Abstract: A provolone cheese molding apparatus constituted by a fixed, horizontal table having a single circular hole within the table, a chute depending from the table and aligned with the circular hole, and means for pressing warm cheese upwardly within the chute. A slide on the upper face of the table reciprocates horizontally and includes spaced circular holes within the slide for selective alignment with the table holes. Cylindrical provolone cheese loaf forming tubes are vertically mounted to the slide coaxial with the holes and receive the cheese when aligned with the chute to form cylindrical provolone cheese loaves. The tubes are formed of lightweight light transmitting plastic, and each bears a plunger disc of a light contrasting color which moves with the cheese as it rises internally of the tube to indicate the extent of filling of the tube.

Abstract: A vertical hopper carries a mass of hot water recirculated therethrough by water jet inlets opening laterally into the vertical hopper below the level of accumulated water and creates by water turbulence the heating and mixing of cheese curd segments as they pass under gravity through the water towards a pair of intermeshed, slow speed augers within a horizontal discharge duct which underlies the hopper. The augers feed the uniformly mixed stretched cheese curd through an elbow to a vertical accumulating duct bearing at its upper end an adjustable back pressure plate which closes off a part of the accumulator duct discharge opening.