MXPA96003910A - Multip column cheese block formator - Google Patents

Abstract

Multiple columns of cottage cheese are compressed and cut simultaneously into blocks of cheese by feeding cottage cheese to the perforated tubular top coatings, which hang freely within hollow towers, all the towers being placed in a single enclosed sanitary housing. A negative pressure is maintained in each tower to introduce cottage cheese inside the tower. Each pillar of cottage cheese is supported by a single guillotine knife that closes the bottom of all the towers and is located inside the sanitary housing. Each perforated and freely hanging coating is separated from the wall of its tower to form a drainage passage for the whey that comes out pressed out of the cottage cheese due to the weight of the overlapping pillar. Next, the knife of the guillotine is removed, and each pillar of cottage cheese is lowered, by means of an elevator, to a cheese mold placed under each tower and inside the housing. Then, the knife of the guillotine returns to its closed position, so that it cuts a block of cottage cheese of each pillar. Then, the direction of each elevator is reversed, which causes each block of cheese to be pressed up against the bottom of the guillotine blade and out against the sides of its cheese mold. Once each block of cheese has been compressed, each riser is removed, leaving each block of cheese to remain in its mold. Then, each mold is rotated to a substantially horizontal position and each block of cheese is expelled into a bag held by a bagging device positioned adjacent to each cheese mold. Then, the bagged cheese blocks are released from the bagging device to be transported to a processing station.

Description

FORMER CHOCOLATE BLOCKS, MULTIPLE COLUMNS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates in general to the manufacture of cheese, and more especially, to an apparatus used to form multiple blocks of compressed natural cheese in a single operation.

Although natural cheese in its different forms is widely enjoyed by consumers, it is a relatively expensive product, which is largely due to the use of manual labor and the large amount of processing time needed to produce the cheese. One thing especially true of cheeses, like the longhorn, which are produced in round blocks that have a maximum weight of twenty pounds. Due to their round shape and small size, these types of blocks are still produced manually.

Although the cheese block formers of the previous inventions generally produce blocks of cheese in square blocks of forty pounds, they do not serve to produce small round blocks of cheese.

The conventional process for the manufacture and processing of natural cheese involves the formation of cottage cheese from milk. Usually, the pasteurized milk is inoculated with a yeast culture of cheese from a selected microorganism. Next, the inoculated milk is grown to develop a flavor. Then, to the cultivated milk is added rennet preparations or other appropriate coagulant, to form the cottage cheese. The cottage cheese is transferred to a drainage table or similar device so that the excess serum is drained from the cottage cheese, so that a ball of cottage cheese forms. Then the ball of cottage cheese is cut and salted. The salt adds flavor to the cottage cheese and helps extract the serum trapped in the fatty molecules of the cottage cheese. Once the cottage cheese is salted, it is placed in rings, or other appropriate molds, to which a cloth is usually placed, and the cottage cheese is pressed to eliminate the rpptarp? n «apr? residual whey, so that a block of cheese is formed. Then, the cheese blocks are removed from the rings, and each block of cheese is aged for a predetermined period of time to produce a product that conforms to the appropriate identity standard of the cheese being made.

As for smaller cheese blocks, these operations have been done manually and to a large extent they are still being done by hand. However, the manual production of cheese involves large expenses and exposes the product to be contaminated by workers, by airborne contaminants (microorganisms) and by contaminated equipment. In addition, due to the different variations in the procedures applied by the human factor, generally the quality of the product is not uniform. With regard to large cheese blocks, a growing volume of cheese is commercially manufactured by forming blocks of natural cheese from prepared cottage cheese, forming a pillar of cottage cheese in vertical cheese forming molds. Generally these cheese formers consist of a hollow tower having an opening in the lower part thereof. A perforated tubular column is placed inside the tower and above the hole, so that an annular drainage passage is formed between the column and the tower. A guillotine is placed under the tower, and the knife thereof can be moved between a closed position, which closes the lower end of the column, and an open position in which the lower end of the column is open. A vacuum is maintained in the tower during the cheese making process, so that the cottage cheese is introduced inside the tower. With the lower part of the column closed, cottage cheese is introduced through the top of the tower into the perforated column, so that a pillar of cottage cheese forms inside the column. As the cottage cheese pillar is formed, the whey is expressed from the bottom end of the cottage cheese pillar due to the weight of the cottage cheese superimposed on it. The serum passes through the perforations of the column and enters the drainage passage. The vacuum acts to suck the cottage cheese into the tower, and also to expel whey from cottage cheese pillar. A lifting device placed below the tower acts to lower the cottage pillar when the guillotine is in the open position, thus allowing the lower end of the cottage cheese pillar to project out of the lower end of the column. When a cottage cheese pillar is supported in this manner, the guillotine blade moves towards its closed position, so that a block of cheese is cut from the lower end of the cottage cheese pillar. Next, the blocks of cheese are expelled to a conveyor that transports them to a packing station.

In the U.S. Patent No. 5,001, 972 an apparatus representative of the previous inventions is disclosed. In this patent, the tower consists of a tubular casing, and the perforated casing consists of a preformed tube shaped as an integral structure before introducing the tube into the tower. The perforated coating is square, and although it is preformed, the coating is permanently attached to the tower inside. The inner portions of the tower, including the perforated cover, are cleaned by means of spraying spheres placed inside the tower. Once a block of cheese has been cut and lowered by means of an elevator placed under the tower, the block is expelled through a door, which is at the base of the elevator, by means of a plunger ejector.

Although there are various automated methods for making large blocks of cheese, the prior inventions do not disclose apparatus suitable for making smaller blocks of cheese economically. The cheese block formers of the previous inventions produce square cheese blocks weighing forty pounds or more, and accordingly, the cheese block formers of the previous inventions are not suitable for producing blocks of cheese of round shape and whose weight be around twenty pounds or less. In addition, the devices of previous inventions do not produce a product ready to be packed without the need for further processes. Once a block of forty pounds has been expelled from a block former as in previous inventions, the block of cheese is transferred to another station to be packed. This additional processing results in higher costs and increases the chances of product contamination before packaging. Finally, because the internal perforated tubular liners are generally fixed within the apparatuses of the previous inventions, it is difficult to remove the liners to clean them or replace them by others.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The apparatus of the invention comprises, in a broad manner, in part, a plurality of hollow towers, each tower with a base formed by an opening. Inside each tower, above the opening, is located a perforated tubular screen hanging freely from the top of its tower. Each tubular screen is open at its lower end, in order to provide access to the base of its tower. All the towers are joined to a base that has a guillotine incorporated with a blade that moves from a first position, in which the opening of each tower is closed, to a second position in which the opening of each tower does not have any obstruction. An elevator that works in conjunction with a cheese mold is placed under each tower. The cheese mold rotates between a first position in which the mold is coaxial to its corresponding tower and elevator and a second position in which the mold is coaxial to a cheese block packing apparatus located adjacent to the elevator. An ejector plunger is positioned on the opposite side of each packer apparatus and acts to unload blocks of cheese from a cheese mold into a pack held by a packer or directly to a conveyor.

During the operation, each tower is fed cottage cheese introduced on the screen at the top of the tower. Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has separate and distinct towers and perforated screens, a single device can be used to introduce cottage cheese into all the towers. A pillar of compressed cottage cheese forms inside each screen at the bottom of each tower, the base of the cheese pillar that rests against the upper surface of the guillotine blade. Once an acceptable cheese pillar has been formed inside each tower, the knife is removed from the guillotine and each pillar of cottage cheese falls into its corresponding cheese mold, so that the pillar rests on its corresponding elevator. The position of each elevator can be modified, which will depend on the weight and length of the desired block of cheese. When each riser is adjusted to the desired position, the guillotine blade is closed, cutting a block of cheese from the base of each cottage pillar. While the guillotine remains in its closed position, each elevator applies pressure to the bottom of its block of cheese, forcing the block of cheese upwards, towards the mold, and against the bottom of the knife of the guillotine. Then, these cheese molds are rotated and the cheese blocks are ejected towards the packer which is held adjacent to the open end of each cheese mold.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a multi-columned cheese block forming apparatus for economically producing round blocks of cheese with a weight ranging from zero to twenty pounds. The cheese blocks already formed will be ready to be packed without further processing. Also, since no further processing is required, it would be advisable to pack these blocks of cheese immediately after they are cut by the guillotine blade.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cheese block former having a perforated internal screen, which is easy to remove for cleaning and maintenance and which can be easily exchanged for screens having other shapes and / or other dimensions.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be obvious when the following detailed description plus the claims are read, and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings that illustrate what is presently considered as the best way to carry out the invention: FIGURE 1 illustrates a side elevation view of a three-tower cheese block former.

FIGURE 2 illustrates a front elevational view of the cheese block former of several towers of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 illustrates a sectional view of a tower constituted by the cheese block former of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4a illustrates an exploded side elevational view of a perforated screen.

FIGURE 4b illustrates a side elevational view of a perforated screen.

FIGURE 5 illustrates a side sectional view of the base of the former of the cheese blocks during the compression of a block of cheese.

FIGURE 6 illustrates a sectional side view of the base of the cheese block former during the ejection of a block of cheese.

The invention is described below according to the drawings of figures 1 to 6, in order to better illustrate the same, but of course, without restricting its scope.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the detailed description of this invention, similar numerals are used to designate similar parts during the description. Various items of equipment, such as fasteners, accessories, etc., are omitted to simplify the description. However, those who have knowledge of the technique, will realize that such conventional equipment can be used if desired.

With reference to FIGURES 1 and 2, the cheese block former 10 of the present invention consists of a base 50 on which a plurality of towers 20a, 20b, and 20c, a guillotine 54 and a bagging apparatus 80 are mounted.

As shown in FIGURE 3, each tower 20 consists of a long tubular shell 22 which is open at both ends thereof and which has a lower flange 24 which allows the shell 22 to be mounted, joined by gas sealing, to the base 50. The shell 22 is also provided with an upper flange 26, an inlet opening 27 for the cottage cheese and a vacuum hole 28. Arranged axially within the shell 22 is a tubular screen 30 having a cylindrical shape and which is also open at both ends. The upper flange 26 is provided to join the screen 30 and an inlet tube 42 for the cottage cheese which extends through the inlet opening 27 of the cottage cheese into the interior of the screen 30. Although the towers 20a, 20b and 20c are maintained independent of one another, it has been found that a single inlet tube 42 for the cottage cheese is sufficient to supply cottage cheese from a cottage cheese feeding means (not shown) to all the towers of the cheese block former 10. There is also a probe 38 extending into the envelope 22 and the screen 30 to detect the level of cottage cheese in the tower 20. The sprays 40 CIP (In Situ Cleaning) are arranged inside the envelope 22 for clean the inside of the tower 20.

The screen 30 is a two-part structure constituted by a first semicircular half 30a and by a second semicircular half 30b (see FIGURES 4a and 4b). Each half 30a, 30b, is configured to coincide with the other half, so that the screen 30 having a circular cross section is formed when the two halves 30a and 30b are joined in this way. It has been found that by constructing the screen 30 in two halves, it is easier to clean the screen 30 if it is removed from its tower. In addition, each half 30a and 30b is configured so that the diameter of the cross section of the screen 30 increases along the axial length of the tube, from the top to the bottom. Accordingly, when the first half 30a is joined to the second half 30b, the walls of the screen 30 are tilted outward, at a small angle, relative to the axis of the tower 20 in a downward direction.

The upper end of each screen half 30a and 30b also has a semicircular flange 32a and 32b projecting outward, so that the coincidence of the two halves 28a and 28b causes a circular flange 32 to be formed on the upper part of the screen. the screen 30. The flange 32 is mounted on the upper part of the upper flange 16, so that the screen 30 is axially suspended within the shell 22, where it hangs freely so that the lower open end of the screen 30 remains arranged on the lower open end of the casing 22. Because the screen 30 freely hangs from the top of the tower 20, annular centralizers 36 may be arranged along the length of the screen 30 to maintain alignment axial with the envelope 22. Those of skill in the art will understand that the largest diameter of the screen 30 is substantially smaller than the corresponding internal diameter. r of the envelope 22, so that when the screen 30 is suspended within the envelope 22, an annular drain passage 37 is defined therebetween. The annular passage 37 has a fluid communication with the base 50, so that the residual serum which is inside the annular passage 37 is drained downwards to the base 50.

The side walls of the screen 30 are provided with several drainage openings 34, which are generally separated from one another over the entire area of the screen 30. The openings 34 allow a fluid communication between the interior of the screen 30 and the annular passage 37. Although the openings 34 are spaced over the entire surface of the screen 30, the density of the openings in the upper portions of the screen 30 is greater than the density of the openings in the lower portion of the screen 30, such that the density of the openings 34 is reduced along the length of the screen 30 from the top to the bottom.

Referring now to FIGURES 5 and 6, the base 50 comprises a housing 52, a guillotine 54 an elevator 60, a cheese mold 66 and an ejector piston 72. The housing 52 defines a chamber below the towers 20a, 20b and 20c, providing a sanitary area where the cutting of the cheese blocks and the compression of the blocks of cheese take place. The guillotine 54 consists, in part, of a single linearly moving blade 56, defined by a cutting edge 56a, an upper surface 57a and a lower surface 57b. The guillotine 54 is disposed on the base 50, so that the blade 56 is adjacent the bottom of the towers 20a, 20b and 20c, which open in the housing 52. A piston 58 is used to drive the blade 56, the which is displaceable from a first position in which the opening of each of the towers 20a, 20b and 20c is closed, to a second position in which the opening of each of the towers 20a, 20b and 20c has no obstruction . In the preferred embodiment, the cutting edge 56a is bevelled adjacent the upper surface 57a, so as to facilitate the cutting of the cottage cheese. The housing 52 also defines an opening 53, which serves to provide access from the outside, to the interior of the housing 52. The opening 53 has an access door 78 which is operated between an open position and a position closed by the piston 79.

An elevator 60 is positioned within the housing 52 and below each tower 20, which functions in conjunction with a cheese mold 66. The elevator 60 operates by a piston 62 to move the platform 64 of the elevator along a path that is coaxial to the tower 20 and the cheese mold 66. The cheese mold 66, which is rotatably mounted between the elevator 60 and the tower 20, is constituted, in part, by an open end tube 68 which allows that the platform 64 of the elevator moves coaxially within the tube 68. The cheese mold 68 operates by means of a piston 70 to rotate the mold 68 between a first position in which the mold 68 is coaxial with the tower 20 and the elevator 60 (FIGURE 5) and a second position in which the mold 68 is coaxial with an ejector plunger 72 located on the side opposite the access door 78 (FIGURE 6).

An ejector plunger 72, of linear motion, which operates by means of the piston 76, is also located within the housing 52. The plunger 72 is aligned to extend through the cheese mold 66 and to access the door 78 when the mold for cheese 66 is in its second position, and access door 78 is open (FIGURE 6). There is a bagging apparatus 80 located outside the housing 52 and adjacent to the access door 78, which, when used, serves to hold the bags 81 so that they receive the cheese blocks as they are ejected from the housing 52. The bagging apparatus 80 is constituted, in part, by a conduit 82 defined by a first guide 84 and by a second guide 86, wherein the first guide 84 is fixed and placed below the second guide 86. The second guide 86 is displaceable between a first one. position and a second position, so that the diameter of the conduit 82 can be modified by altering the position of the second guide 86 relative to the first guide 84. In the first position, the second guide 86 is arranged to insert and remove the bag 81. of the apparatus 80, and in the second position, the second guide 86 is arranged to keep the bag 81 in a fixed and open position to receive a block of cheese. Specifically, when the second guide 86 is in the first position, the diameter of the conduit 82 is smaller than when the second guide 86 is in the second position. The piston 88 is used to drive the second guide 86 between the positions. In addition, the first guide 84 is maintained at approximately the same level as the cheese mold 68 when the cheese mold 68 is in its second position, thus allowing the ejector plunger 72 to extend through the duct 82 to push outwardly. of the mold 68 a block of cheese and insert it into the bag 81. Once the bag 81 has been filled with a block of cheese, the bagged cheese block is released from the bagging apparatus 80 and falls on a conveyor 88 to be transported to the another processing station (not shown).

The operation of the cheese block former 10 is described below. At the start of the operating cycle, the knife 56 of the guillotine is in its closed position, so that the interiors of the towers 20a, 20b, and 20c are closed relative to the interior of the housing 52. Vacuum means are used (not shown) to evacuate the air through the vacuum orifice 28 of each tower, so that within each tower a negative pressure is formed. When a high vacuum is obtained in each tower, the difference between the low pressure of the tower and the relative high atmospheric pressure acting on the cottage cheese in the entrance tube 42 of cottage cheese, causes the cottage cheese to flow into each screen 30, so that a pillar of cottage cheese is formed within each screen 30; the base of each pillar rests on the upper part 57a of the blade 56. In each tower, the weight of the cottage cheese on the screen 30 compresses the cottage cheese at the lower end of the pillar and removes whey from the cottage cheese. This serum is drained through the openings 34 and through the drain passage 37, where it is removed through the drainage orifices 25 of the serum. The cottage cheese that is introduced into the screen 30 is immediately subjected to the low pressure existing inside the tower 20, so that air, wet steam and whey entering with the cottage cheese are removed through the vacuum orifice 28. .

The upper part of the screen 30 has more density of openings than the lower part of the screen 30 because the extraction of the vacuum in the cottage cheese which is in the cottage cheese inlet tube 42 is improved by the presence of additional openings. In addition, although the weight of the cottage cheese is useful in expelling the whey from the lower portions of the pillar, it has been found that if more openings are provided in the upper part of the screen 30, a larger quantity of whey can be taken out of the ricotta before the The serum begins to settle within the screen 30. However, it would not be advisable to provide the same density of openings in the lower end of the screen 30 because the shape of the cottage cheese pillar is molded in this area as the pressure is superimposed from above. Under such high relative pressure, the cottage cheese would tend to come out through the openings, and thus the pillar of cottage cheese would be molded with an unwanted surface. In addition, the openings would be obstructed, so that the residual serum would be prevented from draining to the drainage passage 37.

When the cottage cheese pillar that is in each tower has reached a predetermined weight, indicated by the tower level probe 38, each elevator 60 is raised to a position adjacent to the knife 56 of the guillotine, and the knife 56 is removed to its open position to allow each pillar of cottage cheese to fall into its corresponding mold 66 for cheese and on its corresponding hoist 56. The small outward inclination that the walls of the screen 30 have in the downward direction, reduces the frictional resistance existing between the walls of the screen 30 and the cottage cheese during the downward movement of the cottage cheese pillar. Then, more is lowered to each pillar of cottage cheese towards its cheese mold 66 by means of its elevator 60, at a distance corresponding to the desired depth, and, consequently, to the weight, of the block of cheese being processed. Subsequently, the knife 66 of the guillotine is driven back towards its closed position, so as to cut a block of cheese from the lower end of each cottage pillar extending into the housing 52.

Then, the direction of each elevator 60 is inverted, and the cheese blocks are forced up against the bottom 57b of the blade 56 for a predetermined amount of time, so that the lower part 57b of the blade 56, the inner sides of the cheese mold 66 and the upper surface of the elevator hoist 62 functions as a cheese mold when the elevator 60 applies pressure. This step serves to provide the cheese block with a finished surface, which is suitable for packing. When each block of cheese has already been sufficiently molded by this process, each lifter 66 is removed from the interior of its cheese mold 66. The blocks of cheese remain in their corresponding molds. Next, each cheese mold 66 is rotated to its second position, and, simultaneously, the access door 78 is opened. Then, each ejection plunger 72 is activated to push and remove each block of cheese from its cheese mold. 66 and insert it into the adjacent bag 81 that the corresponding bagging apparatus 80 holds open.

Those of skill in the art will understand that the cheese block former 10 has been described as consisting of three towers, this number of towers being selected solely as an illustrative example, since in fact any plurality of towers can be used in conjunction with the device. Of course, the number of towers will serve as a guide for the number of elevators, cheese molds, ejector pistons and bagging devices necessary for the proper functioning of the device. However, in any case, it is due to the smaller size of the towers (compared to previous inventions) which allows multiple columns with a single base to be used.

Although each tower 20a, 20b and 20c is independent of the other towers, having the towers on a single base offers several advantages. First, although cheese blocks are molded independently of one another, this cheese block former can utilize a single integrated feed means (not shown), a guillotine 54, and a set of controls (not shown), so that these elements do not have to be duplicated in each tower. Second, although a single system or apparatus is used in conjunction with all the towers of the cheese block former 10, the finished product, i.e., a block of cut and molded cheese, can be modified independently from one tower to another. For example, but not limited to, a first tower can be configured to mold and cut slices of twelve inches with a weight of twenty pounds, while a second tower can be configured to mold and cut slices of six inches with a weight of six pounds.

Another advantage of the multi-column cheese block former of the present invention is that the free-hanging screen can easily be removed for servicing, cleaning or exchanging for screens having other dimensions or shapes; for example, a square screen. Such a feature is advisable because the time lost when performing these tasks is greatly reduced. Specifically, to remove a screen of the present invention, the upper flange of the screen is detached from the upper flange of the tower, and the screen of the tower is lifted up directly. In contrast, other similar screens described in the previous inventions are permanently fixed within their towers, or, if they were removable, a large amount of disassembly movements would be needed in the cheese block former of the previous inventions, which is a great amount of time lost. Because the screen of the present invention hangs from the top of its tower, the screen is self-centering and no additional attachment device is required at the base of the screen to maintain an axial alignment with its tower.

Another advantage of the invention described above is that the cutting and molding take place in a sanitary environment; that is, the housing, and the cheese blocks are ejected and immediately put into packaging bags. As a result, the chances of cheese blocks becoming contaminated is greatly reduced by performing all these steps with just one device, and by the close proximity of each other.

Although the invention has been described in great detail by means of the figures and by the foregoing disclosure, those skilled in the art will be able to make many variations or modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention described in the claims.

Claims (1)

Having described the invention, it is considered a novelty and therefore the content is claimed in the following: CLAIMS

1. A cheese block maker that consists of: to. a housing defining a chamber therein, said housing having a first opening and a second opening; b. a hollow tower, which has an upper end and a lower end, said lower end having an opening therein, the lower end of the tower being attached to said housing so that the tower is disposed above the first opening of said tower. accommodation; c. a perforated tubular liner that hangs within said tower, said liner having an upper end with an opening therein, a lower end with an opening therein, and a flange disposed on the upper part of said liner, the flange being provided for attaching said liner to the top of the tower, wherein said liner extends substantially along the entire length of the tower; d. a drain passage formed between the tower and said liner; and. a guillotine having a blade that moves between a closed position where the blade closes the lower end of such tower, and an open position in which said blade is removed from the lower end of the tower to leave the end open to the housing bottom of the aforementioned tower; F. means for introducing cottage cheese to the top of the tower; Y g. an elevator placed below said tower. The cheese block former of claim 1, wherein the upper part of the coating has a greater number of perforations than the lower part of said coating. The cheese block former of claim 1, further comprising a forming unit disposed below the tower and inside said housing, comprising the forming unit of: to. a tubular camera; b. means for rotating the tubular chamber between a first position for receiving a block of cheese from said tower, and a second position for expelling a block of cheese through the second opening of said housing; Y c. means for expelling a block of cheese from the tubular chamber. The cheese block former of claim 1, further comprising bagging means for holding a receptacle for receiving a block of cheese, said bagging means being disposed adjacent the second opening of said pocket. A cheese block maker that consists of: to. a housing defining a chamber therein, said housing having a door and at least two openings; b. at least two hollow towers, each of the towers having an upper end and a lower end, the lower end also having an opening therein, the lower end of each of the towers being attached to said housing so that each one of the towers is disposed above an opening of said housing; c. a perforated tubular liner disposed within each of the towers, each of the liners having an upper end with an opening therein, and a lower end with an opening therein, wherein said lining extends substantially at all length of the tower so that the lower end of said covering is adjacent to an opening of the housing; d. a drainage passage formed between each of said towers and the corresponding coating disposed there; and. a guillotine having a blade that moves between a closed position, in which the blade closes the lower end of all those towers, and an open position in which the blade is removed from the lower end of each of said towers in order to leaving the lower end of each of said towers open to said housing; F. means for introducing cottage cheese to the top of the towers; Y g. an elevator placed under each of said towers. A cheese block maker that consists of: to. a housing defining a chamber therein, the housing having a door and at least two openings; b. at least two hollow towers, each having an upper end and a lower end, said lower end having an opening therein, the lower end of each of the towers being attached to said housing, so that each one of the towers is disposed above an opening of said housing; c. a perforated tubular liner hanging within each of said towers, each of the liners having an upper end with an opening therein, a lower end with an opening therein, and a flange disposed on the upper part of the liner , said flange being provided for attaching the lining to the upper part of the tower in which said lining is disposed, wherein said lining extends substantially the entire length of the tower and wherein the upper portion thereof comprises a number greater of perforations than the lower part of such covering, each of said coverings being arranged so that the lower end of each of said coverings is adjacent to an opening of the housing; d. a drainage passage formed between each of the towers and the corresponding coating arranged there; and. a guillotine having a blade movable between a closed position in which the blade closes the lower end of all those towers, and an open position in which the blade is removed from the lower end of each of said towers so that it is left open to the housing the lower end of each of the towers; F. means for introducing cottage cheese to the top of each of the towers; g. an elevator placed under each of the towers; h. a forming unit disposed below each of the towers and inside said housing, each of the forming units comprising: (1) a tubular chamber; (2) means for rotating the forming unit between a first position for receiving a block of cheese from said tower, and a second position for expelling a block of cheese through the door of said housing; Y (3) means for expelling a block of cheese from the tubular chamber. i. bagging means for holding a receptacle for receiving a cheese block, the bagging means adjacent the door of said housing being arranged.