Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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A METHOD AND A DEVICE FOR THE HANDLING OF CHEESE BLOCKS
The invention relates to a method for purposes of handling
cheese blocks and a device for this purpose, which in
particular can be assigned to a so-called cassette press
with round or cornered cheese moulds.
A device for the industrial production of cheese blocks is
of known art from e.g. EP-A-350777. This comprises a cheese
press with a rectangular pan, open above, for the
accommodation of moulds, a column frame for purposes of
arranging a press head that can be raised and lowered, and
a distribution head for purposes of supplying and metering
the cheese curd into the moulds, and a portal carriage that
can be traversed on the pan for purposes of guiding the
distribution head and for purposes of handling a turning
mechanism for the moulds. Here the distribution head and
the turning mechanism must be manually prepared, that is to
say, changed over. EP-A-406899 shows a further development
of such a device in which the moulds are accommodated in
cassettes, which in turn are arranged compactly in the form
of rows in the pan. Above the moulds is provided a press
head with compression rams aligned with the moulds for
purposes of compressing the cheese curd. The cassettes have
an edge design minimising clearance and a mechanised device
is provided for purposes of moving the cassettes.
Moreover, a tray can be assigned to the pan for second
moulds, into which the immature compressed cheese blocks
are reloaded (EP-A-1769676). The moulds can be supplied by
means of a roller conveyor of an appropriate handling
device of the press to a further work section.
In accordance with EP-B-543185 a mould cover can be
connected via a tilting device with the compression ram (in
a self-centring manner) so that by virtue of possible
tilting movements any suction of the mould cover onto the
cheese mass is avoided. The mould itself is round or
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rectangular and can consist of an outer container and an
inner perforated casing.
The compressed cheese blocks can, for example, be removed
from the mould by means of a gripper, wherein air is blown
into the press mould beforehand in order to release the
cheese block from the mould wall (EP-B-1269832 or DE-B-
922448).
Contact of the cheese block with the air or other gases
that are blown in can represent a hygiene problem. In order
to avoid this attempts have also been made to remove the
cheese block from the press mould by means of vacuum
grippers. However, this leads to the formation of stubs, or
in general to damage of the surface, or even to tearing of
the cheese.
A further cassette press of this type is published in
CH704208A2 and EP2710888A1. The cassette press in
accordance with CH704208A2 has two handling devices,
wherein the second handling device, which can be traversed
along the longitudinal sides of the pan, interacts with a
turning unit.
EP2710888A1 discloses a cassette press that is provided
with a shaker, which is assigned to a horizontally arranged
tray or conveyor for the compressed cheese block.
The object now underlying the invention is to develop a
method for the automatic handling of cheese blocks, with
which in particular a protective, rapid and precise removal
of the cheese block from a primary mould and placement in a
secondary mould can be achieved.
The object is achieved with the features of patent claim 1.
In accordance with the invention there takes place:
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a) an operation of shaking or blowing onto a cheese curd
compressed in a mould, wherein the mould, that is to
say, a cassette with the oculds therein arranged, is
rotated and lowered beforehand, and a pick-up plunger
retracts into the mould up to the cheese block,
wherein after the shaking operation the pick-up
plunger extends out of the mould, and the latter is
rotated back into its initial position,
b) accordingly the mould, without the cheese block, which
is lying on the pick-up plunger, is raised, rotated
through 1800, and guided back into the cheese press,
in particular a cassette press,
c) the pick-up plunger, with the cheese block lying on
it, is now lowered, and
d) the cheese block is fixed in position on the pick-up
plunger by means of a clamping unit,
e) so that the cheese block can be swivelled through 1800
towards a secondary mould, and can be guided into the
latter, and then
f) the clamping unit is opened and the pick-up plunger
can be extended (or the pick-up plunger firstly
extends).
The release of the cheese block, that is to say, the cheese
curd, from the inner wall of the mould takes place by means
of a shaking operation, or also a blowing operation on the
compressed cheese block, immediately, that is to say,
directly before removal from the mould. The shaking
movement is introduced immediately after the operation of
turning the mould, such that each cheese block can then lie
on a pick-up plunger.
A specification of the inventive method is disclosed in the
dependent claims.
The shaking operation takes place only briefly and at least
once.
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The shaking movement can take place horizontally or
vertically. The mould is thereby preferably lowered into a
shaker.
Each cheese block is pushed with the pick-up plunger into
the secondary mould and the swivelling of the cheese block
preferably takes place with a swivelling gripper or a
turning gripper. Here the swivelling or turning gripper,
after the retraction of the pick-up plunger, rotates
through 1800 back into its initial position.
The cheese blocks are not only protectively but also
hygienically removed from the mould and transported
onwards.
A further task consists in creating a device for the
handling of cheese blocks, which enables a rapid reloading
of cheese blocks.
This object is achieved with the features of patent claim
8.
Preferred forms of embodiment are disclosed in the
dependent claims.
The inventive device is of compact construction and enables
automated handling and in particular gripping of the cheese
block, and thus a rapid repopulation of the cassette press,
since the cheese must only spend a short time in the
moulds.
In what follows an example of embodiment of the invention
is described in more detail with the aid of figures. In the
figures:
Fig. 1 shows a cassette press in a partial view;
Fig. 2 shows the inventive device with a swivelling
gripper;
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Fig. 3 shows the inventive device with a turning
gripper;
Fig. 4 shows a clamping beam of the inventive device
with a turning gripper;
Fig. 5 shows a clamping beam of the inventive device
a swivelling gripper.
A cassette press 1 for purposes of compressing a cheese
curd so as to reduce the fluid content, taking into account
the disclosures of CH-A-704208 A and/or CH 706999 A,
comprises:
a pan 2 that is rectangular in plan view and open
upwards (Fig. 1), with cassettes 3 that are
rectangular in plan view and open upwards; the latter
are arranged side-by-side in rows transverse to the
longitudinal direction of the pan 2,
- moulds 4 for purposes of accommodating the cheese curd
to be compressed, which are arranged in the cassettes
3, wherein a mould 4 can be a part of the cassette 3
and has at least one floor and one casing, with at
least one outlet for the fluid that is to be pressed
out,
- on the upper edges, which form the outer sides of the
cassette block in the pan 2 in the longitudinal and
transverse directions, edge plates with a height of
several centimetres can be arranged, to enable the
cheese curd to be floated in (e.g. by means of a pipe
distributor, or other means), up to above the upper
edge of the cassette,
- a press head, mounted on end columns, with a
multiplicity of compression rams, aligned with the
moulds 4, and not explicitly represented, for purposes
of compressing the cheese curd, designed e.g. in
accordance with the disclosure of EP-B-543899,
together with a hold-down device for purposes of
releasing the press head from the cassettes 3,
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a pipe distribution system, that is to say, a filling
apparatus, for purposes of floating in the cheese
curd,
at least one handling unit 5, which, driven by a
motor, can be traversed along the longitudinal sides
of the pan 2 for purposes of raising, traversing and
handling a cassette 3 outside the pan 2 in particular
also from and to a device 18 for purposes of removal
from a mould, or placement in a mould, on the end face
of the pan edge (Fig. 1).
An inventive device 18 for purposes of handling the cheese
block K is assigned to the cassette press 1; this has a
device for purposes of rotating/turning the cassette 3
about its longitudinal axis (turning unit 8) and it is
moreover provided with a shaker 7 arranged near to the
turning unit 8. It also comprises a conveyor track 6 for
secondary moulds 14.
The device 18 moreover comprises a swivelling or turning
gripper assigned to the conveyor track 6, mounted such that
it can swivel, which is provided with at least one pick-up
plunger 16 and devices for purposes of clamping the cheese
blocks K.
The device 18 for purposes of handling the cheese blocks K,
with a swivelling gripper 12 in accordance with Fig. 2,
comprises a frame 9 for purposes of accommodating the
shaker 7 and the turning unit 8. It also has a pick-up
plunger 16 for each mould 4.
The handling unit 5 enables the raising and lowering of the
cassettes 3 in the cassette press 1.
The swivelling gripper 12 with a swivel arm is arranged,
mounted such that it can rotate, in the frame 9 between the
conveyor track 6 and the shaker 7. The swivel arm of the
swivelling gripper 12 can be swivelled with the clamping
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frame 10 and the therein attached clamping jaws 11 about an
axis of rotation 17.
A conveyor track 6 is assigned to the device 18.
Compared with the swivelling gripper 12, the device 18 for
purposes of handling the cheese block K, with a turning
gripper 13 in accordance with Fig. 3, requires a larger
separation between the axis of rotation 17 of the gripper
and the conveyor track 6, and comprises a frame 9 for
purposes of accommodating the shaker 7 and the turning unit
8, wherein the cassette 3 ttat is to be handled is lowered
into the shaker 7. The turning gripper 13 is arranged,
mounted such that it can rotate, in the frame 9 between the
conveyor track 6 and the cassette 3 that is to be lowered.
The turning gripper 13 can be swivelled about an axis of
rotation 17.
The cheese blocks K can be pressed into the secondary
moulds 14 with the pick-up plunger 16.
The secondary moulds 14 with the conveyor track 6 are
arranged underneath the turning gripper 13 in the frame 9
and in the forms of embodiment with turning grippers 13 and
swivelling grippers 12 are as a general rule conveyed in
parallel.
Swivelling or turning grippers 12, 13 are preferably
provided with a geared motor in particular a bevel gear-
geared motor.
The device 18 also comprises means for purposes of clamping
the cheese block K, preferably clamping jaws 11, which can
be arranged in a clamping beam 10. The clamping jaws 11 are
preferably actuated collectively via the clamping beam 10
(Fig. 4).
The pick-up plunger 16 and the clamping jaws 11 can
preferably be actuated pneumatically.
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For purposes of executing the evacuation of the moulds 4 of
a cassette 3 and the relocation of the cheese blocks K by
means of swivelling grippers 12 (Fig. 2) the cheese curd
that has been compressed into cheese blocks K is released
by means of shaking or air from the inner wall of the mould
4, and after a turning operation is evacuated from the
mould 4. For this purpose the cassette 3 with the moulds 4
is rotated above the swivelling gripper 12 and lowered in
the direction of the pick-up plunger 16. One pick-up
plunger 16 retracts into each mould 4 of the cassette 3,
located at a small distance from the cheese block K, that
is to say, it extends out of the device 18, and the shaking
operation is executed.
Or the cheese is released from the mould wall by blowing in
air.
Only after the shaking or blowing operation does the cheese
block lie directly on the pick-up plunger 16.
After the shaking operation the mould 4, that is to say,
le cassette 3 w th
.he T U da', is raised, again rotated
through 1800 into its initial position, and in its
evacuated state is guided back into the cassette press 1.
The pick-up plunger 16, together with the cheese block K
lying on it, is now lowered and each cheese block K is
fixed by means of the assigned clamping jaw 11 in position
on the pick-up plunger, so that the cheese block K is
swivelled by means of the swivelling gripper 12 through
1800 towards a secondary mould 14 and is pushed into the
latter.
The clamping jaws 11 are then opened once again, the pick-
up plungers 16 are retracted, and the clamping jaws 11
swivel with the swivelling gripper 12 back into their
initial position.
The filled secondary moulds 14 are traversed on the
conveyor track 6 to another workstation and empty secondary
moulds 14 are prepared.
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For purposes of executing the evacuation of the moulds 4
and the relocation of the cheese block K by means of
turning grippers 13 (Fig. 3), the cheese curd that has been
compressed into cheese blocks K is similarly evacuated from
the mould 4 after a turning operation. For this purpose the
cassette 3 is rotated above the turning uripper 13 and is
lowered in the direction of the pick-up plunger 16. One
pick-up plunger 16 retracts into each mould 4 of the
cassette 3 until it is located on the cheese block K, that
is to say, it extends out of the device 18, and the shaking
or blowing operation is executed.
After the shaking or blowing operation the mould 4, that is
to say, the cassette 3 wit.h 1-.te m( ulds 4, is raised, again
rotated through 1800 into its initial position, and in its
evacuated state is guided back into the cassette press 1.
The pick-up plunger 16, together with the cheese block K
lying on it, is now lowered and each cheese block K is
fixed in position by means of the assigned clamping jaws
11, so that each cheese block K is rotated in the turning
gripper 13 through 1800 towards a secondary mould 14, and
by means of the pick-up plunger 16 is pushed into the
latter.
The clamping jaws 11 are then opened once again, the pick-
up plunger 16 is retracted, and the clamping jaws rotate
with the turning gripper 13 again through 180 back into
their initial position.
The shaking movement is preferably executed horizontally
and takes place at least once, wherein after the shaking or
blowing operation the cheese block K can be removed from
the mould 4.
Both in the device 18 and also in the secondary moulds 14,
the cheese blocks K are located in a defined manner, and no
manual access is necessary.
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A swivelling gripper 12 can also be employed for the
handling of very long and narrow cheese blocks K (Fig. 5).
In principle, however, swivelling and turning grippers 12,
13 can be employed for all shapes of cheese.
The terms "retraction" and "extension" are always used with
reference to function, and not with reference to the ram.
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REFERENCE LIST
1 Cassette press
2 Pan
3 Cassette
4 Mould
Handling equipment
6 Conveyor track
7 Shaker
8 Turning unit
9 Frame
Clamping beam
11 Clamping jaw
12 Swivelling gripper
13 Turning gripper
14 Secondary mould
Ejector
16 Pick-up plunger (ejector)
17 Axis of rotation
18 Device
Cheese block
