Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01J—MANUFACTURE OF DAIRY PRODUCTS
  • A01J25/00—Cheese-making
  • A01J25/11—Separating whey from curds; Washing the curds
  • A01J25/115—Separating whey from curds; Washing the curds by discontinuous separation
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01J—MANUFACTURE OF DAIRY PRODUCTS
  • A01J25/00—Cheese-making
  • A01J25/12—Forming the cheese
  • A01J25/15—Presses therefor

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an apparatus for contemporaneously shaping and pressing a plurality of Grana cheese forms.
• the invention relates to a process for the production of Grana cheese form using said apparatus.
• the invention concerns an apparatus of the above kind that allows the mechanisation of some steps of the production process for the Grana cheese form.
• the known technology providing the utilization of copper kiers, employs local partially skimmed milk, and provides a coagulation step along with curd and enrichment of the lactic micro flora with serum-natural starter.
• the caseous mass is lifted by a suitable shovel.
• the caseous mass obtained from a kier having a capacity of 10 q capacity, is then manually separated in two twin forms, that, always wound in a cloth, well settled and with the cut surface folded on itself, are placed within two suitable bands, at first a wood band and then a metal band, respectively with a right and rounded profile.
• the form is placed on the inclined plane for the extraction of the serum, wound by cloth and band, and covered by a wood disc (round) of 8 - 10 Kg.
• the first turning over substituting the original cloth with a new clean one, soaked in hot water and wrung; the second turning over is carried out substituting the cloth, about after two hours from the first turning over, and the third one after two - three hours from the second.
• the known process is substantially a manual process, so that it is surely needed to automatize and mechanise, at least at a certain degree, the same process.
• the solution according to the present invention suggests a different motion and collection of the curd.
• an apparatus for contemporaneously shaping and pressing a plurality of Grana cheese forms comprising a support frame, a tank for collecting the curd having movable holed lateral and upper walls, suitable to press and shape the curd under serum and to end the drainage of the serum, a tank to contain the serum, provided external with respect to said curd collecting tank, a platform having the bottom holed, to drain the serum, horizontal thrust means of the pressed and shaped caseous mass coming out from the collecting tank, cut means for the caseous mass coming out from the collecting mass so as to obtain single cheeses, drawing means for the single cheeses obtained, and control means to operate the various components.
• said tank for collecting the curd provides two holed lateral walls and an upper holed wall, said walls being shaped so as to give to the curd the desired shape during the pressing.
• said lateral and upper walls are operated by hydraulic, pneumatic and/or oleo pneumatic cylinders.
• said tank for the containment of the serum can be provided with means for completely draining the serum and with overflow for the exit of the excess serum.
• a cheese support in front of the outlet of the curd collection tank, can be provided, hinged to said frame, in order to receive the cut cheese coming out and to rest it on said drawing means.
• said drawing means can be comprised of a trolley bearing a band for the containment of the cheese.
• said cut means for the caseous mass can be comprised of a guillotine provided with a cut blade, operated by a hydraulic, pneumatic, oleo pneumatic piston or like.
• Said horizontal thrust means for the caseous mass will be preferably made up of a hydraulic, pneumatic and like horizontal piston, acting on said plate sliding within said serum collection tank.
• a bulkhead for the containment of the curd is provided at the outlet of said collection tank.
• the apparatus according to the invention allows to contemporaneously produce a plurality of forms, preferably 4 Grana cheese forms.
• the invention further provides a process for the production of Grana cheese form employing an apparatus of the above kind.
• figure 1 is a side view of the apparatus according to the invention
• figure 2 is a front view of the apparatus of figure 1
• figure 3 is a section view taken along the line Ill-Ill figure 1
• figure 4 is a plan view of the apparatus of figure 1
• figure 5 is a section view taken along line V-V of figure 4.
• the serum - natural starter is added until obtaining an acidity of the mixture of 4.3 - 4.5 °SH/50 ml.
• the cut and start of the extraction of the serum operations of the curd granules are started, said granules being subjected to the two traditional cooking at 44°C and 53 C C, with an interval of stirred stop of about 6 - 15 minutes.
• the apparatus according to the invention is used.
• an embodiment of the apparatus 1 comprising a support frame 2, supporting all the parts of the apparatus 1.
• a curd collection tank is provided, said tank having holed lateral walls 3, shaped below, for laterally pressing the same curd, operated by two horizontal hydraulic pistons.
• a steel tank 5 is provided for collecting the serum during the pressing of the curd.
• Said tank 5 is provided with an adjustment valve for the flow of the serum, beside of an overflow 6 for discharging the excess serum.
• a movable wall 7 is provided, shaped in such a way to give from the above the desired shape to the cheese form, exerting a vertical pressure and operated by vertical hydraulic pistons 8.
• the cylinder comprised of the lateral walls 3 and of the upper movable wall 7 is frontally closed by a bulkhead 9 for the containment of the form.
• Said bulkhead is operated by the pneumatic piston 10 in order to allow the passage of part of the curd, as it will be described in greater detail in the following, toward a form-supporting die 11 , the turning over of which is controlled by the piston 12.
• a plate 13 is provided to draw the form, said plate being operated by a horizontal hydraulic piston 14.
• a guillotine 15 is provided, moved by an hydraulic piston 16, to cutting the produced forms.
• a drawing system is provided, comprised of a trolley 7 upon which the form within the band 18 rests.
• Racks 19 and a shaft 20 are provided above the movable upper wall 7, in order to compensate the vertical pressing.
• the curd is fed by gravity within the collection tank, and then lateral pressure by the lateral walls 3 and the vertical pressure by the wall 7 are started, employing pressure and time values established on the basis of the specific needing, so as to obtain a pressed curd cylinder.
• the serum passes through the holed walls 3 and 7 and is maintained around the curd for the necessary period of time.
• the plate 13 is operated, opening the bulkhead 9 blocking the form.
• the form-supporting die 11 turns over about the hinge 24 so as to be in the position for discharging the Grana cheese form within the band 18 on the trolley 17, said form being ready to be brought toward the hot room and the following salting and seasoning steps.
• the apparatus 1 allows to contemporaneously obtain four Grana forms, but it is well evident that it can be also realized for a different production, being it necessary only to modify the parameters and the dimensions to obtain the desired result.

Landscapes

• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Animal Husbandry (AREA)
• Environmental Sciences (AREA)
• Dairy Products (AREA)
• Beans For Foods Or Fodder (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=11402733

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

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Family Cites Families (2)

• 1994
  • 1994-09-21 IT ITRM940599A patent/IT1274166B/it active IP Right Grant
• 1995
  • 1995-07-06 AU AU28979/95A patent/AU2897995A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1995-07-06 WO PCT/IT1995/000114 patent/WO1996008961A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 1995-07-06 EP EP95924496A patent/EP0782385A1/en not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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