Agitating – By movement of mixing chamber relative to stationary support – Mixing chamber rotatable only
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-30
2001-07-24
Drodge, Joseph W. (Department: 1723)
Agitating
By movement of mixing chamber relative to stationary support
Mixing chamber rotatable only
C206S459100, C435S290300, C116S307000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06264359
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to composters, and more particularly to composters that are manually rotatable to facilitate composting.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Composters are used to rapidly and efficiently decompose organic matter such as leaves, grass clippings, household waste, and the like. The composting process is facilitated by periodically breaking up and mixing the compost material within the composter. This can be accomplished directly, such as manually with a shovel, or by rotating the composter. However, manually rotating a composter having large amounts of compost material tends to be very difficult, especially when a significant portion of the originally loose organic matter has decomposed into denser compost material.
There are several prior art designs for rotatable composters. However, prior art rotatable composters lack the appropriate leverage means necessary for a person to easily manually rotate the composter when it contains relatively dense compost material. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,146 (“the '146 patent”) discloses a rotatable composter having a cylindrical body which is rotatable about its long axis, and which includes slots in the cylindrical body for collecting rainwater, and two-by-fours disposed along the length of the cylindrical body for providing structural rigidity. However, these slots and two-by-fours are not suitable as hand-holds or foot-holds for manually rotating the composter, and no mention is made of using them as such.
Another type of rotatable composter is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,501,978 and 5,345,620 (collectively, “the '978 patent”). The '978 patent discloses a rotatable aeration drum for a composting toilet. The drum includes diametrically opposing elongate indentations extending radially inwardly from the wall of the drum to assist in lifting solid waste matter within the drum during rotation of the drum. The drum is rotated via a handle connected to a gear which intermeshes with a cogwheel disposed about the perimeter at one end of the drum. While these indentations appear to resemble hand-holds or foot-steps, they are actually for facilitating mixing of the compost material within the drum when the drum is rotated via the handle. Moreover, the indentations are not accessible for manual rotation of the drum because the drum is enclosed in a housing.
A rotable composter is also described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,645, wherein the composter drum is mounted on a horizontal transverse axis at the drum's midpoint. The drum is held above the ground at a height sufficient to allow rotation of the drum without it hitting the ground. However, manual rotation of the drum is apparently accomplished by a person grasping the edges of the drum. This operation is not only awkward, but potentially dangerous because the composting material within the drum can rapidly shift, leaving the person in a difficult position to apply the appropriate counter-force needed to prevent the drum from rapidly rotating.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to composters, and more particularly to composters that are manually rotatable to facilitate composting. Such composters are difficult to manually rotate when the composter container holds substantial amounts of compost material. The present invention is a rotatable composter with steps (i.e., hand-holds or foot-holds) designed so as to allow a person to readily rotate the composter container even when it contains a large amount of relatively dense compost material.
Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention is a manually rotatable composter, comprising a container having an axis of rotation, an interior for receiving compostable material, and an outer surface. The container includes a plurality of steps, which are capable of accommodating a hand or foot of a person. These steps may each be a pocket in the outer surface extending radially inwardly toward the axis. Alternatively, the steps may each be a protrusion in the outer surface extending radially outwardly toward the axis. Thus, to rotate the composter, a person inserts a hand or a foot into or onto a step, and exerts a force substantially tangential to the outer surface of the container. By having such a secure hand-hold or foot-hold, an amount of leverage sufficient to readily manually rotate the container is achieved.
In another aspect of the invention, the composter of the present invention includes a support member for supporting the outer surface of the container to permit the container to be rotated. This support member may be, for example, a pedestal.
In a further aspect of the invention, the composter of the present invention includes a support member for supporting the container at the axis of rotation to permit the container to be rotated. In this regard, the container may have a long dimension and a short dimension, and the container may be rotated about either axis
In another aspect of the invention, the composter of the present invention further includes indicia on the outer surface of the container for indicating the rotational state of the composter. Such indicia may be, for example, days of the week. If desired, each of the plurality of steps may be associated with a corresponding one of the indicia. Such indicia allows for the rotational state of the composter to be tracked over time, allowing for optimization of the composting process.
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Buss Melvin H.
Heath Michael Thomas
America's Gardening Resource, Inc.
Cecil Terry K.
Downs Rachlin & Martin PLLC
Drodge Joseph W.
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