Method and apparatus for extracting fiber product

A separator assembly for use in a fiber processing system for extracting fiber product entrained in an air stream and delivering it to a discharge outlet for further processing, comprising, in combination:

• settling means including a housing enclosing a settling chamber and having an air stream inlet, a fiber product discharge outlet, and an air stream outlet;
• a rotatable screen mounted for rotation within the settling chamber and interposed between the air stream inlet and the air stream outlet whereby fiber product is accumulated on said screen as the air stream flows through said screen and out of the air stream outlet;
• said settling chamber housing being radially spaced from said rotatable screen thereby defining an annular flow passage extending around said rotatable screen from the air stream inlet to the fiber product discharge outlet;
• and,
• baffle means disposed in the annular flow passage for impeding the flow of said air stream through the region of said annular passage lying between the fiber product discharge outlet and said rotatable screen.

A separator assembly for use in a fiber processing system for extracting fiber product entrained in an air stream and delivering it to a discharge outlet for further processing, comprising, in combination:

• settling means including a housing enclosing a settling chamber and having an air stream inlet, a fiber product discharge outlet, and an air stream outlet;
• a rotatable screen mounted for rotation within the settling chamber and interposed between the air stream inlet and the air stream outlet whereby the entrained fiber product is accumulated on the screen as the air stream flows through the screen and out of the air stream outlet;
• said settling chamber housing being radially spaced from said rotatable screen thereby defining an annular flow passage around said rotatable screen from the air stream inlet to the product discharge outlet;
• said settling chamber housing having first and second sidwall panels which converge downwardly to the fiber product discharge outlet;
• and,
• said rotatable screen being disposed relatively closely adjacent said downwardly converging sidewalls, the rotatable screen and converging sidewalls in combination defining a stricture in said annular flow passage and on opposite sides of said fiber product discharge outlet.

A method for extracting fiber product entrained in a moving air stream, comprising the steps:

• (a) admitting the air stream including the entrained fiber product into a settling chamber in which a rotating screen is enclosed;
• (b) discharging the moving air stream through the rotating screen and out of the settling chamber while accumulating entrained fiber product on the rotating screen;
• (c) impeding the flow of the air stream through the rotating screen in the bottom region of said settling chamber;
• (d) settling the fiber product by gravity flow into the bottom region of the settling chamber;
• and,
• (e) discharging fiber product out of the settling chamber.

A separator assembly for use in a fiber processing system for extracting fiber product entrained in an air stream and delivering it to a discharge outlet for further processing, comprising, in combination:

• settling means including a housing enclosing a settling chamber and having an air stream inlet, a fiber product discharge outlet and an air stream outlet;
• a rotatable screen mounted for rotation within the settling chamber and interposed between the air stream inlet and the air stream outlet whereby fiber product is accumulated on the screen as the air stream flows through the screen and out of the air stream outlet;
• said settling chamber housing having a first sidewall panel which slopes downwardly from the airstream inlet to the fiber product discharge outlet on one side of said screen, a second sidewall panel which slopes upwardly from the fiber product discharge outlet on the opposite side of said screen, and a third sidewall panel having a curved section interconnecting the upwardly sloping panel and the air stream inlet, said sidewalls being radially spaced from said screen thereby defining an annular flow passage;
• and,
• said rotatable screen being disposed relatively closely adjacent said sloping sidewalls, the rotatable screen and sloping sidewalls in combination defining a stricture in said annular flow passage on each side of the product discharge outlet.