Refiner disc assembly having improved distributor plate

Claim 1

A PULP REFINER UNIT WHEREIN FIRST AND SECOND OPPOSED SPACED DISCS ARE SECURED AT THEIR HUB TO RESPECTIVE OPPOSITELY PROJECTING RELATIVELY ROTATABLE SHAFTS, WITH SAID FIRST DISC HAVING AT LEAST ONE MATERIAL PASSING THROUGH OPENING LOCATED IN A CIRCUMFERENTIAL AREA NEAR ITS HUB TO ADMIT MATERIAL FOR REFINING TO THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID DISCS, SAID DISCS HAVING OPPOSING INNER FACES DEFINING SAID SPACE; CHARACTERIZED BY A WEAR PLATE SEATED TO THE INNER FACE OF SAID SECOND DISC IN ALIGNED SUPERPOSED RELATION TO THE END OF THE SHAFT TO WHICH SAID SECOND DISC IS SECURED, SAID PLATE HAVING RADIAL RIBS EACH HAVING A FIRST PORTION OF RELATIVELY LONG AND GRADUAL SLOPE FROM THE MID AREA OF THE PLATE OUTWARD AND A SECOND PORTION OF SHORTER RELATIVELY STEEPER SLOPE FROM THE OUTER END OF SAID FIRST PORTION OF THE PERIPHERY OF THE PLATE, SAID SECOND PORTION BEING DISPOSED TO MOVE IN RESPONSE TO ROTATION OF SAID SECOND DISC IN A PATH IN CONCENTRIC ALIGNED RELATION TO THE SAID CIRCUMFERENTIAL AREA OF SAID FIRST DISCIN WHICH SAID MATERIAL PASSING OPENING APPEARS, SAID FIRST PORTION TERMINATING ADJACENT TO THE INNER PERIPHERY OF SAID AREA.