Wood chip washer

Claim 1

A CHIP WASHER COMPRISING A TROUGH HAVING INLET AND OUTLET ENDS, A CHIP CHUTE ABOVE THE INLET END OF SAID TROUGH, NOZZLES ARRANGED TO DIRECT JETS OF WATER CHIPS FALLING THROUGH SAID CHUTE TO BREAK UP LUMPS AND SEPARATE THE CHIPS FROM EACH OTHER AND FROM INCLUDED DEBRIS AS THEY FALL INTO THE TROUGH, SAID NOZZLES FURNISHING A SUPPLY OF WATER TO FLOAT THE CHIPS TOWARD THE OUTLET END OF THE TROUGH, A COUNTERFLOW CONVEYOR HAVING TRANSVERSE BAFFLE BOARDS ENGAGING THE SIDES AND BOTTOM OF THE TROUGH AND MOVABLE ALONG THE TROUGH TOWARD ITS INLET END, SAID BAFFLE BOARDS FORMING SUBMERGED WEIRS TO CREATE TURBULENCE IN THE FLOW OF WATER AND CHIPS FOR FURTHER WASHING OF THE CHIPS, AN INCLINED END WALL IN THE INLET END OF SAID TROUGH DISPOSED AT AN ANGLE TO THE BOTTOM WALL OF THE TROUGH UPSTREAM FROM SAID CHIP CHUTE AND HAVING A LIP ABOVE WATER LEVEL IN THE TROUGH, SAID BAFFLE BOARDS ENGAGING AND TRAVELLING UP SAID END WALL TO DISCHARGE NON-FLOATING DEBRIS OVER SAID LIP, A FLUME CARRYING SAID FLOW OF WATER AND CHIPS FROM THE OUTLET END OF SAID TROUGH AND SUBJECTING THE CHIPS TO FURTHER WASHING ACTION, THE BOTTOM OF SAID FLUME BEING CONNECTED WITH SAID TROUGH APPROXIMATELY ON THE LEVEL OF THE TOP OF SAID BAFFLE BOARDS WHICH ENGAGE THE BOTTOM OF THE TROUGH TO MAINTAIN SAID WATER LEVEL IN THE TROUGH SLIGHTLY ABOVE SAID BAFFLE BOARDS, AND A DOWNWARDLY VIBRATING SCREEN RECEIVING SAID FLOW OF WATER AND CHIPS FROM SAID FLUME, SAID FLOW OF WATER PASSING THROUGH THE UPPER END OF THE SCREEN AND THE VIBRATION OF THE SCREEN ADVANCING THE CHIPS DOWN THE SCREEN AND CONTINUING TO AGITATE WATER OFF THE CHIPS AFTER THE CHIPS HAVE ADVANCED BEYOND SAID FLOW, AND A PIT UNDER SAID SCREEN ARRANGED TO CATCH THE WATER FLOWING THROUGH THE SCREEN FROM SAID FLUME AND THE WATER AGITATED OFF THE CHIPS BY THE SCREEN SAID SCREEN BEING DISPOSED ENTIRELY ABOVE THE WATER LEVEL IN SAID PIT.