GB2053650A - Method and apparatus for the continuous manufacture of butter-milk curd - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for the continuous manufacture of butter-milk curd according to which whey and coagulant liquid are continuously injected at or towards one end of a U-profiled longitudinally extending tank thermostatically heated by a fluid e.g. steam. The formed curd is removed and transferred from that one end of the tank to the opposite end by means of endless bands. The formed curd is agitated and conveyed by spaced rectangular plates (LR) which, being pivotally mounted on endless band (SE), sweep in proximity to the floor of the tank from the lower run of the band. A second endless band (XW) takes the curd up to a discharge station (TG). The whey and coagulant liquid are held in a tank (VL) and a pressurised, heated container (SS), respectively. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Method and apparatus for the continuous manufacture of butter-milk curd This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for the continuous manufacture of butter-milk curd by treating whey with a coagulant liquid.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method of and apparatus for producing butter-milk curd in which the labour required and the consequentiai costs are materially reduced.

According to the present invention there is provided a method for the continuous manufacture of butter-milk curd characterised in that whey and coagulant liquid are continuously injected at or towards one end of a U-profiled longitudinally extending tank thermostatically heated by a fluid, the formed curd is removed and transferred from that one end of the tank to the opposite end by means of endless bands permitting also an agitation of liquid mass for homogeneous formation of the curd.

The invention also provides apparatus for the continuous manufacture of butter-milk curd comprising a U-profiled and thermostatically heated tank, a number of whey and coagulant liquid inlet nozzles adjacent to one end of the tank, and first and second endless bands, the first endless band including a number of blades sweeping adjacent to the floor of the tank to remove formed curd, and the second endless band being operable to transfer curd by the blades to a discharge station for the curd.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a longitudinal schematic sectional view of an apparatus according to the invention, Fig. 2 is a sectional view to a larger scale taken on the line 11- II of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line lil - lil of Fig. 2 and illustrating a labyrinthe path for steam, and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line IV - IV of Fig. 2 and illustrating the injection of whey and coagulating liquid.

In the drawings white arrows show the path of heating steam, black arrows the path of whey, white triangular arrows the path of coagulant liquid and biack triangular isosceles angles the direction of movement of two endless bands SE and XW for the displacement and discharge ofthe curd.

Butter-milk curd is formed in an open U-shaped longitudinally extending tank CC by the introduction of whey and coagulant thereto and in accordance with the known reaction therebetween. The formed curd is removed from the tank CC by an endless band SE which comprises a number of spaced rectangular plates LR each freely pivotally mounted on a horizontally extending pin ST extending between and attached to the links of a pair of spaced articulated chains which follow substantially rectangular paths in spaced vertical planes and are advanced about rollers XA, XA1, AX and AX, located at each corner of the rectangular paths. The endless chains slide freely through longitudinally extending guides GU extending horizontally along the upper and lower runs of thesubstantially rectangular paths.With this arrangement, the plates LR always remain suspended in a substantially vertical plane with the plates suspended from the lower run of the chains sweeping in proximity to the floor of the tank CC.

A second endless band XW is provided towards which the formed curd is swept by the plates LR and which operates to receive and to convey the curd upwards towards a discharge station TG. The band XW extends from adjacent the end of travel of the lower run of the plates LR to the discharge station TG.

The tank CC is heated by steam and its temperature is thermostatically controlled. Steam supplied to the tank CC is flowed out of the tank to an intermediate chamber IN housing a container SS for coagulant liquid in order to preheat the latter and then flows from the chamber IN to a chamber NI housing a tank VL for whey in order to preheat the latter and thereby achieve as high a thermal efficiency as possible. Whey is fed to the tank VL by pump PO as long as the level of whey in he tank VL is below a predetermined value determined by a float GA connected through a two-armed lever LL to a valve. When the whey in tank VL reaches a predetermined level the pump PO is de-energised.

Whey is fed to the tank CC from the tankVL by the pump OP.

An extended labyrinthine path for the steam is provided by a number of L-section members PR which are welded together to form box-section horizontally extending channels CA which extend horizontally and longitudinally of the tank CC for the length thereof and which define the floor and side walls of the tank CC and which also define the end walls of the tank. The channels CA are closed at their ends by end cover plates PS and SP, the members PR being alternately cut away at their ends as shown in Fig. 3 to place adjacent channels in communication and to provide the labyrinthine or tortuous path for the steam.

The temperature of the reactants in the tank CC is controlled at a temperature of from 80 - 90"C by a temperature sensor BB associated with a thermostat to control a pneumatic valve which controls the flow of steam to the tank CC.

In order to provide a programmed and forced high output of curd an overflow pipe TP is provided towards the discharge end of the tank TC and is con necked to an expulsion pump for the discharge of exhausted whey and coagulant fluid.

Coagulant liquid from the container SS which is pressurised is introduced under pressure to the inlet end of the tank CC through a pipe CO which is formed with holes FF opening through corresponding apertures in an L-section member PR to the bottom of the tank CC at the inlet end through nozzles (not shown) at and about the medial longitudinal vertical plane of the tank.

Whey from the tank VL is supplied to the tank CC through pipes TU and UT opening at opposite sides of the inlet end of the tank to the bottom of the tank CC.

In the operation of the apparatus described, heated coagulant liquid is introduced through the holes FF in the pipe CO to the floor of the inlet end of the tank CC. Heated whey is similarly delivered through the pipes TU and UT. They whey and the coagulant liquid, heated by steam to the controlled temperature, react to form curd which is swept along by the plates LR to the endless band XW which conveys it to the discharge station TG. Spent whey and coagulant liquid are discharged through the overflow pipe TP.

As the plates LR sweep the curd torwards the discharge end, the liquid mass in the tank CC is agitated allowing for homogeneous formation of the curd.

According to a feature of the invention the whey, before being injected into the tank CC is oxygenated namely mixed with pressurised air in order to facili tatetheformation of soft curd.

Claims (11)

1. A method forthe continuous manufacture of butter-milk curd characterised in that whey and coagulant liquid are continuously injected at or towards one end of a U-profiled longitudinally extending tank thermostatically heated by a fluid, the formed curd is removed ar;d transferred from that one end of the tank to the opposite end by means of endless bands permitting also an agitation of liquid mass for homogeneous formation of the curd.

2. A method according to Claim 1 characterised in that the heating fluid is steam.

3. A method according to Claim 1 or 2 characterised in that the injection of the coagulant liquid into thetanktakes place by means of pressurisation of a coagulant liquid container.

4. A method for the continuous manufacture of butter-milk curd substantially as herein described.

5. A method according to any one of Claims 1 to 4 wherein the whey is mixed with pressurised air in order to facilitate the formation of soft curd.

6. Apparatus for the continuous manufacture of butter-milk curd comprising a U-profiled and thermostatically heated tank, a number of whey and coagulant liquid inlet nozzles adjacent to one end of the tank, and first and second endless bands, the first endless band including a number of blades sweeping adjacent to the floor of the tank to remove formed curd, and the second endless band being operable to transfer curd swept by the blades to a discharge station for the curd.

7. Apparatus according to Claim 6 characterised in that the walls of the U-profiled open tank are formed by profiled members welded to each other to define interconnecting channels defining a layrinthine path for the heating steam.

8. Apparatus according to Claim 6 or7 character ised in that the first endless band is formed by two spaced endless chains connected by pivot pins carry ing the blades.

9. Apparatus according to Claim 6,7 or 8 charac terised in that the liquid coagulant container is heated by steam supplied from the U-profiled open tank.

10. Apparatus according to any one of Claims 6 to 9 characterised by the provision of a tank for the incorporating means for maintaining a substantially constant level of whey in the tank and two synchronously operable pumps for pumping whey to the U-profiled open tank.

11. Apparatus for the continuous manufacture of butter-milk constructed, arranged and adapted to operate substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.