US525601A

US525601A - Cheese-press

Info

Publication number: US525601A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1894-09-04
Anticipated expiration: 1911-09-04

Description

t, e e h s S t e e h .S n R. Em MB Lm E E s Hm LH .C J m. d o M O W Patented Sept. 4, 1894.

.I ||||1 IIvIIIIIIIII D s III III I I N III! |11 IIQWN :mi IEE: X. a w. Y Y 4 .,l \\O .MIN .mm1 c -wml lili: i IIIIIIIII |.II I/ w MRM .MNII- I J .a s it M. ef L d@ z mams Firms an., mquumot, wAsmnmcu, uc.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES L; HELMER, OF ROME, NEW YORK.

CHEESE-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION vforming* part of Letters Patent No. 525,601, dated September 4, 1894.

Application nea 1mm 5,1894. sena11ta495m5. (No man.)

a new and useful Improvement in Cheese-y Presses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of cheesel presses which are provided with devices whereby the pressure is applied automatically, and has the object to produce an automatic mechanism which is very eective and whereby a constantly increasing pressure is applied to the cheeses.

In the accompanying drawings consisting of two sheets: Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of my improved cheese press showing the parts in position for beginning the pressing operation. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section in line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig.4 isa fragmentary sectional elevation similar to Fig. 1, showing the parts in the position when the press'- ing operation has been completed. Fig. 5 is afragmentary longitudinalsection of the pinion and one of the eccentric segments. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary top plan view showing my invention adapted for pressing two gangs of cheeses. Fig. 7 is a vertical longitudinal section showing my invention used in connection with the usual hand screw for applying the preliminary pressure tothe cheeses.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in the several iigures.

The press frame consists principally of two upper longitudinal beams A A, two lower-longitudinal beams A A', a cross bar B connecting the front portions of the upper beams, cross bars B connecting the rear portions of the upper beams, and legs b secured to'the upper and lower beams.

C-represents the foot block arranged between the rear portions of the upper beams and secured to the rear cross bars.

D represents a gang of cheese hoops of any suitable construction arranged between the upper beams and rest-ing against the foot block. l

E represents the movable head block arranged between the upper beams and bearing against the head end of the gang of cheeses.

F represents two sliding bars which are arranged in longitudinal grooves fformed in the inner sides of the upper beams and which are connected by a depressed cross bar f', so that the sliding bars move together.

G represents a rear cross head which supports the head block and which slides with its ends on the sliding bars, so as to permit the head block to move lengthwise in the machine.

H represents a front cross head arranged with its ends in the grooves of the upper beams and capable of being adj usted lengthwise in the machine. The upper beams are each'preferably provided for that purpose with a vlongitudinal row of openings i which intersect the guide grooves of the upper beams and which are adapted to receive pins 7 whereby the front cross head'is held in its adjusted position. i

Krepresents a main shaft arranged transversely between the front and rear cross heads and journaled with its ends in bearings k formed in the sliding bars. The main shaft is provided centrallywith a pinion k2 which is rigidly secured thereto."

L L represent two eccentric gear segments which mesh with the front and rear sides of the pinion, respectively, and which are pivoted eccentrically on transverse shafts Z Z j ournaled in bearings Z2 Z3 formed, respectively, on the front and rear cross heads. Upon turning the main shaft `its pinion turns the eccentric segments in opposite directions.

M represents a weight lever whereby pressure is applied to the cheeses in the-hoops. This lever is mounted on the main shaft and provided at its free end with a weightm. The lever is preferably mounted loosely on the shaft and connected therewith by a pawl m pivoted upon thelever and engaging with a ratchet wheel 'm2 secured to the main shaft.

Preparatory to beginning the pressing operation the segments are turned so that those portions of their peripheries which lie nearest their pivots engage with the pinion of the main shaft and the weight lever is raised, as shown in Fig. 1. Upon placing the weight upon the weight lever, when the parts are in this position, the pinion is turned in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, which causes the front segment to be moved downwardly and the rear segment to be moved upwardly. As the seg- IOO cross head is held stationary during the pressing operation, the rear or sliding cross head is caused to yield to the thrust of theV 1o segments and to move backward, thereby compressing the cheeses in the hoops. The main shaft and the sliding bars supporting the same are moved forward to the extent of the increase in the distance between the pivot of the front segment and the pinion, while the rear cross head is moved forward double the amount of movement of the main shaft, which causes the rear cross head to slide on the sliding bars while the latter are sliding zo in the upper beams.

The segments are preferably provided on both sides with marginal flanges nwhich bear against similar ianges fn on the pinion. These flanges are of such depth that the outer z 5 ends of the teeth of the pinion and segments are held out of engagement with each other, as represented in Fig. 5, thereby preventing the th rust of the segments from being exerted against the ends of the teeth. As the segments turn on their pivots their leverage gradually increases, owing to the gradually increasing distance from their pivots to the peripheral portions in engagement with the pinion, whereby the pressure upon the cheeses 3 5 is gradually increased as the whey escapes and the cheeses become more dense. After the cheeses have been sufficiently compressed the movement of the pinion and the segments is reversed so as to remove the pressure from the cheeses.

In order to prevent the pinion and segments from separating during this reversal means are provided for keeping them 1n mesh, preferably of the following construction: 0 repre- 4 5 sents coupling bars arranged on opposite sides v of each segment and each pivoted with one end on the main shaft and with the other end on a transverse pin 0 arranged on the segment concentrically with its gear rim, which 5o latter has the form of a circular arc. This concentric connection of the pinion shaft with the segments by the coupling bars preserves the proper relative position of the segments to the pinion and to each other. If it is necessary to continue the pressure on the cheeses'- shaft, substantially as set forth.

posite directions and two gangs of cheeses are arrangedin the press frame,y one on each side of the pinion shaft. The latter remains practically stationary, unless one gang becomes shorter than the other by pressure, 7o

when the shaft can adj ust itself to the gangs. t l

My invention is also applicable to an or dinary cheese press in which a pressure screw Q is employed for moving the head block and eecting a preliminary pressing o f th e 15 cheeses, while the automatic mechanism 1s used for effecting the final pressure. An arrangement suitable for this purpose is shown `in Fig. 7. In this'igure the front cross head is secured to the movable foot block and the le rear cross head is secured to the rear cross bars of the main frame.

It is obvious that one of these segments can be omitted but it is desirable to employ two segments because an increased movement is thereby secured for compressing the cheeses. For instance when the pinion shaft lin the construction represented in Fig. 6 is supported in stationary bearings, as it may be, the eect on each head block is only that of one of the segments.

l claim as myinventionl. The combination with the press frame and the movable pressure block, of an eccentric segment having the form of an arcof a circle, a shaft provided with a pinion meshing with said' segment, and a coupling bar mounted on said shaft and. connectedrconcentrically with said segment, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the press frame and the movable pressure block, o`f sliding vbars arranged on said frame, a movable cross head sliding on said bars and supporting block, a segment pivoted eccentrically on said l j cross head, a transverse shaft journaled in 1 l bearings arranged on said bars and provided Y with a pinion meshing with said segment,

and a pressure device connected with said i shaft, substantially as set forth. uo 3. The combination with the presscframo and the movable pressure block, of sliding bars arranged in the press frame,'amovable rear cross head arranged to slide on saidbars `and supporting the pressure 'block, a front cross head adjustably secured to the presi' frame, a transverse shaft arranged between the front and rear cross heads and journaled in bearings arranged on said bars, a pinion y secured to the transverse shaft, segments e pivoted eccentrically to the front and .rear cross heads and meshing with the pinion, and a weight lever connected with the transverse Witness my hand this 2d day of January, 1894.

JAMES L. HELMER.

Witnesses:

W. S. NIENE, WILLIS W. BYAM.