Winterizing glyceride oils

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF WINTERIZING A GLYCERIDE OIL IN THE ABSENCE OF SOLUTION IN A SOLVENT INCLUDING THE STEPS OF (A) LOWERING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE OIL TO A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 50*F. TO ABOUT 35*F. TO SOLIDIFY AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE HIGHER-MELTING GLYCERIDES, (B) CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING A STREAM OF THE CHILLED OIL AND SOLIDS TO A ZONE OF CENTRIFUGATION, (C) BUILDING UP THE SOLIDS TO A PRE-ESTABLISHED DEPTH OF AT LEAST 1/5 OF THE DISTANCE FROM THE PERIPHERY OF THE ZONE TO THE AXIS AT WHICH DEPTH THE SOLIDS OBSTRUCT THE ENTRANCE OF A PASSAGE IN THE ZONE BLOCKING THE SUPPLY OF OIL TO A SEGREGATED CHAMBER, THE CHAMBER HAVING A LEAK PASSAGE OUTWARD TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE ZONE AND THE CHAMBER AND THE ZONE HAVING A COMMON PARTITION FACING THE OUTSIDE OF THE ZONE, AND MOVABLE RADIALLY OF THE ZONE AND CARRYING A VALVING SURFACE NORMALLY CLOSING AN OPENING IN THE PERIPHERY OF THE ZONE, THE BLOCKING OF SUPPLY OF OIL TO THE SEGREGATED CHAMBER CAUSING A PRESSURE DROP IN THE CHAMBER TO MOVE THE PARTITION AND VALVING SURFACE INWARD EXPOSING THE PERIPHERAL OPENING, (D) EXTRUDING A PORTION OF THE BUILT-UP SOLIDS OUT OF THE ZONE THROUGH THE OPENING TO REDUCE THE DEPTH OF SOLIDS ACCUMULATED THEREBY UNOBSTRUCTING THE ENTRANCE AND RESTORING SUPPLY OF OIL TO THE SEGREGATED CHAMBER TO CAUSE A PRESSURE INCREASE IN THE CHAMBER, THE PARTITION AND VALVING SURFACE MOVING OUTWARD UNDER CENTRIFUGAL FORCE TO CLOSE THE PERIPHERAL OPENING TO STOP THE EXTRUDING OF SOLIDS, (E) CONTINUALLY REPEATING THE BUILDING UP AND EXTRUDING STEPS AND (F) CONTINUOUSLY DISCHARGING WINTERIZED OIL, SEPARATED FROM THE SOLIDS FROM A LOCUS SPACED INWARD FROM THE PERIPHERY OF THE ZONE AND SPACED ALONG THE AXIS FROM THE POINT OF EXTRUSION OF SOLIDS, AND WHEREBY IN BUILDING UP TO THE PRE-ESTABLISHED DEPTH THE SOLIDS ARE COMPACTED TO DISPLACE INWARDLY OF THE ZONE ENTRAINED AND OCCLUDED PORTIONS OF THE OIL.