Patent ID: 7472855

Claim:
A refiner plate comprising: a generally planar surface having a plurality of concentric rows of teeth, extending from the planar surface, wherein each of said teeth have a base at the planar surface and the planar surface is contiguous between at least two of the concentric rows of teeth, the concentric rows of teeth include an outer row at or near an outer periphery of the plate, and the teeth have tops facing an opposing refiner plate, and the teeth in said outer row include leading sidewalls, wherein the leading sidewall of each tooth is slanted with respect to a radii of the plate extending through the tooth, wherein the slanted sidewall projects a distance at least equal to a gap between the teeth in the outer row, wherein the distance is parallel to a tangent of the outer row, wherein the concentric rows of teeth on the refiner plate mesh with and extend between annular rows of teeth on the opposing refiner plate.