IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHEESE, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for
Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF CHEESE, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."-A communi-
cation from abroad by Artemas Holdredge, of West Burlington,
and Benjamin Franklin Harrington and Henry Harrison Harrington,
of New Berlin, both in the State of New York, United States of
America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward
Newton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 23rd January 1871.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF CHEESE, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows: :―
This Invention relates, firstly, to improvements in making cheese, and
consists in a series of steps or distinct operations by which a very
superior article is produced and its keeping qualities greatly augmented.

page_text: The Invention relates, secondly, to improvements in the hoops or
pressing cases to be used for making the cheese in rectangular forms.
The apparatus consists of a four-sided case made in two or more hori-
zontal sections, and having the sides jointed together at one or two of
the corners, and detachably connected at one or both of the other
corners for the purpose of opening the same to release the cheese after it
has been prèssed. Each section is provided with locking cleats adapted
for controlling the positions of the superposed sections.
When the curd is ready for pressing it is placed in a mould of rectan-
gular form, and with one side arranged to swing open on hinges for the
removal of the cakes after they are pressed. The said curd is pressed into
a broad flat cake, and is cut vertically into two or more blocks and
bandaged with muslin. These cakes are placed one upon another in
layers, say two deep, in the mould with thin boards or other plates between,
and again subjected to the action of the press, by which the whey is still
further pressed out especially at the freshly cut sides of the cakes. After
pressing a sufficient length of time the cakes are turned a quarter of a
revolution, and the other sides subjected to the press in the same manner,
after which the cakes are removed and placed on the shelves, to allow
the remaining whey to escape by evaporation, which is greatly facilitated
by the form of these cakes. By this means the whey is so far dissipated
that decomposition is much less liable to take place, and the cheese may
therefore be preserved without the greasing process commonly employed.
The two side boards of each horizontal section of the case are connected
to the side by means of slotted plates attached to the cleats near one
end. The plates project beyond the end to receive hook-shaped pro-
jections attached to cleats on the side, and the sides are connected to
cach other by tenons and keys.
This arrangement admits of readily removing the sections from the
pressed cheese; by detaching the keys, removing one of the sides, and
swinging the other sides away from the cheese. By connecting two of
the sides rigidly at one corner and making the opposite corner diagonally
also rigid, and the corner opposite diagonally the one hinged together,
so as to open and close when swinging one the hinged corner the same
results may be obtained.
This improved sectional case is designed for pressing rectangularly
shaped cheeses, and is intended to be made in as many horizontal
sections as the number of layers it is required to press at once, and so

page_text: that more or less sections may be employed according to the work in
hand. The lower section is placed on the platform of the press and a
plate or follower is placed between cach layer of cheese and the press
follower acts upon the top plate..
:
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 22nd July 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Edward Newton,
Her special licence that I, the said William Edward Newton, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Edward Newton, my 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 King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHEESE
AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," being a communication to mo
from abroad by Artemas Holdredge, of West Burlington, and Benjamin
Franklin Harrington and Henry Harrison Harrington, of New Berlin,
both in the State of New York, United States of America, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Edward Newton,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and scals, 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 Patcut.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do
hereby declare the nature of the 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 Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say) :-
This Invention relates, firstly, to improvements in making cheese, and
consists in a series of steps or distinct operations by which a very
superior article is produced and its keeping qualities greatly aug-
mented.
The Invention relates, secondly, to improvements in the hoops or
pressing cases to be used for making the cheese in rectangular forms.
The apparatus consists of a four-sided case made in two or more hori-
zontal sections, and having the sides jointed together at one or two of
the corners and detachably connected at one or both of the other
corners for the purpose of opening the same to release the cheese after
it has been pressed. Each section is provided with locking cleats
adapted for controlling the positions of the superposed sections.
Fig. 1 represents a sectional elevation of a cheese hoop or mould
showing our improvement in pressing cheese; Fig. 2 represents a per-
spective view of a cheese made according to our improvement and
shaped as we propose to make them; Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of
our improved cheese hoop or pressing case; Fig. 4 is a top view, and
Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same.
Cheese as now made is pressed into flat round blocks or cakes, and
placed after pressing upon shelves to permit the whey which remains
after the pressing to escape by evaporation. The greater part of this
whey will be found at or about the centre of the mass, but when the
cheese is allowed to rest it percolates toward the bottom. It is necessary
to turn the cakes frequently from side to side so as to expose the
surfaces equally to the atmosphere, and for other reasons. Owing to
the usual form of the cakes they can only be turned from side to side.
This counteracts the movement of the whey and much of it is kept in
the cheese which would otherwise escape. The round form of these
cakes is also objectionable in packing for shipment, storage, and for
cutting up by the retailer or consumer, as is well known.
When the curd is ready for pressing it is placed in a hoop or mould A
of rectangular form, and with one side B arranged to swing open on

page_text: hinges for the removal of the cakes after they are pressed. The curd
is pressed in any suitable manner into a broad flat cake, and is cut
vertically into two or more blocks C and bandaged with muslin. These
cakes are placed one upon another in layers, say two deep in the mould,
with thin boards or other plates between them, and are again subjected
to the action of the press, by which operation the whey is still further
pressed out especially at the freshly cut sides of the cake. After
pressing a sufficient length of time the cakes are turned a quarter of
a revolution, and the other sides are subjected to the press in the same
manner. This is continued as long as needed after which the cakes are
removed and placed on the shelves to allow the remaining whey to
escape by evaporation, which is greatly facilitated by the rectangular
form of the cakes, for by making the blocks or cakes of this form it is
only necessary to turn them a quarter of a revolution instead of upside-
down as heretofore, so that the whey as it percolates towards the bottom
of the cake instead of being turned directly back in its course is turned
at right angles thereto, and is consequently always tending nearer to
the exterior.
By this means the whey is so far dissipated that decomposition is
much less liable to take place and the cheese may therefore be preserved
without the greasing process usually employed. The two side boards
A and B of each horizontal section of the case are connected to the
side C by means of the slotted plates D attached to the cleats E near one
end. The plates project beyond the end to receive the hook-shaped
projections F of the plates G attached to cleats H on the side C, as
shewn, and the sides C are connected to the fourth side I by the tenons K
and keys M, the tenons passing through the side I and cleats L thereon.
The sides A and B have cleats N which fit against narrow cleats O
attached to the ends of the side I, the latter cleats being employed to
support the sides A, B, against the lateral pressure in a way to relieve
the tenons of such force to a considerable extent. The cleats E, H, N,
and L are employed for holding the sections of the case one upon
another in the right positions, also for strengthening the side boards near
the ends.
Fig. 5 shows the manner of holding the superposed sections properly
by these cleats, those on the lower sections have notches P on the upper
end into which fit projections Q on the upper section. This arrange-
ment admits of readily removing the sections from the pressed cheese by

page_text: detaching the keys M, removing the side I, and swinging the sides
B and C away from the cheese.
It will be observed that by rigidly connecting two of the sides at one
corner and making the diagonally opposite corner also rigid, and the two
other diagonally opposite corners hinged together so as to open and close
when swinging on either hinged corner the same results may be
obtained.
It will also be observed that any approved form of hinge joints may
be substituted for the slotted plates D and hooked plates G.
.
This improved sectional case is designed for pressing rectangularly
shaped cheeses such as indicated at R, and is intended to be made in as
many horizontal sections as the number of layers it is required to press
at once so that more or less sections may be employed according to the
work in hand. The lower section is placed on the platform of the press
and a plate or follower S is placed between each layer of cheese, and the
press follower T acts upon the top plate S.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention as communi-
cated to me by my foreign correspondent, and having explained the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that
under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim,-
First. The mode above described of curing cheese by cutting the same
into blocks of rectangular form, covering them with suitable fabric, and
placing them in a mould either one or more deep with flat plates between
them as herein set forth, then subjecting them to pressure and afterwards
turning them on shelves to dissipitate the whey.
Second. The apparatus herein described for holding the blocks during
the operation of pressing..
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-second day of July, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-