AU1210399A - Method and apparatus for treatment of waste - Google Patents

Description

rLI P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD

PATENT

Name of Applicant: Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: JOHN FLETCHER

MACMAHON

1974 Wanneroo Road, Neerabup, Western Australia 6031 JOHN FLETCHER

MACMAHON

Griffith Hack, Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys, 6th Floor, 256 Adelaide Terrace, Perth, Western Australia, 6000.

Standard Complete Specification for the invention entitled: METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TREATMENT OF WASTE Details of Associated Provisional Applications: PO 9911 dated 21 October 1997 Details of Parent Application for Divisional Applications: The following is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:i B I- i' ii -i

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r~ -2- METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TREP TMENT OF WASTE FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for the treatment of waste. More particularly, the method and apparatus of the present invention are intended for use in the storage, composting and the production of worm castings from domestic waste.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Presently, as much as 50% of the refuse produced from domestic sources is of an organic nature and'issubsequently able to be composted. Estimates indicate that around 90% of this organic waste is currently consigned to land fills, where it is buried. A small percentage of this organic waste is composted by householders utilising a variety of methods and apparatus. It is the aim of these various methods and apparatus to compost by the activity of aerobic microorganisms, fungi and earthworms.

A small number of householders also use vermiculture to produce worm castings. A small number of apparatus are commercially available to householders for use as worm farms. The resultant composts or worm castings are generally used by householders for horticultural purposes within their own gardens.

There are presently a wide range of apparatus and methods in use for the aerobic composting of organic wastes. For example, "compost bins", "compost tumblers", garden beds, "wind rows" and compost heaps are commonly used.

The most obvious disadvantages assqciated with these known methods and apparatus is the obnoxious odours produced. These obnoxious odours are the result of the production of nitrous and sulphide gases from the composting mass due to the activity of anaerobic microorganisms.

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i \j "r i r i,l~ i fi -3- Other disadvantages associated with the above-noted aerobic composting apparatus and methods include the difficulty of excluding vermin, controlling flies and other insect pests and the unacceptable visual impact of some methods.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention was developed with a view to providing a composting apparatus and method that is less susceptible to the above-mentioned problems associated with the prior art. In particular, the method and apparatus of the present invention are intended to help reduce the amount of domestic organic waste being transported to land fill sites in line with current Australian Commonwealth and State Government policies.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a composting apparatus for the treatment of organic waste, the apparatus comprising: a container having a void, a perforated floor, at least one air inlet 15 means and at least one vent means, the perforated floor being arranged to be spaced apart from a base of the container so as to define a gap therebetween, the or each air inlet means being arranged so as to direct air from a point outside the container into the gap and from where it may pass through the perforated floor, the or each vent means being arranged to draw air from the void to a point external to the container whereby, in use, organic waste placed in the void '4 can be aerated to provide composting of the organic waste.

Preferably, a drain may be provided in the container so as to allow leachates collecting in the gap to be drained off. The perforated floor is arranged within rthe void in the container stcas to allow a mass of waste material to be positioned thereon and have air drawn therethrough. The container will preferably have provided thereon a form of openable or .j removable lid to allow access to the void defined thereby. The or each air inlet i S4mear.s, vent means and the drain are preferably provided in a form that may be releasably capped to allow alternate uses for the container.

In one form of the present invention the container is provided as a domestic waste collection bin. Such bins are often referred" to' in Australia as "wheelie bins" bins or "SULO" bins and are typically a 200 litre plastic bin incorporating a hinged lid, a handle and a pair of wheels.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is further provided a composting method for the treatment of organic waste, the method comprising the steps of: drawing air into a-container; drawing the 1'i. turn through a mass of organic waste supported in the container on a perforated floor; and, exhausting the air and resulting gases to a point external to the container whereby, in use, organic waste placed in the void can be aerated to promote composting of the organic waste.

Preferably the composting method further comprises collecting leachate from the S1 organic waste in a gap provided in the container below said perforated floor.

I' In accordance with a. still further aspect of the present.invention there is J; provided a-composting kit for modifying a container having a void for the treatment of organic waste, the kit comprising:.

a perforated floor adapted to be received in the container; at least one air inlet means; at least one vent means; j the perforated floor being adapted to be spaced apart from a base 25 of the container so as to define a gap therebetween, the or each inlet means being adapted when fitted to the container to direct air froma pointoutside the container into the gap andfrom where itmay pass through the perforated floor, the or each vent means being adapted when fitted to the container to draw air

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from the void to a point external to the container whereby, in use, when fitted to the container the kit enables organic waste placed in the void to be aerated to provide composting of the organic waste.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The method and apparatus of the present invention will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to one embodiment thereof and i the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a composting apparatus for the treatment of waste in accordance with the present invention, 10 showing the container with a lid in an open position; Figure 2 is an exploded view of the composting apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a rear perspective view of the composting apparatus of Figure 1 S''showing the container with the lid closed; and Figure 4 illustrates a variation on the composting apparatus of Figure 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT i" In Figures 1 and 2 there is shown an apparatu 10 for the treatment of waste, the .apparatus 10 comprising a container 12 defining therein a void 14. In this embodiment,-the container 12 is in the form of a domestic waste collection bin having a hinged lid 24, a handle 34 and a pair of wheels 36. A perforated floor 16:is provided within the container 12 at a level just above a base 18 of the container 12. The perforated floor 16 divides the void 14 into a 10 lower gap Sand an upper portion 22. The lower gap 20 is defined by the perforated floor 16, the base 18 and a portion of the walls of the container 12. The upper portion 22 of the void 14 is defired by the perforated floor 16, the lid 24 and uppe portions of the walls of the container 12.

1'4 d~fir~d 3i" is -6- The lower gap 20 has provided in the rear wall thereof a drain 26 (see Figures 3 The drain 26 is provided in the form of a hose connector to allow a garden hose to be connected thereto if necessary (not shown).

A pair of air inlet means, in this example air intake pipes 28, are provided adjacent the side walls of the container 12 and pass downwards, from a respective pair of air inlet apertures 29 located in opposite side walls of the container, through the upper portion 22 of the void 14 and project through the perforated floor 16 into the lower gap 20. The air intake pipes 28 project only a short distance through the perforated floor 16 and into the lower gap 10 An air vent means, in this example an air vent pipe 30, extends from an air vent -i aperture 31 provided in an upper portion of the void 14, substantially adjacent the lid 24, to a point upwardly removed from the container 12 as can be seen in Figure A portion 33 of the air vent pipe 30 is provided of flexible construction. The air vent pipe 30 has provided thereon an insect proof cap 32 15 at its uppermost point and outlet.

The pipe 30 is connected to the air vent aperture 31 in the wall of the container 12 by way of removable tapered fitting-so as to allow easy disconnection of the pipe 30 from the container 12. Caps or plugs 35 and 37 are provided to block movement of air or liquids through the air inlet and vent apertures to pipes 28 20 and 30. This allows the container. 12 to be used as a conventional waste collection bin. A plug 39 for the drain 26 is provided to allow the collection of leachates in the lower gap 24.

SIn use, a user (not shown) can place organic waste materials into the container 12 after lifting the lid 24. The mass of organic waste materials inserted in this manner will come to rest in the upper portion 22 of the void 14 and will be Ssupported upon the perforated flor 16 The closure of the hinged lid 24, is Sdesigned to prevent the entrance of insects or escape of objectionable odours. i Preferably, a plurality of straps 40 (see Figures 3 4) are provided to hold the -7lid 24 down firmly and inhibit leakage of air beneath the lid 24 of the container 12.

The air vent pipe 30 may be supported by an external structure, for example a fence post or similar, and be connected to the container 12 by way of the flexible portion 33 and its tapered fitting. Movement of air past or across the outlet and cap 32 of the air vent pipe 30, causes air to be drawn out from the void 14, creating a partial vacuum within the container. This in turn draws air upwards through the mass of organic waste placed in the void 14, from the lower gap below the perforated floor 16. Air is then drawn through the air intake pipes 28 and down into the lower gap The air flow described above causes the aeration of the mass of organic waste material and the natural process of composting will occur. Heat caused by the composting process further creates convection air currents which enhance the air flow described. In some situations, the air flow across the-outlet of the air vent pipe 30 may be insufficient to provide continuous, aeration of the mass of organic waste in the container. In that case, a 12VDC electric air pump 42 can be connected to the air vent aperture 31 to create a partial vacuum in the upper portion 22 of the void 14 as shown in Figure 4. A 12VDC power supply .44which can be connected to the mains power is also provided.

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It is expected that leachates draining from the composting mass of waste materials will pass through the perforated floor 16 and collect in the lower gap These leachates can be drained for horticultural use via the drain 26. As noted previously, a standard garden hose and fitting may preferably be attached to -the leachates drain 26 for the purpose of draining and/or distributing the leachates..

'Itis envisaged that earth worms can be addedto the mass of composting waste material for the production of worm castings. The air flow created in the apparatus 10 as described above offers a viable environment for earth worms.

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;i i -8- The apparatus 10 may be emptied by the user by way of conventional garden tools, the tipping over of the container 12 or by curb-side collection in known manner. If curb-side collection is to be utilised it is envisaged that the pipes 28 and 30 together with the drain 26 would be capped or plugged by the user at an appropriate time as noted above.

The air inlet apertures 29 are preferably located in the upper portion 22 of the container well above the height of the perforated floor 16. There are two main reasons for this. The first is to inhibit the entry of flies and other insects through the air intake pipes 28 into the lower gap 20. The second is to minimise the 10 amount of bending required by the user when inserting the caps It can be seen that the method and apparatus of the present invention provide suitable environment for the storage, aeration and composting of domestic waste materials. Further, any obnoxious odours produced are exhausted at a high level, thereby aiding dispersion and reducing the possibility of a passer-by being exposed thereto.

The action of both composting and vermiculture is capable of reducing the mass of the organic waste by up to 60%. This is seen to contribute significantly to effecting the Government policy of reducing or eliminating green and other organic waste from land fill sites.

20 Numerous modifications and variations such as would be apparent to the skilled addressee can be made to the described embodiment, in addition to those already described, without departing from the basic inventive concepts. For example, the container may be of any suitable size or shape, and need not be mobile as in the described embodiment. The advantage of the described embodiment is that the bin can be easily repositioned for filling and emptying -as required. All such variations and modifications are considered to fall within the scope of the present invention the nature of which is to be determined from the foregoing description and the app-nded claims.

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Claims (7)

1. 9- THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:- 1. A composting apparatus for the treatment of organic waste, the apparatus comprising: a container having a void, a perforated floor, at least one air inlet means and at least one vent means, the perforated floor being arranged to be spaced apart from a base of the container so as to define a gap therebetween, the or each air inlet means being arranged so as to direct air from a point outside the container into the gap and from where it may pass through the perforated Sfloor, the or each vent means being arranged to draw air from the void to a point external to the container whereby, in use, crganic waste placed in the void can be aerated to provide composting of the organic waste. 2. A composting apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the container is further provided with a drain in or adjacent the base of the S' container so as to allow leachates from the organic waste collecting in the gap S 15 to be drained off. 3. A composting apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the container is further provided with an openable or removable lid to allow access S""to the void within the container whereby, in use, untreated waste can be placed in the container and treated waste can be removed from the container. 4. A composting apparatus:, as defined in claim 3, wherein the container is in the form of a conventional domestic waste collection bin. A composting apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the container is in the form of a conventional domestic waste collection bin of the Stype incorporating a hinged lid, a handle and a pair-of wheels. A composting apparatus as defined ir claim 1, wherein the or each air inlet means is arranged to direct air from an air inlet aperture provided in -I ::I 10 a side wall of the container, said air inlet aperture being located at a point above the height of the perforated floor. 7. A composting apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein the or each air inlet means comprises an air intake pipe connected to and extending downwards from the air inlet aperture, through the void and projecting through the perforated floor, into the gap. 8. A composting apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein a pair of said air inlet means are provided, one on each of opposite sides of the container. 9. A composting apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the or each vent means comprises an air vent aperture provided in a side wall of the *J container, said air vent aperture being located at a point above the height of the organic waste placed in the void. A composting apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the or each vent means further comprises an air vent pipe connected to and extending upwards from the air vent aperture to a -height removed from the container, whereby movement of air across an outlet of the air vent pipe causes air to be drawn out from the void through said air vent aperture. I 11 A composting method for the treatment of organic waste, the method comprising the steps of: drawing air into a container; drawing the air in tur through a mass of organic waste supported in the container on a perforated floor; and, exhausting the air and resulting gases to a point external to the container whereby, in use, organic waste placed in the void can be aerated to promote composting of the organic waste. S lf 11
2. 12. A composting method as defined in claim 11, further comprising the step of collecting leachate from the organic waste in a gap provided in the container below said perforated floor.
3. 13. A composting method as defined in claim 12, further comprising the step of draining the leachate from the gap from time to time for horticultural use.
4. 14. A composting method as defined in claim 11, further comprising Sthe step of removing resulting composted organic waste from the container after a period of time. 10 15. A composting kit for modifying a container having a void for the treatment of organic waste, the kit comprising: a perforated floor adapted to be received in the container; at least one air inlet means; Sat least one vent means; I 15 the perforated floor being adapted to be spaced apart from a base of the container so as to define a gap therebetween, the or each inlet means being adapted when fitted to the container to direct air from a point outside the container into the gap and from where it may pass through the perforated floor, the or each vent means being adapted when fitted to the container to draw air from the void to a point extemal to the container whereby, in use, when fitted to the container the kit enables organic waste placed in the void to be aerated to provide composting of the organic waste.
5. 16. A composting apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in any one or more of the accompanying drawings. 12-
6. 17. A composting method substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in any one or more of the accompanying drawings.
7. 18. A composting kit substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in any one or more of the accompanying drawings. I Dated this 14th day of January 1999 JOHN FLETCHER MACMAHON I i 'By his Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK 10 Fellows Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia. I e e I W y-