Hydrocyclone apparatus

Claim 1

IN HYDROCYCLONE APPARATUS CAPABLE OF SEPARATING OVERSIZE FIBROUS MATTER FROM ACCEPTABLE FIBRES OF ABOUT THE SAME DENSITY IN A SUSPENSION THEREOF, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING AN ELONGATED TUBULAR BODY, AN INLET THROUGH WHICH THE SUSPENSION MAY BE FED UNDER PRESSURE TANGENTIALLY TO THE WALL OF SAID BODY ADJACENT AN END THEREOF SO THAT THE SUSPENSION FORMS A VORTEX EXTENDING FROM ADJACENT ONE END TO ADJACENT THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID BODY AND IMMEDIATELY SURROUNDING AN AIR CORE, THE LENGTH AND VELOCITY OF FLOW OF SAID VORTEX BEING SUCH AS TO CAUSE SAID OVERSIZE FIBROUS MATTER TO SEGREGATE LARGELY IN THE INNER PART OF SAID VORTEX AND THE ACCEPTABLE FIBRE TO SEGREGATE LARGELY IN THE OUTER PART OF SAID VORTEX DURING ITS FLOW, AND INNER AND OUTER CONCENTRIC VORTEX FINDERS DISPOSED AXIALLY IN THE PATH OF SAID VORTEX TO RECEIVE RESPECTIVELY SAID AIR CORE AND AN INNER PORTION OF SAID VORTEX CONTAINING MAINLY SAID OVERSIZE FIBROUS MATTER AND LIGHT PARTICLES AND THE OUTER PART OF SAID VORTEX CONTAINING MAINLY SAID ACCEPTABLE FIBRE, SAID VORTEX FINDERS HAVING SEPARATE OUTLETS FOR SEPARATELY DISCHARGING THE VORTEX PORTIONS RECEIVED BY EACH, THE IMPROVEMENT WHEREIN SAID INNER VORTEX FINDER PROJECTS AXIALLY INTO SAID VORTEX BEYOND THE MOUTH OF SAID OUTER VORTEX FINDER AT LEAST 0.5 TIMES THE DIAMETER OF SAID MOUTH AND SAID INNER VORTEX FINDER IS PROVIDED ADJACENT ITS MOUTH WITH A CLOSELY SURROUNDING SUBSTANTIALLY CONCENTRIC BAFFLE PRESENTING A SURFACE OPPOSED TO THE AXIAL FLOW OF THE VORTEX AND DISPOSED TO PROVIDE AT LEAST SUBSTANTIALLY AS MUCH RESISTANCE TO FLOW INTO THE INNER FINDER AS ITS RESISTANCE TO FLOW OUTWARDLY OF THE INNER FINDER, SAID SURFACE HAVING AN OUTER DIAMETER OF AT LEAST ABOUT ONE AND ONE HALF TIMES THE DIAMETER OF THE MOUTH OF THE INNER VORTEX FINDER AND NOT SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE MOUTH OF THE OUTER VORTEX FINDER, SAID BAFFLE BEING EFFECTIVE TO INCREASE THE SELECTIVE SEGREGATION OF SAID OVERSIZE FIBROUS MATTER IN THE PORTION OF THE VORTEX THAT FLOWS OUT THROUGH SAID INNER VORTEX FINDER.