Apparatus and method for reducing the size of particles

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR PARTICLE SIZE REDUCTION, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING; A HOUSING HAVING AN ENCLOSED STOCK TREATMENT, PRESSURE CHAMBER, AN END WALL WITH AN AXIAL STOCK INLET AND AN OPPOSITE END WALL WITH AN AXIAL STOCK OUTLET; A ROTOR MOUNTED WITHIN SAID CHAMBER TO ROTATE IN A PLANE PARALLEL TO SAID ENDWALLS; MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID ROTOR; MEANS FOR FEEDING STOCK UNDER PRESSURE INTO SAID AXIAL INLET AND ADVANCING SAID STOCK IN A PATH RADIALLY OUTWARDLY AROUND THE RIM OF SAID ROTOR AND THEN RADIALLY INWARDLY FOR DISCHARGE FROM SAID AXIAL OUTLET; AN ANNULAR STATOR PLATE FIXED WITHIN SAID HOUSING TO ONE OF SAID ENDWALLS, SAID PLATE HAVING A STOCK TREATMENT FACE; A ROTOR PLATE FIXED TO SAID ROTOR, SAID PLATE HAVING A STOCK TREATMENT FACE OPPOSED TO THE STOCK TREATMENT FACE OF SAID STATOR; A MULTIPLICITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED, GENERALLY RADIAL, ALTERNATE RIBS AND FLOW CHANNELS IN THE OPPOSED STOCK TREATMENT FACES OF SAID PLATES FORMING A STOCK TREATMENT INTERFACE NORMAL TO THE AXIS OF SAID ROTOR AND IN THE PATH OF SAID ADVANCING STOCK; AND A TAPERED CHANNEL BOTTOM BETWEEN EACH ADJACENT PAIR OF RIBS ON SAID STATOR PLATE, EACH SAID CHANNEL BOTTOM HAVING AN INFLUENT END AT A SPACED DISTANCE FROM THE PLANE OF SAID INTERFACE TO FORM A STATIONARY STOCK ENTRANCE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL IN CROSS SECTIONAL AREA TO THE CROSS SECTIONAL AREA OF THE PATH OF THE INFLUENT STOCK AND HAVING AN EFFLUENT END SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE PLANE OF SAID INTERFACE, FOR FORMING A STATIONARY CONVERGENT NOZZLE IN EACH SAID CHANNEL DIRECTING SAID STOCK INTO THE TREATMENT FACE OF SAID ROTOR

Claim 3

THE METHOD OF DEFLAKING PAPER STOCK IN APPARATUS HAVING A DISC ROTOR ROTATABLE IN A FIXED PLANE WITHIN AN ENCLOSED HOUSING TO FORM A RADIALLY EXTENDING INFLUENT CHAMBER ON ONE SIDE OF THE ROTOR AND A RADIALLY EXTENDING EFFLUENT CHAMBER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROTOR, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: PUMPING SAID STOCK UNDER PRESSURE AXIALLY INTO SAID INFLUENT CHAMBER TO ADVANCE RADIALLY OUTWARDLY THEREIN, AROUND SAID ROTOR AND RADIALLY INWARDLY, THROUGH SAID EFFLUENT CHAMBER, FOR AXIAL DISCHARGE THEREFROM; ROTATING SAID ROTOR AT HIGH SPEED IN THE ORDER OF ABOUT 3600 R.P.M.; CHANNELING SAID RADIALLY ADVANCING STOCK PROGRESSIVELY TOWARD THE PLANE OF ROTATION OF SAID ROTOR, FREE OF FORCES TENDING TO ROTATE SAID STOCK IN A PATH AROUND THE AXIS OF SAID ROTOR, UNTIL SAID STOCK IS ENGAGED BY SAID ROTOR, AND THEN SUBJECTING THE STOCK, SO ENGAGED BY SAID ROTOR, TO A NUMBER OF HIGH VELOCITY IMPACTS PER MINUTE CORRESPONDING TO SAID ROTOR SPEED TO DEFLAKE SAID STOCK, WHILE SUBJECTING SAID STOCK TO SAID FORCES TENDING TO ROTATE SAID STOCK IN A PATH AROUND THE AXIS OF SAID ROTOR.

Claim 4

THE METHOD OF DEFLAKING PAPER STOCK IN APPARATUS HAVING A DISC ROTOR ROTATABLE IN A FIXED PLANE WITHIN AN ENCLOSED HOUSING TO FORM A RADIALLY EXTENDING INFLUENT CHAMBER ON ONE SIDE OF THE ROTOR AND A RADIALLY EXTENDING EFFLUENT CHAMBER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROTOR, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: PUMPING SAID STOCK UNDER PRESSURE AXIALLY INTO SAID INFLUENT CHAMBER TO ADVANCE RADIALLY OUTWARDLY THEREIN, AROUND SAID ROTOR AND RADIALLY INWARDLY, THROUGH SAID EFFLUENT CHAMBER, FOR AXIAL DISCHARGE THEREFROM; ROTATING SAID ROTOR AT HIGH SPEED IN THE ORDER OF ABOUT 3600 R.P.M.; CHANNELING SAID RADIALLY ADVANCING STOCK PROGRESSIVELY TOWARD THE PLANE OF ROTATION OF SAID ROTOR, FREE OF FORCES TENDING TO ROTATE SAID STOCK IN A PATH AROUND THE AXIS OF SAID ROTOR, UNTIL SAID STOCK IS ENGAGED BY SAID ROTOR, AND THEN SUBJECTING THE STOCK, SO ENGAGED BY SAID ROTOR, TO A NUMBER OF HIGH VELOCITY IMPACTS PER MINUTE CORRESPONDING TO SAID ROTOR SPEED TO DEFLAKE SAID STOCK, WHILE SUBJECTING SAID STOCK TO SAID FORCES TENDING TO ROTATE SAID STOCK IN A PATH AROUND THE AXIS OF SAID ROTOR.