US 4,592,274 AGranted

Stretching and moulding machine for pasta filata cheese

AssigneeCMT Costruzioni Meccaniche e Tecnologie S.p.A.

InventorStefano Tomatis

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Abstract

The machine continuously produces pasta filata cheese by stretching curds while adding hot water then moulding the pasta filata obtained into cheese such as mozzarella, provolone, etc. The curds are sprayed with hot water by nozzles (52, 55) and are pushed by twin augers (53) along a channel (54) into a vertical, substantially cylindrical stretching chamber (68) where a rotating stretching swift (74, 79) having radially projecting, arched paddles (79) stretches the curds into pasta filata against the reaction of a stationary, wall-mounted paddle (78). This spills over a partition (72) onto other augers (57) that feed the pasta filata to moulding means. The moulding means preferably comprise a rotating moulding drum (90) having surface cavities (99), against which pasta filata is pushed through apertures (94) in a distributor block (92). A piston mould (100) mounted on a slide (98) for reciprocating motion between a filling position and a delivery position is also preferably provided as an alternative.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A stretching and moulding machine for the continuous production of pasta filata cheese, having curd-dicing means to feed diced curds to continuous stretching means for transforming the curds into pasta filata with the addition of hot water and to feed the pasta filata to moulding means, characterized in that the stretching means comprise:

(a) a horizontal, open channel having a closed reception end to receive curds from the curd-dicing means and an opposite, open delivery end to deliver pasta filata continuously to the moulding means;
(b) a substantially cylindrical stretching chamber extending vertically upwards from a middle portion of the channel, having a tunnel communicating with the closed reception end of the channel, and an overflow toward the open delivery end of the channel;
(c) a pair of parallel shafts extending longitudinally in the channel and passing through said tunnel, bearing integral first augers extending from the closed end of the channel to about the middle of the stretching chamber, the parallel shafts being provided with driving means mounted externally to the channel;
(d) a vertical swift rising from the bottom of the channel in the center of the stretching chamber, comprising a shaft bearing radially projecting paddles, the shaft being provided with driving means mounted underneath the channel;
(e) a stationary paddle projecting radially inward from the wall of the stretching chamber, in interlaced relationship with the paddles of the swift;
and
(f) water injecting means adapted to inject hot water into the channel.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.