US2728674A

US2728674A - Method for manufacturing shortening

Info

Publication number: US2728674A
Application number: US264858A
Authority: US
Inventors: Dustin H Griffin; Roy N Fiss; Kiers Lucas
Original assignee: Hunter Packing Co
Current assignee: Hunter Packing Co
Priority date: 1952-01-04
Filing date: 1952-01-04
Publication date: 1955-12-27
Anticipated expiration: 1972-12-27

Description

Dec. 27, 1955 D. H. GRIFFIN ETAL METHOD F OR MANUFACTURING SHORTENING Filed Jan. 4. 1952 a. 2,728,674 Patented Dec. 27, 1955 METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SHGRTENING Application January 4, 1952, Serial No. 264,858

14 Claims. (Cl. 99-118) This invention relates in general to certain new and useful improvements in methods and apparatus for manufacturing shortening and similar high-viscosity liquidssolids dispersions.

In recent years, much effort has been directed to the development and manufacture of so-called high ratio shortenings; that is to say, shortenings which make possible the formulation of a cake-batter having a sugarilour ratio in excess of 1:1, without sacrificing volume, texture, and other desirable characteristics in the finished baked product. These l preparations are usually compounded by incorporating a small amount of some addition agent or agents into hydrogenated vegetable oils. This is usually accomplished by melting a batch of h'ardcned oil and stirring in the desired quantity of additive material. Batch processes, however, lack the speed, economy, and precision of control of continuous processes. Furthermore, most hydrogcnated oils undergo some slight decomposition when agitated at elevated temperatures and, as a practical matter, it is, therefore, ditiicult to maintain true product-uniformity from batch to batch. These conventional procedures, moreover, are not readily suitable for treatment of natural animal fats, such as lard, which for reasons of lower price, greater availability, and higher nutritional value are quite desirable particularly in commercial baking. y

It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to provide methods and apparatus for the continuous production of high ratio shortening at temperature ranges substantially below the melting point of the material being treated. 4

It is another object of the present invention to provide methods and apparatus for the production of high ratio shortening at elevated pressures.

It isa further object of the present invention to provide apparatus ofthe type stated which is compact, eflicient, and capable of precise control, so that a uniform product may be continuously produced with a minimum of labor and supervision.

With the above and other objects in view, our invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing- Figure 1 is a schematic drawing showing a preferred form of apparatus embodying the present invention;

Figures 2 and 3 are transverse sectional views taken along lines 2 2 and 3 3, respectively, of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the intermixing injector forming a part of the present invention; and

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional viewtaken along line 5-5 of Figure 1. y

Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention, 1 designates a conventional heated storage tank from which molten lard may be drawn throughthe pipe 2, and conventional cut-olf valve or cock wbymeans of a pump 4. The lard preferably may be compounded with conventional quantities of lard flakes and an anti-oxidant. Also connected to the suction side of the pump 4 is a bleeder line 5 connected through a rotometer 6 to an air supply line 7, so that a small carefully measured quantity of air is injected into the flow of molten lard as it passes through the pump 4. The pump 4 discharges the molten lard into the supply line 8 at a pressure of the order of 300 p. s. i. and consequently the airbubbles entrained therein are compressed to relatively minute size. From the supply line 8, the molten lard passes through a pressure-responsive control 9 and then through line 10 to a cooling worm 11 mounted within a chill-tank 12, which is, in turn, connected by intake and return lines 13, 14, to a supply of cold water. The size of theworrn 11, the rate of ow of hot lard, and the temperature of the cooling water are so regulated as to lower the temperature of the hot lard while: stillpermitting the lard-air mixture to remain essentially fluid under the` conditions of pressure imposed on it. From the cooling worm 11, the cooled, but still fluid, lard flows through inlet line 15 into a chilled crutcher i6.. consisting of anelougated cylindrical shell 17 surrounded by a refrigerated jacket 18 connected to a conventional refrigerant system through a pressure line 19 and suction line 20. Extending co-axially into the shell 17 througha rotary seal 21 is a shaft 22. lnteriorly of the shell 17, the shaft 22 is provided with diametral arms 23: supporting a pair of obliquely presented scraper blades 24.. In the crutcher 16, the lard is solidified to the consistency of a heavy paste and the air bubbles are thoroughly dis-l persed throughout the mass.

The crutcher 16 is connected by a pipe 25 to a iirst blender 26 consisting of an elongated vcylindrical shell 27' interiorly provided with a plurality of radial spines orstationary pickers 28. Extending co-axially into the shell: 27 through a rotary seal 29 is a shaft 30 provided witha plurality of radially projecting rotary pickers 3.1 ar-V ranged to clear the stationary pickers 28. In passing:

through the rst blender 26, the lard-air dispersion is not materially changed in temperature or viscosity, but is ap-` preciably smoothed out and rendered homogeneous andV flows outwardly therefrom at a pressure of the order of` From the first blender 26, the lard-air dis-- 260 p. s. i. pei-sion passesrthrough a three-way valve 32 and a trans-- fer pipe 33 into an intermixing injector 34 consisting of an elongated large-diameter tube 35 provided at one end= with an end-fitting 36 having a side-arm inlet 37 for the-v transfer lpipe 33 and at its other end with an end-cap 381 provided with a co-axial discharge line 39. Projecting co-aXially through the end-tting 36 is an `injection tube 40 having a plugged end 41 spaced inwardly a short dis-A -tance from the end-cap 38 and being provided adjacent' its lugged end 41 with a plurality of small-bore apertures 42, all as best seen in Figure 4.

Associated with the apparatus is a pair of open-topped water jacketed kettles 43, 44, conventionally connected to a hot water supply, the kettle 43 being provided with amotor-driven propeller-type agitator 45. ln the kettle is mixed an aqueous dispersion of animal phosphatides, that is to say, phosphatides derived from animal tissue. The. phosphatide-water dispersion is conducted through discharge line 46 to a colloid mill 47 by which it is thoroughly emulsied and is then discharged through a line 48 to the other water jacketed kettle 44, which is, in

turn, connected through line 49 to a proportioning pump 50 havingits discharge line 51 connected through a threeway valve 52 to the injection tube 43 of the intermixing injector 34. The proportioning pump 50 is controlled by the pressure-responsive control 9 to which itis connected by control-line 53.A This control may be established either by hydraulicpressure or suction in line 53, as may be desired. -In this connection, it may be noted that electrical and electronic controls are also available for establishing cross-control to the proportioning pump.

The rate of ow through the control 9 establishes a directly following control response through line 53, which causes the proportioning pump 50 to transmit a greater or lesser flow of the phosphatide emulsion in accordance with some predetermined proportional relationship at substantially the same or slightly higher pressure as the lard-air dispersion, that is to say, approximately 260-280 p. s. i., so as to be thoroughly interspersed throughout the lard-air dispersion and flow in a common stream therewith through the transfer pipe 33 to an extrusion chamber 54, having a choked-down exit orifice 55 and a manually controlled valve stem 56 to permit the flowing material to undergo an appreciable degree of turbulence as it ows from the extrusion chamber 54, thereby materially improving the homogeniety of the dispersion. From the extrusion chamber 54, the material flows through line 54' directly into a second blender 26', substantially identical in all respects to the first blender 26 and having a rotary shaft 57. At this point, it may be noted that the shafts 57, Sil, and 22 are all operatively connected through any suitable mechanical transmission means, schematically indicated by the dotted line at S, to a suitable motordrive S9. In the second blender 26,', the material is finally rendered homogeneous and the dispersion of lardair, water, and animal phosphatides takes on the characteristics of a true emulsion and becomes a finished shortening which is discharged through line 60 into a second extrusion chamber 61, substantially identical with the extrusion chamber 54, and thence through a discharge line 62 to a conventional filling machine (not shown).

The three-way valves 32, 52, are employed so that material may be recycled or discharged into open catchbuckets when starting up the apparatus. Thus, it becomes possible to ascertain that a full and normal ow of material is passing through the first blender 26 and the line 5l before throwing the two streams together in the intermixing injector 34. Consequently, the rst bit of finished product coming through the line 62 will conform precisely to the desired quantitative specification.

For purposes of'illustration, and not by way of limitation, the phosphatide-water dispersion preferably consists of approximately the following:

Pints by weight Powdered phosphatides 8-12 Water 35-45 Glyceryl mono and di stearate 10-15 Emulsilier (glyceryl ester of hydrogenated vegetable ons) 10-15 r Lecithin g Preservative (e. g. sodium benzoate), q. s. to make approximately l/l() of 1% in finished product.

If desired, the lecithin, emulsifier, and glyceryl monoand distearate can be omitted from the emulsion and instead incorporated in the stream of hot lard by admixture in the tank 1.

After passage through the colloid mill 47, the phosphatide-water dispersion is reduced to a smooth creamy liquid which does not settle out and by means of the proportion pump 50 from 4 to l0 pounds of this liquid control in order that the process may be carried out on a continuous basis at high production rate and with assurance of a high degree of uniformity in the product.

The finished shortening made by the above described process and employing the above described apparatus has afweer-1N A Y been found to be extremely stable. Of utmost importance, however, is the fact that shortening made in accordance with the present invention is an even more effective shortening than any of the conventional so-callcd high ratio shortenings hitherto available, since cakes baked with the shortening of the present invention have much greater volume, better texture, and longer resistance to -staling than cakes baked with conventional high ratio shortenings.

While there is described herein a preferred process and arrangement of apparatus in accordance with the present invention and certain variants are suggested, nevertheless we do not intend to be limited except by the scope of the appended claims which are to be construed validly as broadly as the state of the prior art permits.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. The method of converting lard into a high-ratio shortening which comprises continuously introducing the lard into a closed system as a flowing stream and, while in said closed system, performing the following steps successively, namely, mixing air With a stream of molten lard, pumping molten lard-air mixture into a cooling worm at high pressure, passing the lard-air mixture through a chilling Vessel at high pressure and subjecting it to agitation as it passes through the chilling vessel, said lard-air mixture being reduced in temperature within the chilling vessel to such an extent that it loses its liquidity and is reduced to the viscosity of a free-flowing paste, passing the chilled lard-air mixture through a rst agitator at high pressure and beating in the entrained air to produce a substantially smooth lard-air dispersion, forming a hot aqueous dispersion of animal phosphatides, colloidalizing the aqueous dispersion to form a smooth aqueous emulsion, keeping the emulsion warm, pumping the warm emulsion to form a flowing stream the volumetric rate-of-flow of which is precisely proportionate, at

selected ratio, to the volumetric rate-of-flow of the lardair mixture into the cooling worm, injecting the proportioned iiow of the warm emulsion at high pressure into the owing stream of the lard-air dispersion, transmitting the emulsion-'dispersion mixture through an extrusion chamber in which the stream is rendered turbulent, and passing the emulsion-dispersion mixture through a second agitator to produce a smoothly emulsied shortening.

2. The method of converting lard into a high-ratio shortening which comprises continuously introducing the lard into a closed system as a owing stream and, while in said closed system, performing the following steps successively, namely, pumping the stream of molten lard into a cooling worm at high pressure, passing the lard through a chilling vessel at high pressure and subjecting it to agitation as it passes through the chilling vessel, said lard being reduced in temperature within the chilling vessel to such an extent that it loses its liquidity and is reduced to the viscosity of a free-flowing paste, passing the chilled lard through a rst agitator at high pressure, forming a hot aqueous dispersion of animal phosphatides, colloidalizing the aqueous dispersion to form a smooth aqueous emulsion, keeping the emulsion warm, pumping the warm emulsion to form a owing stream the volumetric rate-of-flow of which is precisely proportionate, at a selected ratio, to the volumetric rate-of-ow of the lard into the cooling worm, injecting the proportioned flow of the warm emulsion at high pressure into the owing stream of the lard, transmitting the emulsion-lard mixture through an extrusion chamber in which the stream is rendered turbulent, and passing the emulsion-lard mixture through a second agitator to produce a smoothly emulsified shortening.

3. The method of converting lard into a high-ratio shortening which comprises continuously introducing the lard into a closed system as a flowing stream and, while in` said closed system, performing the following steps successively, namely, mixing air with the stream of molten lard, pumping molten lard-air mixture into a cooling worm at high pressure, passing the lard-air mixture through a chilling vessel at high pressure and subjecting it to agitation as it passes through the chilling vessel, said lard-air mixture being reduced in temperature within the chilling vessel to such an extent that it loses its liquidity and is reduced to the viscosity of a free-flowing paste, passing the chilled lard-air mixture through a first agitator at high pressure and beating in the entrained air to produce a substantially smooth lard-air dispersion, forming a hot aqueous dispersion of animal phosphatides, colloidalizing the aqueous dispersion to form a smooth aqueous emulsion, keeping the emulsion warm, pumping the warm emulsion to form a flowing stream the volumetric rate-of-flow of which is precisely proportionate, at a selected ratio, to the volumetric rate-of-flow of the lardairmixture into the cooling worm, injecting the propertioned flow of the warm emulsion at high pressure into the flowing stream of the lard-air dispersion, and passing the emul-sion-dispersion mixture through a second agitator to produce a smoothly emulsified shortening.

4. The method of converting lard into a high-ratio shortening which comprises continuously introducing the lard into a closed system as a flowing stream and, while in said closed system, performing the following steps successively, namely, mixing air with lard, subjecting the lard-air mixture to high pressure, passing the lard-air Vmixture through a chillingrvessel at high pressure and subjecting it to agitation as it passes through the chilling vessel, said lard-air mixture being reduced in temperature within the chilling vessel to such an extent that it loses its liquidity and is reduced to the viscosity of a free-flowing paste, passing the chilled lard-air mixture through a first agitator at highpressure and beating in the entrained air to produce a substantially smooth lard-air dispersion, forming a hot aqueous dispersion of animal phosphatides, colloidalizing the aqueous dispersion to form a smooth aqueous emulsion, keeping the emulsion warm, pumping the warm emulsion to form a flowing stream the volumetric rate-of-flow of 4which is precisely proportionate, at a selected ratio, to the volumetric rate-of-ow of the lardair mixture into the cooling worm, injecting the proportioned flow of the `warm emulsion at high pressure into the flowing stream of the lard-air dispersion, transmitting the emulsion-dispersion mixture through an extrusion chamber in which the stream is rendered turbulent, and passing the emulsion-dispersion mixture through a second agitator to produce a smoothly emulsified shortening.

5. The method of converting lard into a high-ratio shortening which comprises continuously introducing the lard into a closed system as a flowing stream and, while in said closed system, performing the following steps successively, namely, mixing' air with`the stream of molten lard, pumping molten lard-air mixture into a cooling worm at high pressure, passing the lard-air mixture through a chilling vessel at high pressure and subjecting it to agitation as it passes through the chilling vessel, said lard-air mixture being reduced in temperature within the chilling vessel to such an extent that it loses its liquidity and is reduced to the viscosity of a free-flowing paste, passing the chilled lard-air mixture through a first agitator at high pressure and beating in the entrained air to produce a substantially smooth lard-air dispersion, injecting a proportioned flow of an aqueous emulsion at high pressure into the flowing stream of the lard-air dispersion, transmitting the emulsion-dispersion mixture through an extrusion chamber in which the stream is rendered turbulent, and `passing the emulsion-dispersion mixture through a second agitator to produce a smoothly emulsifed shortening.

6. The methodof converting lard into a high-ratio shortening which comprises. continuously introducing the lard into'a closed system .as a flowing stream and, while in said closedv system, performing the following steps successively, namely, mixing air with the -stream of molten lard, pumping molten lard-air mixture into a cooling worm at high pressure, passing the lard-air mixture through a chilling vessel at high pressure and subjecting it to agitation as it passes through the chilling vessel, said lard-air mixture being reduced in temperature within the chilling vessel to such an extent that it loses its liquidity and is reduced to the viscosity of a free-owing paste, passing the chilled lard-air mixture through a first agitator at high pressure and beating in the entrained air to produce a substantially smooth lard-air dispersion, injecting a proportioned flow of an aqueous emulsion at high pressure into theflowing stream of the lard-air dispersion, and passing the emulsion-dispersion mixture through a second agitator to produce a smoothly emulsified shortening.

7. The method of converting fatty material of animal origin into a high-ratio shortening which comprises continuously introducing the fatty material into a closed systern as a flowing stream and, While in said closed system, performing the following steps successively, namely, mixing air with the stream of fatty material at a temperature at which the fatty material is liquid, pumping air-fatty material mixture into a cooling worm at high pressure, passing the air-fatty material mixture through a chilling vessel at high pressure and subjecting it to agitation as it passes through the chilling vessel, said air-fatty material mixture being reduced in temperature Within the chilling Vessel to such an extent that it loses a substantial degree of its liquidity and is reduced to the viscosity of a freellowing paste, passing the chilled air-fatty material mixture through a first agitator at high pressure and beating in the entrained air to produce a substantially smooth dispersion, forming a hot aqueous dispersion of animal phosphatides, colloidalizing the aqueous dispersion to form a smooth aqueous emulsion, keeping the emulsion warm,

pumping tlie warm emulsion to form a flowing stream` the volumetric rate-of-llow of which is precisely proportionate, at a selected ratio, to the volumetric ratc-of-flow of the air-fatty material mixture into the cooling worm, injecting the proportioned flow of the warm emulsion at high pressure into the flowing stream of the air-fatty material dispersion, transmitting the emulsion-dispersion mixture through an extrusion chamber in which the stream is rendered turbulent, and passing the emulsion-dispersion mixture through a second agitator to produce a smoothly emulsified shortening.

8. The method of 'converting fatty material of animal .origin into a high-ratio shortening which comprises continuously introducing the fatty material into a closed system as a flowing stream and, while in said closed system, performing the following steps successively, namely, passing the stream of fatty material through a chilling vessel at high pressure and subjecting it to agitation as it passes through the chilling vessel, said fatty material being reduced in temperature within the chilling vessel t0 such an extent that it loses a substantial degree of its liquidity and is reduced to the viscosity of a free-flowing paste, passing the chilled fatty material through a first agitator at high pressure, injecting a proportioned flow of an aqueous emulsion at high pressure into the flowing stream of the fatty material, transmitting the fatty materialthrough an extrusion chamber in which the stream is rendered turbulent, and passing the mixture through a second agitator to produce a smoothly emulsified shortening.

9. The method of converting lard into a high-ratio shortening which comprises continuously introducing the lard into a closed system as a flowing stream and, while in said closed system, performing the following steps successively, namely, mixing air with the stream of molten lard, pumping molten lard-air mixture into a cooling worm at high pressure, passing the lard-air mixture through a chilling vessel at high pressure and subjecting it to agitation as it passes through the chilling vessel, said lardair mixture being reduced in temperature within the chilling vessel to such an extent that it loses its liquidity and is reduced to the viscosity of a free-flowing paste, passing the chilled lard-air mixture through a first agitator at high pressure and beating in the entrained air to produce a substantially smooth lard-air dispersion, forming an aqueous dispersion of animal phosphatides, colloidalizing the aqueous dispersion to form a smooth aqueous emulsion, pumping the emulsion to form a owing stream the volumetric rate-of-flow of which is precisely proportionate, at a selected ratio, to the volumetric rate-of-ow of the lardair mixture into the cooling worm, injecting the proportioned ow of the emulsion at high pressure into the flowing stream of the lard-air dispersion, transmitting the emulsion-dispersion mixture through an extrusion chamber in which the stream is rendered turbulent, and passing the emulsion-dispersion mixture through a second agitator to produce a smoothly emulsied shortening.

10. The method of converting lard into a high-ratio shortening which comprises continuously introducing the lard into a closed system as a flowing stream and, while in said closed system, performing the following steps successively, namely, mixing air with the stream of molten lard, subjecting the molten lard-air mixture to high pressure, passing the lard-air mixture through a chilling vessel at high pressure and subjecting it to agitation as it passes through the chilling vessel, said lard-air mixture being reduced in temperature within the chilling vessel to such an extent that it losses its liquidity and is reduced to the viscosity of a free-flowing paste, passing the chilled lardair mixture through a iirst agitator at high pressure and beating in the entrained air to produce a substantially smooth lard-air dispersion, forming a hot aqueous dispersion of animal phosphatides, colloidalizing the aqueous dispersion to form a smooth aqueous emulsion, keeping the emulsion Warm, pumping the warm emulsion to form a flowing stream the volumetric rate-of-ow of which is precisely proportionate, at a selected ratio, to the volumetric rate-of-ow of the lard-air mixture, injecting the proportioned flow of the warm emulsion at high pressure into the flowing stream of the lard-air dispersion, transmitting the emulsion-dispersion mixture through an extrusion chamber in which the stream is rendered turbulent, and passing the emulsion-dispersion mixture through a second agitator to produce a smoothly emulsiied shortenrng.

11. The method of converting lard into a high-ratio shortening which comprises continuously introducing the lard into a closed system as a flowing stream and, while in said closed system, performing the following steps successively, namely, mixing air with the stream of molten lard, subjecting the lard-air mixture to high pressure, precooling the lard-air mixture, passing the lard-air mixture through a chilling vessel at high pressure and subjecting it to agitation as it passes through the chilling vessel, said lard-air mixture being reduced in temperature within the chilling vessel to such an extent that it loses its liquidity and is reduced to the viscosity of a free-Howing paste, passing the chilled lard-air mixture through a first agitator at high pressure and beating in the entrained air to produce a substantially smooth lard-air dispersion, forming a hot aqueous dispersion of animal phosphatides colloidalizing the aqueous dispersion to form a smooth aqueous emulsion, keeping the emulsion warm, pumping the warm emulsion to form a flowing stream the volumetric Vrate-of-ilow of which is precisely proportionate, at a selected ratio, to the volumetric rate-of-ow of the lardair mixture, injecting the proportioned flow of the warm emulsion at high pressure into the owing stream of the lard-air dispersion, transmitting the emulsion-dispersion mixture through an extrusion chamber in which the stream is rendered turbulent, and passing the emulsion-dispersion mixture through a second agitator to produce a moothly n in said closed system, performing the following steps successively, namely, mixing air with the stream of molten lard, subjecting the lard-air mixture to high pressure, passing the lard-air' mixture through a chilling vessel at high pressure 'and subjecting it to agitation as it'passes through the chillingvessel, said lard-air mixture being reduced in temperature within the chilling vessel to such an extent that it loses'its liquidity and is reduced to the viscosity of a free-flowing paste, agitating chilled lard-air mixture While maintaining it under high pressure and beating in the entrained air to produce a substantially smooth lardair dispersion, forming an aqueous dispersion of animal phosphatides, colloidalizing the aqueous dispersion to form a smooth aqueous emulsion, pumping the emulsion to form a flowing stream the volumetric rate-of-flow of which is precisely proportionate, at a selected ratio, to the volumetric rate-of-ow of the lard-air mixture, injecting the proportioned flow of the emulsion at high pressure into the flowing stream of the lard-air dispersion, and passing the emulsion-dispersion mixture through a second agitator to produce a smoothly emulsified shortenmg.

13. The method of converting lard into a high-ratio shortening which comprises continuously introducing the lard into a closed system as a flowing stream and, While in said closed system, performing the following steps successively, namely, mixing air with a stream of molten lard, subjecting the lard-air mixture to high pressure, chilling the lard-air mixture at high pressure and subjecting it to agitation as it is being chilled, said lard-air mixture being thereby reduced in temperature to such an extent that it loses its liquidityrand is reduced to the viscosity of a free-flowing paste, additionally agitating the lard-air mixture at high pressure without materially changing the temperature thereof and thereby beating in the entrained air to produce a substantially smooth lard-air dispersion, injecting a proportioned flow of a lard-free emulsion at high pressure into the flowing stream of the lard-air dispersion, extruding the emulsion-dispersion mixture to render the flow thereofiturbulent, and thereafter agitating the emulsion-dispersion mixture without materially changing the temperature thereof to produce a smoothly emulsified shortening.

14. The method of converting lard into a high-ratio shortening which comprises continuously introducing the lard into a closed system as a owing stream and, while in said closed system, performing the following steps ysuccessively, namely, mixing air with a stream of molten lard, subjecting the lard-air mixture to high pressure, chilling the lard-air mixture at high pressure and subjecting it to agitation as it is being chilled, said lard-air mixture being thereby reduced in temperature to such an extent that it loses its liquidity and is reduced to the viscosity of a free-flowing paste, injecting a proportioned flow of a lard-free emulsion at high pressure into the flowing stream of the lard-air mixture, and agitating the emulsion mixture to produce a smoothly emulsified shortening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,645,742 Fee, Jr., et al Oct. 18, 1927 2,024,647 Joyce Dec. 17, 1935 2,062,782 Epstein et al. Dec. 1, 1936 2,330,986 De Haven Miller O ct. 5, 1943 2,466,896 Horneman et al Apr. 12, 1949 g FOREIGN PATENTS 9,502 Australia Oct. 4, 1932 OTHER REFERENCES Lechithin in Food Processing by Aylward, Food Manufacture, July 1952, pages 285-287.

Industrial Oil and Fat Products, Bailey, Second Edition, Interscience Publishers, Inc., New York, 1951, pages 921924.

Claims

1. THE METHOD OF CONVERTING LARD INTO A HIGH-RATIO SHORTENING WHICH COMPRISES CONTAINUOUSLY INTRODUCING THE LARD INTO A CLOSED SYSTEM AS A FLOWING STREAM AND, WHILE IN SAID CLOSED SYSTEM, PERFORMING THE FOLLOWING STEPS SUCCESSIVELY, NAMELY, MIXING AIR WITH A STREAM OF MOLTEN LARD, PUMPING MOLTEN LARD-AIR MIXTURE INTO A COOLING WORM AT HIGH PRESSURE, PASSING THE LARD-AIR MIXTURE THROUGH A CHILLING VESSEL AT HIGH PRESSURE AND SUBJECTING IT TO AGITATION AS IT PASSES THROUGH THE CHILLING VESSEL, SAID LARD-AIR MIXTURE BEING REDUCED IN TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE CHILLING VESSEL TO SUCH AN EXTEND THAT IT LOSES ITS LIQUIDITY AND IS REDUCED TO THE VISCOSITY OF A FREE-FLOWING PASTE, PASSING THE CHILLED LARD-AIR MIXTURE THROUGH A FIRST AGITATOR AT HIGH PRESSURE AND BEATING IN THE ENTRAINED AIR TO PRODUCE A SUBSTANTIALLY SMOOTH LARD-AIR DISPERSION, FORMING A HOT AQEOUS DISPERSION OF ANIMAL PHOSPHATIDES, COLLOIDALIZING THE AQUEOUS DISPERSION TO FORM A SMOOTH AQUEOUS EMULSION, KEEPING THE EMULSION WARM, PUMPING THE WARM EMULSION TO FORM A FLOWING STREAM THE VOLUMETRIC RATE-OF-FLOW OF WHICH IS PRECISELY PROPORTIONATE, AT SELECTED RATIO, TO THE VOLUMETRIC RATE-OF-FLOW OF THE LARDAIR MIXTURE INTO THE COOLING WORM, INJECTING THE PROPORTIONED FLOW OF THE WARM EMULSION AT HIGH PRESSURE INTO THE FLOURING STREAM OF THE LARD-AIR DISPERSION, TRANSMITTING THE EMULSION-DISPERSION MIXTURE THROUGH AN EXTRUSION CHAMBER IN WHICH THE STREAM IS RENDERED TURBULENT, AND PASSING THE EMULSION-DISPERSION MIXTURE THROUGH A SECOND AGITATOR TO PRODUCE A SMOOTHLY EMULSIFIED SHORTENING.