Charging and discharging mechanism for use in continuous cooking of chips in the manufacture of pulp

Claim 1

A CHIP FEEDER FOR FEEDING CHIPS INTO A DIGESTER MAINTAINED UNDER SUPERATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE COMPRISING A ROTARY VALVE ELEMENT HAVING CIRCULARLY DISPOSED CHIP CARRYING POCKETS HAVING SAID ELEMENT CONNECTING A CHIP CHARGING STATION ADAPTED TO BE MAINTAINED UNDER ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE WITH A CHIP DISCHARGE STATION ANGULARLY DISPLACED FROM SAID CHAMBER AND ADAPTED TO BE MAINTAINED UNDER THE PRESSURE OF THE DIGESTER, SAID POCKETS RECEIVING CHIPS FROM SAID CHARGING STATION AND DELIVERING THEM TO SAID DISCHARGE STATION, A CHIP TRANSPORTING DEVICE FOR SUPPLYING CHIPS TO SAID CHIP CHARGING STATION, AND A PLURALITY OF STATIONS THROUGH WHICH SAID VALVE ELEMENT PASSES INCLUDING THE STATION AT WHICH THE CHIPS ARE ADMITTED TO A POCKET, A STATION AT WHICH THE CONTENTS OF A POCKET ARE DISCHARGED INTO THE DIGESTER AND AT WHICH SAID POCKET IS FILLED WITH STEAM FROM THE DIGESTER, AND A STATION INTERMEDIATE SAID STATIONS, A DUCT CONNECTING SAID STEAM ADMITTING STATION TO SAID INTERMEDIATE STATION THEREBY TO STEAM SAID CHIPS, AND A DUCT TO VENT SAID INTERMEDIATE STATION.