초록 ▼

Blocks of cheese are entubed in relatively thin plastic film wrapping material that is heat shrinkable and sealable. According to the method and apparatus, the entubed blocks of cheese are heated to tightly shrink the wrap onto the blocks of cheese to drive air out from between the cheese and the fi

Blocks of cheese are entubed in relatively thin plastic film wrapping material that is heat shrinkable and sealable. According to the method and apparatus, the entubed blocks of cheese are heated to tightly shrink the wrap onto the blocks of cheese to drive air out from between the cheese and the film wrap to provide for good shelf-life and to maintain flavor and other qualities of the product.

대표청구항 ▼

In apparatus for wrapping blocks of cheese, tube former means, means for feeding blocks of cheese in spaced relation into the tube former means, means for feeding a web of heat shrinkable and sealable plastic film wrap to the tube former means for entubement of the spaced blocks of cheese in an elon

In apparatus for wrapping blocks of cheese, tube former means, means for feeding blocks of cheese in spaced relation into the tube former means, means for feeding a web of heat shrinkable and sealable plastic film wrap to the tube former means for entubement of the spaced blocks of cheese in an elongated tube of plastic film wrap, said film wrap including lateral edge portions of said web that overlap each other over the length of the tube, vertically spaced endless conveyors disposed between the tube former means and a cutoff station and sandwiching the entubed blocks of cheese therebetween with a gripping pressure, drive means for the endless conveyors for advancing the entubed spaced blocks of cheese from the tube former means to the cutoff station, heating means adjacent at least one of the endless conveyors whereby the endless conveyor passes between said heating means and said entubed spaced blocks of cheese such that said endless conveyor transfers heat from said heating means to said entubed blocks of cheese for heating the entubed blocks of cheese and thereby shrinking the plastic film wrap tightly onto surfaces of the blocks of cheese extending in the direction of travel to drive air out from between the cheese and the film wrap and sealing the overlapped edge portions of the wrap as the entubed blocks of cheese are advanced by the endless conveyors toward the cutoff station, means at the cutoff station for severing the tube corresponding to each block of cheese with the severance being effected intermediate the space between adjacent blocks and leaving each block with opposed severed tube ends, means for folding the severed tube ends against a surface of each wrapped block of cheese extending in the direction of travel, and means to heat the separate individually wrapped blocks of cheese to seal the respective tube ends together and against said surface.