Apparatus for sizing and metering cheese, in particular a spun-paste cheese

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus (1) for sizing and metering cheese, in particular a spun-paste cheese, which comprises a loading hopper (3) for loading the cheese to be sized, and provided, near the bottom thereof, with cheese conveying means for conveying the cheese against a sizing and metering element (4) which is rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis and being provided with a plurality of metering recesses. The apparatus further comprises shaving means (12) for shaving the metering recesses, as well as adjusting means for adjusting the useful volume of the metering recesses.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an apparatus for sizing and metering cheese, in particular a spun-paste cheese. Apparatus for sizing spun-paste cheese are already known. Such a prior apparatus operates with a constant sizing volume and, accordingly, will provide cheese pieces having weights varying depending on the characteristics of the cheese being sized. An apparatus according to the preamble of Claim 1 is known from FR-A-2 145 491. Thus, these prior cheese sizing machines are affected by the drawback that they can not properly size different types of cheese while providing a substantially even sizing weight; moreover, these prior machines are not suitable to change the sized-cheese volume depending on requirements. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the aim of the present invention is to overcome the above mentioned problem, by providing an apparatus for sizing and metering cheese which allows to change, depending on requirements, the sizing volume as well as the volume of the cheese pieces obtained by the sizing operation. Within the scope of the above mentioned aim, a main object of the present invention is to provide such a cheese sizing apparatus which allows a very accurate volume and sizing weight to be obtained. Another object of the present invention is to provide such a cheese sizing apparatus which is very simple construction-wise and which, moreover, is very reliable and safe in operation. According to one aspect of the present invention, the above mentioned aim and objects, as well as yet other objects, which will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a cheese sizing and metering apparatus, particularly for sizing and metering a spun-paste cheese, whereby said apparatus comprises a cheese loading hopper, for loading a cheese to be sized, said cheese loading hopper being provided, at a bottom portion thereof, with cheese conveying means, for driving said cheese against a cheese sizing and metering element, said cheese sizing and metering element being rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis and being provided with a plurality of cheese metering recesses, shaving means being moreover provided for shaving said cheese metering recesses, as well as adjusting means for adjusting the useful volume of said metering recesses. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further characteristics and advantages of the cheese sizing and metering apparatus according to the present invention will become more apparent hereinafter from the following detailed description of a preferred, though not exclusive, embodiment of said apparatus, which is illustrated, by way of a merely indicative example, in the figures of the accompanying drawings, where: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the apparatus according to the invention; Figure 2 is a top perspective view illustrating the loading hopper included in the apparatus according to the invention; Figure 3 is a top plan view illustrating the cheese sizing and metering element; Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating said cheese sizing and metering element; Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 4, substantially taken along the section line V-V. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference to the number references of the above figures, the apparatus according to the invention, which has been generally indicated by the reference number 1, comprises a base 2, supporting a cheese loading hopper 3, and a cheese sizing and metering element 4 which is laterally arranged near the bottom of the cheese loading hopper 3 and can turn about a substantially horizontal axis. More specifically, the cheese loading hopper 3 is provided, near the bottom thereof, with conveying or driving means for driving the cheese to be sized, which is loaded into said hopper 3, against the sizing and metering element 4. Said conveying or driving means are suitably constituted by scrolls or volutes 35 having horizontal axes and arranged substantially perpendicularly to the rotary axis of the mentioned sizing and metering element 4, and being rotatively driven, about their axes, in a per se known manner, by one or more driving motors, housed in the base 2 and not shown, for simplicity. In the embodiment being illustrated, are provided two pairs of scrolls 35, which rotate in opposite directions, and which will properly drive, by a suitable pressure, the cheese loaded into the hopper 3, against the side surface of said cheese sizing and metering element 4, which is turned to a side of the bottom of the hopper 3. In particular, said cheese sizing and metering element 4 comprises a drum 5 which is rotatably supported about its rotary axis 5a, by a pair of shoulders 6a and 6b affixed to said base 2. The drum 5 is provided, on the outer shell thereof, with a plurality of cheese metering recesses 7, having a substantially cylindrical shape with an axis perpendicular to the axis 5a. More specifically, the cheese metering recesses 7 are arranged about the axis 5a of the drum, and in axial rows, having a parallel offset relationship with respect to the axis 5a for the metering recesses pertaining to two adjoining rows of metering recesses. The cheese metering recesses 7 are delimited, on their side facing the axis 5a, by bottom pieces 8 which can be axially displaced, by a reduced displacement stroke, inside the related metering recess 7, so as to change the useful or operating volume of the latter. The bottom pieces 8 are provided with a substantially cylindrical shape with a concavity 8a on the base thereof facing the open end portion of the related metering recess and are provided, on the opposite base, with a pin 9 passing through the bottom wall 10 of the metering recess 7, on which is mounted a stop ring element 11, provided for abutting against the wall 10, so as to restrain or limit the displacement of the bottom piece 9 in the direction of the open end portion of the metering recess 7. The sliding of the bottom pieces 9 in the direction of the axis 5a of the drum 5 is restrained by the provision of said bottom wall 10. The apparatus comprises moreover shaving means for "shaving" the cheese metering recesses 7, said shaving means suitably comprising a shaving blade 12, facing the shell of the drum 5 and being supported by the bearing framework of the apparatus. The position of the shaving blade 12, with respect to the drum 5, can be adjusted by a small wheel 13 which, through a threaded shaft coupled with a ring-nut, operates on the shaving blade 12 in order to cause the latter to be displaced toward the drum 5 and/or away of said drum 5. The apparatus also comprises adjusting means for adjusting the useful or operating volume of the metering recesses 7. Said volume adjusting means are substantially constituted by a cam shaft 14, which is coaxially housed in an axial cavity 15 inside the drum 5. More specifically, the cam shaft 14 is provided with a plurality of cams 14a which have a slanted contour which is inclined with respect to the axis 5a of the drum 5 and which are engaged with that end portion of the pins 9 facing the axis 5a. In particular, the cam shaft 14 can be driven, along the axis 5a, with respect to the drum 5 so as to change, owing to the specifically designed shape of the cams 14a thereof, the positions of the bottom pieces 8 inside the metering recesses 7. The displacement of the cam shaft 14 along the axis 5a, in particular, is obtained by a pair of threaded spindles or shafts 16a and 16b which are rotatably supported about respective axes extending parallel to the axis 5a, by a plate 17 which also rotatably supports, about the axis 5a, the can shaft 14 and which is rigid with the latter in the displacement along this axis. The threaded spindles 16a and 16b engages with nut screws 18a and 18b correspondingly defined on the shoulder 6a. Moreover, the two threaded spindles 16a and 16b are rotatably coupled to one another, so as to turn about their respective axes, by a chain 19 meshing with pinions 20a and 20b keyed on the threaded shafts or spindles 16a and 16b. The threaded spindle 16a is coupled, by its portion opposite to the shoulder 6a, to an adjusting wheel 21, by means of which an operator can change the position of the cam shaft 14 along the axis 5a, with respect to the drum 5, thereby changing the positions of the bottom pieces 8, inside the metering recesses 7, and changing in turn the operating volumes of said recesses, i.e. the cheese sizing volume. In order to prevent, during the sizing process, liquid material from being trapped inside the metering recesses 7 as the cheese is processed therein, the bottom pieces 8 are provided with throughgoing passages 23 communicating with the axial cavity 15 in which the cam shaft 14 is housed. This axial cavity 15, as shown, is provided with draining cut-outs 24, therethrough can be drained the liquid entrained by the cheese being sized and conveyed with processing water. Likewise, the cam shaft 14 is also provided with inner channels 25a and 25b which can be coupled to supplying means for continuously supplying a sanitarizing liquid medium, such as water and which communicate with said cavity or hollow 15 so as to cause a sanitarizing liquid to be continuously circulated inside said cavity 15 to efficiently remove fat material coming from the metering recesses 7. The bottom walls 10 of the metering recesses 7 are suitably provided with holes 26 for preventing liquid material and cheese particles from being trapped between the bottom pieces 8 and related bottom wall 10. The apparatus for sizing and metering cheese according to the present invention operates as follows: The cheese to be sized is loaded into the cheese loading hopper 3 in which, by means of the scrolls 35, it is driven against the side surface of the drum 5 which is rotatively driven about its rotary axis, by a known type of driving motor which for simplicity has not been shown. The cheese, as driven by the scrolls 35, will fill the metering recesses 7 which, as the drum 5 turns about its axis 5a, will be caused to face the bottom of the loading hopper 3; the excess cheese will be removed by the shaving blade 12. Thus, the cheese will be properly sized, and the several cheese pieces present in the metering recesses 7 will be unloaded, by gravity, on the bottom of the drum 5, owing to the turning movement of said drum 5. As the sizing volume must be changed, it will be sufficient to operate the volume control wheel 21 so as to change the positions of the cams 14a with respect to the pins 9 of the bottom pieces 8. The contact of the pins 9 and cams 14a, during the filling step of the metering recesses 7, will be assured by the pressure against the drum 5 exerted on the cheese. In this connection it should be moreover pointed out that the subject apparatus further comprises a specifically designed washing system which operates with the apparatus in operation. This washing system will allow to fully remove the excess of fat material contained in the spun-paste types of cheese. Before use, the apparatus, moreover, must be washed by steam, without requiring to be disassembled. Thus, it will be possible to perfectly clean the apparatus, thereby providing a better and longer preservation of the product. From the above disclosure and the observation of the figures of the accompanying drawings, the great functionality and facility of use characterizing the apparatus for sizing and metering cheese, in particular spun-paste cheese, according to the present invention will be self evident. Of course, this apparatus has been disclosed and illustrated by way of a merely indicative and not limitative example, and in order to demonstrate the main features of the present invention. Accordingly, said apparatus may be subjected to any variations and modifications, all of which will come within the scope of the invention. In practicing the invention, the used materials, provided that they are compatible to the intended application, as well as the contingent size and shapes, can be any, depending on requirements.

Claims: A cheese sizing and metering apparatus, particularly for sizing and metering a spun-paste cheese, said apparatus comprising a cheese loading hopper, for loading a cheese to be sized, and a cheese sizing and metering element being rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis and being provided with a plurality of cheese metering recesses, characterized in that said cheese loading hopper is provided, at a bottom portion thereof, with cheese conveying means, for driving said cheese against the cheese sizing and metering element, and that shaving means are provided for shaving said cheese metering recesses, as well as adjusting means for adjusting the useful volume of said metering recesses. An apparatus according to Claim 1, characterized in that said cheese conveying means comprise a plurality of scrolls which can be rotatively driven about respective substantially horizontal rotary axes and laterally facing said cheese sizing and metering element. An apparatus according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said cheese sizing and metering element comprises a drum, which can be rotatively driven about a rotary axis thereof, horizontally arranged, said cheese metering recesses being defined on a shell of said drum. An apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said recesses are each delimitated, in the direction of said axis of said drum, by a movable bottom piece which can be driven toward or away from said axis of said drum, in order to change the operating volume of the related metering recess. An apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said metering recesses have a substantially cylindrical shape and have their axes oriented substantially perpendicularly to said axis of said drum. An apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said adjusting means for adjusting the volume of said metering recesses comprise a shaft cam, coaxially housed in said drum and which can be controllably driven along the axis of said drum, said cams having a slanted contour which is inclined with respect to the axis of said drum and being provided for engaging with pin elements rigid with said bottom pieces of said metering recesses in order to cause the positions of said bottom pieces inside said related metering recesses to be changed in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of said drum. An apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said cam shaft is driven, for displacement along said axis of said drum, by a screw-nut assembly, which can be driven through a controlling wheel. An apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said shaving means comprise a shaving blade facing the shell of said drum, the position of said shaving blade with respect to said drum being adjustable. An apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said metering recesses are distributed about the axis of said drum and arranged along axial rows, the metering recesses pertaining to two adjoining rows being offset in a direction parallel to said axis of said drum. An apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said bottom pieces are traversed by throughgoing passages for a liquid for processing said cheese, said passages communicating with an axial cavity formed in said drum and provided with at least a draining port for draining said liquid. An apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said cam shaft is provided with inner channels communicating with said cavity, housing said cam shaft, and which can be coupled to means for driving inside said cavity a washing liquid.

Inventors: MONTESISSA GIANCARLO, MONTESISSA MATTEO, MONTESISSA, GIANCARLO, MONTESISSA, MATTEO
Applicants: MONTESISSA GIANCARLO, MONTESISSA MATTEO, MONTESISSA, GIANCARLO, MONTESISSA, MATTEO
Application year: 1996
Main classification: A01J25
IPC codes: A01J25