US2174364A - Method of finishing shortening - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 26, 1939. r. M. GonFREY E1- u.

IBIEHOIJ .0F FIIIISHIHG SHRTHING -Filod lilly 5, 1937 INVEN-rons ATTORNEYS Y "Brumm L mw m m 1m,

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VUNITIEID STATES liu-'la-N'rA orifice Truman im Godfrey, Winchester, Mass., and Victor Serbell, Leonie, N. J., assignors to Lever Brothers Company, ancor-poration of Maine appuoofi'on my s, 19st, soma No. lienzo 14 claims.' (ci. eis-122) 'rms invention relates to a morboso: finishing The invention, in addition to some of the steps 'n substantially dry plastic shortening.

More particularly, the invention relates to the processing of shortening to improve its texture,

' 5 plasticityend appearance and to impart more desirable culinary propertiesior example, large y creaming volume, improved baking quality, and

- increased shortening power.

There are several general types of plastic shortenings. One type is the so-called compound type which is made from edible liquid oils blended with a slliiclent portion of Solid fat to give the iinal blended product the desired plasticity.' Another general type is made up pri-v 15 marily of oleaginous material o! a. desired plas ticity.Y This may be either naturally occurring oleaginous material or oils or blends of oils which have been treated so as to produce the desired plasticity, for example, by hydrogenating oil or blends of oils. If desired, this plastic oleaginous material may be blended with fats and/or oils. This invention is applicable to any of these types of shortening.

In preparing shortenings, the preliminary 1rez5 lining and bleaching oi the oil or fat, the hy`` drcgenation of the oil, if this step is included, the blending, deodorization, etc., are carried out when the oil is in a liquid state and usually at an elevated temperature. Alter these processing steps are completed it is customary to' cool or ohm the on so that it is converted into o puede or semi-solid condition. It may be aerated and sulaiected"`V to further treatment for limproving its physical and culinary properties. l5 The chilling 'and subsequent treatment is termed finishing vand it is to this portion of shortening manufacture that the invention re- Y lates. A

The treatment to which the shortening issub lo jected after the chilling has' heretofore largely been determined empirically without an understanding of the exact eiIect of the various steps' un the physical end culinaryproperties oi the product.` As a result of the` study which led to 45 thelnvention, the various f which influence the texture, appearance and culinary properties are now New-treatments have been discovered 'which greatly improve theshortening and the process of the invention employs 5othese new treatments together with those steps of the previous processes which are now known to improve the shortening. steps' previously 'Y employed which.' have no effect of improving` the.

' shortening, or a deleterious ei'iectjarc not emtarlwed. o.

tempering temperature or temperature of nor-- 1 0 mal .usage packing the product at the proper 'v consistency and temperature after it has been previously double or triple ex'panded and texturated, and storingtheiproduct from one to six days at the temperingV temperature beioreuse 15 in order that the structure of the product may reach anV equilibrium along with maximum` plasticity. f'

Before the invention'is described in detail or its objects-.pointed outg with more pornonlorny, zo .it is desirable to consider the effect oi shortening inv a baked 4flour product .and some of the desirable properties a shortening` should have. "Ihe action o f shortening in a ilour product is physicalV rather than. chemical, and therefore the .physical 25 properties of the shorteningare particularly iinportant.

YFlour is composed ofY 'I0-'75%4 starch in the form of grammes which remain as solid particles .n

throughout'the-process of mixing and baking. 30

'The proteins' contained in flour are principally glutenin and gliadin, both of which absorb water. The' glladin' forms with water a glue-like. mass which comes incontact with the vilrmer particles oi glutenin during the mixing and forms strands and layers throughout the dough mass and as the 'mixing is continued, these strands of gluten come in oontot with .nach other and suck together. In this way, the gluten develops and 4,0 becomes stronger and more coherent. The netf work of gluten forms the skeleton of the dough vand in this network the starchgrauules yare held.

If such a dough were baked withoutV shortening,

c ould not'be easily brokenor crushed. f

From this considerstio the fundamental acingredients', 'although it remains distinct and does c v. not dissolve. During the mixlnmzthe shortening spreads and coats `fresh surfaces inthe dough.

A When a fibre of glutentends 'to come'incontact with Vanother nbre of'jgiuten, the intermediate 55 Y theglutenof the dough. The gluten exists as a hard, strong product would b e produced which 'A performs the function of a separator or lubricant for the constituents of the dough. The various flour particles which are covered with the shortening do not adhere tenaciously to each other at their point of contact because of the shortening, and hence the product tends to crumble or break and in this condition itis denoted as being tender o'r short".

It is well known that some shortenings have much greater shortening power per pound than others. This is due to a number of features, some of which are not fully understood inasmuch as the dough is a very complex mixture of colloids partially in colloidalsolution and partially in suspension, and the introduction of the shortening in the dough brings about -complicated changes in the structure.

One of the most important properties of a shortening, is its even plasticity, smoothness and neness throughout the mixing. If the shortening is liquid or too soft, or contains a large proportion of liquid ingredients available as such, the shortening may be absorbed by the starch granules to a considerable extent and as a result, the dough will be soggy, The shortening in such a form may even separate from the dough and collect in small isolated pools and the distribution of the shortening throughout the dough therefore will not be uniform.

A shortening also cannot be too hard, or nonplastic, because then it cannot coat or completely envelop each of the starch granules or spread uniformly and intimately throughout the dough mass. A shortening which is too hard or nonplastic will not cover as great an amount of surface and will not fill in all the cracks, pores and spaces in the dough.. f

It will be seen, thereforel that a shortening which remains plastic throughout the mixing will have a much greater shortening power than one which is either too solid or too liquid. The oleaginous material which comprises the shortening is generally a mixture of different oils and different fatty compounds having different melting points. Prior to the finishing operation, the various oils and fats comprised in the shortening are blended in-such proportions that the final product,v when properly flnisliedjwill have the desiredA plasticity.

For reasons mentioned previously, it is Idesirable that the shortening should have uniform plasticity. To accomplishthis, it lsv necessary that the liquid oils in the shortening should be distributed in extremely minute particles throughout the solid fat so that the finished product becomes a matrix of solid fat through which the liquid material is uniformly and finely distributed. The liquid oils when in'this condition, impart the desired plasticity to the shortening but are not'readily available for deleteriously affecting the bakedproduct. i

It is therefore. an object of the invention to provide Ia'shortening in whichthe liquid oil is distributed inminute quantities or particles in a fine matrix or crystal network of solidfat, sov

that the liquid constituent is not present as such in large particles in the shortening.

The amount of shortness or -tenderness in a baked product is in general a function of the proportion of shortening in the product and this amount is determined by the character of product desired; too short a product will crumble or break readily and is not as preferable as a product which has sufficient mechanical strength to 5 retain its shape and structure under handling and shipping conditions.

The ultimate criterion of the culinary properties of a shortening is its ability to impart to the final baked product a maximum lightness 1 with a given desirable degree of tenderness. In any given flour product it is desirable to obtain the greatest volume possible because this produces a maximum lightness in the product. The shortening, therefore, which has the best baking qualities is one which, when employed in an amount to give a predetermined tendernessi. e., employed in a given ratio to each of the other ingredients of the product, will produce a product having the maximum volume. 2

A test suitable for determining the baking qualities of a shortening is the pound cake test in which given quantities of ingredients are employed and mixed under standard conditions and in accordance with a. standard procedure. 2 Shortenings finished by different processes when employed under such standard conditions will produce products having different textures and volumes and the shortening which produces a product having the lightest texture is said to 3 have the best baking qualities.

Itis an object of the invention to produce a shortening having excellent baking qualities; i. e., the properties of imparting a large volume to the baked product. 3

Another culinary property often referred to in connection with shortening is its creaming quality. By creaming is usually meant the ability of the shortening to form a light, fluiy mixture when it is beaten with other ingredients, usually 4 sugar, and the ability of forming a mixture which holds air bubbles and increases in volume and acquires a smooth texture.

The creaming quality of a shortening has no direct relation to the baking quality, inasmuch 4 as a shortening which creams well may not produce a final product having as large a volume as a shortening which does not cream so well; there is no ultimate merit-in a shortening merely because it creams well'if it does not produce a 5 final product having a large volume and light texture. However, the housewife, cooks and bakers have, over a long period of time, been educated to demand a shortening which creams well, and there is the general belief that Vin order 5 to produce Va. desirable flour product, it is necessary to have a shortening which creams well.

In view of this understanding in the' art, it is an additional object of the invention to-p'rovide -a shortening which, in addition to having ex- 6 cellent baking qualities also has good creaming qualities.

A factor in obtaining a desired creaming quality i is the incorporation of -a gas such as air, nitrogen or other inert gas into the plastic shortening. 6

The gasis preferably distributed in the form yof very minute bubbles and is usually referred to as being "occluded". The smaller the bubbles and the more uniform their distribution, the bet'- ter is the appearance and creaming qualities of. the shortening. Many'diillculties are encountered in incorporating the air in the desired finely divided condition, particularly if the shortening is v not of the properplasticity at the time and u moved therefrom will be so soft that it will be impossible to beat the desired amount of air into the fat at atmospheric pressure by the usual operations.

It .is an object of the invention to chill the fat in a manner such that during the subsequent finishing operations, it is not necessary to add external heat in order that the shortening will have a packing temperature which approximates the tempering temperature.

By tempering temperature is meant a predetermined temperature at which shortening is stored from one to six days or longer, immediately after being packed, in order to maintain the fat at a sufliciently high energy level to cause a crystal arrangement to take place in the shortening which improves its baking properties, ap-

pearance, texture, stability and plasticity. It has l also been found that this tempering temperature is the proper creamlng and mixing temperature. In most of the products this temperature will be between to 31 C. and in many cases the temperature is about 27 to 28 C. However, certain particular products stored at a tempering temperature outside this range may have their baking qualities improved.

In accordance with the invention, the liquid oleaginous material is first pre-cooled by passing it through a pre-cooler; it is then chilled by passing it through a refrigerated chilling device in which it is constantly maintained in a state of vigorous agitation.

Before referring to the pre-cooling operation in detail, itis well to note that prior to the chilling operation, the oil is stored at a temperature at which no crystallization will take place.

VThis temperature varies with different oils but is usually above 45 C. and in most instances is above 50 C. Therefore in cooling the oil from this temperature, partially solidifying it and packing at the preferred temperature, there is a considerable quantity of sensible heat, as well as some latent heat of crystallization, in the oil which must be Atransferred to the cooling medium. If the oil at the storage temperature is introduced directly into the agitated chilling device all of this both sensible and latent, must be absorbed by the refrigerated surface.

In the pre-cooling operation the temperature of the liquid oleaginous material is lowered sufficiently to permit the formation of a large .num-

ber of nuclei crystallizing centers in the material before it is chilled, in which operation the crystalline structure of the plastic shortening develops around these nuclei centers. As a result,

the total amount of heat that must be absorbed during the chilling operation is` decreased and the capacity of the chilling device is increased.v

It has been found that the rate of solidiiication of the oleaginous material largely determines the grain and particle size of the fat crystals.v

The faster the rate of 'crystallization the smaller is the size of the fat crystals. The smaller the particlev size the better will be the texture, appearance, plasticity, baking and creaming properties of the shortening. Therefore, a fast rate of solidlflcation is desirable.

The rate of solidiiication, and hence the crystalline structure of the fat, is dependent upon the number of nuclei crystallizing centers existing in the material per unit volume at the time of solidification. It is therefore desirable to precool the material so as to form the, maximum number of nuceli crystallizing centers.

The formation of the nuclei centers in the y centers is formed in the fat before it is passed lto the chilling device, and therefore in the chilling operation the rate of solidication proceeds at the maximum rate.

In the pre-cooling operation the liquid oleaginous material enters a pre-cooling chamber and comes in contact or mixes with material that has previously been pre-cooled and partially grained or formed with nuclei crystallizing centers. The pre-cooling operation permits this seeding to take place during a definite time interval, an operation that would be impossible if the fat were suddenly chilled.

The pre-cooling of the fat so as to permit the formation of a large number of nuclei centers before chilling is distinctly different from the operations in accordance with the prior art, for example with the chill roll the warm liquid oil is passed directly to the chilling device. In such prior processes the fat is rapidly cooled below the temperature at which the maximum number of nuclei centers may be formed, so as to materially vdecrease the formation of the crystallizing centers and in turn decrease the rate of solidiflcation.

In the operations in accordance with the prior art a considerable portion of the time, during which the oleaginous material is in contact with the refrigerated surface of the chilling device, is utilized in reducing the energy level of the fat to a point Where it may solidify. This time is not available for solidiflcation of the oleaginous material and, therefore, the capacity of the device is decreased to that extent.

The pre-cooled oleaginous material is then subjected to a refrigerated surface under agitation, whereby each particle of the oil that contacts the cold surface is chilled, and then removed or scraped from the cold surface and replaced by another particle of oil. Due to the vigorous agitation all of the particles of the oil are subjected to the cold surface and the oil as a whole is uniformly and thoroughly chilled. The contact of each particle of the oil with the chilled surface is so short that there is little opportunity for the latent heat developed by the change of staterlor solidification to be absorbed by the cold surface, and the latent heat that it developed during the solldification is absorbed by the body of the shortening rather than the chilled surface. The fact that the fat is thoroughly and uniformly contacted with the cold surface so that the fat is thoroughly ychilled is not apparent because the latent heat has been absorbed by the shortening after the chilling rather than by the refrigerated surface. As a result, the fat after the chilling operation, will have a higher temperature than a corresponding fat removed from a The fat, after it leaves the chilling device, still r 2,174,864 contains enough latent heat'so that during the latent heat 'is absorbed by the chilled surface y.

in our chilling process is'so low as compared with the chill roll process that it is readily possible to remove the shortening from 'the agitated chilling device before the desired amount of latent heat has been absorbed by the chilled surface, in which case, due to the excess of latent heat the fat will have ailnal temperature higher than the packing or tempering temperature. In order to assurev that the final temperature is not too high, it is essential that the iat remain inthe agitated chilling device long enough to absorb vthe necessary amount of latent heat.

The pre-cooling operation prior to the chilling is not necessary and the process can be practiced by introducing the oil directlyrinto the agitated chilling device. However, the capacity .of the chillingdevice is somewhat decreased, dueto the fact that the first. part of the chilling device must perform the function of the pre-cooler and the rate at which the fat can be chilled is much lower. When the pre-cooling operation is not employed the nuclei crystal centers do not have as long a time in which'to form and the crystalline structure of the finished fat, whiledecidedly superior to that obtainable with the chilled roll, is not as desirable as that obtained by pre-cooling.

It has been pointed out heretofore that the solid portion of the shortening consists essentiallyof crystals of solid f at within which the softer ,and liquid portions'are held, and that the nature of these crystals; their` size and amount, as well as the manner in which they are formed and 'inter-connected, largely determines the baking qualities of the shortening, the plasticity, and the temperature range over which this plasticity is retained.

In the chill roll type oi operation, the crystalline structure of the; solidified fat is bound to be very heterogeneous'because of the uneven chilling of the fat on the roll. That portionof the layer of fat which contacts the roll is thoroughly chilled, but this isthe` only portion which is completely chilled, because this chilled portion acts as an insulator and protects the 'upper or remaining por- .gtion of the layer from the action of the chilled diierent crystalline structure will be formed in diiierent portions of thelayer of fat. I n thev i process of the invention, d ue to the agitation during thechilling, the crystalline structure of the entire massof Vfat will be more uniform.

' In the chill roll `,t'yl'ie of operation, the fat is also permitted to remain motionless on the rollfor av Vconsiderable length of time, for xample,\'l to 10 seconds. this relatively long period or time, the undisturbed crystals in the fat have an' opportunityvto grow and. become relatively large. The chilled fat, therefore, vhas a coarse crystalline structure which'iretains` the liquid phase of the shortening in a less iinely distributed condition, with the .result that the shortening is oily or greasy. In additlon,this coarse network of largecrystals causes the product to be hard and lacking 'in plasticity.` In accordance with the invention, due to the agitation to which the shortening is being 4continuously subjected during the chilling and other subsequent operations, the

crystalline growth is very fine and the crystals are small, with the result that the liquid' phase of the shortening is held in a more uniformly and nely distributed condition andthe shortening has the qualities of a solid fat while at the same time being more plastice.

have shown that two of the important elements in a process of nishing shortening which has good baking qualities are the proper chilling of the fat and the tempering of the shortening after it is packed.

The proper chilling is requisite for the formation of the proper crystalline structure in the shortening; this also converts all of the oils in the shortening which may be solidiiied into solid form. As illustrative of the eifect oi complete chilling it has been. observed that fat which has 'been thoroughly and completely chilled without any subsequent treatment has excellent baking properties. However, the nishing operations subsequent to the chilling for imparting a more uniform and desirable texture and appearance to the shortening, do not improve its baking qualities and in some instances render the baking qualities inferior tothose possessed by the fat immediately after chilling. It has. already been pointed out that a tempered shortening has superior baking properties as compared with a. shortening which is not tempered after packing.

The process, therefore, in addition to including many other desirable steps, is particularly adapted to y accomplish, in a thorough and eiiicient manner, those two steps which increase the baking qualities to the greatest extent, namely, chilling and tempering.

An apparatus in which the process can be practiced is illustrated in the accompanying drawing which forms a part-of the specification. In accordance with an example of the process described here merely as illustrative, the treated oil isv withdrawn from a storage tank-at a temperature of about 45 to 55 C. throughthe pipe l into a. small storage tank 2 which is employed in order to have an ample and constant supply of oil near the chilling apparatus. 'I'he level in this storage tank is maintained bya valve 3 operated by float l. The oil is withdrawn from the storage tank 2 by a pump 5 operatedby any suitablemeans, such as a motor 6. The oil passes through a pipe l to a pre-cooler indicated generally at P.

YV The pre-cooler may consist ofA a number of parsurface so'that this portieri is not chilled .to Vthe same` extent. It will; therefore, be seen thatV a allel tubes 8 which connect two headers, and

'through which cooling water-passes by :means of suitable inlets and outlets Ill and lLf'The extent `to which the oil is-pre-cooled depends upon and may bev controlled by the temperature' land the amount of cooling water passed through the precooler. l

The oil is then passed through a pipe-i2 to the agitated chilling.unit,"general1y indicated at A.-

The investigations leading to the inventionV 'Ihis may comprise fa tube I3 through which the Y fat passes. The tube'fl is surrounded by are- -frlgerating medium,'such as ammonia, which may be introduced Vthrough convenient inlets. and outlets Il and l5. The length of the' tube and its diameter may be varied, depending upon the 'capacity of the fat'it is desired to chill andthe extent of the chilling desired. Extending through' Y the center'of the tube .I3 is a central shaft I6 which is rotated by any convenient source of power, such as the drive Il. vAttached to the- Vshaft li are the blades I9; the blades may overlap each other and are 'preferably loosely mounted 'on the shaft so that upon the rotation ofthe ly and in contact with the interior walls `oi.' a chilling tube Il. The shaft is rotated at a relatively rapid speed, for example, labout 1,000

R. P. M.; the oil and Viat is violently agitatedof the latent heat of crystallization. An additional portion of the latent heat is absorbed by the fat while it is in the tube I2 and the remaining portion of the latent heat is absorbedby the shortening after it leaves the chilling unit. After the fat has absorbed all of the latent heat it will have a temperature approximating the packing temperature.

` 'I'he temperature of the shortening as it leaves the unit A will vary depending on the oils and fats used, and the temperature at which the shortening is to be packed; in general the temperature will be about 13 to 18 C.

Air or a suitable inert gas may be introduced into the oil through a pipe 2li.` If an inert gas. such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide, is employed it can be introduced from a. tank 2|; the amount of gas to be introduced can be regulated by means of the valve 22.

The air or inert gas is preferably introduced into the oleaginous material while it is in a liquid state. 'I'his introduction of the gas also preferably takes place before the material. is passed into the pre-cooler, for example, on the .suction side of the pump l.' Under these conditions the air or inert gas is dissolved andccluded in the material.

, Thepressure applied to thev liquid oleaginous material as it emerges from the pump I int'o the pre-cooler is suchthat the fat will dissolve at least a large portion of the air or inert gas. In as much as the shortening remains under a pressure in exceed of atmospheric pressure until it passes through the last agitating device, a 4great portion of the introduced air or inert gas will be present in the dissolved form until a point is reached in the process where the shortening is subjected to atmospheric pressure.

This procedure has been found to be advantageous because the capacity of the pre-,cooler and the chilling device is increased due to the fact that a portion of the effective heat transfer surface is not occupied by occluded gas. Furthermore, when the shortening is restored to atmospheric pressure, the gas which was dissolved under pressure passes into the occluded state in much smaller globules than would be possible if the fat were chilled in themresence of occluded 8&8.

If all of the air or inert gas is not dissolved prior to the,K chilling operation the undlssolved portion of the air or inert gas will be uniformly and finely occluded during the chilling operation due to the vvigorous agitation.

As has been pointed out before, a soft fat or oil cannot have air occluded therein at atmospheric pressure -by a picked-box beating operation. However, under the pressure maintained in the pre-cooler and the chilling device air or inert gas may be dissolved and occluded in the relatively liquid oil and loft fat.

2,174,864 shaft, the blades are rotatedand forcedoutward-l If desired, the air or inert gas may be introduced at other points in the process prior 4to the chilling, for example, subsequent to the precooling operation.

As the shortening exists from the chilling unit it is introduced into a high pressure pump 23, operated by a suitable source of power, such as the motor 2l. The pump places the shortening under a relatively high pressure, for example 300 to 500 pounds per square inch. The shortening then passes through an agitating device, generally indicated at B, consisting preferably of a closed tube through the center of which is a shaft 26. Mounted on the shaft are paddles or blades 21 for mixing and agitating the fat as it passes through the device under the high pressure maintained by the pump 23. The shaft may be op-v erated by any convenient source of power applied to the wheel 28. f

As a result of the agitation during the chilling, the shortening will be very uniform in texture when it enters the unit B. As it is mixed or agitated under pressure in the unit B. it is further smoothed and the air is distributed Vmore uniformly. The maintenance of the fat under pressure in this mixing operation imparts abetter appearance and texture to the shortening. The exact 4eifect of the pressure is not known, but because vthe small bubbles of air or inert gas occluded in the fat are under great pressure and are very small, it is possible that the small compressed bubbles arel distributed more uniformly than larger uncompressed bubbles of air or inert gas. In addition, it is probable that under pressure the fat softens ata lower temperature or vice versa becomes softer at the same temperature when placed under pressure. Y.

As the fat moves through the unit B, some of the remaining portion of the latent heat not absorbed in the chilling unit A will be here ab- )sorbed by the shortening, and as a result, the

temperature of the shortening may increase about 4 or 5 so that as it leaves the unit Bit may have a temperature of from about 17 to 23 C.

'I'he shortening is then passed through a texturizing valve 28 which consists of a relatively small slit or orice through which the fat is passed under the high pressure maintained by the pump 23 and released into a zone of substantially atmospheric pressure. As the shortening passes through this orifice, it is expanded and acquires a more uniform texture and appearance as well as agreater plasticity. Any lumps which may be in the shortening are smoothed out as they are forced through the valve. It is also quite probable that the bubbles of occluded air, or inert gas, as they expand due to the release of pressure, are further subdivided and more uniformly distributed in the mass of shortening.

Under the high pressure maintained in the pump 23 a larger amount of air or inert gas is 'dissolved in the shortening than would be dissolved at atmospheric pressure and when the pressure is released at the valve 29 the dissolved gas which is in excess of that which will remain in solution at atmospheric pressure, is released in the form of occluded gas. Due to the viscosity of 'the product, the gas will be released in very small particles which will contribute` to the finely dispersed nature of the occluded gas in the shortening.

The shortening then passes to an agitating device generally indicated at C through which it moves at atmospheric pressure. 'I'he device may be an open trough or it may be closed. When an y :a1-14,364' 'opendeviceisusedtheiatshouldpreferablyv would decrease the plasticity of the product, cannot be formed. After the shortening is ready to be packed, there will he a minimum change in the product due to a change in crystalline structure and temperature.

The shorteningisnextremovedbyahighpressure pump Il, operated .by suitable means such as a motor l2, and forced through a texturizmg valve 3U to the valve 2li. The same operations take place here as have been described in connection with the valve Z9. At this time, the shortening is in condition to be placed in containers u. A

Pressure gauges 33 may be inserted at convenient points to determine the pressure to which the fat is being subjected- Similarly, thermometers may be inserted for de the temperature of the shortening. Recording pressure gauges and thermometers are also desirable to record any variations in temperature or pressure.

The above described apparatus and process may be advantageously combined with a. chill roll and picker-box type of operation. It has been pointed out above that in this latter type of operation, the shortening at the conclusion of the beating operation in the picker-box docs not have a temperature which approximates tempering temperaturelthasalsobeenpointedoutthatthe chillingimitAmaybeoperatedso'that the shortening will retain suiiicient latent heat to raise its temperature above temperingl temperature. Therefore, if the chilling unit .A is operated in this mannen-that portion of the latentl heatinexcessofthat 'toraisethetemperature of the shortening totexnpering temperature, will be available for raising the temperatureofshortmingbythechillroll and picker-box type of operation. The shorteningfronitbcsetwomaybemixedto-r getherinasingleagitatingdevice,snchasthe untsBorCJariorto packing. 1' It will be obvious that manyorms of apparatus may he used for carrying out Vtheprocess and therefore it isnot intenldedthattheprocess fistobelimitedtoanyparcular apparatus. It

V'winancbeopvious-thatmmyvamumsinme ing from the invention particularstepsandintheorderandcombinationofthese stepsmaybemadewithoutdepartclaims.

We claim:

' ll.Y In amethod of finishing hydrogenated oilplascshorteningin Ywhich the material comprising the sameinaliquidstateiseonverted intoasemi- 'solid plastic manon, une steps 'of simultaneously agitangandchillingthematerialtouniformly andrapidlyerystalliaeatleastaportionofthe deiined in the following Y at least a. portion of the material; said agitatmg ,and'chilling operation having been terminated ally d1'y chilling; terminating the agitating and chilling operation and withdrawing the oleaginous material in a crystallized creamy viscous condition such as would be capable of retaining air and when the resultant latent heat of crystallization available i's such as to impart to said oleaginous materials temperature approximatinga tempering temperature of the order of 25 to 30 C..

' and agitating the material in said creamy viscous condition while it acquires said tempering temperature before packaging when the resultantI latent heat of crystallization available is at least suilicient to impart to said oleaginous material a temperature approximating a predetermined tempering temperature; withdrawing the oleaginous Amaterial in a. crystallized creamy viscous condition capable of retaining air; and permitting the material to acquire such predetel mined tempering temperature.

2. In a method of finishing substantially dry hydrogenated vegetable oil plastic shortening in which oleaginous material in a liquid state is converted into a semi-solid plastic condition, the

steps of introducing 4e. gas into said material; subjecting the material to a chilled surface while agitatingl the material to uniformly andrapidly crystallize at least a portionof the material during the agitating and chilling; terminating the agitating and chilling operation when the resultant latent heat of crystallization available is at least suilicient to impart to said oleaginous material a temperature approximating a. predetermined tempering 'temperaturm withdrawing the oleaginous material in a crystallized creamy viscous condition capable of retaining air; permit- -ting the material to acquire such temperature;

and tempering said shortening.

3. In a method of finishing substantially dry hydrogenated vegetable oil plastic shortening in which the oleaginous material comprising the same in a liquidstate is converted into a semisolid plastic condition, the steps of simultaneously agitating and chilling the material. under pressure to uniformly and rapidly crystallize at least a portion of the material during the simultaneous agitating and chilling; withdrawing the oleaginous material in a. crystallized creamy vscous conditlonrsuch as would be capable of retaining air; and subsequently treating the mate- Yrial by agitating it while in the creamy viscous condition and texturizing it before packaging; said simultaneous agitating and chilling operation having been terminated when the resultant latent heat of crystallization available in the creamy viscous material such esto impart to said oleaginous material during the said subsequent treatment a temperature approximating a predetermined tempering temperature.

4. In a method of finishing ,substantially dry" hydrogenated vegetable oil plastic shortening in which oleagnous material in a liquid state is converted into a semi-solid plastic condition, the steps of introducing a gas into said material under pressure: agtating and chilling the material under pressure to uniformly and rapidly crystallize when the resultant latent heat of crystallization available is'at least suilcient for conditioning l said oleaginous material for texturizing and for imparting to it during subsequent treatments a temperature approximating a predetermined tempering temperature; withdrawing the oleaginous material in a crystallized creamy viscous condition capable of retaining air; subsequently agitating said material; texturizing the material `by placing it under a high pressure` and releasing the pressure while through a small orifice.

5. Ina method of finishing substantially dry hydrogenated vegetable oil plastic shortening in which oleaginous material in a liquid state is converted into a semi-solid plastic condition, the steps of gradually pre-cooling the material to the temperature `of incipient crystallization to form nuclei crystallizing centers thereby facilitating and improving the rate and nature of the crystallization during chilling; and subsequently simultaneously agitating and chilling the precooled material to uniformly and rapidly crystallize at least a portion of the material during the simultaneous agitating and chilling; terminating the agitating and chilling operation when the resultant latent heat of crystallization available is such as to impart to said oleaginous material a temperature approximating a predetermined tempering temperature; withdrawing the oleaginous material in a crystallized creamy viscous condition such as would be capable of retaining air; and permitting the material to acquire such passing the material temperature.

6. In a method of finishing substantially dry hydrogenated vegetable oil plastic shortening in which oleaginous material in a liquid state is converted into a semi-solid plastic condition, the steps of introducing a gas into said material; pre-cooling the material to the temperature of incipient crystallization to form nuclei crystallizing centers; simultaneously agitating and chill- A ing the agitating and chilling;

' ing the material to uniformly and rapidly crystallize at least a portion of the material during the agitating and chilling; withdrawing the oleaginous material in a crystallized creamy viscous condition capable vof retaining air; subsequently agitating the material; said agitating and chilling operation having been terminated when the resultant latent heat of crystallization available is at least sumcie'nt to impart to said oleaginous material during the subsequent treatment a temperature approximating a predetermined temper-r ing temperature; and tempering said shortening. 7. In a method of finishing substantially dry hydrogenated vegetable oil plastic shortening in which oleaginous material in a liquid state is converted into a semi-solidl plastic condition, the steps of introducing a sus into said material; pre-cooling the material by subjecting it to a cooled surface in order to lower the temperature of the material to incipient crystallization to form nuclei crystallizing centers; simultaneously subjecting the material to a chilled surface while agitating the material to uniformly and rapidly crystallize at least a portion of the material durc withdrawing the oleaginous material in a crystallized creamy viscous `condition capable of retaining air; subsequently agitating the material; agitating the material under a high pressure and releasing the pressure while passing the material through a small orifice; said agitating and chilling operation having been terminated when the resultant latent heat of crystallization available `is at least suflicient to impart to said oleaginous material during the subsequent treatment a temperature approximating a predetermined tempering temperature; and tempering said shortening.

8 In a method of Afinishing substantially dry hydrogenated vegetable oil plastic shortening in which oleaginous material in a liquid state is converted into a semi-solid plastic condition, the

steps of introducing a gas into the material while it is in a liquid state and under pressure whereby at least a portion of the gas is dissolved; simultaneously agitating and chilling the material under pressure to uniformly and rapidly crystallize at least a portion of the material during the agitating and chilling; terminating said agitating and chilling operation when the resultant latent heat of crystallization available is at least sufficient to impart to said oleaginous material a temperature approximating a predetermined tempering temperature; withdrawing the odeaginous material in a crystallized creamy viscous condi.- tion capable of retaining air and permitting the material to acquire such temperature.

.9. In a method of finishing substantially dry hydrogenated vegetable oil plastic shortening in which oleaginous material in a liquid state is converted into a senil-solid plastic condition, the steps of introducing a gas into the material while it is in a liquid state under pressure whereby at least a portion of the gas is dissolved; simultaneously agitating anid chilling the material under pressure to uniformly and rapidly crystallize at least a portion of the material during the agitating and chilling; subsequently agitating said material; said agitating and chilling operation having been terminated when the resultant latent heat of crystallization available is atleast suiilcient to impart to said oleaginous material during the subsequent treatment a temperature approximating a predetermined tempering temperature and withdrawing the oleaginous material in a crystallized creamy viscous condition capable of retaining air.

10. In a method of finishing 'substantially dry hydrogenated vegetable oil plastic shortening in whichl oleaginous material in a liquid state is converted into a semi-solid plastic condition, the steps of introducing a gas into the material while itis in a liquid state under pressure whereby at least a portion of the gas is dissolved; simultaneously agitating and chilling the material under pressure to uniformly and rapidly crystallize at least a portion of the material; said agitating and chilling operation having been terminated when the resultant latent heat of crystallization available is at least suilicient for conditioning said oleaginous material for texturizing and for imparting /to it during subsequent treatments a temperature approximating a predetermined tempering temperature; withdrawing the oleaginous material, in a crystallized creamy viscous condition capable of retaining air; subsequently agitating the material; texturizing the material by placing it under pressure and expanding the same by passing it through a small orifice into a zone of lower pressure; and tempering said shortening.

l1. In a method of finishing substantially d ry plastic shortening in which oleaginous material in a liquid state is converted into a semi-solid plastic condition, the steps of introducing a gas into the material while it is in a liquid state under pressure whereby at least a portion of the gas is dissolved; pre-cooling the material to the temperature of incipient crystallization to form ynuclei crystallizing centers; subjecting the precooled material to a chilled surface while being agitated to uniformly and rapidly crystallize at least a portion of the material during the agitating and chilling; said agitating and chilling operation having been terminated when the resultant latent heat of crystallization available is at least sumcient to impart to said oleaginous material a t steps of introducing a gas into the material' while A arras mmdtur mirorimstinntm:

' pering temperature and the oleaginous materialina-crystallised creamyviscouo` condition capable of retaining air;

12; In a method of finishing substantially dry hydrogenated vegetable cil plastic shortening in which oleaginous material in a liquid me n converted into a semi-solid plastic condition. the

4 ters; subjecting the pre-cooled. material to a chilled surface. while being agitated under pressure to uniformly and rapidly crystalline atleast a portion of the material during the agitating and chilling; withdrawing the oleaginous matein a crystallized creamy viscous condition capable o! retaining air; subsequently agitating the material; placing the material under pressure and expanding the same by it through a small oriilce into a zone of low pressure; said agitating and chilling operation havingbeen ter'- minated -when the resultant latent heat of crystallization available is at least sumcient to impart to said oleaginous material during the subsequent treatment a temperature approximating a predetermined tempering temperature; and tempering said shortening. l

.13. In l a method of nnishlng substantially dry hydrogenated vegetable oilplastic shortening in which "oleaginous material in a liquid'state is converted into a semi-solid plastic condition, the steps which comprise simultaneously aitating and chilling the material to uniformly and rapidly crystallize at least a portion of the material dur-z ing 'the agitating and chilling; terminating the agitating and chillingoperation when the resultant latent heat of crystallization available is sumcient to impart to such material a temperature higher than a predetermined tempering temperature'; withdrawing the oleaginous material in a crystallized creamy viscous condition capable of retainingair; chilling another'quantity of the' material without natation: permitting sus emu- :new continue unal-the managment neat et mitting said chilling to continue until the resulttomhmatexiaiatemperatureashlshas l tempering temperature; mixing said materials whereby the' excess latent heat of i4. In a method of iinishing substantially dry hydrogenated vegetable oil plastic shortening in which material in aiiquid state is converted into a semi-solid plastic condition, the

v'steps of introducing a gas into the material while A 1I it is in a liquid condition under pressure whereby at least a portion of said gas is dissolved: precooling a quantity ofthe material to a temperature of incipient crystallization to form .nuclei crystallizlng centers: agitating and chilling the, precooled material .under pressure to uniformly and rapidly crystallize at least a portion of the material during the agitating and chilling: terminating said agitating and chilling operation when the resultant latent heat of crystallization available is sumcient to impart to such material a temperaturehigher than a'puedeiserminedl tempering temperature; withdrawing the oleaginous material in a crystallised creamy viscouscondition capable of retaining air; ehillinganother quantity of the material without agitation; perant latent heat of crystallization available is insuiiicient to impart to such material a temperature as high as the predetermined tempering temperature; aerating-said material; mixing said I8 materials whereby the excess latent heat of the ilrst referred to material is suflicient to raise the temperature of the last referred material so that the mixed materials will have a temperature approximating the predetermined tempering tem- 40" perature; placing thematerialunderpressureand expanding the material by passing it through a small orince into a sone oflower pressure; andV temperingthematerial.

'raum u. .vieron A 9 crystallizationavailableisinsuilicienttoirnpart CETIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Y Patent Ng. 1H-5611.1 september 26, 1959.` Y l THUMAN n. ,GODFREL ET AL.. It is hereby certifiedthat error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 6, first column, 4 lin-e if?, .for the word "exceed" 'read excess; line 71, for "pickedbox vread picker-boi; `and second column, 'line 5, for "exists" read exits; page 7,' second cl'umn, 11n@ 11, laiml ,beginning withthe words "when the resultant". strike outall to and including "temperature", line 19', same cl'aim, line 55', lclaim 5, after "material" insert is; page 8, second column, line SL12, claim 8, for "odeaginous" resid oleagin'ous; line 25', claim y9, fer "anidn xead and; line 60, claimll -after the word "dry" insert hydrogenated vegetable eil; and that thev said Lettere Patent shonldbe read with this correction thereinftha't the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

signed mi sealed this auth day of october, A; D v1959.

Henry Vanv Arsdale,

(316,11) Acting Commissioner! of Patents..

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