Patent ID: 7309401

Claim:
A top separator configured to be used in a continuous digester for producing chemical cellulose pulp from cellulose chips having a digester vessel with an upper section wherein said vessel is at least partially filled with the cellulose chips and a liquor, said top separator comprising: a lower chip inlet port, a chip conveyor, a screen adjacent the conveyor, an upper chip discharge chute, and a liquor outlet facing a side of the screen opposite to the conveyor, and a chip inlet conduit adapted to extend through the vessel and to an external chip source, said inlet conduit having a first operational mode in fluid communication with the chip inlet port and a second operational mode in which the chip inlet conduit discharges directly into the vessel, wherein the chip inlet conduit includes a single inlet pipe extending through the vessel for both the first operational mode and the second operational mode, and wherein the chip inlet conduit includes a chip slurry conduit between the inlet pipe and the chip conveyor during the first operational mode and the chip inlet conduit includes a chip slurry discharge discharging a chip slurry directly to the vessel and the chip slurry discharge is integral with or coupled to the inlet pipe during the second operational mode.