Wood chip feeders

Claim 1

CONTINUOUSLY OPERABLE WOOD-CHIP DIGESTION APPARATUS INCLUDING AN ENCLOSED CHAMBER ADAPTED TO SUBJECT SUCH CHIPS THEREIN TO STEAM-INDUCED TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE; MEANS FOR EVACUATING TREATED CHIPS FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE CHAMBER; A BIN FOR RECEIVING AND HOLDING A SUPPLY OF CHIPS TO BE SO TREATED; MEANS FOR DISCHARGING CHIPS FROM THE BIN AT A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM RATE; AND MEANS FOR RECEIVING SUCH DISCHARGING CHIPS AND MOVING THEM TO ENTER THE CHAMBER WHILE MINIMIZING ESCAPE THEREFROM OF STEAM AND PRESSURE WHICH COMPRISES A CASING WITH A BORE HAVING A TOP CHIP INLET CONNECTED WITH THE CHIP-DISCHARGING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE BIN AND A BOTTOM CHIP OUTLET CONNECTED WITH THE CHAMBER, A MOTIVATED ROTOR HAVING A HORIOZONTAL AXLE IN THE CASING AND A HUB WITH A PLURALITY OF VANES EXTENDING FROM THE HUBTO THE PERIPERY OF THE BORE OF THE CASING WITH A CHIPCARRYING POCKET FORMED BETWEEN PAIRS OF SEQUENTIALLY ADJACENT VANES WHICH DURING ROTATION OF THE ROTOR RECEIVES CHIPS FROM THE TOP INLET WHEN IN REGISTER THEREWITH AND DELIVERS CHIPS THROUGH THE OUTLET FROM THE CASING WHEN IN REGISTER THEREWITH, AND MEANS FOR INCREMENTALLY INCREASING STEAM PRESSSURE IN SEQUENTIAL SUPERPOSED ZONES IN THE BORE OF THE CASING THROUGH WHICH THE POCKETS PASS ON THEIR PATH TOWARD THE CHAMBER FROM A PRESSURE AT THE INLET EQUAL TO ATMOSPHERIC TO A PRESSURE AT THE OUTLET EQUAL TO THAT IN THE CHAMBER AND THE REVERSE ON THEIR RETURN PATH TOWARD THE INLET WHEREBY CORRESPONDING PAIRS OF POCKETS ON EACH VERTICAL SIDE OF THE AXLE ARE UNDER THE SAME PRESSURE.