Abstract: The present invention discloses an apparatus for cooling, washing and draining liquid from a suspension of material that includes discrete particles of a friable material such as cottage cheese curd and a transporting liquid, and for blending an additive liquid such as cottage cheese cream dressing into the friable material after it has been drained to prepare a blended material. The apparatus includes a vessel having a bottom wall, a lower aperture in the bottom wall, a side wall and a top wall. A sweep is mounted in the vessel for rotation about a principal axis to gently agitate suspended or blended material. A manifold is mounted in surrounding relation to the lower aperture of the vessel and has upper and lower chambers, a foraminous screen mounted between the upper and lower chambers, a first opening for admitting or exhausting material from the upper chamber above the foraminous screen, and a second opening in fluid communication with the lower chamber for draining liquid.

Abstract: A method for washing and cooling cottage cheese curds and including the steps of disposing a housing in a horizontal position, admitting a washing and cooling fluid into an upstream end of the housing and discharging it at a downstream end to establish a reservoir of flowing fluid, placing the material into the reservoir adjacent the downstream end, lifting the material in the reservoir transversely to the normal direction of fluid flow, lowering the material in the reservoir at an acute angle relative to the normal direction of fluid flow to more the material in an upstream direction, and repeating the lifting and lowering steps until the material is discharged at the upstream end of the housing.

Abstract: A counterflow washer and cooler for processing cottage cheese curd and whey material comprising a horizontal housing, and a material and fluid blender rotatable mounted in the housing. The blender includes a rotatable shaft having at least one material lifting and conveying assembly rigidly mounted thereon having a material supporting surface and a guiding and conveying wall for moving material longitudinally through the housing in counterflow to the direction of flow of a washing and cooling fluid passing through the housing.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing a mixture to produce a product such as cottage cheese. The apparatus comprises a vat for holding the mixture, a paddle for stirring the mixture, a cutting knife for cutting the product, a carriage for supporting the cutting knife and the paddle above the vat and a mechanism for moving the cutting knife and the paddle horizontally along the vat. The apparatus also includes a mechanism for mechanically retracting the paddle from the mixture so that the cutting knife can be extended into the product, a mechanism for connecting the cutting knife to the carriage and for extending the knife into the vat and for extracting the knife from the vat, and a mechanism for causing reciprocative movement at regular intervals of the cutting knife perpendicular to the path of travel of the carriage.

Abstract: Apparatus for blending materials having different consistencies such as a cream dressing and cottage cheese curd. A cylindrical container having a flat bottom is supported with its central axis at an angle of 30.degree. to 60.degree. but usually preferably about 45.degree. from horizontal and vertical. A motor driven shaft extends from the top toward the bottom of the cylinder with its axis parallel to the central cylinder axis but offset into the half of the cylinder which lies below its axis. The shaft carries upper and lower flat mixing blades which are nominally 180.degree. apart and are axially spaced and the opposite blades are at such angles relative to the shaft axis that the blades swing through a range of angles between vertical and horizontal as they orbit about the shaft axis.