Protein fiber forming

Claim 1

A METHOD OF CONTINUOUSLY FORMING DISCRETE ELONGATED TENDER PROTEIN FILAMENTS FROM PROTEINACEOUS MATERIAL COMPRISING: A. FORMING A PUMPABLE SLURRY OF A MIXTURE OF A PROTEIN CONTAINING MATERIAL AND AN ADDED MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CELLULOSE AND CARBOHYDRATE BYPRODUCTS FROM THE PROCESSING OF PROTEIN CONTAINING VEGETABLE MATERIALS AND GRAINS, THE SLURRY HAVING A SOLIDS CONTENT OF ABOVE ABOUT 20% BY WEIGHT AND A PROTEIN CONTENT OF ABOVE ABOUT 40% BY WEIGHT ON A DRY BASIS, B. HYDRATING THE PROTEINACEOUS MATERIAL IN THE SLURRY TO PLACE THE PROTEINACEOUS MATERIAL IN A SUFFICIENTLY REACTIVE FORM TO PRODUCE ELONGATED PROTEIN FILAMENTS C. FORMING DISCRETE ELONGATED PROTEIN FILAMENTS BY CONTINUOUSLY CONDUCTING THE PROTEINACEOUS SLURRY UNDER PRESSURE THROUGH A HEAT EXCHANGE ZONE AND HEATING THE SLURRY TO A TEMPERATURE WHICH IS LESS THAN THAT WHICH WILL DEGRADE THE PROTEIN, WHILE THE PROTEIN IS SUBJECTED TO SUCH TEMPERATURE FOR A SUFFICIENT PERIOD OF TIME SO THAT ELONGATED TENDER FILAMENTS ARE SEPARATED FORM THE REMAINING CONSITUENTS OF THE SLURRY, CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING THE HEATED SLURRY FOM SAID ZONE THROUGH A BACK PRESSURE CREATING ORIFICE AND DISCHARGING THE FORMED DISCRETE ELONGATED FILAMENTS AND REMAINING CONSTITUENTS OF THE SLURRY INTO A COLLECTING ZONE, AND D. IN SAID COLLECTING ZONE SEPARATING THE TENDER ELONGATED PROTEIN FILAMENTS FROM THE REMAINING CONSTITUENTS OF THE SLURRY AND RECOVERING SAID DISCRETE FILAMENTS.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF CONTINUOUSLY FORMING DISCRETE ELONGATED TENDER PROTEIN FILAMENTS FROM PROTEINACEOUS MATERIAL COMPRISING: A. FORMING A PUMPABLE SLURRY OF A MIXTURE OF A PROTEIN CONTAINING MATERIAL AND AN ADDED MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CELLULOSE AND CARBOHYDRATE BYPRODUCTS FROM THE PROCESSING OF PROTEIN CONTAINING VEGETABLE MATERIALS AND GRAINS, THE SLURRY HAVING A SOLIDS CONTENT OF ABOVE ABOUT 20% BY WEIGHT AND A PROTEIN CONTENT OF ABOVE ABOUT 40% BY WEIGHT ON A DRY BASIS, B. HYDRATING THE PROTEINACEOUS MATERIAL IN THE SLURRY TO PLACE THE PROTEINACEOUS MATERIAL IN A SUFFICIENTLY REACTIVE FORM TO PRODUCE ELONGATED PROTEIN FILAMENTS C. FORMING DISCRETE ELONGATED PROTEIN FILAMENTS BY CONTINUOUSLY CONDUCTING THE PROTEINACEOUS SLURRY UNDER PRESSURE THROUGH A HEAT EXCHANGE ZONE AND HEATING THE SLURRY TO A TEMPERATURE WHICH IS LESS THAN THAT WHICH WILL DEGRADE THE PROTEIN, WHILE THE PROTEIN IS SUBJECTED TO SUCH TEMPERATURE FOR A SUFFICIENT PERIOD OF TIME SO THAT ELONGATED TENDER FILAMENTS ARE SEPARATED FORM THE REMAINING CONSITUENTS OF THE SLURRY, CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING THE HEATED SLURRY FOM SAID ZONE THROUGH A BACK PRESSURE CREATING ORIFICE AND DISCHARGING THE FORMED DISCRETE ELONGATED FILAMENTS AND REMAINING CONSTITUENTS OF THE SLURRY INTO A COLLECTING ZONE, AND D. IN SAID COLLECTING ZONE SEPARATING THE TENDER ELONGATED PROTEIN FILAMENTS FROM THE REMAINING CONSTITUENTS OF THE SLURRY AND RECOVERING SAID DISCRETE FILAMENTS.

Claim 11

A method of continuously forming discrete elongated tender protein filaments from proteinaceous material comprising: a. forming a pumpable slurry of a mixture of a protein containing material and an added material selected from the group consisting of cellulose and carbohydrate by-products from the processing of protein containing vegetable materials and grains; the slurry having a solids content above about 20% by weight and a protein content of above about 40% by weight on a dry basis, b. hydrating the proteinaceous material in the slurry to place the proteinaceous material in a sufficiently reactive form to produce elongated protein filaments, c. forming discrete elongated protein filaments by continuously conducting the slurry under pressure through an injection zone whereby steam is injected into said slurry to heat the slurry and heating the slurry to a temperature which is less than that which will degrade the protein while the protein is subjected to such temperature for a sufficient period of time so that elongated tender filaments are separated from the remaining constituents of the slurry, continuously removing the heated slurry from said zone through an orifice and discharging the formed discrete elongated filaments and the remaining constituents of the slurry into a collecting zone, and d. in said collecting zone separating the tender protein filaments from the remaining constituents of the slurry and recovering said filaments.

Claim 12

A method of continuously forming discrete elongated tender protein filaments from proteinaceous material comprising: a. forming a pumpable slurry of a mixture of a protein containing material and an added material selected from the group consisting of cellulose and carbohydrate by-products from the processing of protein containing vegetable materials and grains; the slurry having a solids content above about 20% by weight and a protein content of above about 40% by weight on a dry basis, b. hydrating the proteinaceous material in the slurry to place the proteinaceous material in a sufficiently reactive form to produce elongated protein filaments, c. forming discrete elongated protein filaments by continuously conducting the slurry under pressure through an injection zone whereby steam is injected into said slurry to heat the slurry and heating the slurry to a temperature which is less than that which will degrade the protein while the protein is subjected to such temperature for a sufficient period of time so that elongated tender filaments are separated from the remaining constituents of the slurry, continuously removing the heated slurry from said zone through an orifice and discharging the formed discrete elongated filaments and the remaining constituents of the slurry into a collecting zone, and d. in said collecting zone separating the tender protein filaments from the remaining constituents of the slurry and recovering said filaments.

Claim 17

A method for continuously forming discrete elongated tender protein filaments from proteinaceous material comprising: a. forming a pumpable slurry of a protein containing material and an added material selected from the group consisting of cellulose and carbohydrate by-products from the processing of protein containing vegetable matErials and grains; the slurry having a solids content of above about 20% by eight and a protein content of above about 40% by weight on a dry basis, b. hydrating the proteinaceous material in the slurry by adjusting the pH of the slurry to above about 4.5 to place the proteinaceous material in a sufficiently reactive form to produce elongated protein filaments, forming discrete elongated protein filaments by continuously conducting the proteinaceous slurry under pressure through a heat exchange zone and heating the slurry to a temperature above 240*F. and less than that which will degrade the protein while the protein is subjected to such temperature for a sufficient period of time so that elongated tender filaments are separated from the remaining constituents of the slurry, continuously removing the heated slurry from said zone through a back pressure creating orifice and discharging the formed discrete elongated filaments and remaining constituents of the slurry into a collecting zone, and d. in said collecting zone separating the tender elongated protein filaments from the remaining constituents of the slurry and recovering said discrete filaments.

Claim 18

A method for continuously forming discrete elongated tender protein filaments from proteinaceous material comprising: a. forming a pumpable slurry of a protein containing material and an added material selected from the group consisting of cellulose and carbohydrate by-products from the processing of protein containing vegetable matErials and grains; the slurry having a solids content of above about 20% by eight and a protein content of above about 40% by weight on a dry basis, b. hydrating the proteinaceous material in the slurry by adjusting the pH of the slurry to above about 4.5 to place the proteinaceous material in a sufficiently reactive form to produce elongated protein filaments, forming discrete elongated protein filaments by continuously conducting the proteinaceous slurry under pressure through a heat exchange zone and heating the slurry to a temperature above 240*F. and less than that which will degrade the protein while the protein is subjected to such temperature for a sufficient period of time so that elongated tender filaments are separated from the remaining constituents of the slurry, continuously removing the heated slurry from said zone through a back pressure creating orifice and discharging the formed discrete elongated filaments and remaining constituents of the slurry into a collecting zone, and d. in said collecting zone separating the tender elongated protein filaments from the remaining constituents of the slurry and recovering said discrete filaments.