GB957169A - Apparatus for cutting cheese wheels into segments - Google Patents

Abstract

957,169. Cheese cutting apparatus. J. W. FLOWER & CO. (ENGINEERS) Ltd. Oct. 13, 1960 [Oct. 13, 1959], No. 34659/59. Heading A4C. In apparatus for cutting cheeses and the like into smaller pieces, taut cutter wires and a thrust plate are provided with means for displacing them towards each other relatively, the wires crossing one another along an axis parallel with the direction of relative displacement of the wires and plate so that a cheese placed between the wires and the thrust plate can be cut into pieces of wedge form, and one end of each wire is nearer to the thrust plate than its other end, the nearer ends being at different distances from the thrust plate, whereby successive wires progressively enter the cheese during a cutting operation. The apparatus comprises a table 1 and a circular thrust plate 2 which is vertically reciprocable by a hydraulic ram and cylinder 3. Coaxially above the thrust plate is a ring 5, having a number of spring loaded wires 6 extending diametrically across it. The ring is supported above the thrust plate by four posts 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d. The six wires shown are arranged in groups of three so that the lower group commences to cut the cheese into 60 degrees wedges, and fully enter the cheese before the upper group cuts the 60 degrees wedges into 30 degrees wedges. The thrust plate consists of 30 degrees segments 12 on a plate 13 fixed to the ram, the segments being arranged to leave slots 14 to register with the wires 6, and the depth of the segments being such as to allow the wires to pass completely below the surface of the plate. A cheese to be cut is slid on to the thrust plate and centred in relation to the ring 5 by means of pivoted jaws 19, which are connected by a series of levers (20 to 25) so that movement of any one of the jaws towards the centre of the plate by means of a hand lever 26 causes an equal and similar movement in the other two. After centring, the jaws are retracted and the ram is caused to rise until the top of the thrust plate has passed through the top of the ring 5, then the ram is lowered and the cut cheese removed. Fig. 6 shows an attachment for cutting the core out of a cheese during the cutting operation. A vertical tube 30 is carried by arms 32 mounted on upward extensions 34 of posts 9b and 9d. The tube is slotted as at 37 to enable it to clear the wires 6. Within the tube is an ejector block 38 which is reciprocable by means of levers 40, 42 and 45, and is slotted to receive the wires 6.