Separation of bark components

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF TREATING BARK CONTAINING CORK, FIBER, AND PHLOEM CONSITITUENTS FOR THE PRODDUCTION OF CORK, FIBER, AND POWDER RESIDUE PRODUCTS THEREFROM, WHICH COMPRISES GRINDING BARK HAVING A MOISTURE CONTENT OF A VALUE TO PROMOTE COMMINUTION TO AN AGGREGATE OF BARK MATERICES OF NOT TO EXCEED A PREDETERMINED SIZE AND CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF THE SEVERAL CONSITITUENTS OF THE WHOLE BARK, AND PROVIDING AN AGGREGATE OF BARK MATRICES OF NOT TO EXCEED SAID PREDETERMINED SIZE, ADJUSTING THE MOISTURE CONTENT OF THE BARK MATRICES TO A VALUE AT WHICH, IN SUBSEQUENT COMMINUTING ACTIONS, A CLEAVAGE IS EFFECTED BETWEEN THE SEVERAL CONSTITUENTS OF THE BARK DISUNITING FIBER AGGREGATES, CORK AND THE NON-FLBROUS PORTION OF THE PHLOEM, SEGREGATING THE GROUND BARK ACCORDING TO SIZE INTO A COARSE FIRST FRACTION COMPRISING PRIMARILY CORK AND FIBER AGGREGATES, AND A SECOND FRACTION OF SMALLER PARTICLE SIZE COMPRISING PRIMARILY FIBER CONTENT, AND SUBJECTING SAID FRACTIONS TO SEPARATE COMMINUTING ACTIONS WHEREIN THE PARTICLES OF SAID FRACTIONS ARE DIFFERENTIALLY PULVERIZED TO REDUCE TO POWDER THE NON-FIBROUS PORTION OF THE PHLOEM AND TO REDUCE THE FIBER AGGREGATES TO ULTIMATE FIBERS WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL COMMINUTION OF THE CORK PARTICLES AND INDIVIDUAL FIBERS, FOR PROMOTING SELECTIVE SEGREGATION OF THE CORK, ULTIMATE FIBERS AND A POWDER RESIDUE CONTAINING THE NON-FIBROUS PHLOEM COMPONENT.