Apparatus for making cheese

Apparatus for processing curd to form cheese comprising a support structure;

• a plurality of cheese hoops on said structure;
• filler means removably connected to fill said cheese hoops and comprising a tray having a plurality of sleeves extending downwardly into said cheese hoops;
• and a cheese press comprising a frame;
• a force applying means on said frame;
• a press head disposed above said cheese hoops and connected to and movable vertically by said force applying means;
• a plurality of plungers extending downwardly from and vertically movable with said press head through said sleeves and into said cheese hoops;
• means supporting each of said plungers on said press head for independent vertical movement with respect to said press head and with respect to other plungers;
• and spring biasing means between each of said plungers and said press head urging each of said plungers downwardly with respect to said press head but enabling independent positioning of each plunger whereby curds in each of said hoops are uniformly compressed.

Apparatus for processing curd to form cheese comprising a movable cheese hoop supporting structure;

• a plurality of cheese hoops supported by said supporting structure;
• filler means removably connected to said cheese hoops to facilitate filling thereof with curds and whey, said filler means comprising a tray having a bottom wall, upwardly extending side walls and a plurality of sleeves projecting downwardly from said bottom wall into said plurality of sleeves projecting downwardly from said bottom wall into said plurality of cheese hoops and comprising a frame;
• a force applying means including a fluid motor on said frame;
• a press head means disposed above said plurality of cheese hoops and vertically movable by said force applying means;
• a plurality of plunger means extending downwardly from and vertically movable with said press head means through said plurality of sleeves and into said plurality of cheese hoops;
• means supporting each of said plunger means on said press head means for independent vertical movement with respect to said press head means and with respect to other of said plunger means;
• and spring biasing means between each of said plunger means and said press head;
• urging each of said plunger means downwardly with respect to said press head means but enabling each of said plunger means to assume an independent position whereby curd in each of said plurality of hoops is uniformly compressed.