Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing shredded food products, such as cheese, is disclosed. The method and apparatus permits the production of cheese shreds to be accomplished in a unified operation wherein a sheet of cheese is produced and that sheet of cheese is cut to desired dimensions directly from the casting line. An arrangement of the invention may comprise a sheet former, a casting line, and a shredding assembly, all of which function as a single unit. The shredding assembly, itself a unique arrangement, first slices the incoming sheet of cheese into ribbons, and then cuts each of these ribbons to length. The sheet of cheese may be sliced into ribbons by passing the cheese through a pair of rollers having grooves or slots machined into their surfaces, the width of the slots corresponding to the desired width of the cheese ribbons. The cheese ribbons are presented to a plurality of transversely mounted elongate blades, each of which revolves about a common axis.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing shredded food products, such as cheese, is disclosed. The method and apparatus permits the production of cheese shreds to be accomplished in a unified operation wherein a sheet of cheese is produced and that sheet of cheese is cut to desired dimensions directly from the casting line. An arrangement of the invention may comprise a sheet former, a casting line, and a shredding assembly, all of which function as a single unit. The shredding assembly, itself a unique arrangement, first slices the incoming sheet of cheese into ribbons, and then cuts each of these ribbons to length. The sheet of cheese may be sliced into ribbons by passing the cheese through a pair of rollers having grooves or slots machined into their surfaces, the width of the slots corresponding to the desired width of the cheese ribbons. The cheese ribbons are presented to a plurality of transversely mounted elongate blades, each of which revolves about a common axis.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a continuous sheet of molten, moldable or plasticized material, especially a food product such as cheese. The invention may also be used to form a continuous sheet of other food products, such as noodles, peanut butter, jellies and the like. The apparatus comprises at least two sets of opposed rollers and a pair of endless belts. At least one of the first set of rollers, defined as forming rollers for purposes of distinction, has a concave surface. Each of another set of rollers, defined as discharge rollers for purposes of distinction, is disposed downstream from the first set of rollers and has a substantially flat surface. Each endless belt circulates about a group of rollers comprised of a forming roller and a discharge roller. In the region between opposed roller sets, the endless belts cooperate with each other and with the rollers to form a pocket that receives and maintains the cheese.