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US RE35,118 EGranted
Method and apparatus for fiberizing and cellulosic product thereof
AssigneeAdvanced Fiber Technology, Inc.
InventorMilton Gerber
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for fiberizing feed stock in the form of shreds or the like to form a low density cellulosic product. The shredded feed stock is fed to a material handling rotor that functions as a centrifugal blower. The apparatus includes a housing that defines a cylindrical rotor chamber formed about a horizontal axis and a volute-shaped internal passage having at least one convolution formed around the rotor chamber. Located within the housing is a cylindrical screen with perforations that open into the rotor chamber. The centrifugal blower rotor is mounted in the rotor chamber and has a plurality of radial vanes with rakes attached to the outer ends closely spaced from the inner surface of the screen so that they continuously wipe pass the perforations to prevent clogging or blinding.
Claims57
Apparatus for fiberizing organic material to form a low density fibrous product comprising:
- a housing defining;
- a cylindrical rotor chamber having a central axis,
- a volume-shaped passage formed around said rotor chamber,
- a tangential outlet from said volute-shaped passage, and
- axial inlet means for feeding said organic material into the central portion of said rotor chamber;
- a discharge duct communicating with a radially outward portion of said tangential outlet for removing the fibrous product from the apparatus;
- air return means communicating between a radially inward portion of said tangential outlet and said axial inlet means for recirculating a substantial portion of the air from said tangential outlet directly to said rotor chamber;
- means for delivering said organic material to said axial inlet means;
- a perforate cylindrical screen mounted in said housing about said axis between said rotor chamber and said volute-shaped passage;
- a centrifugal blower rotor mounted in said rotor chamber for rotation about said axis and having a plurality of radial vanes with rakers mounted at the outer ends thereof, said rakers being closely spaced from the inner surface of said screen to prevent clogging of the openings in said screen;
- and
- drive means for turning said rotor at a speed sufficient to generate a flow velocity for said air and fibrous product that is received in said volute chamber, that causes centrifugal concentration of said fibrous product in the radially outward portion of said volute chamber,
- whereby said fibrous product is concentrated in the radially outward portion of the flow at the tangential outlet for delivery to said discharge duct and the radially inward portion of the flow that is received by said air return means at the radially inward portion of said tangential outlet is relatively free of said fibrous product.
10 more elements
A method for fiberizing organic material to form a low density, fibrous product comprising:
- feeding said organic material to the central portion of a cylindrical rotor chamber;
- driving a centrifugal rotor with radial vanes at relatively high speed in said chamber to generate a high velocity air flow with said organic material entrained therein to force said organic material radially outward in said rotor chamber at relatively high velocity;
- forcing said material in said air flow radially outward through perforations in a cylindrical screen surrounding said rotor to fiberize said material;
- conveying said air and fiberized product exiting said screen at a relatively high flow velocity through a volute passage surrounded said screen and having a tangential outlet and thereby centrifugally separating said fiberized product from a portion of the air volume flowing through said volute chamber so that said fiberized product is concentrated in the radially outward portion of the flow at said tangential outlet;
- conveying the flow from the radially outward portion of said tangential outlet through a discharge duct to a collecting means;
- and
- returning the air flow from the radially inward portion of said tangential outlet comprising a substantial portion of the air volume therein directly to said rotor chamber.
4 more elements
A low density, fibrous product made in accordance with the method of clain 12.
Apparatus for comminuting feed stock to form a low density, fibrous product comprising:
- a housing defining:
- a cylindrical rotor chamber having a central axis extending within a central portion of said rotor chamber,
- a passage formed around said rotor chamber.
- an outlet from said passage, and
- inlet means for feeding said feed stock into the central portion of said rotor chamber;
- means for delivering said feed stock to said inlet means entrained in a flowing fluid stream;
- a perforate screen mounted in said housing about said axis between said rotor chamber and said passage;
- a rotor mounted in said rotor chamber for rotation about said axis and having a plurality of radial members;
- means associated with an outermost end portion of at least one of said radial members so as to be spaced closely adjacent said perforate screen for preventing blinding of said screen as said feed stock passes through said perforate screen;
- drive means for turning said rotor;
- and
- means for generating a fluid stream velocity of air and said feed stock of at least 1000 f.p.m. through the perforations in said screen.
9 more elements
Apparatus for fiberizing organic material to form a low density fibrous product comprising;
- a housing defining;
- a cylindrical rotor chamber having a central axis extending within a central portion of said rotor chamber;
- a passage formed around said rotor chamber;
- an outlet from said passage;
- axial inlet means for feeding said organic material into the central portion of said rotor chamber;
- a discharge duct communicating with said outlet for removing the fibrous product from the apparatus;
- means for delivering said organic material to said axial inlet means;
- a perforate cylindrical screen mounted in said housing about said axis between said rotor chamber and said passage;
- a centrifugal blower rotor mounted in said rotor chamber for rotation about said axis and having a plurality of radially extending vanes;
- raker means disposed at an outermost end portion of at least one of said vanes for agitating said feed stock as said feed stock passes through said screen to prevent blinding of said screen, said raker means being positioned closely adjacent an inner surface of said screen;
- and
- drive means for turning said rotor at a speed sufficient to generate a flow velocity for said air and fibrous product that is received in said passage, that causes centrifugal concentration of said fibrous product in the radially outward portion of said passage.
9 more elements
Apparatus for comminuting feed stock to form a low density fibrous product having a settled density of between about 0.7 and 1.9 pounds per cubic foot comprising:
- a housing defining:
- a cylindrical rotor chamber having a central axis,
- a passage formed around said rotor chamber,
- an outlet from said passage, and
- inlet means for feeding said feed stock into the central portion of said rotor chamber;
- means for delivering said feed stock to said inlet means entrained in a flowing fluid stream;
- a perforate screen mounted in said housing about said axis between said rotor chamber and said passage;
- a rotor mounted in said rotor chamber for rotation about said axis and having a plurality of radially extending members;
- raker means disposed at outermost end portions of said radially extending members and positioned so as to be spaced approximately 0.065 inch from an inner surface of said screen, said rakers operating to agitate said feed stock as said feed stock approaches and passes through said screen to thereby prevent blinding of said screen;
- drive means for turning said rotor;
- and
- means including said rotor for generating a fluid stream velocity of air and said feed stock of at least 1000 f.p.m. through the perforations in said screen.
9 more elements
A method for fiberizing organic material to form a low density, fibrous product having a settled density of between about 0.7 and about 1.9 pounds per cubic foot comprising:
- feeding said organic material to the central portion of a cylindrical rotor chamber;
- driving a centrifugal rotor with radial vanes at relatively high speed in said chamber to generate a high velocity air flow with said organic material entrained therein to force said organic material radially outward in said rotor chamber at relatively high velocity;
- forcing said organic material entrained in said air flow radially outward through perforations in a cylindrical screen surrounding said rotor to fiberize said organic material into said fibrous product;
- conveying said air and fibrous product exiting said cylindrical screen at a relatively high flow velocity through a passage surrounding said cylindrical screen and having an outlet and thereby centrifugally separating said fibrous product from a portion of the air volume flowing through said passage so that said fibrous product is concentrated in the radially outward portion of the flow at said outlet;
- using a raker bar disposed at an outermost end portion of at least one of said radial vanes and positioned closely adjacent an inner surface of said screen to agitate said material as said material passes closely adjacent said perforations in said cylindrical screen just prior to said material passing through said perforations, to thereby prevent blinding of said screen by said material;
- and
- conveying the flow of said fiberized product from said outlet through a
- discharge duct to a collecting means.
5 more elements
A method for comminuting feed stock to form a low density product comprising:
- feeding said feed stock to a central portion of a cylindrical rotor chamber;
- generating a high velocity fluid flow of air with said feed stock entrained therein to force said feed stock radially outward in said rotor chamber at relatively high velocity;
- driving a rotor having radial rakers about a central axis of said rotor chamber, said rakers being closely spaced from the inner surface of a perforate cylindrical screen mounted around said rotor;
- forcing said resulting fluid flow radially outward through the perforations of said screen at a fluid stream velocity of at least about 1000 f.p.m. through the perforations in said screen in comminute said feed stock;
- using said rakers to prevent blinding of said screen by said feed stock and to agitate said feed stock closely adjacent said screen to further facilitate comminuting said feed stock;
- and
- discharging the comminuted product.
4 more elements
A low density, fibrous comminuted product having a settled density of about 0.7 to about 1.9 pounds per cubic foot formed by:
- feeding feed stock into a cylindrical rotor chamber having a plurality of radially extending vanes rotating sufficiently rapidly to generate a fluid stream having a radially outward velocity through the screen of at least about 1000 feet per minute;
- causing said fluid stream having said feed stock entrained therein to be passed through a screen positioned closely adjacent outermost end portions of said vanes to thereby comminute said feed stock;
- using a plurality of raker bars disposed at said outermost end portions of said vanes to prevent blinding of said screen and to further agitate said feed stock to aid in comminuting said feed stock;
- and discharging said comminuted feed stock representing said product from same rotor chamber.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.