Abstract:
A method of shredding a block of material, which can be a block of cheese, includes moving blades about an axis and feeding a block of material in a feed plane toward the moving blades in a feeding direction, where the feeding direction is substantially perpendicular to the axis about which the blades move. A drive unit is provided that moves the blades about the axis, wherein the blades define a cutting perimerer, and a feed unit is provided that moves the block of material toward the cutting perimeter on a feed plane and in the feeding direction. In one embodiment, the blades are on a rotating drum and the feeding direction is generally perpendicular to and rotated about 90° from the axis about which the blades move. The plurality of blades cut shreds of material from a front face of the block.
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. Each blade cuts off segments of desired lengths from the cheese ribbons.
Abstract:
Composite fresh or semi-hard cheeses are made from predrained lactic or rennet curds by co-extrusion and cutting into portions of various shapes. In the case of semi-hard cheeses, the portions are vacuum-wrapped in a plastic film and then ripened. The products obtained may be used as such.
Abstract:
A composite cheese product having a first colored outer form and an inner plug having a desired decorative shape of a second, variegated color extending continuously through the outer form. The composite cheese product is manufactured by cutting first and second cheese products of variegated colors to a desired thickness so as to create preforms having the exterior contour of the outer form. A plug cutter having the shape of the inner plug is inserted into the preforms and plugs are withdrawn from the preforms with the plug cutter. The plugs are then removed from the plug cutter, interchanged and reinserted into the preforms of variegated color.
Abstract:
A method of manufacturing slices of processed cheese in which a hot cooked mass of the cheese is extruded onto a moving endless belt formed of plastics material provided with a release coating which does not adhere to the cheese, the mass of cheese is spread by a roller into a thin layer, the layer of cheese is carried by the belt through a cooling chamber where the cheese solidifies, and the solidified layer of cheese is peeled from the belt and divided to form individual slices. In a modification, the hot mass of cheese is extruded onto a moving web of film plastics material supported on an endless belt conveyor, the web being fed from a roll of the material at the upstream end of the conveyor and the solidified layer of cheese being peeled from the web before the web is rewound on a reel at the downstream end of the conveyor. In a further modification, the web carrying the solidified layer of cheese is peeled from the endless belt, slit longitudinally into strips which are superimposed on one another and then divided transversely to form stacks of individual cheese slices interleaved with film plastics material.
Abstract:
A slicing machine has a table defining a horizontal and flat support surface having an outer edge and a blade displaceable transversely along the edge. Thus when the blade moves along the edge a slice is cut from an elongated foodstuff projecting longitudinally over the edge. An automatic feed for the slicing machine includes a pair of feed elements centered on and rotatable about respective parallel longitudinal axes spaced apart transversely above the surface to either side of the foodstuff and each formed with a flat outer end immediately juxtaposed with the edge, and a helicoidal formation at least generally centered on the axis, engageable with the elongated foodstuff between the elements, and extending to the respective outer end. A drive rotates the elements about the respective axes for advancing the foodstuff gripped between the elements in a longitudinal transport direction along the surface toward the edge. The foodstuff is gripped between the element ends immediately adjacent the table edge so that it can be completely sliced.
Abstract:
Apparatus for kneading food pieces includes a rotatable drum mounted on an inclined axis. There are spiral flights along the side wall of the drum. Charging and discharging the drum is effected through an open end and the drum includes a door for airtight sealing of the drum. A vacuum can be drawn inside the drum for different types of food processing. The processor can be used for blending constituents for food products. The kneading action can be applied to massaging or tumbling meat chunks, and treatment liquids can be added to the drum and/or the food pieces for processing.
Abstract:
Methods and apparatus for making cheese topping for a pizza pie use a mold assembly providing a cavity for receiving a solidifiable fluid mass of topping cheese. The mold cavity has an outline corresponding to at least part of the outline of the peripheral region of the pizza pie. A number of mutually spaced rods is movable relative to the mold cavity. The relatively movable rods are inserted into the mold cavity to provide for apertures in the molded piece of cheese. The rods are withdrawn from the poured cheese which is removed from the mold after the poured cheese has become sufficiently solidified in the mold to be self-supporting; containing a number of elongate holes corresponding to the mentioned rods. Slices are cut from the solidified piece of cheese to provide cheese topping slices having apertures through which vapor and juice can rise from the food items on the pizza pie shell during baking of the pie.
Abstract:
Presoftened and moistened cheese curd is kneaded into homogenous consistency such as Mozzarella, by feeding it consecutively into successive annular kneading chambers defined between the cylindrical internal surfaces of a series of axially spaced substantially coaxial rings and the surface of a cylindrical mandrel projecting through the series of rings in eccentric relation thereto, the curd moving circumferentially through a restricted pass between areas of closest spacing of the opposed cylindrical surfaces into a wider area of a respective chamber, from which it is deflected axially to a succeeding chamber while carried on the surface of the mandrel.