Cleaning notches and passages for a feeding or refining element

Abstract

A flinger or refiner plate for a mechanical refiner including deep notches or holes in feeder bars of the flinger plate and/or open passages or holes in bars of the refiner plate. The open passages and/or holes in the bars significantly reduce stagnate flow zones at the trailing side of the bars during operation of the mechanical refiner. The reduction of the stagnate flow zones may reduce or eliminate fiber accumulation at the trailing side of the bars.

The invention is: 
     
         1 . A mechanical refiner flinger plate comprising:
 a front face;   a back face;   a substrate separating the front face from the back face;   a center hub extending from the front face;   feeder bars extending from the front face, wherein the feeder bars extend radially outward from the center; and   a deep notch or hole disposed in a feeder bar of the feeder bars, wherein the feeder bar has an area defining the deep notch or hole, and the deep notch or hole extends through the feeder bar and is configured to allow fluid to pass through the feeder bar.   
     
     
         2 . The mechanical refiner flinger plate of  claim 1 , wherein the feeding bar further comprises a leading side and a trailing side distally disposed from the leading side, wherein the deep notch or hole further comprises a first end distally disposed from a second end, and wherein the first end is disposed radially outward from the second end. 
     
     
         3 . The mechanical refiner flinger plate of  claim 1 , wherein the deep notch or hole includes multiple deep notches or holes disposed in the feeder bar. 
     
     
         4 . The mechanical refiner flinger plate of  claim 1 , wherein the deep notch or hole is disposed in each of the feeder bars. 
     
     
         5 . The mechanical refiner flinger plate of  claim 1 , wherein the deep notch or hole includes multiple deep notches and/or holes, at least one of which is disposed in each of the feeder bars. 
     
     
         6 . The mechanical refiner flinger plate of  claim 1 , wherein the deep notch or hole further comprises a radially outermost edge at the first end of the deep notch or hole, wherein the radially outermost edge forms an obtuse angle between the adjacent notch or hole sidewall and the leading side of the feeder bar. 
     
     
         7 . The mechanical refiner flinger plate of  claim 1 , wherein the deep notch or hole further comprises a radially outermost edge at the first end of the deep notch or hole, wherein the radially outermost edge is selected from a group consisting of a chamfer, a bevel, and a curve. 
     
     
         8 . The mechanical flinger plate of  claim 1 , wherein the notch extends through the feeding bar and partially into the substrate, or the hole is partially embedded in the substrate. 
     
     
         9 . A mechanical refiner plate segment comprising:
 a substrate having a radially inward edge and a radially outward edge;   a refining surface including bars separated by grooves wherein the bars and grooves extend towards the radially outward edge;   dams in the grooves, wherein the dams in each groove span between the adjacent bars on opposite sides of the groove; and   at least one open passage extending through one of the adjacent bars, wherein the open passage has one end adjacent a trailing side of one of the dams in the groove.   
     
     
         10 . The mechanical refiner plate segment of  claim 9 , wherein the open passage has a cross sectional area of at least nine (9) mm 2  for an entirety of a length of the open passage. 
     
     
         11 . The mechanical refiner plate of  claim 9 , wherein the open passage is separated from a ridge of the one of the adjacent bars by at least 10%, or 15%, or 25% of the height of the one of the adjacent bars. 
     
     
         12 . The mechanical refiner plate segment of  claim 9 , wherein the bars and grooves extend from one side edge of the substrate to an opposite side edge of the substrate. 
     
     
         13 . The mechanical refiner plate segment of  claim 9 , wherein there is one of the open passages associated with at least 50% of the dams in the refiner plate segment. 
     
     
         14 . The mechanical refiner plate segment of  claim 9 , wherein the refiner plate segment is formed of a cast metal. 
     
     
         15 . The mechanical refiner plate segment of  claim 9 , wherein the refiner plate segment has a pie-shape and is configured to be arranged with additional refiner plate segments to form an annular refiner plate. 
     
     
         16 . The mechanical refiner plate segment of  claim 9 , wherein the refiner plate segment is a portion of an annular refiner plate. 
     
     
         17 . The mechanical refiner plate segment of  claim 9 , wherein the radially inward edge is configured to be adjacent an outer periphery of a flinger plate. 
     
     
         18 . The mechanical refiner plate segment of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one open passage is at least partially embedded in the substrate below the one of the adjacent bars.