Process for the separation of pith and fiber components of bagasse

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE TREATMENT OF BAGASSE WHEREIN THE BAGASSE IS COOKED IN AN AQUEOUS MEDIUM FOR A SUFFICIENT LENGTH OF TIME TO PRODUCE A MATERIAL CONTAINING SOFTENED BAGASSE FIBERS, BAGASSE PITH AND FOREIGH MATTER, THE STEPS OF CONTINOUSLY ADVANCING SAID MATERIAL WHILE IN A WET CONDITION DOWNWARDLY THROUGH A ZONE OF DISINTEGRATION SURROUNDED BY A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL SCREEN WHILE DIRECTING SPRAYS OF WATER INTO SAID ZONE, SUBJECTING THE MATERIAL IN SAID ZONE SIMULTANEOUSLY TO IMPACT DISINTEGRATION, CENTRIFUGAL ATTRITION AND CONTINUOUS WASHING ACTION SO THAT THE PITCH AND FOREIGH MATTER ARE LOOSENED FROM THE FIBERS WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL DISINTEGRATION OF SUCH FIBERS AND ARE FORCED OUTWARDLY THROUGH THEE PERFORATIONS OF SAID VERTICAL SCREEN, THE FIBERS BEING RETAINED WITHIN SAID ZONE BY SAID SCREEN AND PASSING GENERALY DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID ZONE, DISCHARGING THE PITH AND FOREIGN MATTER PASSING OUTWARDLY THROUGH SAID SCREEN, AND SEPARATELY DISCHARGING THE DOWNWARDLY MOVING FIBER RELATIVELY FREE OF PITH AND FOREIGN MATTER FROM THE LOWER END OF SAID ZONE.