Separation of crystallized lactose from whey solids

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF LACTOSE FROM WHEY, SUBJECTING LIQUID WHEY TO EVAPORATION TO FORM A CONCENTRATE WHICH IS SUPERSATURATED WITH RESPECT TO ITS LACTOSE CONTENT, SUBJECTING THE CONCENTRATE TO CRYSTALLIZATION WHEREBY A SUBSTANTIAL PERCENTAGE OF THE LACTOSE CONTENT IS CRYSTALLIZED, CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING MATERIAL FROM THE CRYSTALLIZING OPERATION INTO A SCREEN REEL ADJACENT ONE END THEREOF WITH CONTINUOUS ROTATION OF THE REEL WHEREBY THE MATERIAL WITHIN THE REEL FORMS AND MAINTAINS WORKING MASS WHICH EXTENDS FROM THE FEED END TO THE OTHER DISCHARGE END OF THE REEL, SAID WORKING MASS BEING UNCONFINED WITH RESPECT TO ITS TWO SIDE AND UPPER SURFACES AND CONTINUOUSLY ROLLING OVER UPON ITSELF AS THE REEL ROTATES, THE RATE OF ROTATION BEING SUFFICIENT TO FORCE THE MASS TO ROLL OVER ON ITSELF, BUT BELOW THE RATE AT WHICH THE MASS ROTATES WITH THE REEL EFFLUENT BEING CONTINUOUSLY EXTRUDED FROM THE WORKING MASS THROUGH THE SCREEN AND THE MASS BECOMING PROGRESSIVELY MORE VISCOUS TOWARD THE DISCHARGE END OF THE REEL, AND CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING MATERIAL FROM THE DISCHARGE END OF THE REEL, SAID LAST NAMED MATERIAL BEING PASTE LIKE AND COMPRISING LARGELY LACTOSE CRYSTALS.