IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHEESE
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Travis, of Mercaston, Derby, for tho
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
CHEESE."
Sealed the 23rd June 1857, and dated the 12th March 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Travis at tho
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on tho
12th March 1857.
I, GEORGE TRAVIS, of Mercaston, Derby, do hereby declare the nature of
the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN. THE MANUFACTURE OF
CHEESE," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object an improved method of pressing curd, and
consists in so arranging pressing apparatus that the pressure shall be constantly
maintained on the curd, notwithstanding the contraction of its mass from the
expulsion of whey. The apparatus consists of a table or support, having two
uprights connected with it. At the top of one of the uprights one end of a lever
formed of two parallel bars is jointed, and the other end has a weight attached.
to it, and it passes over the top of the other upright, which forms a guide for
it. Underneath this lever is a second shorter lever, jointed at one end to a

page_text: cross bar connecting the two uprights, and at a short distanco from the joint it
carries a screw nut, through which a screw passes, and this at its lower end
bears on the pressing board, which is placed on the curd.
The second or shorter lever has formed in it at its other end a series of
notches for receiving a pin, and on this pin the two bars of the first lever
rest. When the curd is put into the press the screw is scrowed down on to
the pressing board until the end of the top lever rises to the top of the upright,
over which it works, and then as the curd sinks the lover falls and the
pressure is maintained. The pressure can be varied by shifting the pin from
one notch to another of the second lever. In order to allow the whey to
escape from the pan, I make a hole in the bottom of its side, and while the
curd is preparing this hole is stopped by a plug, but when the whey is ready to
be drawn off, a strainer is slipped into the pan and the plug is withdrawn.
This strainer is long enough to reach from top to bottom of the pan, and has a
flat back, which rests against the side thereof. Its front is simicircular, and
of perforated metal, through which the whey passes to the interior of the
strainer, and from thence it escapes by a hole in the back, which corresponds
with the hole in the side of the pan.
For cutting the curd, I use a frame nearly square in form, and having one
side curved to fit the side of the pan. This frame has strips of tin plate
which act as knives, fixed in it at a short distance apart and parallel to each
other, and also other strips of tin plate similarly fixed at a short distance apart,
but running at right angles to the first set of strips. The cutting frame thus
furnished is worked up and down in the pan by hand and cuts the curd in
squares.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Travis, in the Great Seal Patent Office ou the
11th September 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
TRAVIS, of Mercaston, Derby, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Travis, Her special licence that I, the said George

page_text: Travis, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said George Travis, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agreo with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHEESE," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said George Travis, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 causo
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, tho said George Travis, 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 theroof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object an improved method of pressing curd, and
consists in so arranging pressing apparatus that the pressure shall be con-
stantly maintained on the curd, notwithstanding the contraction of its mass
from the expulsion of whey. The apparatus consists of a table or support,
having two uprights connected with it. At the top of one of the uprights.
one end of a lever formed of two parallel bars is jointed, and the other end.
has a weight attached to it, and it passes over the top of the other upright
which formis a guide for it. Underneath this lever is a second shorter
lever, jointed at one end to a cross bar, connecting the two uprights, and at a
short distance from the joint it carries a screw mut, through which a screw
passes, and this at its lower end bears on the pressing board, which is placed
on the curd. The second or shorter lever has formed in it at its other end a
series of notches for receiving a pin, and on this pin the two bars of the first
lever rest. When the curd is put into tho press the screw is screwed down
on to the pressing board until the end of the top lever rises to the top of the
upright, over which it works, and then as the curd sinks the lever falls and
the pressure is maintained. The pressure can be varied by shifting the pin
from one notch to another of the second lever. In order to allow the whey
to escape from the pan, I make a hole in the bottom of its side, aud while the
curd is preparing this hole is stopped by a plug, but when the whey is ready
to be drawn off a strainer is slipped into the pan and the plug is withdrawn.

page_text: i, i, having different quantities of curd therein at different times, the frame h
has an upright h, which is hinged or jointed at h², so as to fall down, in which
case the pressing plate at the lower end of the screw presses on the centre of the
frame at h³, at other times it presses on the upright h³. By this arrangement
of levers and apparatus the pressure will be constantly and regularly applied
till the whey has been separated and the curd pressed to the bottom. In
order to draw off the whey from the curd, the pan or vessel has an opening at
one side just above the bottom, which is plugged till the whey is to be run off,
and the inner surface of the side of the vessel is formed with guides to receivo
a hollow strainer, which on one side is formed to fit the inner surface of the
pan or vessel, and it has a hole corresponding with that in the vessel. The
other side of the strainer is semicircular in form and perforated with numerous
small holes; this strainer is closed at bottom, and it has projecting edges
(where it comes to the inner surface. of the pan.) which fit and slide in tho
fixed guides. This strainer is slided into its place after the curd has been cut
up or broken; the vessel or pan is put under the press and pressure is
applied, the plug is withdrawn and the whey runs off. In order to cut up
the curd, I use an open frame having four sides, one of which is formed to
fit the curve of the inner surface of the pan or vessel. In this frame are fixed
several parallel cutters about half an inch apart; these cutters I prefer to
make of strips of tin plate. Above these cutters other similar parallel cutters
are fixed in the frame, also about half an inch apart, and at right angles to the
first-mentioned cutters.
This frame has an upright handle fixed in a socket above the frame, the
socket being fixed to the frame by bent arms fixed to the socket and to the
sides of the frame. On pressing this cutting apparatus down through the
curd the first series of cutters will divide the curd in parallel lines about half
an inch apart, and the second set of cutters will again divide the curd at
right angles to the first cuts. The milk having been put into the pan or vessel
and converted into curds and whey, the cutting apparatus is to be applied
suitably to cut or break up the curd. The strainer is to be applied, and the
pan or vessel is, as above explained, to be put into the press.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that I am aware levers
have been before used for obtaining pressure in the making of cheese, I do not,
therefore, claim the use of levers for such purposes generally, neither do I claim
strainers applied to the sides of pans or vessels used for the making of cheese;
But what I claim is,-

page_text: First, the combined apparatus.described in respect to Figures 1 and 2 of
the Drawings.
And, secondly, I claim the curd-cutting apparatus herein described.
In witness wheroof,. I, the said George Travis, have hereunto set my
. hand and seal, this Tenth day of. September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven..
Witness,
GEO. PITT,
.24, Southampton Buildings.
GEORGE TRAVIS. (L.S.)