RIPENING AND PURIFYING MILK
Year: 1885

page_text: I JOHN MOKERLIE of Glenluce in the County of Wigtown, Blacksmith do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for RIPENING AND PURIFYING MILK
to be as follows:-
The milk ripener consists of (1) an oblong shallow tank or receiver with two
vertical taps on the outside (2) a sieve under the taps and of the full length of the
receiver, and (3) a corrugated metal plate 2 to 4 feet in depth hanging perpen-
dicularly under the sieve and also of the same length as the receiver. The milk
when taken from the cow is poured into the receiver, and it passes through by
means of the taps into the sieve; and thence on to the corrugated metal plate
down along which it flows gently into the milk vat or cheese tub to which the
ripener is attached. The milk by passing through this process, and especially by
flowing in a shallow stream over the surface of the corrugated metal becomes at
once cooled, and being all equally exposed to the atmosphere in its course for the
requisite time it is freed of the animal odour and carbonic acid gas contained in it,
and the liability of the milk becoming tainted is thus obviated. The result is that
a purer curd is obtained for cheese making than under the system adopted at the
present time when the milk is set out in tanks for a certain time to cool after being
taken from the cow, and besides, the time and labour thus required to cool the
milk are saved.
The ripener can be made of any size and is constructed with hanging hooks and
studs for attaching it to the milk vat and for raising and lowering it to suit the
depth of the milk in the vat.

page_text: I, JOHN MºKERLIE of Glenluce in the County of Wigtown, Blacksmith do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for RIPENING & PURIFYING MILK
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The apparatus under description invented for the purpose of ripening & purifying
milk consists of the following parts (1) an oblong shallow tank or receiver of about
three feet long by one & a half feet in breadth and one foot in depth with two
vertical taps on the outside (2) a narrow sieve under the taps placed in a perforated
rhone of the full length of the receiver, and (3) a corrugated metal plate of the
same length as the receiver and from one foot to two feet in depth hanging
perpendicularly under the perforated rhone, the top of the metal plate closely
touching the underside of the rhone so that all the milk coming through the sieve
and rhone flows on to the metal plate and down along it on each side. The
apparatus is made to hang on the inside of a milk vat or cheese tub. in which the
milk is collected for the purpose of being made into and preparatory to cheese
making. The milk when taken from the cow is poured into the shallow tank or
receiver above mentioned, it then passes through the taps in greater or less
quantities as may be found necessary into the sieve, thence through the sieve and
perforated rhone (which is introduced for the purpose of retaining any sediment or
other solid substance in the milk) on to the corrugated metal plate. The milk then
flows gently down both sides of this plate into the milk vat or cheese tub to which
the apparatus is suspended. The milk by passing through this process, & especially
by flowing in a shallow stream over the surface of the corrugated metal plate
becomes at once cooled to the temperature necessary for being converted into curd,
and the milk in its course being all equally exposed to the action of the atmosphere.
for the requisite time is freed of the animal odour and carbonic acid gas con-
tained it. The liability of the milk becoming tainted is thus to a great extent
obviated and it will consequently retain its sweetness for a greater length of time
than it would do if the apparatus under description were not used. Further in
consequence of the uniform cooling of the milk and the removal from it of the
animal odour and carbonic acid gas by using this apparatus a purer curd can be
made and consequently cheese of a superior and more uniform quality produced
than under the present system of cheesemaking. The purifying of the milk by
this process is also of great advantage in butter making, as the animal odour when
not removed from the milk is very deleterious to the flavour of butter.
The apparatus can be made of any size and of tinned steel iron or copper and is.
constructed with hanging hooks and studs for attaching it to the milk vat and for
raising and lowering it to suit the depth of the milk in the vat. It is constructed
so that it can also be easily detached for cleaning and scalding purposes.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. That the apparatus above described purifies the milk of sediment and other
solid substances, and afterwards separates from the milk the animal odour and
carbonic acid gas contained in it.
2. It also cools the milk to a uniform temperature necessary for cheese making.
3. The carbonic acid gas and animal odour being removed from the milk its
liability to become tainted is to a great extent avoided, the curd is necessarily
purer and the quality of cheese is improved. The quality of butter made from
milk purified by the above process is likewise improved.
4. The milk being uniformly cooled to the necessary temperature during the
short space it takes to pass through the apparatus, the time and labour connected
with cooling the milk by allowing it to sit in coolers for a certain time are saved.
Dated this 6th day of October 1885.