Apparatus for separating waste from cellulose fibres in paper recycling processes

An apparatus for separating contaminant material from fibrous material in a waste stream slurry, the apparatus including,

• a reservoir for receiving a volume of said slurry therein, said reservoir including a sidewall extending from a lower edge portion to an upper edge portion,
• a slurry infeed opening providing fluid communication between a slurry supply and a lower region of said reservoir,
• a contaminate waste outlet spaced toward said upper edge portion and in fluid communication with said reservoir,
• at least one baffle member disposed in said reservoir and positioned intermediate said infeed opening and said waste outlet,
• a plurality of fibre discharge passages, said discharge passages providing fluid communication between a respective inlet opening formed in said sidewall proximate to an upper surface of a selected one of said baffle members, and a passage outlet spaced vertically above said inlet opening, and
• a gas nozzle assembly selectively operable to supply a gas flow to said lower region of said reservoir.