Multistage crystallization process

Claim 1

THE PROCESS FOR SEPARATING CRYSTALLIZABLE MATERIAL FROM A LIQUID MIXTURE WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF MAINTAINING A PLURALITY OF SERIALLY DISPOSED ADJACENT BODIES OF SAID MIXTURE, MAINTAINING A TEMPERATURE DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN THE ENDS OF SAID SERIES OF BODIES, ABSTRACTING HEAT FROM SAID MIXTURE TO FREEZE A PORTION OF THE CRYSTALLIZABLE MATERIAL ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID PLURALITY OF SERIALLY DISPOSED BODIES, REMOVING SAID FROZEN MATERIAL AS DISCRETE PORTIONS FROM CONTACT WITH THE REMAINING LIQUID, MELTING THE PORTIONS OF SAID FROZEN MATERIAL AND RETURNING THE MELT OF EACH OF SAID LIQUID AT A POINT NEARER THE WARMER END OF SAID SERIALLY DISPOSED LIQUID BODIES THAN THE POINT AT WHICH IT WAS REMOVED, REMOVING A STREAM OF LIQUID COMPRISING A LOWERMELTING FRACTION FROM THE COOLER END OF SAID SERIES OF BODIES, AND REMOVING A SECOND STREAM OF LIQUID COMPRISING A HIGHER-MELTING FRACTION FROM THE WARMER END OF SAID SERIES OF BODIES.