US3881035A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Manufacturing of cheese
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1974-03-12
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Granted: 1975-04-29
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Expires: 1994-03-12
Abstract
Abstract Cheese is manufactured by conveying a separated curd intermittently for at least one cycle about a first closed conveying path until it develops, turning the curd during each cycle, and standing the curd during each cycle until it knits, and conveying developed curd for at least one cycle about a second closed conveying path until it heals. Prior to the healing step, developed curd may be fed to a mill and cut into pieces. Salt may be applied to the pieces by a blower during each cycle along the second conveying path. Each closed conveying path is formed by a pair of belt conveyors, one arranged beneath the other, and structure for elevating curd from the lower conveyor to the upper conveyor.
Inventors
- 👤 William H Tate
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 16:35
CPC Classifications
A; A01; A01J; A01J25/00; A01J25/005
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim
298 words
A METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING CHEESE, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: A. PLACING CURD ON A FIRST CONVEYOR, AND INTERMITTENTLY CONVEYING SAME UNTIL THE CURD REACHES AN END OF THE FIRST CONVEYOR; B. PERMITTING THE CURD TO FALL FROM THE END OF THE FIRST CONVEYOR ONTO A SECOND CONVEYOR POSITIONED BELOW THE FIRST CONVEYOR, AND INTERMITTENTLY CONVEYING THE CURD ON THE SECOND CONVEYOR IN A DIRECTION O MOVEMENT OPPOSITE TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF CURD ON THE FIRST CONVEYOR UNTIL THE CURD REACHES AN END OF THE FIRST CONVEYOR; C. ELEVATING THE CURD FROM THE END OF THE SECOND CONVEYOR TO THE FIRST CONVEYOR, AND TURNING OVER THE CURD AS SAME IS ELEVATED, THE FIRST AND SECOND CONVEYORS FORMING A FIRST CLOSED CONVEYING PATH; D. REPEATING STEPS (A), (B), AND (C) AND ALLOWING THE CURD TO STAND FOR SUFFICIENT PERIODS BETWEEN PERIODS OF INTERMITTENT CONVEYING UNTIL THE CURD KNITS; E. TRANSFERRING THE KNITTED CURD FROM THE FIRST CONVEYOR INTO A CHUTE AT THE END OF THE FIRST CONVEYOR; F. ALLOWING THE KNITTED CURD TO FALL DOWNWARD IN THE CHUTE TO A THIRD CONVEYOR PARTIALLY FORMING A SECOND CLOSED CONVEYING PATH, AND CONVEYING THE CURD ON THE THIRD CONVEYOR UNTIL IT REACHES THE END OF THE THIRD CONVEYOR; G. PERMITTING THE CURD TO FALL ONTO A FOURTH CONVEYOR POSITIONED BELOW THE THIRD CONVEYOR, WHICH FOURTH CONVEYOR COOPERATES WITH THE THIRD CONVEYOR TO FORM THE SECOND CLOSED CONVEYING PATH, AND CONVEYING THE CURD ON THE FOURTH CONVEYOR IN A DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OPPOSITE TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF CURD ON THE THIRD CONVEYOR UNTIL THE CURD PIECES REACH AN END OF THE FOURTH CONVEYOR; H. ELEVATING THE CURD FROM THE END OF THE FOURTH CONVEYOR TO THE THIRD CONVEYOR; AND I. REPEATING STEPS (F), (G) AND (H) UNTIL THECURD HEALS.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
298 words
A METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING CHEESE, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: A. PLACING CURD ON A FIRST CONVEYOR, AND INTERMITTENTLY CONVEYING SAME UNTIL THE CURD REACHES AN END OF THE FIRST CONVEYOR; B. PERMITTING THE CURD TO FALL FROM THE END OF THE FIRST CONVEYOR ONTO A SECOND CONVEYOR POSITIONED BELOW THE FIRST CONVEYOR, AND INTERMITTENTLY CONVEYING THE CURD ON THE SECOND CONVEYOR IN A DIRECTION O MOVEMENT OPPOSITE TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF CURD ON THE FIRST CONVEYOR UNTIL THE CURD REACHES AN END OF THE FIRST CONVEYOR; C. ELEVATING THE CURD FROM THE END OF THE SECOND CONVEYOR TO THE FIRST CONVEYOR, AND TURNING OVER THE CURD AS SAME IS ELEVATED, THE FIRST AND SECOND CONVEYORS FORMING A FIRST CLOSED CONVEYING PATH; D. REPEATING STEPS (A), (B), AND (C) AND ALLOWING THE CURD TO STAND FOR SUFFICIENT PERIODS BETWEEN PERIODS OF INTERMITTENT CONVEYING UNTIL THE CURD KNITS; E. TRANSFERRING THE KNITTED CURD FROM THE FIRST CONVEYOR INTO A CHUTE AT THE END OF THE FIRST CONVEYOR; F. ALLOWING THE KNITTED CURD TO FALL DOWNWARD IN THE CHUTE TO A THIRD CONVEYOR PARTIALLY FORMING A SECOND CLOSED CONVEYING PATH, AND CONVEYING THE CURD ON THE THIRD CONVEYOR UNTIL IT REACHES THE END OF THE THIRD CONVEYOR; G. PERMITTING THE CURD TO FALL ONTO A FOURTH CONVEYOR POSITIONED BELOW THE THIRD CONVEYOR, WHICH FOURTH CONVEYOR COOPERATES WITH THE THIRD CONVEYOR TO FORM THE SECOND CLOSED CONVEYING PATH, AND CONVEYING THE CURD ON THE FOURTH CONVEYOR IN A DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OPPOSITE TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF CURD ON THE THIRD CONVEYOR UNTIL THE CURD PIECES REACH AN END OF THE FOURTH CONVEYOR; H. ELEVATING THE CURD FROM THE END OF THE FOURTH CONVEYOR TO THE THIRD CONVEYOR; AND I. REPEATING STEPS (F), (G) AND (H) UNTIL THECURD HEALS.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method as defined in claim 1, further including the step of cutting developed curd into pieces prior to step (f).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method as defined in claim 2, further including the step of applying salt to the pieces during each cycle along the second conveying path.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method as defined in claim 1, further including the step of applying salt to the curd during each cycle along the second conveying path.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3394011A
Cited
US3543403A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-04-28 | 1978-10-28 | 1979-04-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-04-28 | 1982-10-28 | 1983-04-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-04-28 | 1986-10-28 | 1987-04-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |