Patent ID: 7097740

Claim:
An apparatus adapted to screen a plurality of pulp mixtures, said apparatus comprising: a second screen rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof and adapted to receive a second pulp mixture into a second screen input end thereof, the second screen having a second screen discharge end axially opposing the second screen input end and a cylindrical screen body defining at least one opening configured to allow an accepted fraction of the second pulp mixture to pass therethrough while retaining a rejected fraction of the second pulp mixture within the screen body and directing the rejected fraction of the second pulp mixture toward the second screen discharge end; a first screen rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof and adapted to receive a first pulp mixture into first screen input end, the longitudinal axis of the first screen being coincident with the longitudinal axis of the second screen, the first screen having a first screen discharge end axially opposing the first screen input end and a cylindrical screen body defining at least one opening configured to allow an accepted fraction of the first pulp mixture and the accepted faction of the second pulp mixture to pass therethrough while retaining a rejected fraction of the first pulp mixture within the screen body and directing the rejected fraction of the first pulp mixture toward the first screen discharge end, the second screen being oriented so as to have the second screen input end directed toward the first screen input end; and a guide tube operably engaged with and extending about the second screen so as to be rotatable therewith and extending from the second screen discharge end into the first screen through the first screen discharge end and toward the first screen input end, the guide tube being adapted configured to direct the accepted fraction of the second pulp mixture into the first screen toward the first screen input end such that the first screen screens the first pulp mixture and the accepted fraction of the second pulp mixture, the guide tube and the first and second screens thereby being adapted to cooperate to concurrently screen a plurality of pulp mixtures as the first and second screens are rotated and the first and second pulp mixtures are received in the respective screen.