Abstract:
Conveyors to clamp the upper and lower surface of bulk slabs of cheese allowing precise control of feed rates against a drum shredder to promote uniform shred length without the need for cubing of the cheese prior to the shredding process. An anti-caking material may be placed in the drum to treat cheese shreds prior to their discharge.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    - - - 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    - - - 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The present invention relates to food processing equipment and in particular to an industrial cheese shredding apparatus. 
         [0004]    Many consumers prefer the convenience of purchasing cheese in a shredded form. Such “pre-shredded” cheese is easier to serve and to distribute in cooking and eliminates the effort and hazard of shredding cheese at home. 
         [0005]    Currently, the bulk shredding of cheese for retail sales may use a commercial disk-type shredding machine. The rotating disk has a surface studded with embossed edges and is used to grate small blocks of cheese (typically two inch cubes) placed in contact with the disk. 
         [0006]    The cubes of cheese may tumble in contact with the disk exposing irregular surfaces to the rotating knives and resulting in undesirable variations in the shred length and the production of “fines” which collect unattractively at the bottom of the package. Preparing the cubes of cheese from large blocks of cheese (as much as 640 pounds) is time consuming and costly. 
         [0007]    One approach to producing more uniform shred lengths without fines extrudes the cheese through a die plate having oblong holes whose length defines the length of the “shred”. This approach produces extremely uniform shred length but may undesirably modify the texture of the cheeses during the extrusion and the extruded shreds may have an artificial appearance. The change in cheese texture caused by the extrusion and the need to work with small pieces of cheese that may fit in the extrusion machine makes this approach preferable for use with cheese scraps rather than with large blocks of freshly made cheese. 
         [0008]    Desirably, a shredding apparatus would be developed that could rapidly shred large blocks of cheese while producing extremely uniform shred lengths. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The present invention provides a shredder that may accept slabs cut directly from a large block of cheese. The slabs are supported between conveyor surfaces that prevent tumbling and provide for a controlled feed rate against a rotating shredding drum to produce uniform shred lengths. 
         [0010]    The conveyors also allow multiple slabs to be butted against each other for continuous feeding to the drum, and the drum provides a convenient way of introducing anti-caking ingredients into the shreds and allows the production of cheese blends with multiple different types of shredded cheese in predetermined ratios. 
         [0011]    Specifically then, the present invention provides a cheese shredder having a drum with a cylindrical shredding surface rotatable about a first axis. A first drive is connected to the drum to rotate the drum about the first axis at a predetermined speed. A first and second conveyor having conveying surfaces opposed about a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis are positioned to support opposite sides of a cheese slab for movement of the cheese along the second axis. A second drive moves the cheese contained between the conveyors toward the drum at a second predetermined speed. 
         [0012]    It is thus one object of at least one embodiment of the invention to allow direct shredding of cheese slabs cut from large blocks of cheese. The conveyors provide support and controlled feed of such slabs significantly reducing the labor involved in producing shredded cheese from large cheese blocks. 
         [0013]    It is another object of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide high quality shreds. The controlled feed and elimination of tumbling provided by the conveyors and the uniform velocity of the surface of the drum against the cheese provides shreds of greater uniformity and with fewer fines. 
         [0014]    The shredder may include a speed control communicating with the first and second drives to change the ratio of the predetermined speed of movement of the cheese contained between the first and second conveyor with respect to rotation of the drum. 
         [0015]    It is thus another object of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide for controlled feed and drum speed ratios allowing optimal shredding for a variety of different cheeses. 
         [0016]    The conveyors may be continuous belts. 
         [0017]    Thus it is another object of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide a feed system that provides good support and contact over a broad area of cheese slabs. 
         [0018]    The surfaces of the first and second conveyors may be adjustable in separation. 
         [0019]    It is thus another object of at least one embodiment of the invention to allow the device to be used with different slab thicknesses and/or combinations of multiple stacked slabs. 
         [0020]    The first and second conveyors may provide an exit end adjacent to the drum and an entrance removed from the drum. The entrance end may provide a guide portion allowing later slabs of cheese to be guided into abutment with earlier slabs of cheese for continuous feeding of the drum. 
         [0021]    It is thus another object of at least one embodiment of the invention to fully shred each slab without creating unshredded ends which must be removed or which tumble and produce varying cheese shred sizes. 
         [0022]    The guide may be an extension of the conveying surface of the first conveyor beyond the end of the second conveyor. 
         [0023]    Thus it is an object of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide a guide that provides simple support for location of successive cheese slabs so they may be easily fit into abutment with the earlier cheese slabs. 
         [0024]    The first and second conveyors may provide horizontal surfaces. 
         [0025]    It is thus another object of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide a system that provides for easy loading of cheese slabs. 
         [0026]    The drum may be open at one end and the first axis may be tipped with respect to horizontal so that the grated cheese in the drum passes out the open end with rotation of the drum. 
         [0027]    It is thus another object of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide for a controlled passage of the grated cheese collecting in the drum, out of the drum after shredding. 
         [0028]    The cheese shredder may include a feeder having an exit opening positioned within the drum for feeding an anti-caking material onto the shredded cheese within the drum. The first axis may be tipped to provide a predetermined minimum dwell time of the grated cheese within the drum before the grated cheese passes out of the drum. 
         [0029]    Thus it is another object of at least one embodiment of the invention to eliminate the separate step of tumbling the cheese with an anti-caking material such as may promote breaking of the shreds. 
         [0030]    The second drive may turn at least one of the conveyor belts, or alternatively or in addition, a plunger may be positioned to contact a cheese slab positioned between the supporting surfaces at an end removed from the drum to provide for support and pressure against the end. 
         [0031]    Thus it is another object of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide a variety of mechanisms for controlling the movement of the cheese slab. 
         [0032]    The drum may be no less than 20 inches in length measured along the first axis. 
         [0033]    Thus it is another object of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide a shredder that may deal directly with the linear dimension of slabs cut from standard cheese blocks without cubing. 
         [0034]    The drum may be supported for rotation at both ends and at least one end of the drum may include a support coaxially within the drum communicating with the circumference of the drum through multiple radial arms. Alternatively or in addition, one end of the drum may include a circumferential support ring supported by multiple rollers. 
         [0035]    Thus it is another object of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide a support for a long drum sufficient to shred large slabs without multiple passes and without bending of the drum out of axis while maintaining access to the interior of the drum. 
         [0036]    The cheese shredder may further include a fourth and fifth conveyor having conveying surfaces opposed about a third axis perpendicular to the first axis and positionable to support opposite sides of a cheese slab for movement of the cheese slab along the third axis. A third drive may move the cheese contained between the conveyors toward the drum at a third predetermined speed. A controller may communicate with at least one of the second and third drives to control the relative speed of feeding of different types of cheeses placed on the first through fourth conveyors to obtain predetermined cheese mixture ratios. 
         [0037]    Thus it is another object of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide a system well adapted to creation of cheese blends. 
         [0038]    The second and third axes may be parallel. 
         [0039]    Thus it is another object of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide a system for creating cheese blends where both conveyors may be horizontal for easy access. 
         [0040]    Alternatively, the present invention may provide a second drum having a cylindrical shredding surface rotatable about a third axis. A third drive may be connected to the drum to rotate the drum about the third axis at a predetermined speed. Fourth and fifth conveyors may be provided having conveying surfaces opposed about a fourth axis substantially perpendicular to the third axis and positionable to support opposite sides of a cheese slab for movement of the cheese slab along the fourth axis. A fourth drive may move the cheese contained between the conveyors toward the second drum at a fourth predetermined speed and a controller may communicate with one of the first through fourth drives to control the relative proportions of grated cheese from the first drum and second drum to obtain a predetermined cheese mixture ratio. 
         [0041]    Thus it is another object of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide a system that may provide parallel shredding of even larger volumes of cheese. 
         [0042]    The first and third axes may be parallel and the second and fourth axes parallel and, the invention may further include a conveyor positioned under both of at least a portion of the drums to receive cheese therefrom. 
         [0043]    Thus it is another object of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide a continuous blending of cheese that does not require batch operations or permit tumbling of the cheese such as may damage the cheese shred. 
         [0044]    The present invention enables a method of making shredded cheese in which two types of cheese are stacked across the first axis between the support surfaces of the first and second conveyors. They may then be fed simultaneously into the drum to obtain a mixture of grated cheeses. 
         [0045]    It is thus another object of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide a simple method of enforcing particular cheese blend ratios. 
         [0046]    These particular objects and advantages may apply to only some embodiments falling within the claims and thus do not define the scope of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0047]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the shredder of the present invention showing opposed conveyors for moving a slab of cheese against a rotating shredder drum under the control of separate drives; 
           [0048]      FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of the shredder of  FIG. 1  showing the extension of the lower conveyor to provide a guide lip allowing successive slabs of cheese to be abutted against each other for continuous shredding; 
           [0049]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional, elevational view along lines  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1  showing a tipping of the axis of the drum, its support by rollers, and a feeder for introducing anti-caking ingredients into the drum; 
           [0050]      FIG. 4  is a top plan view of two shredders per  FIG. 1  arrayed along a conveyor belt for producing higher volumes of shredding and/or blended cheeses; 
           [0051]      FIG. 5  is a view similar to that of  FIG. 2  showing the stacking of two cheese slabs of different cheese types to produce blended grated cheese; 
           [0052]      FIG. 6  is a figure similar to that of  FIG. 5  of an alternative embodiment of the shredder of the present invention using opposed horizontal conveyor belts; and 
           [0053]      FIG. 7  is a figure similar to that of  FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  7  of an embodiment of the present invention in which direct drive of the conveyors is augmented or replaced by a piston system. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0054]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a cheese shredder  10  of the present invention employs a shredder drum  12  having a cylindrical shredding surface disposed along a drum axis  14 . The drum  12  may, for example, be a stainless steel tube with the knife embossments  16  formed therein. The drum  12  will typically have a length along axis  14  of more than 20 inches and will have knife embossments  16  extending no less than this length so that a slab cut from a standard 640 pound block of cheese may be shredded in one pass when pressed against the side of the drum  12 . 
         [0055]    Each knife embossment  16  may be formed from a hole cut through the surface of the drum  12 . A trailing edge of each hole is pressed outward and sharpened so that with forward rotation  18  of the drum  12 , the edge will cut into cheese pressed against the drum  12  to cut shreds from the cheese. Knife embossments  16  of this type are well known in the art. 
         [0056]    Referring now also to  FIG. 3 , the drum axis  14  may be tipped slightly with respect to a horizontal axis  20  by a tip angle  22 . This tipping is such that an open end  24  of the drum  12  slants downward to let shreds  80 , passing through the knife embossments  16  of the drum  12 , fall from the drum  12  in a trajectory  26  onto a conveyor belt  28  or other receiving surface. 
         [0057]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  3 , a second end  30  of the drum  12 , opposite end  24 , may be attached by a support  32  to a shaft  34  of a motor drive  36 . Support  32  may be a continuous plate equal in diameter to the diameter of the drum  12  and attached thereto or may be a spider support as shown in  FIG. 2  in which a central hub  37  attached to shaft  34  communicates with the periphery of the drum  12  through extension arms  39  extending like spokes radially between the hub  37  and the outer wall of the drum  12 . This latter configuration provides an opening into the drum and may be used both at ends  30  and  24 . 
         [0058]    Alternatively as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the discharge end  24  of the drum  12  may be supported by rollers  42  engaging a reinforcement ring  44  passing circumferentially along the outer lip of the drum  12  at end  24 . In either of these ways, the drum  12  may be supported rigidly for rotation while resisting radial forces imposed by pressure of cheese pressed against the outside of the drum  12 . 
         [0059]    Referring again to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , conveyors  50  and  52  may be placed along a conveyor axis  55  generally perpendicular to axis  14  so that support surfaces  56  of conveyor  50  and support surface  58  of conveyor  52  are opposed and separated about the axis  55 . In a preferred embodiment, conveyors  50  and  52  provide continuous belts  60  passing around end rollers  62 . The end rollers  62  may turn so that the support surfaces  56  and  58  (provided by the belts  60 ) move in unison while supporting the upper and lower surface of a cheese slab  70  cut from a standard 640 pound block. Such slabs  70  will typically be twenty-two inches wide by twenty-eight inches long by two inches high. 
         [0060]    The rollers  62  of conveyor  52  may be adjusted in separation from the rollers  62  of conveyor  54  to the height of the cheese slab  70 . Belts  60  may pass outside of support plates  64  on each of the conveyors  52  and  54  so that a cheese slab  70  placed between the conveyors  50  and  52  is firmly supported and gripped as it moves along axis  55  with turning of the rollers  62 . 
         [0061]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , one or more of the rollers  62  of conveyors  50  and  52  may be connected to a motor drive  72 . The motor drive  72  and the motor drive  36 , may communicate with motor controller  38  which may electronically or mechanically control the relative and/or absolute speeds of the drum  12  and roller  62 . The motor drives  72  and  36  may have separate electrical motors electronically controlled in speed or may be a single motor driving multiple shafts through mechanical speed control mechanisms. 
         [0062]    Referring again to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the cheese slab  70  as held securely between the conveyors  50  and  52  may thus be moved controllably against the drum  12  for consistent feed rate with respect to the rotational speed of the drum  12 . In this way, the feed rate for a given drum speed may be readily changed, for example, for different types of cheese or different desired loadings and the absolute drum speed and feed rate may also be freely varied to provide for optimal rates of shredding of a variety of different types of cheese. Because the cheese slab  70  is controllably held and fed, tumbling of cheese such as may produce inconsistent shreds is prevented. 
         [0063]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , conveyor  50  may extend from a point adjacent to the drum  12  to a distance away from the drum  12  greater than the extension of the conveyor  52  from a point near the drum  12  to its furthest distance away from the drum  12 . This difference in length  76  provides a ledge  78  on which a subsequent cheese slab  70 ′ may be placed while cheese slab  70  is being shredded against the drum  12 . Cheese slabs  70 ′ and  70  may in this way be abutted with or without stopping the machine so that the tail end of slab  70  is supported and urged forward by the front end of slab  70 ′. 
         [0064]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 , shreds  80  from cheese slab  70  will fall into the interior of the drum  12  and with rotation of the drum  12  will move toward discharge end  24  of the drum  12  onto conveyor belt  28 . The average time that the shreds  80  are in the drum (the dwell time) is adjusted by adjusting the tip angle  22  or other means so that the shreds  80  can be treated with an anti-caking material  82  provided by a dispenser system  84 . 
         [0065]    The dispenser system  84  includes a hopper  86  for receiving an anti-caking powder and an auger delivery tube  88  having a contained auger  90  rotated by a motor  92  to move the anti-caking material  82  through the delivery tube  88 . Orifices  93  placed in the delivery tube  88  on its portion within the drum  12  are dispersed into the volume of the drum  12 . 
         [0066]    A fine collection tray  96  may be positioned beneath the drum  12  to collect material falling out of the drum  12  through the open wall rather than out the discharge end  24  preventing fines and excess anti-caking material  82  from dropping onto the conveyor belt  28 . 
         [0067]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , two or more cheese shredders  10  and  10 ′ may be arranged with axes  14  lying in a common vertical plane along a conveyor belt  28 . Cheese slabs  70  fed against the drums  12  of each of the shredders  10  and  10 ′ will discharge along parallel trajectories  26  and  26 ′ over different portions of the conveyor belt  28  as the conveyor belt  28  moves beneath them generally along the axes  14 . The shredders  10  thus readily adapt to parallel operation for increased shredding volume and/or to allow continuous loading of different of cheese slabs  70  onto alternating shredders  10  and  10 ′ for efficient use. Alternatively, different cheese slabs  70  may be placed on each of the shredders  10  and  10 ′ to produce different shreds  80 . These different shreds  80  are combined on the surface of the conveyor belt  28  as it passes beneath shredders  10  and  10 ′ and without the need for tumbling or other time-consuming mixing processes that could break the shreds or produce additional fines. 
         [0068]    The motor controller  38  may separately control both the feed speeds of the shredders  10  and  10 ′ through drives  72  and the total shred rate by simultaneous control of drives  72  and  36 . In this way, different types of cheeses may be given the optimal feed rates by controlling the ratio of speeds of the drum  12  and the conveyor  50  and/or the mixture ratio of different cheeses may be independently controlled. 
         [0069]    Referring now to  FIG. 5 , a single shredder  10  may also produce mixtures of different types of shredded cheese by stacking cheese slabs  70  and  70 ′ of two different types, one on top of another, on conveyor  50  and making the appropriate adjustment in the separations between conveyor  50  and conveyor  52 . The ratio of the thicknesses (or cross-sectional areas) of the cheese slabs  70  and  70 ′ will control the ratio of the cheese types in the mixture. 
         [0070]    Referring now to  FIG. 6 , in an alternative embodiment, additional upper conveyor  100  and lower conveyor  102  corresponding respectively to conveyors  52  and  50  may be placed on an opposite side of the drum  12  to feed along an axis  104  aligned with axis  55  so that cheese slabs  70  and  70 ′ move in opposite directions along a single axis toward the drum  12 . In this embodiment, the feed speeds of the conveyors  52  and  50  may differ from the feed speed of the conveyor  102  and  100  allowing control of the mixture ratio or optimal feed speeds but requiring only a single drum  12 . 
         [0071]    Referring now to  FIG. 7 , the force provided by conveyor  52  or  54  in moving cheese slabs  70  along the axis  55  may be augmented or replaced by the use of a ram 120, for example, using a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder, pressing a plunger head  122  with a constant force against a vertical trailing surface of slab  70  to move slab  70  toward the drum  12 . Here the conveyors  52  and  54  may provide simply a support system for firmly clamping the cheese slab  70  and preventing it from tumbling during the shredding process or may provide additional force on the cheese lab  70 . 
         [0072]    It is specifically intended that the present invention not be limited to the embodiments and illustrations contained herein, but include modified forms of those embodiments including portions of the embodiments and combinations of elements of different embodiments as come within the scope of the following claims.