IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN MAKING CHEESE, AND IN DRAWING OFF LIQUIDS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert McAdam, of Baldoon, near Kirkinner, in
the County of Wigton, North Britain, Dairyman, for the Invention of
"IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN MAKING CHEESE, AND IN DRAWING
OFF LIQUIDS."
Sealed the 5th February 1858, and dated the 13th August 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert McAdam at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 13th
August 1857.
I, ROBERT MCADAM, of Baldoon, near Kirkinner, in the County of Wigton,
North Britain, Dairyman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN MAKING CHEESE, AND IN DRAWING
OFF LIQUIDS," to be as follows, that is to say :-
The improved apparatus to which the said Invention refers is more par-
ticularly designed for separating the whey from the curds in the manufacture
of cheese, but it is also applicable in all cases where one liquid has to be
drawn off from the surface of another liquid, or from semi-fluid matter heavier
than itself. The apparatus consists of a small vessel or receptacle, which is
made to float at or near the surface of the liquids or matters to be separated,
by means of a shallow air vessel, or otherwise. The sides of the receptaclo
are made of wire cloth, or other perforated or permeable material, through
which the lighter liquid enters to the interior thereof; and in the case of the

page_text: curds and whey, the wire cloth, or the perforated material forming the sides
of the receptacle, is of such a fineness as to prevent the curds from entering
along with the whey. The whey or lighter liquid passes off from the receptacle
by a pipe communicating with its bottom, and this pipe, which is made of
some flexible material, passes down through the heavier liquid or matter to a
tap or spigot fitted into the lower part of the tub or vessel containing the
matters to be separated. Provision may be made for admitting air into the
receptacle to allow the liquid in it to flow completely away down the pipe.
In using this apparatus in the manufacture of cheese, the curds are minutely
broken, which causes them to settle down, the whey rising to the surface.
When the liquids are at rest, the floating separator is introduced, and is
attached to the flexible pipe previously connected to the bottom of the vessel
containing the curds, but having its mouth kept above the surface of the liquid
until the separator is attached to it. The whey then flows into the separator
from the still surface of the liquid, and passes off by the flexible pipe, whilst
the curds are prevented from doing so by the perforated sides of the separator.
As the whey flows off, the separator gradually sinks until it finally rests upon
the solid curds, no disturbance or remixing of the latter with the whey taking
place.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert McAdam in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th February 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
MADAM, of Baldoon, near Kirkinner, in the County of Wigton, North
Britain, Dairyman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of August in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Robert McAdam, Her special licence that I, the said Robert McAdam,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Robert McAdam, 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 Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS

page_text: TO BE EMPLOYED IN MAKING CHEESE, AND IN DRAWING OFF LIQUIDS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert M°Adam, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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 Robert McAdam, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:
The improved apparatus to which my said Invention refers is more par-
ticularly designed for separating the whey from the curds in the manufacture
of cheese, but it is also applicable in all cases where one liquid has to be
drawn off from the surface of another liquid, or from semi-fluid matter heavier
than itself.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I have
hereunto appended a Sheet of explanatory Drawings relating thereto, and to
which the herein-after contained references apply. .
Figure 1 on the said Sheet of Drawings is a vertical section of my improved
separator, as constructed in one of the various forms of which it is susceptible;
and Figure 2 is a plan of the same, showing portions sectioned. horizontally
at different levels. In Figure 3 the separator is shown in elevation, as in use in
the tub or vat in which the whey is separated from the curds in making cheese,
the tub or vat being in vertical section. The apparatus consists of a small
vessel or receptacle A, which is made to float at or near the surface of the liquids
or matters, B, to be separated, by means of a shallow air vessel C, or otherwise.
The sides and bottom of the receptacle, or portions thereof, are made of wire
cloth, or other perforated or permeable material, through which the lighter
liquid enters to the interior, and in the case of the curds and whey, the wire
cloth, or the perforated material forming the sides of the receptacle, is of such
a fineness as to prevent the curds from entering along with the whey. The
whey or lighter liquid passes off from the receptacle A by a pipe D com-
municating with its bottom, and this pipe, which is made of some flexible
material, passes down through the heavier liquid or matter to a tap or spigot E,
fitted into the lower part of the tub or vessel F containing the matters to be
separated. Provision is made for admitting air into the receptacle to allow

page_text: the liquid in it to flow completely away down the pipe. The air enters by air
holes G in the flange of the handle H, which is fixed to the top of the float C,
and passes through a tubular passage I into the receptacle A. In using this
apparatus in the manufacture of cheese, the curds are, as usual, minutely
broken, and after allowing the mass to stand the usual time the floating
separator is introduced, the lower end of the flexible pipe D being inserted in
the inside end of the spigot E, fixed at or near the bottom of the vessel F
containing the curds; then, on opening the spigot, the whey flows away from
the still surface of the liquid or matters through the separator, and flexible pipe
without disturbing the mass of curds, whilst the minute particles of curd
settle down and adhere to the general mass, and as the whey flows off the
separator gradually sinks until it finally rests upon the solid curds, no
disturbance or remixing of the latter with the whey taking place. The
separator may be connected to the spigot or outlet at or near the bottom of
the tub or vessel, by means of telescopic. or jointed tubes, instead of the
flexible pipes, provided the arrangement is such that the separator can be
moved freely in any direction.
Having now particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I must observe in
conclusion, that I do not restrict myself to the precise details which I have
described and delineated, as my Invention is susceptible of various forms and
modifications; but what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim
as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent, is, the application and use, in the manufacture of cheese, and in
drawing off liquids, of a separator arranged and constructed as herein-before
described and delineated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert McAdam, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
ROBERT MCADAM. (L.S.)