Patent ID: 8573522

Claim:
A refiner for refining fibrous material, the refiner comprising: a source of fibers supplying a fiber inlet; at least one first refining body having a first refining surface and at least one second refining body having a second refining surface, the first refining surface and the second refining surface arranged at least partly substantially opposite to one another to define a refining area, and a refiner chamber therebetween; wherein the fiber inlet is in supplying relation to the refiner chamber, and a fiber outlet in receiving relation to the refiner chamber; wherein the first refining body and the second refining body are arranged to provide movement between the first refining surface and the second refining surface; wherein the first refining body comprises blade bars having portions most distant from the first refining body, said portions defining blade bar ends at the first refining surface where refining of fibrous material takes place and blade grooves which are between the blade bars and which have portions which extend to the blade bar ends; wherein the second refining body comprises second blade bars having portions most distant from the second refining body, said portions defining blade bar ends at the second refining surface where refining of fibrous material takes place and second blade grooves which are between the second blade bars and which have portions which extend to the second blade bar ends; wherein the first refining surface, and the second refining surface are defined as a surface which contains the blade bar ends and the blade groove portions extend to the blade bar ends of the first refining body or the second refining body respectively; wherein the first refining body has portions defining a plurality of first elongated openings through the first refining body, each first elongated opening extending to the first refining surface through the first refining body and cutting through at least one first blade bar which crosses said elongated opening such that each first elongated opening crosses said at least one first blade bar to split said bar into two aligned but not continuous bar segments; wherein the plurality of first elongated openings communicate directly between the refiner chamber and the fiber inlet or the fiber outlet; wherein the first elongated openings through the first refining body are arranged at an angle transverse to the blade bars and blade grooves of the first refining body, the first elongated openings forming fibrous material supply openings, through which fibrous material to be refined can be fed into or discharged from the refiner chamber of the refiner.