U.S. patent application number 11/345575 was filed with the patent office on 2006-08-31 for roller manifold for forming a continuous sheet of viscous material.
This patent application is currently assigned to Schreiber Foods, Inc.. Invention is credited to Kenneth R. Fahs, Franco X. Milani, Shawn L. Owens.
Application Number | 20060192316 11/345575 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26823358 |
Filed Date | 2006-08-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060192316 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Fahs; Kenneth R. ; et
al. |
August 31, 2006 |
Roller manifold for forming a continuous sheet of viscous
material
Abstract
The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for
forming a continuous sheet of a molten material with particularly
viscous, sticky properties. This molten material may be moldable,
plasticized or a food product such as cheese. More specifically,
the invention includes a manifold that discharges the molten
material in a continuous layer upon the surface of a casting belt.
This manifold comprises a roller, a chamber with a hollow interior,
at least one inlet and a drive mechanism.
Inventors: |
Fahs; Kenneth R.; (Green
Bay, WI) ; Milani; Franco X.; (Green Bay, WI)
; Owens; Shawn L.; (Joplin, MO) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BRINKS HOFER GILSON & LIONE
P.O. BOX 10395
CHICAGO
IL
60610
US
|
Assignee: |
Schreiber Foods, Inc.
|
Family ID: |
26823358 |
Appl. No.: |
11/345575 |
Filed: |
February 1, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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|
10805937 |
Mar 22, 2004 |
7033161 |
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11345575 |
Feb 1, 2006 |
|
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|
09481451 |
Jan 11, 2000 |
6797306 |
|
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10805937 |
Mar 22, 2004 |
|
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60125195 |
Mar 18, 1999 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
264/212 ;
264/216 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01J 25/12 20130101;
A01J 27/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
264/212 ;
264/216 |
International
Class: |
B29D 7/00 20060101
B29D007/00 |
Claims
1-16. (canceled)
17. A method of using an apparatus to dispense a continuous sheet
of molten, viscous material, comprising the steps of: a. providing
an apparatus comprising: i. a discharge manifold configured to
discharge molten, viscous material having a hollow interior chamber
with at least one open side; ii. at least one manifold inlet
opening into said chamber for receiving the molten, viscous
material, each at least one manifold inlet opening configured for
attachment to piping; iii. a discharge opening on at least one side
configured to discharge said molten viscous material from said
chamber; and iv. a roller rotatably mounted adjacent to the chamber
wherein a gap is defined between an outer surface of the roller and
the casting surface, wherein the roller is configured to discharge
a continuous sheet of molten, viscous material and to cooperate
with the casting surface to extrude the material received in said
gap from said discharge opening; b. driving a casting belt of a
casting line in a constant direction, said casting belt having a
width; c. introducing molten, viscous starting material through at
least one pipe connected to at least one manifold inlet; d. driving
the roller in the same direction as the casting belt, said roller
being attached to the manifold such that the starting material
passes between the roller and casting belt; e. drawing the starting
material from the chamber through a tandem movement of the roller
and the casting belt in the same direction; and f. dispensing a
continuous sheet of molten, viscous material upon the casting belt
as the belt is revolvingly driven.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the starting material is
introduced into the manifold under pressure from a pump.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the starting material is
introduced under a pressure of at least 1 psi.
20. The method of claim 17, wherein a continuous sheet of material
is dispensed upon the casting belt under pressure from a pump.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein the continuous sheet of
material is introduced under a pressure of at least 1 psi.
22. A method for forming a continuous sheet of material from a
molten, viscous starting material comprising the steps of: a.
driving a casting belt of a casting line in a constant direction,
said casting belt having a width; b. introducing molten, viscous
starting material through at least one pipe feeding into a manifold
chamber mounted in an area adjacent to the casting belt, said
material exiting the manifold through an outlet; c. driving a
roller in the same direction as the casting belt, said roller being
attached to the manifold such that the starting material passes
between the roller and casting belt; d. drawing the starting
material from the chamber through tandem movement of the roller and
the casting belt in the same direction; and e. dispensing a
continuous sheet of material upon the casting belt as the belt is
revolvingly driven.
23. The method of claim 22, wherein the starting material is
introduced into the manifold under pressure from a pump.
24. The method of claim 23, wherein the starting material is
introduced under a pressure of at least 1 psi.
25. The method of claim 22, wherein a continuous sheet of material
is dispensed upon the casting belt under pressure from a pump.
26. The method of claim 25, wherein the continuous sheet of
material is introduced under a pressure of at least 1 psi.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 10/805,937, filed Mar. 22, 2004, now U.S. Pat.
No. 7,033,161, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 09/481,451, filed Jan. 11, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No.
6,797,306, which claims the benefit of priority under 35 U. S. C.
.sctn. 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.
60/125,195, filed Mar. 18, 1999, all of which are hereby
incorporated by reference in their entirety.
[0002] The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus
for forming a continuous sheet of a molten material with
particularly viscous, sticky properties. This molten material may
be moldable, plasticized or a food product such as cheese. More
specifically, the invention includes a manifold that discharges the
molten material in a continuous layer upon the surface of a casting
belt. This manifold comprises a roller, a hollow chamber with at
least one open side and at least one inlet into the chamber.
[0003] Material such as processed cheese products present some
difficulties in cutting or slicing because such material tends to
cling to the cutting surfaces. For this reason, a process was
developed in which such a material is melted and extruded into a
thin sheet upon a surface such as a moving belt. In such a process,
molten cheese is fed into a manifold, which distributes the molten
cheese in a layer onto a continuously moving endless belt, which is
commonly called a casting belt. Such a process, and the apparatus
used in such a process, is described, for example, in U.S. Pat.
Nos. 5,527,551 and 5,573,805, the entire content of which are
incorporated herein by reference.,
[0004] A standard manifold that may be used in such a process is
also described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,242. In prior
art manifolds, cheese is distributed from the manifold onto the
casting belt. A fixed bar known as a "nose bar" forms part of the
manifold. The manifold distributes the cheese onto the casting belt
between the nose bar and the surface of the casting belt (i.e., the
space between the nose bar and the surface of the casting belt
defines the thickness of the layer or film of cheese). Pressure is
provided, through suitable pumps, to force the cheese to extrude
between the surface of the belt and the nose bar. Since the casting
belt is moving, the cheese is carried downstream of the nose bar on
the surface of the casting belt thereby forming a continuously
moving sheet of cheese. The sheet of cheese is further processed
downstream in a manner known in the art. A standard manifold is
divided into an upper and lower compartment and may even be further
divided into a number of compartments in order to distribute evenly
the pressure building up from the material coursing through the
manifold. The manifold of the present invention, however, requires
only one interior space, although additional compartments are not
precluded from the invention.
[0005] Materials such as processed cheese products are now being
created with more "extreme" textures. These "extreme" textures tend
to be stickier and more viscous than other types of cheese. Because
of this stickiness, it becomes more difficult to form a continuous
sheet of material using the process and apparatus described in the
prior art since the stickier material clogs the chambers of prior
art manifolds and tends to tear while extruding onto the casting
belt from a "nose bar" or other such standard manifold. The
viscosity also affects the processing because more viscous
materials tend to tear as they exit from the nose bar.
[0006] Viscosity is a measurement of the flow properties of a
product. Viscosity can be defined as the ratio of the "shear force"
applied to a material and the amount that the material is
"deformed" by this force. The deformation of the material is
expressed as the "rate of shear" . Therefore, viscosity is the
relationship between shearing stress and rate of shear. Viscosity
is temperature dependent and typically decreases as the temperature
rises.
[0007] TABLE 1 below lists some common fluids and their
viscosities, in addition to the viscosities of some of the products
that could be processed using the method and apparatus of the
current invention. TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 FLUID CP at 0.degree. C.
CP at 20.degree. C. CP at 30.degree. C. water 1.79 1.00 Milk, whole
4.28 2.12 Sucrose solution 60.2 (60%) Molasses 6600 Olive oil 84.0
Soybean oil 40.6
[0008] Therefore, a number of characteristics are desirable for a
manifold dispensing such sticky or viscous material. Such a
manifold must have a capability for receiving the starting material
under pressure and distributing it evenly along the full length of
the manifold and upon the casting belt. This distribution must be
accomplished continuously to accommodate the high rate at which the
material flows through the manifold. The manifold must facilitate
distribution of the material in such a way that the material forms
continuous sheets and does not tear as it is being deposited on the
belt. The manifold should be easily assembled and disassembled for
cleaning purposes. Finally, it would be advantageous if the
manifold were interchangeable with a standard/prior art manifold
(or other suitable manifold) so that more than one variety of
manifold could be used with the same casting line and more than one
variety of starting material could be processed.
[0009] The process by which such sticky, viscous starting material
flows through the manifold should also accommodate the stickiness
of the material. The material should flow through the manifold in
such a manner and at a rate that is suitable for commercial
processing and such that the manifold is not clogged.
[0010] Therefore, in view of the above, it is an object of the
present invention to provide an apparatus and method which
efficiently forms a continuous sheet of material from such a sticky
or viscous starting material.
[0011] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
manifold that accommodates such viscous starting material with
minimal clogging and tearing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The present invention provides a method and apparatus for
forming a continuous sheet from a molten, viscous starting
material, such as cheese. The invention may also be used to form
other such moldable materials such as plastic.
[0013] More specifically, the invention includes a manifold, which
discharges the starting material upon a surface, such as a casting
belt. The manifold comprises a chamber with a hollow interior which
receives the material, at least one inlet for feeding the material
into the manifold and a roller which discharges the starting
material upon a surface, such as a casting belt. The roller
cooperates with the surface on which the material is distributed on
in order to extrude the material in a smooth manner.
[0014] The manifold of the present invention is preferably mounted
above the casting belt. The manifold is situated in such a way that
the belt freely revolves underneath the manifold and the roller of
the manifold freely revolves above the belt. A layer of material is
formed between the belt and the roller.
[0015] A viscous sticky product run through the manifold of the
present invention does not react as violently to pressure as in a
standard manifold and therefore pressure is more constant as the
material flows through the manifold.
[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the manifold of the present
invention has top and bottom face plates, two end plates and
upstream and downstream face plates; these face plates together
form a chamber with a hollow interior. The bottom face is open to
the casting belt along at least a part of its length. The
downstream face is open to the roller along at least a part of its
length.
[0017] The present invention, as well as the preferred embodiment
thereof, will best be understood in view of the appended drawings,
a brief description of which follows.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of
the roller manifold of the present invention.
[0019] FIG. 2 is a top view of the roller manifold of FIG. 1.
[0020] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the interior of the
roller manifold of FIG. 2.
[0021] FIG. 4 is a face view of the roller manifold of FIG. 1.
[0022] FIG. 5 is a side perspective view of the roller of the
manifold of FIG. 1.
[0023] FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the interior of the
manifold of FIG. 2.
[0024] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the general flow of a sheet
forming apparatus that incorporates the roller manifold.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0025] Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a perspective
view of a preferred embodiment of the discharge roller manifold 11
of the present invention. The manifold 11 comprises a chamber 10
that is disposed adjacent to a roller 16.
[0026] As seen in FIGS. 1-7, and in particular FIG. 7, the material
15 to be processed is fed into a hopper 40 from a conventional
source, such as a cooker or heating device (not shown). In the
presently preferred embodiment for cheese material 15 comprises a
cheese mass which is fed into the hopper from a cooker at a range
of 20-40.degree. C. to about 80-100.degree. C. at standard
atmospheric pressure. The material 15 may be fed to the hopper 40
for holding or the material 15 may be further processed in the
hopper, for example, by mixing in additional materials. The
material 15 is then pumped into a line 45 by a pump 42. A suitable
pump for processing cheese is a typical APV model 3 or model 6
pump, which is commercially available. In the embodiment used for
cheese, the pump 42 provides a pressure of up to 150 psi for the
cheese exiting the pump into line 45. The material then flows into
a filter 44, which is used to filter foreign objects out of the
material 15. A suitable filter may be, for example, a Tri-Clover
nylon mesh filter SN2 with a mesh of 30, which is commercially
available. After the material 15 exits the filter 44 it continues
through the line 45 until reaching a juncture 47 where the pipe
distributes the material into three different legs or pipe
segments, 45A, 45B, and 45C. It will of course, be recognized by
those skilled in the art, that the line 45 may be split into fewer
or more legs depending on the particular use contemplated. Each of
the legs 45A, 45B, and 45C then feeds into a respective manifold
inlet 24A, 24B, and 24C. Preferably, a valve 46A, 46B and 46C is
disposed between each of the legs 45A 45C and each of the inlets
24A 24C. A suitable valve is an adjustable valve, such as one
commercially available from Lumaco's butterfly valve series, Model
No. LUD-7. The manifold 11 receives the material 15 through the
inlets 24A 24C and distributes the material, such as cheese
material, in an even layer 15 which is deposited onto a casting
belt 12 in a manner described more fully below. A first drive
mechanism 19 (shown schematically) is used to drive the endless
belt 12 at an appropriate rate of speed such as 5-15 ft/min to
about 50-70 ft/min.
[0027] FIGS. 1-6 show a manifold 11 mounted over the casting belt
12 upon which the material 15 being processed is extruded in a
presently used embodiment. A drive mechanism 20 that causes the
casting belt to revolve is shown schematically in FIG. 7.
[0028] The manifold 11 of FIG. 1 is mounted in mounting areas 28,
located to one or both sides of casting belt 12. Standard bolts 14
or other such suitable mounting devices are used to attach the
manifold in these mounting areas. The manifold 11 is thus disposed
above the casting belt 12 so that the roller 16 can roll freely in
the same direction as the casting belt. A space 36 is formed
between the roller 16 of the manifold 11 and the belt 12. Material,
such as cheese, is extruded through this gap 36.
[0029] The manifold has an upstream face plate 32 and a top face
plate 38 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 6. Two end face plates 21A and 21B
are connected to the upstream face plate 32 and top face plate 38
(FIG. 1). A downstream face 33 faces the roller 16 and is open to
the roller 16 along at least a part of its length. In a presently
used embodiment, the entire face 33 is open such that the upstream
side of the roller 16 forms a surface that closes the face 33.
Thus, as best illustrated in FIG. 6, chamber portion 10 with cavity
or chamber 22 is formed between the upstream face plate 32, the top
face plate 38, the surface of the belt 30 and the outer, upstream
surface of the roller 16. In an exemplary embodiment, the length
"r" of the chamber 10 corresponds substantially to the length of
the roller 16, which is about 42 inches. The height "h" of the
cavity is 3 inches and the width "w" of the cavity is about 3.5
inches.
[0030] FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the interior of the
manifold of FIG. 1. In a presently used embodiment, the chamber 10
is manufactured of stainless steel. The roller 16 in a presently
used embodiment has two parts--a stainless steel cylinder 17 and,
surrounding the cylinder, a polypropylene sleeve 18 that is shrunk
onto the cylinder. This roller 16 is mounted on a rotatable shaft
25 and may be driven by a drive mechanism 20 that is independent of
the mechanism driving the casting belt 12. Alternatively, the
roller 16 can be driven by the same drive mechanism as drives the
casting belt 12 or may be freely rotatable without the aid of a
drive mechanism.
[0031] At least one inlet 24 is positioned along the length of this
top face plate 38. Preferably a plurality of these inlets are
positioned along the length of the top face plate 38, as seen in
FIGS. 1-6. In the exemplary embodiment, the diameter "d.sub.i" of
each inlet is about 1.5 inches and three inlets, 24A, 24B and 24C
are provided. The inlets may be made of stainless steel and may be
attached to the manifold by welding.
[0032] As discussed above, the manifold 11 has a hollow chamber 22
in the chamber portion 10. The inlets 24 open into the interior
chamber 22. In a presently used embodiment, an adjustable valve 46
is connected to each inlet 24. As shown in FIG. 7, these valves 46
distribute the material 15 evenly into the interior of the manifold
chamber 22. The valves 46 are made of stainless steel and can be
attached to the piping 45 that pumps material through the manifold
chamber 10.
[0033] The bottom face 31 of the manifold 11 is open to the casting
belt 12 along at least a part of its length. The distance or gap 36
between the bottom face 31 of the manifold and the casting belt 12
can be adjusted using standard shims (not shown). These shims sit
on casting belt 12 just under the manifold 11 and create a space 36
between the manifold 11 and belt 12. A sheet of material 15 having
uniform dimensions of width and thickness is distributed onto the
belt 12 downstream of chamber 10 and roller 16. The thickness of
the material 15 thus formed will have dimensions corresponding
approximately to that of the fixed distance 36 between the casting
belt and the bottom face 31. The width of the material thus formed
will have dimensions corresponding approximately to that of the
length "l " of manifold chamber 10.
[0034] Although the thickness of the material 15 will have
dimensions approximately corresponding to the space 36 created by
the placement of the shims, the thickness of the final product is
actually determined by the amount of pressure going through the
manifold. For example, for a thickness of 1/4inch, the space 36
created by the shims would be less than 1/4 and the pressure
building in the manifold causes the product to pool up or bubble up
as it comes out of the gap between the belt and the manifold. When
the correct pressure is applied, the product will pool up or bubble
up to the desired thickness.
[0035] In a standard casting machine, a prior art manifold would be
mounted on the infeed end. The prior art manifold of U.S. Pat. No.
4,790,242, for example, is mounted in a position of approximately
45 degrees around the radius of the upper drum at the idler end.
The stainless steel belt is in its most stable position at this
point and gives the best opportunity for thickness or weight
control of the product as it is formed and discharged from the
manifold. This process is called "casting on the drum" and the
manifold of the present invention may also be mounted in such a
manner.
[0036] The manifold of the present invention may also be mounted in
such a manner that the manifold is upstream from the driven end
drum of a standard casting machine, and therefore downstream of the
idler drum. In this process, called "casting on the belt" casting
occurs on a flat horizontal surface of the belt 12 upstream from
the driven end drum of a standard casting machine. The manifold of
the present invention may be mounted in such a manner.
[0037] Furthermore, the manifold of the present invention may be
mounted on a double belt system or on a single belt system.
[0038] The hot melted cheese is discharged upon the cooled surface
of the upper belt 12 in a continuous sheet 15 evenly distributed
across the width of the belt 12. The underside of the sheet of
cheese 15 may be cooled by the belt while the belt is moving
towards a driven drum at the far end of the belt.
[0039] One arrangement for forming a continuous sheet of a viscous
material, such as cheese, would use the manifold of the present
invention in conjunction with a conventional casting line, such as
the Natec Chill Roll or the Hart Casting Line, both of which are
commercially available. Such casting lines comprise one or more
endless belts, a series of rollers and often a cooling agent which
accelerates the cooling of the material as it advances upon the
belt or belts. Molten material, such as cheese, is extruded through
the manifold of the present invention directly onto the advancing
belt of the casting line. The roller manifold 11 of the present
invention controls the consistency of the material so that it is
spread upon the advancing belt in a continuous sheet. This sheet
will cool upon the advancing belt. It can then be carried further
downstream by the belt for additional processing.
[0040] The casting line may comprise any conventional casting line
such as those described above. The structure and function of such
apparatus are well known to those skilled in the art and no attempt
is made here to describe such apparatus in exhaustive detail.
Briefly, the casting line comprises an endless belt that revolves
about one set of rollers, and a second endless belt that revolves
around another set of rollers. A suitable material for the casting
belt 12 is stainless steel. For example, as presently used, the
casting belt receives the cheese at temperatures ranging from
100-150.degree. F. to 200-250.degree. F. and advances the
continuous sheet at from 5-15 ft/min to about 50-70 ft/min and
delivers the sheet for further processing at temperatures from
about 30-45.degree. F. to 55-70.degree. F. Material with a
temperature up to 400.degree. F. might safely be processed without
sticking to the coated surface of the roller of the manifold of the
present invention. Other speeds and delivery temperatures are
possible.
[0041] Another embodiment of the casting machine comprises pans
installed at the undersides of the belts that are used to flood the
bottom sides of the belts with a cooling medium.
[0042] As can be seen in FIG. 6, the roller 16 of the illustrated
embodiment has two parts--a stainless steel cylinder 17 and,
surrounding the cylinder, a plastic sleeve 18 that is shrunk onto
the cylinder.
[0043] The belt's rotation begins to draw the material downstream.
Preferably, the roller 16 will freely rotate in conjunction with
the belt's movement even without its own drive mechanism. However,
the material 15 is not distributed as consistently and may not be
distributed as continuously; therefore, it is preferred that the
roller 16 has its own drive mechanism independent of the drive
mechanism of the belt 12. Both belt 12 and roller 16 run at the
same surface speed and revolve in the same direction. The speed at
which belt and roller are run is dependent on the speed of the
casting line, but may be, for example, 5-15 ft/min to about 50-70
ft/min.
[0044] The fixed distance 36 between the roller 16 and casting belt
12 therefore determines final sheet thickness. Generally, the
thickness of the final sheet varies between 0.09 to 0.13 inches
although sheets with a thickness of 0.25 inches can be produced.
The desired thickness is determined by the weight and slice
dimensions of the desired product that will eventually be cut from
the sheets formed by the process of the present invention. As
discussed above, the thickness of the sheet is controlled by
adjusting the distance 36 between the outer surface of the roller
16 and the surface of the belt 12.
[0045] The starting material is pumped into the chamber interior
through the inlets 24. These inlets 24 are positioned evenly along
the length of the manifold chamber 10. The number of inlets
generally depends on the length of the manifold, with longer
manifolds having more inlets. The material enters the manifold
through the one or more inlets 24 in a steady stream. The interior
cavity 10 begins to fill with material. As the interior cavity 10
fills, enough pressure builds in the manifold 11 that the material
is extruded onto the belt, forming a contact sheet with the casting
belt 12.
[0046] The roller 16 functions to flatten this contact sheet 15
out. Preferably, the sleeve 18 is made of a non-stick material,
such as polypropylene. Thus, the surface of the roller 16 does not
stick to the material being extruded underneath it and even
distribution of material in a continuous sheet 15 is
facilitated.
[0047] Each inlet 24 may have a corresponding adjustable valve 46
to control the flow and thus the distribution of the material 15
onto the casting belt 12. These valves 46 can be clamped in with
the piping that is attached to the inlets 24. Although the material
15 may be pumped directly through the manifold 11 without the
valves 46, these valves 46 provide additional control of flow into
the manifold 11 and thus additional control over the distribution
of material onto the casting belt 12.
[0048] The rate at which material flows through the manifold of the
present invention varies for example from ranges of 50-500 pounds
per hour to ranges of 6000-8000 pounds per hour.
[0049] The invention permits the even distribution of particularly
viscous and sticky material on a surface without tearing the
material. The thickness of the produced sheet of material is also
maintained precisely by the methods and apparatus of the present
invention.
[0050] The present invention minimizes the clogging of the manifold
apparatus because the more viscous material 15 is less restricted
from the inlets 24A-24C at the point of extrusion between the
roller and belt. The manifold of the present invention has been
shown to run at pressures of as low as 1-10 psi to pressures as
high as 100-110 psi. Too much pressure causes the cheese to puddle
on the upstream side of the manifold. The attached roller slightly
eases the pressure of the material being pumped through the
manifold.
[0051] The amount of pressure pumped through the manifold affects
the occurrence of streaking in the cheese embodiment. A certain
amount of pressure must always be pumped through the manifold. In
the cheese embodiment, should pressure become too low, streaking
will occur. Streaking occurs when particles of cheese stick to the
manifold and cause streaks on the ribbons of cheese being extruded
from the manifold.
[0052] The pressure is set using the pump 42 as described above and
further controlled using the valves as described above. The speed
of the pump is adjusted depending on the viscosity of the
cheese.
[0053] A further advantage of the present invention is that it can
be used interchangeably in conjunction with the standard/prior art
manifold. The method and apparatus of the current invention allow
switching between the manifold of the current invention and a
standard manifold so that more than one variety of starting
material can be processed. Products run through a roller manifold
would normally be viscous and would tear and clog if run under a
standard manifold nose bar. Products run through a standard
manifold would normally be less viscous and would stick to the
roller of a roller manifold. Therefore, the apparatus of the
present invention is configured such that a standard manifold can
be easily mounted and attached to the sheet forming apparatus when
needed and a standard manifold can replace the roller manifold when
necessary.
[0054] For example, in the preparation of cheese, all ingredients
are gathered and the final cheese product can be determined.
Depending on the product chosen, a standard manifold or the
manifold of the present invention is chosen and mounted above the
casting belt.
[0055] The apparatus of the present invention can be incorporated
in a variety of embodiments, only certain of which have been fully
illustrated and described above. The invention may be embodied in
other forms without departing from its spirit or essential
characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in
all respects as illustrative and restrictive. Therefore, the scope
of the invention is best described by the claims that follow rather
than by the foregoing description.
* * * * *