Pulping apparatus

Claim 2

In a pulping tank adapted for the pulping of debris and the like, comprising pulping tank means for receiving debris and liquid therein, sizing ring means carried by and disposed annularly at the bottom of the tank for permitting the passage radially outwardly therethrough of desirably sized pulped debris, said sizing ring means having a plurality of holes therethrough of predetermined size, generally horizontal impeller plate means disposed at the bottom of said tank means and having cutting elements on an upper surface thereof for impelling debris therein with rotary motion of said impeller means, radially outwardly through holes in said sizing ring means, an uppermost surface portion of said impeller plate means being disposed lower than said sizing ring means, inwardly of said sizing ring means with downwardly extending cutting means being carried by said sizing ring means and cutting means being carried by said impeller means, and with said disposition of said impeller plate upper surface and said cutting means defining means facilitating the passage of debris particles in radially directed straight lines across said plate means upper surface and under said sizing ring means through a cutting zone defined by said cutting means.

Claim 3

In a pulping tank adapted for the pulping of debris and the like, comprising pulping tank means for receiving debris and liquid therein, sizing ring means carried by and disposed annularly at the bottom of the tank for permitting the passage radially outwardly therethrough of desirably sized pulped debris, said sizing ring means having a plurality of holes therethrough of predetermined size, generally horizontal impeller plate means disposed at the bottom of said tank means and having cutting elements on an upper surface thereof for impelling debris therein with rotary motion of said impeller means, radially outwardly through holes in said sizing ring means, an uppermost surface portion of said impeller plate means being disposed lower than said sizing ring means, inwardly of said sizing ring means with downwardly extending cutting means being carried by said sizing ring means and cutting means being carried by said impeller means, and with said disposition of said impeller plate upper surface and said cutting means defining means facilitating the passage of debris particles in radially directed straight lines across said plate means upper surface and under said sizing ring means through a cutting zone defined by said cutting means.

Claim 4

In a pulping tank adapted for the pulping of debris and the like, comprising pulping tank means for receiving debris and liquid therein, sizing ring means carried by and disposed annularly at the bottom of the tank for permitting the passage radially outwardly therethrough of desirably sized pulped debris, said sizing ring means having a plurality of holes therethrough of predetermined size, generally horizontal impeller plate means disposed at the bottom of said tank means and having cutting elements on an upper surface thereof for impelling debris therein with rotary motion of said impeller means, radially outwardly through holes in said sizing ring means, an uppermost surface portion of said impeller plate means being disposed lower than said sizing ring means, inwardly of said sizing ring means with downwardly extending cutting means being carried by said sizing ring means and cutting means being carried by said impeller means, and with said disposition of said impeller plate upper surface and said cutting means defining means facilitating the passage of debris particles in radially directed straight lines across said plate means upper surface and under said sizing ring means through a cutting zone defined by said cutting means.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said sizing ring means comprises an annular screen having an annular shape-retaining ring carried at the lower end thereof.

Claim 6

In a pulping tank adapted for the pulping of debris and the like, comprising pulping tank means for receiving debris and liquid therein, sizing ring means carried by and disposed annularly at the bottom of the tank for permitting the passage radially outwardly therethrough of desirably sized pulped debris, said sizing ring means having a plurality of holes therethrough of predetermined size, impeller plate means disposed at the bottom of said tank means for impelling debris therein with rotary motion of said impeller means, radially outwardly through holes in said sizing ring means, an uppermost surface portion of said impeller plate means being disposed lower thAn said sizing ring means, inwardly of said sizing ring means with downwardly extending cutting means being carried by said sizing ring means and cutting means being carried by said impeller means, and with said disposition of said impeller plate upper surface and said cutting means defining means facilitating the passage of debris particles in radially directed straight lines across said plate means upper surface and under said sizing ring means through a cutting zone defined by said cutting means, wherein said impeller plate means comprises a vertically stepped plate, with an annular outermost portion having an upper surface disposed lower than said uppermost surface portion of said impeller plate.

Claim 7

In a pulping tank adapted for the pulping of debris and the like, comprising pulping tank means for receiving debris and liquid therein, sizing ring means carried by and disposed annularly at the bottom of the tank for permitting the passage radially outwardly therethrough of desirably sized pulped debris, said sizing ring means having a plurality of holes therethrough of predetermined size, impeller plate means disposed at the bottom of said tank means for impelling debris therein with rotary motion of said impeller means, radially outwardly through holes in said sizing ring means, an uppermost surface portion of said impeller plate means being disposed lower thAn said sizing ring means, inwardly of said sizing ring means with downwardly extending cutting means being carried by said sizing ring means and cutting means being carried by said impeller means, and with said disposition of said impeller plate upper surface and said cutting means defining means facilitating the passage of debris particles in radially directed straight lines across said plate means upper surface and under said sizing ring means through a cutting zone defined by said cutting means, wherein said impeller plate means comprises a vertically stepped plate, with an annular outermost portion having an upper surface disposed lower than said uppermost surface portion of said impeller plate.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said cutting means carried by said impeller means and said sizing ring means comprise oppositely directed teeth mounted with their apices to each respectively define a locus of points, each such locus of points describing a circle of different diameter.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the distance between the circumferential inner and lower edge of said sizing ring means and the circumferential outer edge of said uppermost surface portion of said impeller plate means is of a predetermined dimension selected in accordance with the maximum size of particles desired to be passed therebetween.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the distance between the circumferential inner and lower edge of said sizing ring means and the circumferential outer edge of said uppermost surface portion of said impeller plate means is of a predetermined dimension selected in accordance with the maximum size of particles desired to be passed therebetween.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said distance is approximately one-fourth inch.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said distance is approximately three-sixteenths inch.

Claim 13

A pulping tank adapted for the pulping of debris and the like, comprising a container having an upstanding cylindrical wall and an incomplete bottom wall comprising an annular radially inwardly directed protrusion from said cylindrical wall, with a rotatably driveable impeller plate disposed substantially inwardly thereof and spaced below said protrusion, with a perforated sizing ring between said plate and protrusion for passing therethrough particles impelled outwardly upon rotation of said plate, said impeller plate being provided with abrading teeth disposed on the upper surface thereof, comprising an outer annular abrading surface portion located outwardly of a non-abrading central portion of said plate, including means comprising a component of said tank for creating a predetermined liquid vortex in the tank upon rotation of said impeller plate at a predetermined speed, such that the vortex has a central cavity, the bottom of which extends to the impeller plate and defines an area greater than said non-abrading portion of said plate.

Claim 14

A pulping tank adapted for the pulping of debris and the like, comprising a container having an upstanding cylindrical wall and an incomplete bottom wall comprising an annular radially inwardly directed protrusion from said cylindrical wall, with a rotatably driveable impeller plate disposed substantially inwardly thereof and spaced below said protrusion, with a perforated sizing ring between said plate and protrusion for passing therethrough particles impelled outwardly upon rotation of said plate, said impeller plate being provided with abrading teeth disposed on the upper surface thereof, comprising an outer annular abrading surface portion located outwardly of a non-abrading central portion of said plate, including means comprising a component of said tank for creating a predetermined liquid vortex in the tank upon rotation of said impeller plate at a predetermined speed, such that the vortex has a central cavity, the bottom of which extends to the impeller plate and defines an area greater than said non-abrading portion of said plate.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said abrading surface portion comprises a toothed surface portion, and said non-abrading portion comprises an untoothed portion.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said latter means comprises said incomplete bottom wall being substantially normal to said upstanding cylindrical wall.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said latter means comprises projection means upstanding from inner portions of bottom wall.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 11, including projection panel means upstanding from inner portions of said bottom wall, wherein said projection panel means comprises a plurality of individual members protruding upwardly from said bottom wall, each having upper surfaces sloped upwardly from the bottom wall to free ends thereof, with said sloped surfaces facing in opposition to the predetermined direction of debris travel in the tank comprising means facilitating travel of debris over said members, with said members being circumferentially arranged on said bottom wall.

Claim 19

In a pulping tank adapted for the pulping of debris and the liKe, comprising pulping tank means for receiving debris and liquid therein, sizing ring means carried by and disposed annularly at the bottom of the tank for permitting the passage radially outwardly therethrough of desirably sized pulped debris, said sizing ring means having a plurality of holes therethrough of predetermined size, impeller plate means disposed at the bottom of said tank means for impelling debris therein with rotary motion of said impeller plate means, radially outwardly through holes in said sizing ring means, an uppermost surface portion of said impeller plate means being disposed lower than said sizing ring means, inwardly of said sizing ring means with downwardly extending cutting means being carried by said sizing ring means and cutting means being carried by said impeller means, and with said disposition of said impeller plate upper surface and said cutting means defining means facilitating the passage of debris particles in radially directed straight lines across said plate means upper surface and under said sizing ring means through a cutting zone defined by said cutting means, and wherein said impeller plate means comprises a plate having a centrally disposed drive shaft connected thereto, and cutting members removably and replaceably carried by said plate.

Claim 20

In a pulping tank adapted for the pulping of debris and the liKe, comprising pulping tank means for receiving debris and liquid therein, sizing ring means carried by and disposed annularly at the bottom of the tank for permitting the passage radially outwardly therethrough of desirably sized pulped debris, said sizing ring means having a plurality of holes therethrough of predetermined size, impeller plate means disposed at the bottom of said tank means for impelling debris therein with rotary motion of said impeller plate means, radially outwardly through holes in said sizing ring means, an uppermost surface portion of said impeller plate means being disposed lower than said sizing ring means, inwardly of said sizing ring means with downwardly extending cutting means being carried by said sizing ring means and cutting means being carried by said impeller means, and with said disposition of said impeller plate upper surface and said cutting means defining means facilitating the passage of debris particles in radially directed straight lines across said plate means upper surface and under said sizing ring means through a cutting zone defined by said cutting means, and wherein said impeller plate means comprises a plate having a centrally disposed drive shaft connected thereto, and cutting members removably and replaceably carried by said plate.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said cutting members are connected to upper ends of threaded members that are carried in complementally threaded holes of said plate.

Claim 22

The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said cutting members comprise hardened teeth that are brazed to bolt heads.

Claim 23

The apparatus of claim 14, wherein a plurality of sub-plate sections are removably carried by said plate, with a plurality of cutting teeth secured to each said sub-plate section.