FR2554317A1 - Simultaneous application of pressure to layers of cheese containers - Google Patents

Abstract

Cheese is placed in a large number of moulds arranged at regular intervals on vertically stacked shelves in a rack resting on a pallet. The cheese surface in each mould is compressed by one of the weights arranged with precisely similar and axial spacing as the moulds, while hung from transverse bars above the moulds. At their ends laterally beyond the shelves these bars are attached to vertical bars connected by an overhead bar. The bars are raised or lowered as a single assembly by a power piston.

Description

'Weight pressing device for cheese making'1
The present invention relates to a weight pressing device for the manufacture of cheeses, in particular cheeses of the type
"semi-pressed soft dough".

Cheeses of the "semi-pressed soft dough" type, of the "reblochon" type, require during their production in the pressing phase
mechanical pressure of small magnitude but the application of which is absolutely necessary. To exert this pressure, it is impossible to use means such as compressed air cylinders, because with these
means regularity of pressing is never guaranteed with certainty.

So we traditionally use the use of weights of a
well defined mass, which must be placed individually in molds on each cheese to be pressed. The implementation of this process poses a serious handling problem, the importance of which is measured if we consider, for example, that a manufacturing tank of 4,000 liters gives 1,000 reblochons of 500g. each.

 The object of the invention is to eliminate this handling problem.

To this end, the present invention relates to a device for
weight pressing for cheese making including essential
on the one hand, sets of molds mounted with spacings
determined on superimposed support trays, carried by shelves
ges of a pallet, and on the other hand, sets of weights arranged at
between axes corresponding to those of the molds and suspended from superimposed sets of bars, placed above the various mold-holder trays, these sets of bars all being connected to lifting and lowering means allowing the positioning in one single operation of all the sets of weights on the cheeses contained in the different sets of molds.

The invention thus provides a device which ensures the simultaneous placement of weights on a large number of cheeses during manufacture by simple, mechanical or pneumatic means for example,
to press. The different sets of stacked bars
can be connected to each other by vertical supports passing outside
laughing mold trays and fixed by their tops to a lifting beam
actuated by means of a jack.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the weights
of each set of weights are presented as disks each attached to a rod mounted to slide in a bar of the corresponding set of bars, the rod comprising a stop means limiting the downward movement of the corresponding weight. In this way, although the weights are all handled simultaneously and with a single common command, each weight can slide independently of all the others to be placed exactly on the cheese in the corresponding mold. When lifting the sets of bars, the stop means retain the rods and allow the lifting of all the weights.

In any case, the invention will be better understood with the aid of the description which follows, with reference to the appended schematic drawing representing, by way of nonlimiting example, an embodiment of this weight pressing device for manufacturing cheeses
Figure 1 is an overall perspective view, very schematic, of a weight pressing device according to the present invention
Figure 2 is an elevational view of this pressing device, the weight assemblies being in the raised position
Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the weight assemblies in the lowered position
Figure 4 is a plan view of a mold carrier plate of the device
Figure 5 is a plan view of a set of weights of the device, with the associated set of bars;
Figure 6 is a detail view showing one of the weights with its sliding system.

 The pressing device, shown as a whole in FIGS. To 3, comprises a pallet (1) with shelves which carry a plurality of superimposed horizontal mold carrier plates (2). Each tray (2) supports a set of cylindrical cheese molds (3), arranged in longitudinal and transverse alignments as shown in FIG. 4, at determined axes (e).

 Between the different mold carrier plates (2) and above the upper plate (2) are arranged sets of bars (4). These assemblies (4), all superimposed, are interconnected laterally by vertical supports (5) which pass outside the mold-holder plates (2). The tops of the supports (5) are fixed under a lifting beam (6) which is vertically movable by means of a jack (7).

 Each assembly (4) is composed of several parallel horizontal bars (8), under which weights (9) in the form of discs are suspended, arranged in longitudinal and transverse alignments in a manner corresponding to the molds (3) with the same entr 'axes (e) see figure 5. Each weight (9) is fixed to the lower end of a suspension rod (10), slidably mounted in vertical direction in the holes of a bar (8) as shown in Figure 6. The upper end of the rod (10) carries a locking washer (11).

 When the lifting beam (6) is placed in the raised position by means of the jack (7), all the sets of bars (4) are raised so that each weight (9) is located above a mold (3), but is not engaged inside this mold (3) - see figure 2.

 By actuating the cylinder (7) in the direction of lowering of the lifter (6), all the sets of bars (4) are lowered simultaneously so that each weight (9) is introduced inside the mold (3 ) corresponding to rest on the cheese to be pressed contained in this mold see figure 3. The system of individual suspension of the weights (9), illustrated by figure 6, allows each one of them to be put in place exactly on the cheese in the corresponding mold (3).

 At the end of pressing, the jack (7) is actuated in the direction of lifting the lifter (6), which causes the simultaneous extraction of all the weights (9) from the molds (3), the lifting of each bar ( 8) causing, by means of the lock washers (11) carried by the rods (10), the lifting of the weights (9) associated therewith.

 It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the only embodiment of this weight pressing device for the manufacture of cheeses which has been described above, by way of example; on the contrary, it embraces all the variants relating to the same principle.

It is thus, in particular, that one would not depart from the scope of the invention by replacing the jack (7) by any other means, mechanical or hydraulic or pneumatic, for controlling the lifting and lowering of the assemblies. of weight (9).

Claims (3)

 1. Pressing device by weight for the manufacture of cheeses, in particular cheeses of the "semi-pressed soft dough" type, characterized in that it essentially comprises, on the one hand, sets of molds (3) mounted with fixed axes (e) on superimposed support plates (2), carried by shelves of a pallet (1), and on the other hand, sets of weights (9) arranged at centers (e ) corresponding to those of the molds (3) and suspended from superimposed sets of bars (4), placed above the various mold-holding plates (2), these sets of bars (4) all being connected to lifting means and lowering (5,6,7) allowing the establishment in a single operation of all the sets of weights (9) on the cheeses contained in the different sets of molds (3).  2. Pressing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the different sets of superimposed bars (4) are interconnected by vertical supports (5) passing outside the mold carrier plates (2) and fixed by their tops to a lifting beam (6) actuated by means of a jack (7).  3. Pressing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the weights (9) of each set of weights are presented as discs each attached to a rod (10) slidably mounted in a bar (8) of the set of bars (4) corresponding, the rod (10) comprising a stop means (11) limiting the downward movement of the weight (9) corresponding.