Screw press

Claim 1

IN A CONTINUOUS SCREW PRESS ADAPTED TO WORK ON FIBROUS MATERIAL HAVING FIBERS OF SUBSTANTIALLY LONG AND STRING-LIKE CHARACTER, THE COMBINATION OF A CYLINDRICAL MAIN PRESS CAGE HAVING DRAINAGE OPENINGS IN ITS WALLS FOR PASSAGE OF FLUIDS EXPRESSED FROM THE MATERIAL, MEANS INCLUDING PRESSURE WORMS IN SAID CAGE EXTENDING INTO CLOSELY SPACED RELATION WITH THE WALLS OF SAID CAGE FOR EXERTING HIGH MECHANICAL PRESSURES ON THE MATERIAL, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID WORMS DURING OPERATION OF SAID PRESS IN A MANNER TO CONVEY THE FIBROUS MATERIAL THROUGH SAID CAGE WHILE EXERTING PRESSURE THEREON, AN INLET TO SAID CAGE INCLUDING A FEED HOPPER AND A CYLINDRICAL INLET SECTION EXTENDING FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID FEED HOPPER AND SUBSTANTIALLY BEYOND THE LOWER END OF SAID HOPPER INTO SAID CAGE AND ALIGNED WITH SAID CAGE FOR CONVEYING MATERIAL TO THE FIRST OF SAID PRESSURE WORMS, A ROTATABLE FEED WORM EXTENDING ACROSS THE BOTTOM OF SAID FEED HOPPER AND SUBSTANTIALLY INTO SAID INLET SECTION, A DRIVE FOR TURNING SAID FEED WORM TO TAKE UP MATERIAL FROM SAID HOPPER AND CARRY SUCH MATERIAL INTO SAID CAGE, SAID FEED WORM HAVING A SUCH MATERIAL INTO SAID CAGE, SAID FEED WORM HAVING A CONVEYING FLIGHT WITH AN OUTER DIAMETER SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE INNER DIAMETER OF SAID INLET SECTION FORMING A RELATIVELY WIDE SPACE IN THE ORDER OF AT LEAST ONE-HALF INCH BETWEEN THE EDGE OF SAID FLIGHT AND THE WALL OF SAID INLET SECTION, SAID RELATIVELY WIDE SPACE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY LARGER THAN THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID PRESSURE WORMS AND SAID CAGE TO PROVIDE FOR BRIDGING OF LONG FIBERS OF THE MATERIAL OVER SAID FLIGHT WHILE MAINTAINING A CONTINUOUS MOVEMENT OF THE FIBROUS MATERIAL FROM SAID HOPPER INTO SAID MAIN CAGE.