Classifications

• • 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
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01J—MANUFACTURE OF DAIRY PRODUCTS
  • A01J27/00—After-treatment of cheese; Coating the cheese
  • A01J27/04—Milling or recasting cheese

Definitions

• the invention generally relates an apparatus and process for continuously casting food
• the invention relates to such an improved apparatus and process
• Food products such as processed cheese may be difficult to cut or slice because, for example,
• the cheese tends to cling to the cutting surfaces. For this or other reasons, it may be preferable to
• a cooling belt such as a stainless steel belt B
• Pans may be installed at the undersides of the belts to flood the insides of
• the belt with a cooling medium such as a refrigerated glycol solution.
• a pressurized discharge manifold may be used for distributing
• a conventional pressure manifold is a closed cavity typically consisting of
• the closed cavity receives the hot food product
• pressure manifold may be mounted at the infeed end of the machine on top of the belts ("top-cast")
• a gauge roller on a chill roll may be used to provide a cast food product in
• the thin, cooled sheets may be slit into narrow strips or ribbons. The strips may then be
• stacked and cut to length for packaging such as in slice or other forms.
• “Casting belt” means a conveyor belt or other means, which may be chilled or cooled
• a casting apparatus for extruding and casting a food
• the product into a sheet having predetermined dimensions.
• the food product is deposited in molten
• a device such as a top-cast or angle-cast pressure manifold, or chill and gauge rolls, is used
• the mechanism includes opposing side rails adjacent at least a portion of a longitudinal periphery of
• the distance between the opposing side rails may be adjusted. It is preferable that
• the angle between one or both of the side rails and the plane of the support surface is adjustable.
• various food products such as a processed cheese may be cast to
• products of low viscosity such as gelatin-based products.
• a process for casting a food product into a sheet having controlled dimensions also forms
• a moving support surface such as a casting belt or chill roll is provided.
• a food product is deposited in molten form onto the support surface. Using a pressure
• the food product is distributed over the support
• support surface is preferably adjustable.
• FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a cheese casting machine using a pressure manifold
• FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along lines 2-2 of FIGURE 1 illustrating the ability of
• the side rails to move closer together or farther apart, and to pivot about their ends.
• a food product to be cast such as all types of processed cheese, gelatin-based food products
• the casting belt moves, the product is pulled under the pressure manifold, casting the product in a
• a low viscosity food product such as the spiced gelatin, described above,
• a fluid may be so fluid that it will not retain the dimensional characteristics at which it was extruded.
• cooling solution may be applied to the bottom of the casting belt as it travels downstream of the
• the extruded width of the product may increase, and thus the sheet thickness may increase
• fluid-like product may travel 4-6 feet before it is cooled enough to begin retaining its geometrical
• side rails 30 are located downstream of pressure manifold 10, on each side of the extruded sheet of food product. Side rails 30 contact the casting belt and act as
• stainless steel brackets 15 may be bolted to plastic rail 30 to provide
• the side rails may be adjusted width- wise, i.e., they may be
• brackets 15 may be slotted to allow them to slide over rigid
• buttons e.g., thumbscrews
• electronic controls may be provided.
• slide rails 30 may also be given the ability to be
• fly nut for example
• Side rails 30 may be constructed from plastic or any other material that is not damaging to
• the extruded sheet 27 may then be further cooled
• the ribbons may then be further cut into slices or other forms and
• the present invention could be used when extruding a food

Landscapes

• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Animal Husbandry (AREA)
• Environmental Sciences (AREA)
• Formation And Processing Of Food Products (AREA)
• Dairy Products (AREA)
• General Preparation And Processing Of Foods (AREA)

Priority Applications (6)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=29269693

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (13)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (5)

Citations (5)

Family Cites Families (14)

• 2002
  • 2002-05-06 US US10/140,775 patent/US7033632B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2003
  • 2003-04-25 RU RU2004132842/13A patent/RU2004132842A/ru not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2003-04-25 AU AU2003247356A patent/AU2003247356A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-04-25 BR BRPI0309805-2A patent/BR0309805A/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2003-04-25 PL PL03373851A patent/PL373851A1/xx not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2003-04-25 MX MXPA04010969A patent/MXPA04010969A/es unknown
  • 2003-04-25 CN CNA038101076A patent/CN1649484A/zh active Pending
  • 2003-04-25 WO PCT/US2003/013187 patent/WO2003094604A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2003-04-25 EP EP03749822A patent/EP1501348A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2003-04-25 KR KR10-2004-7017839A patent/KR20050012739A/ko not_active Withdrawn
  • 2003-04-25 JP JP2004502709A patent/JP2006506956A/ja active Pending
  • 2003-05-05 AR ARP030101577A patent/AR039787A1/es unknown
• 2004
  • 2004-10-29 ZA ZA200408781A patent/ZA200408781B/en unknown
• 2005
  • 2005-12-22 US US11/317,334 patent/US20060099312A1/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (5)

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