AN APPARATUS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY PRESSING ONE OR MORE MOULDS CONTAINING CURD AND PROVIDED WITH A FOLLOWER, AS WELL AS A PRESSER HEAD AND FOAM CUSHION TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE APPARATUS

Abstract: An apparatus by means of which one or more moulds con­ taining curd and provided with a follower can be pressed simul­ taneously, comprising a supporting bottom whereon the moulds can be placed; a presser head disposed above the sup­ porting bottom and movable towards and away from the moulds pressing means through which, via the presser head, controllable pressure can be exerted on the followers, said presser head being provided at the side facing the moulds with a resiliently deformable covering (1) of a foam material having a closed cell structure. The resiliently deformable covering (1) of foam material, at the side facing the moulds, is provided with studs (2) of the foam material uniformly distributed over the covering material (1) and integrally connected thereto.

Description: Title: An apparatus for simultaneously pressing one or more moulds containing curd and provided with a follower, as well as a presser head and foam cushion to be employed in the apparatus. The present invention relates to an apparatus by means of which one or more moulds containing curd and provided with a follower can be pressed simultaneously, comprising a supporting bottom on which the moulds can be placed; a presser head disposed above the supporting bottom and movable towards and away from the moulds and pressing means through which, via the presser head, controllable pressure can be exerted on the followers, said presser head being provided at the side facing the moulds with a resiliently deformable covering of a foam material having a closed cell structure. Such an apparatus is disclosed in Dutch patent application 81,04030 and comprises a presser member or presser head, while the covering may consist of a foamed rubber having a closed cell structure or a foamed synthetic plastics material having a closed cell structure. Preferably, the free side of the covering is provided with a thin layer of dense material. The prior art apparatus, within the scope of the simultaneous and stepwise pressing at increasing pressure of the curd present in a plurality of moulds, is destined in particular for balancing the differences in local pressing forces due to differences in curd block height and/or to mould dimensions. It is the object of the present invention to provide an apparatus of the above described type, wherein there is no or at least substantially no mutually lateral influencing of the stress characteristics in adjoining pressure regions of the resiliently deformable covering during the simultaneous pressing of a plurality of moulds of unequal dimensions or with differences in curd block height. According to the present invention, to this effect, the resiliently deformable covering of foam material is provided at the side facing the moulds with studs from the foam material uniformly distributed over the covering material and integrally connected thereto. According to a further elaboration of the apparatus according to the present invention, wherein the presser head is an assembly of a rigid frame at the back and the resiliently deformable covering, the rigid frame is a plate having anchors foamed into the resiliently deformable covering. Thus, there is realized a proper anchoring of the covering, allowing said attachment achieved through mechanical anchoring to be further reinforced by means of adhesive or lute. According to a further preferred embodiment, the edges of the covering are rounded, since it has been found in practice that sharp edges have the tendency to tear. It will be clear that the dimensions of the moulds employed, as well as e.g. the ratio of the diameter of the follower and the cheese may influence the design to be selected of the presser head, in particular of the covering, with the possibility of selecting more or less studs per unity of surface. It has been experimentally found that in conjunction with the moulds employed for the conventional types of cheese having rinds, a covering whose distribution density of the studs is 800 studs/m2 and whose studs have a circular crosssection, with a ratio of the height of the studs to the diameter of approximately 1/1, is quite satisfactory. Although such studs of straight circular-cylindrical form, in combination with the above stud density, have provided optimum results in practice, the covering of the presser head is not restricted to such an embodiment. Another distribution density may be desirable in practice and is possible. For instance, the studs may have a frustoconical form, the free end of the studs having the smallest diameter. However, it is also possible to use studs of e.g. rectangular crosssections The circumferential dimensions of the presser head depend on the mould dimension, as well as on the desired quantity of moulds to be pressed simultaneously. The presser head may consist of a single frame at the back, while the covering is formed of a plurality of cushions composing the entire covering. It is effective to use cushions of such design that these contain 13 x 13 studs at a length and width dimension of about 500 x 500 mm. The covering material may be foamed rubber or a foamed synthetic plastics material, while in particular polyurethane foam material is quite satisfactory. The specific mass of the foam may suitably be about 0.13-0.14 kg/dm3 to e.g. 0.05 kg/dm3. The foam body employed in the apparatus according to the present invention should be of the type having closed foam cells. On application of a foam material having open cells, the covering exhibits an air cushion effect during the pressing. This practically means that the localized pressing effects produced by the studs, on the basis of which pressing force differences due to differences in curd block height, whether or not increased by differences in height due to the mould construction, e.g. on application of moulds whose followers are provided with an upright annular flange, are kept within technologically permissible limits, are opposed by lateral influencing through the open cells. For hygienic reasons and for reasons of a greater resistance to mechanical load, it is advantageous to provide the foam body with an entirely closed skin of the same material, so to design the covering as a so-called integral foam material. In summary, the advantages of the presser head employed in the apparatus according to the present invention are that one or more cheeses, whether or not of the same type and dimension, can be pressed simultaneously with it. Moreover, the pressing force differences due to differences in curd block height, or of differences in height due to the mould or follower construction, remain within technologically permissible limits, while the form of the ready cheeses satisfies the practical requirements. The present invention will now be explained, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, showing a foam covering to be used for the presser head. In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic top view of a distribution grid for the studs of a foam cushion, of number of which can be combined with each other to the ready covering; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic cross-section of a distribution grid as shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a top view of a part of the junction area of four combined foam cushions, and With a grid distribution for 13 x 13 studs, 169 studs in total, the foam cushion 1 in Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of such a cushion having the dimensions 490 x 490 mm. The embodiment of the foam cushion, in particular without the positioning of the studs 2 (Figs. 3 and 4), is chosen in such a manner that in the junction area of the four combined foam cushions 3, the regularity of the distribution pattern of the studs 2 is preserved. The back plate is indicated at 4 (Fig. 3). For hygienic reasons, i.e. for a proper cleaning, it is recommendable to leave a slotted space between the cushions in the junction area. Naturally, modifications are possible in the apparatus according to the present invention, as discussed in the above and as shown in the drawings, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims: *CLAIMS* 1. An apparatus by means of which one or more moulds containing curd and provided with a follower can be pressed simultaneously, comprising a supporting bottom whereon the moulds can be placed; a presser head disposed above the supporting bottom and movable towards and away from the moulds and pressing means through which, via the presser head, controllable pressure can be exerted on the followers, said presser head being provided at the side facing the moulds with a resiliently deformable covering of a foam material having a closed cell structure, characterized in that the resiliently deformable covering of foam material, at the side facing the moulds, is provided with studs of the foam material uniformly distributed over the covering material and integrally connected thereto. 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the presser head is an assembly of a rigid frame at the back and the resiliently deformable covering, characterized in that the rigid frame is a plate provided with anchors foamed into the resiliently deformable covering. 3. An apparatus according to claims 1-2, characterized in that the distribution density of the studs is 800 studs/m2 and the studs have a circular-cylindrical cross-section, with a ratio of the height of the studs to the diameter of about 1/1. 4. A presser head composed of a rigid presser frame and a studded, resiliently deformable covering of a foam material having closed cells, suitable for use in the apparatus according to claims 1-3. 5. Studded foam cushion made of a foam material having closed cells, suitable for use as a covering of the presser head in the apparatus according to claims 1-3.

Inventors: SIPMA, SYMEN, TER HORST, EGBERT
Applicants: TEBEL B.V.
Application year: 1985
Main classification: A01J25
IPC codes: A01J25