Apparatus for the manufacture of fiber pulp using a preheater, defibrator and horizontal separator

Claim 1

Apparatus for the manufacture of pulp fiber from lignocellulose-containing material comprising a preheater for preheating said lignocellulose-containing material, a defibrator including a pressurized housing for defibrating said preheated lignocellulose-containing material to produce defibrated lignocellulose-containing material and steam therein, conveying means for conveying said preheated lignocellulose-containing material from said preheated to said defibrator at a first predetermined flow resistance, a horizontal separator comprising an air-tight separator housing extending substantially horizontally for separating said steam from said defibrated lignocellulose-containing material, a blow pipe at a second predetermined flow resistance for transferring said defibrated lignocellulose-containing material and said steam from said defibrator to said horizontal separator, said horizontal separator including a pulp outlet, a steam outlet and screw conveyor means having a screw axis and including screw threads for feeding said defibrated lignocellulose-containing material from said blow pipe to said pulp outlet in the form of a pulp plug so as to maintain the pressure within said horizontal separator, said blow pipe entering said horizontal separator at a predetermined angle with said screw axis and said screw thread having a screw thread angle which substantially forms the same angle with the screw axis as said predetermined angle, and steam transfer means at a third predetermined flow resistance for transferring said separated steam from said steam outlet to said preheater for preheating said lignocellulose-containing material therewith, said second and third predetermined flow resistances being less than said first predetermined flow resistance whereby said steam flows from said defibrator to said horizontal separator and said preheater.