IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING CHEESE
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Levi Chase Schermerhorn and Cornelius Scher-
merhorn, both of Derby, in the County of Derby, Cheese Makers,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF AND APPARATUS
FOR MANUFACTURING CHEESE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Levi Chase Schermer-
horn and Cornelius Schermerhorn at the Office of the Commis-
sioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 23rd April 1870.
We, LEVI CHASE SCHERMERHORN and CORNELIUS SCHERMERHORN,
both of Derby, in the County of Derby, Cheese Makers, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE
OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING CHEESE," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to effect an economy in the time and
labour expended in the manufacture of cheese, and also to improve the
quality of the product. To this end we systematize the manufacture
and provide appliances that will enable the cheese to be produced with

page_text: c
a regularity as regards time and uniformity of quality not hitherto
attained. We provide by preference a building with three different
ground levels. . Near the entrance of the building is placed a weighing
machine for weighing the milk as it is received. On a lower ground
level or floor we place a series of vats which stand at a suitable level to
allow of the milk as it is weighed being run into the vats. At a still
lower level we place a vat for straining the curd. This vat is mounted
on wheels to allow of its being brought up to the other vats in succession
to receive the curd therefrom. On the same low level we set up a series
of presses in which the curd is moulded into cheeses, and the cheeses
thus formed are removed to a drying loft above, where by time and
the usual manipulation they will quickly ripen. The vats into which
the milk is run are composed of wood and of any desired capacity, and
they are capable of being tilted towards the straining vat for the purpose
of facilitating the discharge of the curd into the lower vat. Within this
wooden vat we suspend a tin vat, which fits closely at its upper part and
has inclined sides of such depth as will provide a free space for the
circulation of steam round the bottom and sides thereof for the heating
of milk, and of water for the cooling of the same when desired. Steam
pipes are laid in the space between the metal and wooden bottoms for
supplying steam thereto, and provision is made for the discharge of the
condensation water, as also for the admission and discharge of the
cooling water. The milk admitted to the vats is raised to a temperature
of, say, 100°, but at night, the steam being cut off, a stream of water is
allowed to flow through the steam space to keep down the temperature.
As the curd is formed the whey is drawn off by means of a syphon, the
mouth of which is protected by a guard or strainer. To facilitate the
discharge of the curd it is cut up by knives of peculiar construction.
They may be described as consisting of blades set parallel to each other
and at equal distances apart. These blades are fitted to a handle. In
one knife the blades run at right angles to the handle, and in the other
they are parallel thereto. By inserting the knife with vertical blades
in the vat and drawing it along from one end to the other the curd will
be sliced from end to end vertically, and then by applying the knife with
the horizontal blades in like manner the curd will be sliced horizontally,
thus leaving it in long cubes. On tipping the vat and opening the
discharge ports the curd will then be discharged into the straining vat.
This vat is shallow and provided with a false bottom composed, say, of
laths, with draining pipes below to run off the whey that drains from the

page_text: curd. The laths are covered with a cloth to receive the curd and pre-
vent it from falling through, and when the curd is run in it is covered
to protect it from dust. After remaining a suitable time to drain it
is put in cylindrical galvanized iron moulds of the diameter corre-
sponding to the size of cheeses required and then submitted to hand
worked screw presses. The moulds rest on moveable tables which are
run under the presses with the moulds thereon. The pressure to which
the curd is subjected consolidates it sufficiently in a short time to adinit
of the cheese being handled, and it is then stored away for drying and
turned and treated in the usual way. The streams of cooling water
that flow through the first-mentioned vats may be caused to work a
water wheel and thus provide motive power for agitators which are
employed in those vats. The agitators consist of bars which lie trans-
versely of the vat and are supported by a suitable swinging frame.
Their use is to prevent the cream from forming on the surface of the
milk.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Levi Chase Schermerhorn and Cornclius Scher-
merhorn in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd October
1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, LEVI
CHASE SCHERMERHORN and CORNELIUS SCHERMERHORN, both of Derby,
in the County of Derby, Cheese Makers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Levi Chase Schermerhorn and Cornelius
Schermerhorn, Her special licence that we, the said Levi Chase Schermer-
horn and Cornelius Schermerhorn, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Levi Chase Schermerhorn and
Cornelius Schermerhorn, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of

page_text: Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANU-
FACTURING CHEESE," upon the condition (amongst others) that we,
the said Levi Chase Schermerhorn and Cornelius Schermerhorn, our
exccutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Levi Chase Schermerhorn, on
behalf of myself and of the said Cornelius Schermerhorn, do hereby
declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say)-
The object of this Invention is to effect an economy in the time and
labour expended in the manufacture of cheese, and also at the same
time to improve the quality of the cheese. To this end we systematize
the manufacture, and provide appliances that will admit of the cheese
being produced with regularity as regards time, and uniformity of
quality not hitherto attained. We provide by preference a building
with three or more different floor levels (for the purpose to be hereafter
described), which building we term a" cheese factory."
In the accompanying Drawings we have shewn in plan view and in
sectional elevation so much, of the factory as will serve to illustrate our
improved mode of manufacturing cheese.
Fig. 1, Sheet I., shews the plan view of the factory with the vats,
cisterns, presses, cheese tables, and other appliances in place; and
Fig. 2, Sheet II., is a sectional elevation shewing the various floor levels
employed for facilitating the operations.
At one side or end of the factory, at or about the height of the
ground, we provide a wicket door for the purpose of taking in the milk.
This wicket door is placed in a small lean-to attached to the main
building, and is called and known by the name of the weighing house
or milk receiving house. In this lean-to we provide a weighing
machine properly balanced, upon which is placed a large open vessel A,

page_text: '
made of tin or other material, into which the milk is received from out
of the milk cans that are sent by the suppliers of milk. In the
bottom of this weighing vessel we fit a valve for discharging the milk
therefrom, and we attach to the valve a cord or chain for lifting the.
same. This arrangement is shewn at Fig. 19, Sheet IV. When
therefore a contributor's milk has been discharged into the vessel and
the correct weight ascertained, we pull up the valve by means of the
cord or chain and allow the milk to escape into the milk vats B, B,
which are on the floor below. The milk is conveyed from the vessel A
to the vats B by pipes made preferably of tin, which pipes are so
constructed as to fit into joints and can be taken down at pleasure for
the purpose of cleaning. The milk is run from the weighing house to
the milk vats on the lower floor for the purpose of manufacturing it'
there into curd. At a still lower level (see Fig. 2) we provide a floor
upon which we place a dry vat C mounted on wheels, which vat is for
the purpose of receiving the curd formed in the series of milk vats B.
This floor is sunk sufficiently to admit of the curd descending by
gravitation from the milk vat into the dry vat. At the same level upon
which the dry vat stands we place or set up a series of pressers D, D,
in which the curd is moulded into shape, and the cheese thus formed
is removed to a drying loft above. We also, at about the same level
as the press floor, provide water-tight cisterns E, E, for the purpose
of receiving the whey which is discharged by means of pipes from
the milk vats above. The weigh is run from the vats B into these
cisterns for the purpose of allowing the cream which the whey may
contain to rise to the surface, which cream is to be skimmed off the
whey every twenty-four or forty-eight hours, and may be made into
butter. At or about this level, or any other convenient level, we also
place a boiler F (and steam engine, if required) for the purpose of
working a pump, or doing any other necessary work, the boiler having
also to supply the steam required for heating the curd and for scalding
the milk vats and other utensils. At or about this level we propose to
place a water wheel G for the purpose of driving agitators (herein-after
described) by means of the water which passes through the vats, for the
purpose of cooling the milk after such water has been done with in the
vats. The vats B are composed of wood, of any desired capacity, and
are capable of being tilted towards the dry vat for the purpose' of
facilitating the discharge of the curd into the lower or straining vat.

page_text: In Sheet III., Fig. 3 shews the milk vat B in side elevation; Fig. 4
is a plan view of the same; and Fig. 5 is a cross section. The vat it
will be seen is a long rectangular vessel standing on supports 6 of
different lengths, which are caused to retain the vat in a horizontal
position by the insertion below the shorter supports of removeable
blocks 6*. Within this wooden vat is placed a tin or metal vat B',
which fits closely at its upper part, but by reason of its sides and ends
being inclined inwards a space is formed between the two vats for the
circulation of steam for the purpose of heating the milk or curd, and for
water for the purpose of cooling the milk. On the bottom of the
wooden vat are also placed transverse strips of wood upon which
the metal (or tin) vat rests. These strips b' are notched to receive
steam pipes b² and also to afford passage for the water below the bottom
of the tin vat B'. These pipes are pierced with small holes for the
discharge of steam into the space between the vats B and B₁; and to
prevent the steam from striking directly on the bottom of the vat B¹
and thereby burning or scalding the curd, thin planks 63 are placed over
the pipes and serve to deflect the currents of steam. * is a discharge
valve fitted into one end of the vat B and connected with the inner
vat near its bottom by screwing into a collar affixed to the end of the
vat. The tin vat is intended to be removed from the vat B, and it is
for this reason that the discharge valve * is made detachable therefrom
as described. Provision is made for the discharge of the water of
condensation from the vat B and also for the water which may be used
for cooling the milk. This is done by means of taps placed near the
bottom of the vat. The milk as it is admitted to the vats is at a
temperature of from eighty to one hundred degrees, and if it is required
to be cooled then cold water is introduced through the pipes b³ (these
pipes having been brought into communication with a cold water
reservoir for that purpose, and the water is left running so long as may
be required.
If the milk is brought under treatment for conversion into cheese so
soon as it arrives at the factory the milk vats are heated by the turning
on of steam into the pipes 6, and the milk is thereby raised to a
temperature of one hundred degrees and above. When the milk has
fully coagulated by the mixing in of rennet the curd produced thereby
is cut or broken into small pieces, it is then well stirred about, and

page_text: steam is next applied to the vat, the stirring being continued as long as
is thought necessary.
The use of steam for raising the contents of the vat to the desired
degree of temperature is preferred to water or any other means of
heating because we can raise or lower the temperature at a moment's
notice.
When the curd has been formed a sufficient time and has had the
necessary amount of heat applied, which will be readily ascertained by
any experienced cheesemaker (the application of which heat we term
"cooking the curd") the whey is to be drawn off. This we effect by
means of a syphon, the mouth of which syphon is protected by a guard
or strainer (of perforated metal); connected with this syphon are pipes
which lead off to the cisterns E, E, before named. These pipes are made
of iron, the insides being coated with enamel, which prevents the acid
of the whey from injuring the iron. We also use earthenware pipes
when we have fall sufficient into the whey cisterns.
We also provide a set of knives for the purpose of cutting up the
coagulum or mass formed of curd and whey before one is separated from
the other. These three knives are shewn in several views at Figures
14, 15, and 16, Sheet IV. These knives are formed of sharp two-edged
blades of steel set parallel to each other in a frame, to which frame is
attached a handle or handles. In one of these knives the blades arc
transverse or at right angles with the handles, and in the other two
knives they are longitudinal or parallel thereto. By inserting in the
vat the knife shewn at Figs. 14 and drawing it from one end to the
other the curd will be sliced vertically, and by applying the knife shewn
at Fig. 16 in like manner the curd will be cut into long vertical strips.
Then by applying the third knife, shewn at Fig. 15, at the side of the
vat and producing therewith a cross cut the long strips will be divided
up transversely, and thus the consistency of the mass will be destroyed.
The curd thus divided is discharged from the vats B into the dry or
straining vat C by dropping the discharge end of the vat B (when, ready
for being discharged) to the dotted position of Fig. 3, Sheet III., and
opening the discharge valve b. The drop of the vat B to the inclina-
tion proper for allowing the curd to slide out is effected by removing
the blocks 6* from the supports b. The curd is then by means of a
gutter guided into the vat C below, that vat having been brought near
to the end of the discharging vat B. The construction of the dry or

page_text: straining vat C is shown in Sheet III. of the Drawings, Fig. 6 being a
longitudinal section, and Fig. 7 a plan view of the same. This vat is a
shallow wooden rectangular vessel mounted upon running wheels, and it
is provided with a false bottom formed of laths c, and it is fitted below
with a drain pipe c' for discharging the whey as it drains from the curd.
The laths are covered with a cloth to receive and support the curd on the
false bottom. While in this vessel the curd is salted, and when in a
sufficient state of dryness (which state the experienced attendant will
readily recognise) it is fit for the cheese moulds. The dry vat being
mounted on wheels it will be understood that it may be moved up to the
several vats B in succession to receive their contents, and then brought
near to the presses for the convenience of filling the moulds. The
presses D are arranged in a line opposite the scries of vats B. The
mode of their construction is shewn in Sheet III. of the Drawings,
Fig. 8 being a front elevation of one group of presses, Fig. 9 a plan view
of the same, and Fig. 10 a transverse sectional elevation. These groups
of presses are of the simplest kind consisting of a vertical rectangular
timber frame d, d, divided up by strut and tie rods d'. Between each
of the divisions thus formed a press screw ď³, fitted at its lower end with
a follower, is mounted. These screws work through screwed collars
carried by the top beam of the frame. In front of the presses sliding
tables &³ are arranged, and upon them are placed the moulds d' which
are to receive the curd from the vat C. These sliding tables are set at
such a level with respect to the lower beam of the rectangular press
frame that when thrust back with the filled mould to bring that mould
under the follower the table will rest upon or be supported by the lower
beam. The moulds consist of cast-iron cylinders (galvanized) with open
ends. These moulds are made of any desired size, and discs of wood or
galvanized metal are provided for fitting loosely into their opposite
ends. When the moulds are supplied with the proper quantity of
drained curd and a top disc is placed thereon they are run into the presses
and subjected to pressure, the presses being worked by means of hand
levers. The pressure to which the curd is subjected consolidates it
sufficiently in a short time to admit of the cheese being handled, and it
is then taken out of the mould and a fine cloth or jacket put upon it,
which cloth has been made of the required shape and size. It is then
put back into the mould the contrary way to which it was before, and
subjected to sufficient pressure to press out any whey that may still
remain therein. The cheese now in a more consolidated state is taken

page_text: out of the mould and carried to the curing room for the purpose of being
dried or cured in a proper manner.
For the purpose of keeping the surface of the milk in the vessels B
moving and to prevent the cream from rising when the milk has to
stand any length of time before it is used for cheese making, we mount
above the vats B, B, agitators K, which may be driven by steam power
or by means of a small water wheel which may be worked by the water
that comes from the milk vats after it has cooled the milk. The
construction of these agitators will be readily understood by reference
to Figures 17 and 18, Sheet IV., which represent one of them in
longitudinal and end view. These agitators I consist of floats or
paddles (which lie transversely upon the surface or just under the
surface of the milk), and they are carried by bars ¹ pendent from a
horizontal rock shaft ², and as this shaft is rocked the surface of the
mill is agitated and the cream is thus prevented from rising. This
agitation also tends to keep the milk sweet in hot weather by assisting
the escape of the animal heat it may contain when it is first brought
into the factory. We also provide in the factory sufficient space on the
ground floor or on the floors above for the curing of the cheese, which
cheese is placed on tables H, H, see Fig. 1, Sheet I.; these are con-
structed as shewn in side elevation, plan view, and cross section at
Figures 11, 12, and 13, Sheet III. These tables are constructed with
standards which serve to support planks h³, h³, the former on the top
and the latter at the foot of the standards. The cheeses are placed on
these planks at proper distances apart, and the tables are so fixed as to
offer the greatest facilities for the purpose of turning and greasing or
otherwise manipulating the cheese. We also provide and fix on the
floor above a hoist I for the purpose of raising the cheese to the curing
room from the floor on which it is made.
Having now set forth the nature of our Invention for "Improvements
in the Mode of and Apparatus for Manufacturing Cheese," and ex-
plained the manner of carrying the same into effect, we wish it to be
understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent we
claim,―
Firstly. Arranging the apparatus for receiving the milk for converting
it into curd for straining the curd and pressing the curd on different
levels in the manner and for the purpose above set forth.

page_text: Secondly. The mode of and combination of apparatus for operating
upon the milk for the conversion of the same into curd and for
facilitating the discharge of the curd when formed into the straining vat,
as above described.
Thirdly. The use of knives, as above described, for dividing up
the curd, and thereby facilitating the discharge of the same from the
vat.
Fourthly. The means above described for collecting the curd from
the milk vats and transporting the same in a comparatively dry state to
the presses.
.
In witness whereof, I, the said Levi Chase Schermerhorn, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-first day of
October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy.
]
LEVI C. SCHERMERHORN. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by
.
Levi Chase Schermerhorn, in
the presence of
SAM². LEECH,
Solicitor,
Derby.