Flow-eveners for wood chip digesters

Claim 1

IN CONTINUOUS DIGESTING APPARATUS OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED INCLUDING A GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING TUBE HAVING AN INLET AT ONE END FOR RECEIVING CELLULOSIC MATERIAL FOR TREATMENT THEREIN AND HAVING A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING OUTLET AT THE OPPOSITE END THEREOF, THE COMBINATION OF A SCREW CONVEYOR IN SAID TUBE INCLUDING A SHAFT EXTENDING THROUGH THE LENGTH OF SAID TUBE AND SCREW FLIGHTS ON SAID SHAFT FOR ADVANCING SAID MATERIAL FROM SAID INLET TO SAID OUTLET-WHILE TENDING TO COMPACT SAID MATERIAL INTO A GENERALLY PLUG-LIKE MASS ADJCENT SAID OUTLET, SAID SCREW FLIGHTS TERMINATING SHORT OF SAID OUTLET AND BEING OF PREDETERMINED PITCH CAUSING ADVANCE OF SAID MASS AT A PREDETERMINED MAXIMUM LINEAR RATE, A PLURALITY OF ARMS EXTENDING GENERALLY RADIALLY FROM SAID SHAFT ADJACENT SAID OUTLET AND BETWEEN THE OUTLET END OF SAID TUBE AND THE ADJACENT END OF SAID SCREW FLIGHTS, VANESHAPED FINGERS ON THE OUTER ENDS OF SAID ARMS EXTENDING THEREFROM TOWARD SAID SCREW FLIGHTS ADJACENT THE INNER WALL OF SAID TUNE, SAID VANE-SHAPED FINGERS BEING ARRANGED TO FORM FRAGMENTS OF SCREW FLIGHTS OF GREATER PITCH THAN SAID CONEYOR SCREW FLIGHTS AND OF SUBSTANTIAL AXIAL EXTENT WITH RESPECT TO THE EDGES OF SAID ARMS NEAREST SAID CONVEYOR SCREW FLIGHTS TO CUT AWAY THE OUTER PERIPHERAL PORTION OF SAID MASS FOR GRAVITY DISCHARGE THROUGH SAID OUTLET PRIOR TO THE CENTRAL PORTIONOF SAID MASS BY ADVANCING SAID OUTER PERIPHERAL PORTION THEREOF AT AN INCREASED RATE WITH RESPECT TO SAID CENTRAL PORTION AND THEREBY TO PROVIDE SPACE IN SAID TUBE SURRUOUNDING SAID CENTRAL PORTION FOR EXPANSION THEREOF PRIOR TO REACHING SAID OUTLET, AID ARMS BEING FORMED OF RELATIVELY THIN AND FLAT MATERIAL AND EACH HAVING THE FORWARD EDGE THEREOF SPACED LENGTHWISE OF THE AXIS OF SAID SHAFT FROM THE LEADING END OF SAID FINGER THEREON TO PRESENT A CUTTING EDGE, AND SAID ARMS BEING ARRANGED SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY IN PLANES INCLINED WITH RESPECT TO SAID SHAFT AXIS FOR COOPERATION WITH SAID CUTTING EDGES TO EFFECT PROGRESSIVE FRAGMENTATION OF SAID EXPANDING CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID MASS.