position shown in dashed line where the cheese is deposited on the depositing table 9 in its upper position shown in dashed line. The depositing table 9, like the plate 21, is pivotable about the shaft 23 by means of a hydraulic cylinder 24, and when the depositing table 9 is in its lower position the cheese automatically rolls on to a subsequent receiving station. The subsequent receiving station may be the receiving station of the second treatment section, or may be a conveyor belt for finished cheeses when it is assumed that the details of fig. 2 belong to the second treatment section.

The turning mechanism described above can be used for turning the cheese so that the half coated with paraffin will face upwards, at least the paraffin on the upper side, having been solidified by means of the cooling bath so that the cheese may immediately be gripped by the suction cup assembly of the second treatment section. During the turning operation, however, care must be taken not to turn the cheese so fast that water will run over the unprotected cheese part, and, particularly when the cheese is flat, it may therefore be expedient to let the water drip off prior to the turning operation. This can be achieved because the vessel 5 is movable in a vertical direction by means of an additional hydraulic cylinder 25, allowing the entire vessel to be lowered so much that the water can drip off the cheese before the support means 21 pivots up about the shaft 23.

The plant described is preferably automatically con trolled so as to provide for a rapid and hygienic coating cheese with a uniform layer of paraffin which does not have irregularities, holes or displeasing marks.

Claims

P a t e n t C l a i m s : - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

1. A method of coating cheese with a protective layer of meltable material, comprising the steps of dipping each cheese in a bath of molten material, such as paraffin, and causing said molten material to solidify upon remoyal of the cheese from the bath, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by the fact that while being secured by means of one or more suction cups each cheese is dipped partly down into and taken up from the bath and is deposited and turned on solidification of the protective layer, following which the process is repeated so that the entire surface of the cheese is covered by the material.

2. A method according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by the fact that after being removed from the bath each cheese, which is still secured by means of suction cups, is caused to assume an inclined position appropriate for the dripping off of the molten material over the bath.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by the fact that the downwardly directed face of the cheese is briefly cooled in a cooling bath, preferably a water bath, after each dipping and optional dripping off operation.

4. A plant for carrying out the method according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by the fact that it consists of two essentially uniform treatment sections which each comprise a melt vessel for protective material, fitted between a receiving station and a depositing station, and of running rails for a suction cup assembly which are disposed above said stations, the movement and function of said suction cup assembly being fully or partly automatically controlled, a turning mechanism for deposited cheeses being provided in that section in connection with the depositing station which is the first one as seen in the direction of transport.

5. A plant according to claim 4, c h a r a c t e r i z ¬e d by the fact that a cheese conveyor is provided between the depositing space of the turning mechanism and the receiving station of the second section.

6. A plant according to claim 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by the fact that the depositing space of the turning mechanism is arranged to form the receiving station of the subsequent section.

7. A plant according to claim 4, 5 or 6, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by the fact that the suction cup assembly is arranged to pivot about an essentially horizontal axis during the suction function.

8. A plant according to claim 4, 5, 6 or 7, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by the fact that a bath of coolant, preferably water, is provided between the melt vessel and the depositing station.

9. A plant according to claim 8, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by the fact that the coolant bath has engagement means which are disposed a little below the surface of the water.

10. A plant according to claim 9, c h a r a c t e r i ze d by the fact that the turning mechanism comprises support means through which the coolant easily flows, said support means being pivotable about an essentially horizontal axis and constituting in their one extreme position said engagement means.

11. A plant according to claim 8, 9 or 10, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by the fact that at least the coolant bath is movable in a vertical direction.