Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology – Miscellaneous
Patent
1979-06-08
1982-11-09
Warden, Robert J.
Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology
Miscellaneous
71 9, 422193, 422195, 435315, C12M 102
Patent
active
043585400
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
DESCRIPTION
The present invention relates generally to treatment of refuse and, more particularly, to a composting apparatus for converting organic materials in municipal refuse, such as kitchen refuse, into compost.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND PRIOR ART
There have been various approaches to treatment of municipal refuse. In view of the fact that using refuse as landfill or incineration of refuse causes secondary problems, recent practical methods of municipal refuse treatment have been to reduce the volume of refuse or to treat the refuse for reuse as a resource. Particularly, the method of sorting municipal refuse for reuse has become more and more prevailing. Kitchen refuse which has been sorted out by the sorting method or kitchen refuse collected initially as such can be effectively converted into compost. Obviously the treatment capacity of a composting apparatus per unit area required for installing the apparatus can be made higher by increasing the height of the pile of the material. In practical operation, however, when the pile of the material is too high the material packs down into a mass in which air permeability is reduced, thereby retarding aerobic fermentation therein. This tendency is significant in material having a relatively high water content, such as kitchen refuse, organic sludge, and the like. The known multistage vertical cylindrical composting apparatus comprising a plurality of horizontal floors in which material is allowed to fall successively to the floor below can reduce the thickness of the layer of composting material on each floor relative to the single-stage composting apparatus and can, accordingly, eliminate some of the disadvantages mentioned above and increase the treatment capacity of the apparatus.
However, the conventional multistage vertical cylindrical composting apparatus, in which the material is moved by a rake rotating about a cylindrical shaft in conjunction with some agitation, has disadvantages in that substantial agitation of the material is not performed and a relatively large amount of power is required to rotate the rake of having a large radius while shearing the material between the rake and the floor. Another disadvantage of the material raking operation on the floor is that it tends to consolidate the material into dense masses resulting in insufficient agitation particularly in material of high water content, thereby retarding fermentation of the material. Consequently, in the conventional composting apparatus it is impossible to increase the thickness of the material in each stage and to expect a satisfactory agitation effect provided by the rake.
OBJECT AND BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One object of the present invention is to provide a composting apparatus comprising agitator units having revolving beaters instead of a rake so that the agitator units and horizontal floors are moved relative to each other, thereby obviating the above disadvantages of the conventional composting apparatus--that is, reducing the amount of power required, preventing packing and massing of the material, and enabling efficient composting of material having a high water content.
The present invention provides a multi-stage composting apparatus comprising multi-stage vertical cylindrical tank provided with a series of horizontal floors in which the composting material is allowed to fall successively onto the floor below, characterized in that each of said horizontal floors is provided with at least one set of agitator units having revolving beaters and that each of said agitator units and said horizontal floors are supported so as to rotate relative to each other about the central axis of the cylinder of said cylindrical tank.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II--II of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a developed view of a section taken along the circle III of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a view illustrative of the operation of beaters;
FIG. 5 i
REFERENCES:
patent: 492551 (1893-02-01), Frasch
patent: 2178818 (1939-11-01), Garp-Thomas
patent: 2639902 (1953-05-01), Kuebler
patent: 2680069 (1954-06-01), Eweson
patent: 3364007 (1968-01-01), Redman
patent: 3756784 (1973-09-01), Pittwood
patent: 3960537 (1976-06-01), Kaelin
patent: 4193786 (1980-03-01), Brill
patent: 4242809 (1981-01-01), Elder
Hirayama Yoshio
Itoh Kanichi
Kodaira Masanori
Ebara Corporation
Warden Robert J.
LandOfFree
Composting apparatus does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Composting apparatus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Composting apparatus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-746315