Patent ID: 8443724

Claim:
An apparatus for processing fibrous organic feedstock, said apparatus comprising: a compressor operable to raise the fibrous organic feedstock to a processing pressure; a reactor vessel through which to process the fibrous organic feedstock under pressure; a discharge assembly mounted to receive the fibrous organic feedstock of the reactor vessel; said discharge assembly including a collector and a drive member operable to pack the fibrous organic feedstock into the collector; an outflow governor mounted to the collector, the outflow governor being movable between a closed position for retaining feedstock in the collector and an open position for permitting egress of the feedstock from the collector; said outflow governor having an outflow governor drive; said outflow governor drive having a continuously variable speed control; and said variable speed control is operable to alter both the duration of the outflow governor in the open position and the ratio of time spent in the open and closed positions.