Patent ID: 7478773

Claim:
A refiner plate comprising: a generally planar surface having annular rows of teeth arranged concentrically on the plate, and at least one of said rows includes teeth each having a leading sidewall, wherein the leading sidewall extends between a radially inward front face of the tooth and a radially outward rear face of the tooth; the leading sidewall having a radially inward leading sidewall portion forming an exterior angle less than 180 degrees with respect to a radially outward leading sidewall portion, wherein the radially inward leading sidewall portion and the radially outward leading sidewall portion form a concave surface on the leading sidewall and the radially outward leading sidewall portion forms an acute angle with respect to a radial line extending through the leading sidewall portion, and wherein the annular rows of teeth of the refiner plate mesh with and extend between annular rows of teeth on an opposing refiner plate in a refiner.