Abstract: The invention relates to a beverage preparation machine comprising an apparatus for frothing or heating milk, which apparatus is connected via a milk suction hose to a milk container, and a cleaning apparatus for cleaning the milk suction hose and the apparatus for frothing or heating milk by means of a flushing fluid. The milk can be sucked from the milk container into the apparatus for frothing or heating milk by means of a vacuum which can be generated in the apparatus for frothing or heating milk.

Abstract: A kitchen appliance for cooling and heating foodstuff including a housing that defines a cooling and heating cavity within the housing. A container is removably mountable within the cooling and heating cavity of the housing and the container is capable of retaining foodstuff therein. A conduction plate is disposed within the housing. The conduction plate is in thermal engagement with the container when the container is mounted within the housing. A heating element is disposed within the housing and is in thermal engagement with a conduction plate to heat the cooling and heating cavity. A cooling element is disposed within the housing and is in thermal engagement with the conduction plate to cool the cooling and heating cavity.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for processing fermented milk products, in which the milk product passes through processing equipment executed with a plurality of openings from a retentate side toward a permeate side, in which the milk product is forced through the processing equipment with an insert feature preferably moved in a rotating arrangement along a retentate-side boundary surface of the processing equipment.

Abstract: A cheese process vat is disclosed. The cheese process vat includes an enclosure and a shaft assembly, preferably a shaft assembly having a shaft and a plurality of agitator panels arranged on the shaft in a planar fashion. The agitator panels are preferably arranged on the shaft such that the shaft assembly is balanced in both weight and agitator panel surface area around the centerline of the shaft.

Abstract: An apparatus for preparing curd and feeding same to a curd processing apparatus, comprising a number of curd tanks and a pipe system connected with the curd tanks and provided with pumping means to feed curd from the curd tanks to the curd processing apparatus, wherein at least a number of curd tanks are provided with a first outlet and a second outlet, the pumping means being connected with the two outlets of said curd tanks, such that a curd tank can be pumped out via both outlets simultaneously.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing cheese, suitable in particular for producing crumbly cheese. Cheese molds are filled with curd, are subsequently closed with a lid and are pressed, whereafter the obtained cheeses are removed from the cheese molds. Prior to removing the cheeses from the cheese molds, however, the cheese molds still filled with cheese are heated.

Abstract: Improvements are provided in an apparatus and a method for shredding blocks of cheese. The apparatus includes an elongated cheese chamber having an open side face for the admission of a block of cheese, which is urged into the elongated cheese chamber by a loading piston, a longitudinally-extending side plate and a floor surface for slidingly-engaging a block of cheese. An extruding piston is provided to force the cheese downstream within the elongated cheese chamber. The improvement includes an extrusion grid plate which is fixed at the downstream end of the elongated cheese chamber having a plurality of elongated, parallel, horizontal and vertical, knife-edges constituting a plurality of rectangular openings. A rotatable shredder assembly including an overlapped disc is sited immediately downstream of, and is in longitudinal abutment with, the extrusion grid plate, to prevent undesired escape of the extruded cheese.

Abstract: A block former for the production of blocks of cheese, comprising an upright drainage column with a feed opening for curd particles at the upper end, a closed casing and a perforated inner tube. There is an annular space between the casing and the inner tube and a cutting-off device at the lower end for cutting off blocks of cheese. A discharge device is provided for discharging a cut-off block of cheese after a block forming cycle. A vacuum device is also provided for filling under reduced pressure the inner tube with curd particles via the feed opening and for creating a vacuum in the annular space. The column is divided into an upper and a lower part in such a manner that different pressures can prevail simultaneously in the upper and the lower part during any moment of the cycle.

Abstract: A block former for the production of blocks of cheese, comprising an upright drainage column with a feed opening for curd particles at the upper end, a closed casing and a perforated inner tube. There is an annular space between the casing and the inner tube and a cutting-off device at the lower end for cutting off blocks of cheese. A discharge device is provided for discharging a cut-off block of cheese after a block forming cycle. A vacuum device is also provided for filling under reduced pressure the inner tube with curd particles via the feed opening and for creating a vacuum in the annular space. The column is divided into an upper and a lower part in such a manner that different pressures can prevail simultaneously in the upper and the lower part during any moment of the cycle.

Abstract: A block former for the production of blocks of cheese, comprising an upright drainage column with a feed opening for curd particles at the upper end, a closed casing and a perforated inner tube. There is an annular space between the casing and the inner tube and a cutting-off device at the lower end for cutting off blocks of cheese. A discharge device is provided for discharging a cut-off block of cheese after a block forming cycle. A vacuum device is also provided for filling under reduced pressure the inner tube with curd particles via the feed opening and for creating a vacuum in the annular space. The column is divided into an upper and a lower part in such a manner that different pressures can prevail simultaneously in the upper and the lower part during any moment of a cycle.

Abstract: A strainer device for draining off whey from a cheese vat comprises an outlet for the whey and a substantially circularly shaped strainer disc (3) arranged in the outlet. This strainer disc is rotatably arranged in the wall (2) of the cheese vat about an axis of rotation (7) extending perpendicular to said wall and being connected to a motor for rotating the strainer disc.

Abstract: An enclosed food processing device is provided having one or more conveyor belts and vertically rotating agitators positioned above the belt. The agitators have forwardly and rearwardly projecting prongs that stir the food being processed without causing physical damage to it. The preferred forwardly projecting prongs are elongated and have a generally rounded cross-section. The preferred rearwardly projecting prongs may be staggered or otherwise arranged so as to break up clumps while permitting curds to pass between them.

Abstract: An enclosed food processing device is provided having one or more conveyor belts and vertical agitators positioned above the belt. The agitators have forward and backward prongs that stir the food being processed without causing physical damage to it. The food enters the device through an inlet and is evenly distributed across a draining screen by an inlet deflector plate, which is adjustable to account for the different rates at which the food may flow into the device. Ramps are positioned under the device to collect liquid drained from the food, and the ramps have independent segments that separate the liquid based on the stage of the process at which it is drained from the food. A salting apparatus is provided for conveying salt to the food to be processed. The salt is dispensed in proportion to the amount of food to be salted. Salt is moved from a salt hopper into a chamber by a rotating dispensing wheel.

Abstract: The apparatus of the invention comprises three stages. The first stage extracts soy milk from soybean go, and comprises a cylindrical pot, a cylindrical filter for receiving go held within the pot, there being an annular gap between the filter and the pot, a wire cloth disk movable within the filter, the disk having a circumferential seal for sealing between the edges of the disk and the sides of the filter, and a press assembly for urging the disk downwardly within the filter, whereby soy milk is extracted from the go, passes through the filter and into the annular gap. The soy milk is cooked in the pot. A solidifier is added while a second stage of the apparatus of the invention creates a gentle turbulence within the soy milk. After the soybean curds are formed, the third stage of the invention compresses the curds into tofu. The third stage comprises a form having openings for escape of whey which fits within the pot.

Abstract: An apparatus for separating whey from a slurry-like material such as bean and dairy products, includes a screen, a jacket mantling the screen with a first space outside the screen and a second space inside the screen, wherein the first space provides a whey chamber of a size which allows the screen to be submerged in the whey staying therein after the whey is squeezed through the screen, a spiral screw rotatively housed in the screen, the blades of the screw being kept in contact with the wall surface of the screen such that the whey is prevented from reversely flowing; and a take-out port provided in the jacket so as to allow the whey in the first chamber to overflow therethrough.

Abstract: A machine for producing soybean curd comprises a conveyor having coagulating buckets, a device for filling a mixture of soybean milk and a coagulant into the buckets, means for heating the mixture in the buckets to coagulate the mixture into soybean curd, and a device for withdrawing the soybean curd from the buckets. A preheater for preheating the buckets to a temperature higher than the temperature of the mixture to be filled is disposed for a path of travel of the buckets at a position upstream from the filling device.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing fine-textured soybean curd as placed in containers comprises means for filling a mixture of soybean milk and a coagulant into coagulating buckets, means for heating the mixture to coagulate the mixture into soybean curd, covering means for placing an inverted container over each of the buckets to cover an upper-end opening of the bucket without dewatering the soybean curd within the bucket, means for inverting the bucket and the container as placed over the bucket, and means for withdrawing the soybean curd as accommodated in the container from the bucket by moving down the inverted container.

Abstract: A hydroextractor in which a liquid material to be processed can be introduced into a hydroextracting chamber under a small pressure and the chamber can be filled with the material in a short period of time to thereby improve the operational efficiency, and a cake of the hydroextracted material can be easily removed from the hydroextracting chamber. For these purposes, this hydroextractor is arranged such that upper and lower filter cloths are provided at the top and the bottom of the hydroextracting chamber extending substantially horizontally, and that a diaphragm (8) shaped like an inverted dish is disposed on the upper surface of the upper filter cloth. Further, a pressure chamber is provided on the upper side of the diaphragm. The hydroextracting operation is performed by filling the liquid material in the hydroextracting chamber and generating a pressure in the pressure chamber so as to press the diaphragm downwardly.

Abstract: A cheese former for making large batches of cheese in a continuous process includes a tower having a screen along its internal side wall and a central screen extending along the axis of the tower, wherein whey may be separated from a curds and whey mixture introduced into the tower by drawing the whey through the screens toward both the perimeter of the tower and the central axis of the tower for removal from the system. This permits large quantities of cheese such as 600-650 pound blocks or 500 pound barrels to be made in a continuous tower forming system.

Abstract: A process for producing bean curd comprising the steps of cooling soybean milk and bittern individually to below the coagulating temperature of the milk, mixing the cooled milk and bittern together and filling the mixture into buckets, coagulating the mixture in the buckets by heating, and withdrawing the coagulated milk from the buckets and detwatering the coagulated milk to obtain formed bean curd. An apparatus for practicing the process comprises a mold box and a pressing closure each having in a required portion a multiplicity of holes not passing the coagulated milk therethrough but permitting the water contained in the coagulated milk to pass therethrough.

Abstract: The present invention provides a drainer pan assembly especially useful in cheese curd processing having an easily removable drainer plate secured to a drainer pan by a plurality of restraints including at least one releasable restraint. Preferably, the releasable restraint is a spring loaded movable pin which engages the plate and the pan.

Abstract: A bean curd producing machine comprising soybean milk coagulating means, means for dewatering and shaping coagulated soybean milk and means for delivering bean curd shaped by dewatering. The coagulating means comprises a bucket conveyor disposed within a heating chamber and having coagulating buckets arranged in parallel rows, and a distributing trough disposed above the paths of travel of the buckets in all the rows thereacross and formed in its bottom wall with filling openings positioned immediately above the respective rows of buckets. The dewatering-shaping means comprises a bucket conveyor having press buckets arranged in parallel rows and each formed in a required portion with many dewatering apertures, a press bar disposed above the paths of travel of the press buckets in all the rows thereacross, and lids suspended from the press bar each by a spring, equal in number to the number of the press bucket rows and each provided for one press bucket.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method and apparatus for filling curd into cheese moulds (6). During the cheese production process, milk is separated in a cheese vat (1) into curd and whey (2), both of which are routed to a piping manifold that distributes the curd for the run-off drainage of the whey (8) into cheese moulds (6) placed in a whey drainage vat (7). According to the invention, the manifold comprises a main line (3) exiting from the cheese vat, a plurality of side lines (5) branching from the main line and discharging into the multiple cheese moulds (6), and a return line (9) which forms a continuation of the main line and is routed back to the cheese vat, whereby the discharge of the curd in whey takes place as a continuous process via the main line and the side lines into the cheese moulds, while simultaneously the excess flow is returned at a set rate via the return line back to the pan.

Abstract: A method for the preparation of prepressed cheese curd blocks (38), where a curd (2) comprising a mixture of curd grains (42) and whey is fed to a conveyor belt (19) and the curd grains (42) are collected and shaped during continuous movement of the belt by being subjected to prepressing means (27) and side-limiting walls (18). The resulting cheese body (30) is cut into suitably dimensioned blocks at a cutting station (37). The curd (2) is fed to the continuously moving conveyor belt (19) below the surface (40) of a whey pool (39) and during the movement of the conveyor belt (19) said curd is conveyed along an oblique path above the surface (40) of the whey pool (39) simultaneous with it being subjected to prepressing means (27). The whey pool is contained in an obliquely installed vat (7), the conveyor belt (19) being introduced at the bottom end of said vat and leaving it at its top end ( 20).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for continuously processing cheese curd forms the cheese curd into a series of ribbons on a conveyor belt used to separate the whey from the cheese curd and then uses a series of plowshares, augers and other deflection means to displace or rotate the ribbons onto bare segments of the conveyor belt to enhance the draining of the whey from the cheese curd.

Abstract: An apparatus for preparing a curd mass by draining a mixture of whey and curds in an upright column consists of a permeable sleeve or circular or rectangular cross-section, one or more sleeves being surrounded, with some clearance, by a tube monted on a worktable. The apparatus further comprises means at one end of the tube, above or under the worktable, for feeding the mixture of whey and curds and means at the other end of the sleeve, under or above the worktable, for receiving and discharging a drained and extruded curd mass. The free space between the sleeve or sleeves and the tube is subdivided into various compartments, lying one above the other, with the aid of sealing dividers. Each compartment is provided with inlet and outlet connections for whey or cleaning liquid. The sleeve or sleeves disposed inside the same tube forms or form a fixed assembly with the partitions and with said tube.

Abstract: A method of and device for manufacturing butter. A continuous-operation mechanical churn has at least one butter-making cylinder, a buttermilk extractor, and at least one squeeze-off. Once most of the buttermilk has been extracted, fragments chopped from a block of stored butter or pure fat are accordingly introduced into the remaining mass of grain and blended with it in one of the squeeze-offs and a homogeneous billet of butter is shaped out of the mixture. At least one chopper is accordingly associated with each block of butter or fat and located above the squeeze-off that is upstream in terms of the direction that the mass of grain moves in, and the chopper has a device for advancing the block that is being chopped from.

Abstract: With the use of a distributor unit, which is reciprocable over and along an oblong prepressing vat for cheese production, it has already been proposed that a uniform distribution of the whey/coagulum mixture can be achieved by a horizontal wing rotors in a transverse distributor container, such rotor or rotors being rotated to lift the mixture up to an overflowing edge of the container while isolating the mixture from the turbulent mixture receiving area of the container. However, it is experienced that coagulum lumps may build up on the overflowing edge and thus disturb an even overflow. To avoid this problem two interengaging wing rotors are mounted at the bottom of the container so as to sluice down the mixture along opposite, correspondingly arched bottom/side portions to a central lowermost outlet slot, whereby the risk of lump formations is practically eliminted without compromising the desired uniform distribution of the coagulum.

Abstract: An apparatus for matting and milling cheese curd. A mixture of curds and whey is fed onto a porous endless belt of a first conveyor to form a layer of curds with the whey draining through the belt. As the leading end of the curd layer reaches the downstream end of the first conveyor, the speed of the first conveyor is reduced to match the speed of a second conveyor which is located at a slightly lower level than the first conveyor, so that the curd layer is transferred from the first conveyor to the second conveyor while the conveyors are operating at the same speed. A third conveyor is positioned beneath the second conveyor and operates at the same speed as the second conveyor. As the curd layer is transferred to the third conveyor it is inverted. A fourth conveyor is positioned beneath the downstream end of the third conveyor and the curd layer is transferred to the fourth conveyor while the fourth conveyor is operating at the same speed as the third conveyor.

Abstract: A device for pressing and molding curd includes a mold reverser (1) in the form of an endless conveyor (16) transporting cheese molds (2) along a horizontal upper run on which the molds stand upright with their fill apertures at the top, and a horizontal lower run on which the molds are upside down. The conveyor supports transverse mold bottoms (17) to which rows of molds are fixedly attached. Mold lids (20) which are open when the molds are on the upper run are automatically closed when the molds are moved down to the lower run, are maintained closed along most of the lower run, are opened for emptying the finished cheeses into a water basin (4), and are opened when the molds are moved back up onto the upper run. The arrangement makes possible the automatic filling of the molds by a filling device (3) located above the conveyor, and forced pressing of the curd by a pressing device (5) above the conveyor and downstream the filling device.

Abstract: A device and method for forming pieces of cheese weighing several ounces or less while retaining the skin normally formed on the cheese piece in the cooling process, and at the same time obtaining a desired internal structure. Warm plastic cheese is extruded into a first mold having a sliding low friction end cap, by means of a screw extruder, at 1000 pounds per square inch; the first mold is then positioned over a second mold having a plurality of forming chambers formed therethrough, the second mold is made of UHMW and the volume of the second mold is slightly less than the volume of the first mold. Pressure at 3000 pounds per square inch is applied to the mold end cap while the cheese in the first mold is still plastic, forcing the cheese into the forming chambers; the cheese pieces formed are retained in the forming chamber until a skin is formed and then they are ejected into a brining tank.

Abstract: Soft paste cheese is formed by mixing curd forming additives from burettes (12) to milk flowing in a funnel (11) and directing the resulting curd forming milk mixture into a basin-like receptacle (21) in which a mold block (23) made up of an array of vertically elongated perforated molds (24) of substantially uniform and unobstructed cross section have been placed to fill the receptacle and the molds and, after curds and whey have formed and stratified, removing the whey (34) and lifting the molds as a group onto a draining plate (37), placing inverted molds (39) of like cross section over the molds (24) and turning the mold assembly to turn the cheese (41) therein for further draining and removing the cheese from the molds (39).

Abstract: Soft paste cheese is formed by mixing curd forming additives from burettes with milk flowing in a funnel and directing the resulting curd forming milk mixture into a basin-like receptacle in which a mold block made up of an array of vertically elongated perforated molds of substantially uniform and unobstructed cross section have been placed to fill the receptacle and the molds and, after curds and whey have formed and stratified, removing the whey and lifting the molds as a group onto a draining plate, placing inverted molds of like cross section over the molds and turning the mold assembly to turn the cheese therein for further draining and removing the cheese from the molds.

Abstract: A slatted endless plastics conveyor belt preferably with draining slots therethrough is supported over its conveying distance on a bed of runners and passes about end sprockets engaging directly with the belting and one set of which is driven. The edge of the belt is specially shaped to provide a bearing face supported on an inclined step in the side wall of the housing. This arrangement confines the product on the belt while it is "worked" by transverse mechanical manipulators at intervals along the conveying length. The conveyor is used in a food processor principally for processing curd or curd and whey in the cheese industry.

Abstract: A filtration/separation apparatus in which a filter cloth is arranged to travel and face a rotor so that a partitioned space chamber defined by the cloth and rotor is gradually narrowed in accordance with the rotation of the rotor. The space chamber defined is partitioned by vanes provided on the rotor, so that the positional relations in contact between the tip ends of the vanes and the filter cloth are maintained desirable with a high accuracy.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for use in the manufacture of cheeses which proceed through a cheddaring stage. The method comprises treating a pre-drained and stirred cheese curd with a compressive and shear force so as to simultaneously expel the residual whey and permit fibrous development to occur in the fused curd. The apparatus for achieving this comprises a weighted shear assembly, such as a continuous belt overlying a portion of the conveyor belt upon which the cheese curd is conveyed in the direction indicated by the arrows. The cheese curd is subjected to compressive and shear forces as it passes beneath the continuous belt. The apparatus for prestirring the curd prior to passing under the continuous belt may comprise a plurality of adjustable position stirrers which move above the conveyor belt in the forward and reverse direction of the conveyor belt.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a procedure for treating curd particles (10) produced in a cheese kettle, and a cheese mould (2) for applying the procedure, made of strainer sheet and provided with a separate cover part (4). The cheese mould (2) is placed in a tapping vat (1), where it separates the curd particles (10) tapped from the cheese kettle from the whey (9) accompanying them. It is essential in the invention that on the mould (2) is used a strainer-like cover part with which the mould is closed for the duration of curd particle tapping. By this expedient the necessity to level the curd particle surface before the subsequent pre-pressing step is avoided. In the pre-pressing, the strainer-like cover part (4) of the mould can be used, and the object of the pre-pressing step is to compact the particles into a cheese block that can be conveyed to further treatment.

Abstract: Apparatus for molding curd in calibrated portions, a mixture of curds and whey, introduced into a hopper, fills perforated tubes in which the whey is separated from the curd and becomes compact. A plate closing off the base of the tubes retracts periodically and the curd drops abruptly by a predetermined height onto a subjacent plate, which is sliced by the first plate returning to its original position. The slices of curd are then transferred into one of the molds with a plurality of cells. This is applicable to the manufacture of cheeses of small size.

Abstract: To reduce manual handling of a pressing plate in a cheese-making vat and to facilitate its operation and maintenance, the plate is constituted by a case whose inner surface is covered by a series of rigid filtering panels. These panels are pivotal between an operating position and an open position which permits washing the panels.

Abstract: A plastic cheese mold comprising on its inner wall a non woven of thermoplastic fibers heatsealed to the walls of the mold, said cheese mold comprising two shell halves forming an elongate cheese mold of a substantial equal cross-section over the length of the mold.The shell halves engage movable clamping sledges and the bottom of the shell halves may be provided with a pivot.The mold also comprises an outer bottom recess for coupling a follower.

Abstract: An apparatus for pressing and draining whey from cheese curd particles in manufacturing large sized blocks of cheese. Cheese curd is placed into a pressing container mold which has a removable internal draining means having dimple-like projections maintaining a space between the plates of the screen. In one embodiment of the invention, pressure is applied in a vertical direction on the curd particles uniformly draining the whey. The drain means is extracted, and a second application of pressure closes remaining interstitial voids. In a second embodiment of the invention, a first application of pressure is applied to the curd particles in two separate directions at the same time. A spreading spade is inserted between substantially vertical parallel foraminous plates thereby moving these plates further apart exerting a relatively horizontal force on the curd particles and, in conjunction, a press plate pushes down on the curd particles exerting a relatively vertical force on the curd particles.

Abstract: A cheese making apparatus comprises a rectangular vat, a pressing plate, a filtering sheet supported on the bottom wall of the vat for displacement in a longitudinal direction, and a transverse partition affixed to an end of the filter sheet adjacent a fixed end wall of the vat for simultaneous displacement with the filtering sheet in this direction. The partition defines with the side walls, the bottom wall and a mobile end wall opposite the fixed end wall an operating volume of the vat determining the amount of curds to be held in the vat for producing cheese from a pressed mass of the curds wherefrom the whey has been drained. Displacement of the partition changes the operating volume and the transverse partition is elastically compressible in a vertical direction whereby lowering of the pressing plate into the vat compresses the partition and permits the plate to apply pressure to the curds held in the vat.

Abstract: A whey filter for removing fine curd particles from a stream of cheese whey includes a mesh screen (30) suspended in a cylindrical portion (17) of a tank (18) with cheese whey being introduced above the screen (30) through inlet ports (36) arranged to direct the cheese whey in a path tangential to the periphery of the circle of the screen (30). A plurality of scraper blades (38) rest on the screen (30) and are rotated by the flow of the cheese whey so as to urge the curd particles resting on top of the screen (30) toward a hole (44) in the center of the screen (30) so that the curd falls into an outlet chute (46) while the whey is removed from the bottom of the tank (18).

Abstract: A cheese mould having a wall of plastic material, which wall is provided with fine holes and the inner surface of which may be provided with grooves, said inner surface being subjected to a roughening treatment, for instance rubbing with a steel brush, course sand paper, a rasp or a scouring substance, so that small scratches are made, in order to improve the rind forming properties of the mould.

Abstract: An apparatus for pressing and draining whey from cheese curd. In particular, this apparatus and method are made suitable for producing large blocks of cheese. A container mold having an internal drain screen is filled with cheese curd particles. Pressure is then applied to the cheese curd draining whey into the drain screen and out of the container mold. The container mold is then inverted and the internal drain screen is removed and another application of pressure is used to close any remaining voids within the cheese curd. The container mold is then sealed and prepared for shipping.

Abstract: A cheesemaking installation comprising means for forming a mat of curd from a slurry of curd and whey, a plurality of endless conveyors for continuously moving the mat of curd in succession through a drying and de-wheying section, a fusing section, a stretching and cheddaring section, a milling section having means for cutting the curd into separate particles or pieces, a salting section having means for applying salt to the curd, and a mellowing section permitting absorption of the salt into the curd, and means for agitating the curd in the de-wheying and salting sections. Additional agitators are selectively operable when the installation is used for production of granular curd, and water sprays are provided for use when producing washed granular curd. The installation is completely enclosed to enable the temperature to be controlled and prevent air-borne contamination.

Abstract: An enclosed finishing vat for cheese making. The vat has a generally oval configuration and an agitating unit is mounted for reciprocating movement on a frame above the vat and includes a vertical drive shaft that extends through a slot in the top of the vat. The lower end of the drive shaft carries a rotatable support arm and at each end of the arm both a stirring paddle and an unloading paddle are pivotally mounted. The stirring paddle and unloading paddle extend in opposite directions from the respective end of the arm. In operation, the agitating unit reciprocates along the length of the vat, and the arm is rotated such that the stirring paddles lead in the direction of rotation and stir the curd, while the unloading paddles trail and float on the curd.

Abstract: In a process and device for the washing and cooling of cottage cheese, curd and the like, after scalding, granulate with the whey removed is introduced into a vessel, cooled and washed by means of a flowing washing and cooling liquid, and is then removed from the vessel for further processing. The improvement is provided that the granulate is continuously introduced into the washing vessel filled with washing and cooling liquid at a predetermined rate. The granulate is then moved on in this liquid to a removal position, and is finally continuously removed from the vessel at the same rate.

Abstract: A milk containing liquid is fed at a controlled rate into a tank having rotatable blades defining scoops at an upper portion thereof. In one process, the milk containing liquid precipitates to form ricotta cheese. The precipitation rises in the tank and is scooped into a funnel by the rotating blades. The scooped precipitation flows through the funnel to an exit port in the vessel sidewall. In another process, the milk containing liquid coagulates to form curd and whey which is severed into cubes by the rotating blades and is scooped into the funnel.

Abstract: Liquid such as water or whey is removed from soft particulate food solids such as Cottage cheese curd utilizing a pressing belt for high speed gradual compression without significant damage to the food solids. This is accomplished by compressing the food solids in a variable cross-sectional area separation zone between a belt and a support surface such as a foraminous drum and regulating the cross-sectional area of the zone in response to changes in thickness of food solids in the zone to maintain substantially constant pressure of the belt on the food solids to avoid damaging pressure on the food solids. When the food is Cottage cheese curd, accelerated absorption of cream dressing can be obtained by adding the dressing to the curd after discharge from the separation zone before the curd completely expands from the compressed state so that the expanding curd sucks up the cream dressing as it expands.