Pulp flaker
AssigneeWeyerhaeuser Company
InventorsRamon C. DeZutter, Christopher Q. Tveter
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods for conveying, mixing, leveling, and flaking dewatered pulp to produce pulp flakes suitable to be used in a dryer. Methods for producing a consistent flow rate of pulp, and, for producing uniform pulp flakes in terms of pulp flake size and pulp flake moisture content. A method includes introducing a dewatered pulp to a rotating shaftless screw conveyor. The pulp is deposited from the screw conveyor onto a moving belt conveyor through a chute. The pulp is leveled with a rotary doctor located above the belt conveyor to produce a substantially even rate of mass flow of pulp along a length of belt conveyor. Uniform and consistent quantities of pulp per unit time can then be fed from the belt conveyor to a pulp flaker that then translates into an even rate of pulp mass flow to the dryer.
Claims7
A method for producing pulp flakes, comprising:
- introducing dewatered pulp to a pulp flaker, wherein said flaker comprises a housing having rotating first and second rotors therein, wherein said rotors are rotating in opposite directions, each of said rotors comprising a plurality of fingers circumferentially and longitudinally arranged on said rotors, wherein as the rotors rotate, said fingers of one rotor pass interspaced between the fingers of the second rotor in the region between rotors, wherein the majority of the length of the fingers of the first rotor overlaps with the adjacent fingers of the second rotor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.