Apparatus for dilution of pulp

In a pulp diluting apparatus having a cylindrical vessel, a lid having a pulp inlet therein covering the top of said vessel, a bottom end portion of said cylindrical vessel, an upper bearing mounted on the center of said lid, a lower steady support bearing mounted on the center of said bottom end portion of said cylindrical vessel, a rotary shaft rotatably mounted between said upper bearing and said lower bearing, rods having scraper blades mounted on the lower portion of said rotary shaft, a driving machine connected to said rotary shaft for rotating said shaft, and an outlet in the lower part of said cylindrical vessel beneath said rods for taking the diluted pulp out of said cylindrical vessel, the improvement comprising:

• water dischargers mounted on said rotary shaft in the center of said cylindrical vessel at a position above said rods and in positions spaced circumferentially around said rotary shaft and each having a water outlet disposed at a level above said rods and opening radially into the interior of said cylindrical vessel, and a first water supply pipe connected to said water dischargers;
• a second water supply pipe disposed at the bottom portion of said cylindrical vessel proximate the center of said bottom end portion and opening generally upwardly into fluid communication with the interior of said cylindrical vessel at a position below said rods, means for supplying water to said second water supply pipe at a pressure at least sufficient for causing said second water supply pipe to discharge an ascending current of water sufficiently strong for pushing a mass of pulp contained within said cylindrical vessel upwardly;
• a valve provided in said second water supply pipe;
• a torque detector connected with said driving machine for detecting the torque of said driving machine and connected to said valve for operating said valve in response to an increase in torque detected to control the pressure of water supplied to said cylindrical vessel through said second water supply pipe to discharge an ascending current of water capable of pushing the lower portion of the mass of pulp upwardly at least to the position of said water outlets of said water dischargers.