Cheese mold apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PRE-FORMED PIECES OF CURD FROM CURD OUT OF WHICH THE WHEY HAS BEEN SUBSTANTIALLY ELIMINATED, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A STATIONARY VESSEL PROVIDING AN ENCLOSED CHAMBER HAVING AN INLET FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF A MASS OF CURD, MEANS IN SAID VESSEL FOR RECEIVING THE MASS OF CURD AND FOR COMPRESSING THE MASS INTO A DESIRED COMPRESSED SHAPE, THE LATER MEANS INCLUDING AT LEAST TWO ELEMENTS BETWEEN WHICH THE MASS IS INTRODUCED, SAID ELEMENTS BEING SUPPORTED FOR RELATIVE MOVEMENT FOR COMPRESSING THE MASS THEREBETWEEN, MEANS INCLUDING AN OUTLET CONDUIT COUPLED TO THE VESSEL FOR ESTABLISHING SUCTION THEREWITHIN TO ENABLE THE MASS TO BE COMPRESSED WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY BEING SUBJECTED TO SUCTION FOR THE REMOVAL OF GAS FROM SAID MASS, SAID VESSEL HAVING AN OUTLET THROUGH WHICH ONE OF SAID ELEMENTS IS DISPLACEABLE WITH THE COMPRESSED MASS SUPPORTED THEREON, AND MEANS FOR DISPLACING THE SAID ONE ELEMENT IN A DIRECTION NORMAL TO THE DIRECTION OF RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID ELEMENTS FOR DISCHARGING SAID ONE ELEMENT WITH THE COMPRESSED MASS THEREWITH FROM THE VESSEL AND FOR RETURNING THE SAID ONE ELEMENT INTO THE VESSEL WHEN THE LATTER HAS BEEN EMPTIED OF THE COMPRESSED MASS, SAID VESSEL HAVING AN OUTLET FOR MOISTURE WHICH IS EXTRACTED FROM THE MASS OF CURD DURING COMPRESSION THEREOF.