CA1260728A - Aerobic composting apparatus - Google Patents
Aerobic composting apparatusInfo
- Publication number
- CA1260728A CA1260728A CA000577980A CA577980A CA1260728A CA 1260728 A CA1260728 A CA 1260728A CA 000577980 A CA000577980 A CA 000577980A CA 577980 A CA577980 A CA 577980A CA 1260728 A CA1260728 A CA 1260728A
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- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- hollow tube
- container
- inches
- air
- compost
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Abstract
AEROBIC COMPOSTING APPARATUS
ABSTRACT
The invention concerns an apparatus including an air diffuser device and process useful in the domestic scale aerobic composting of organic wastes. The air diffuser has within its air admitting opening means to exclude insects, small animal pests and to also exclude waste from entering the air diffuser. Containers may be employed which have only a single opening admitting access to the contents of the container and the side walls of the container need not have aperatures. The air diffuser device may be used with a variety of types of containers and particularity with plastic bags. By using containers which do not have openings to the exterior, except for the opening in which the air diffuser is located and possible small liquid drainage opening, composting may be undertaken with control of pests and flies in regions near residences and without excessive drying of the edges of the compost mass, in a way not previously known.
ABSTRACT
The invention concerns an apparatus including an air diffuser device and process useful in the domestic scale aerobic composting of organic wastes. The air diffuser has within its air admitting opening means to exclude insects, small animal pests and to also exclude waste from entering the air diffuser. Containers may be employed which have only a single opening admitting access to the contents of the container and the side walls of the container need not have aperatures. The air diffuser device may be used with a variety of types of containers and particularity with plastic bags. By using containers which do not have openings to the exterior, except for the opening in which the air diffuser is located and possible small liquid drainage opening, composting may be undertaken with control of pests and flies in regions near residences and without excessive drying of the edges of the compost mass, in a way not previously known.
Description
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AEROBIC GOMPOSTING APPARAT~S
The invention concerns an improvemen-t in a composking apparatus and proces.s, including an air conveying device, useful in -the aerobic compostin~
of organio wa~stes. The invention is parkioularly directed -to small scale compost.in~, such a~s may be practiced on a domestic scale by individual persons, or families, on the premises of their dwellin~s or on a similar scale in public areag. No power or manual energy is required, other -than that re~uired ~or introducing oompostahle material to a container and the removal o-f the derived material from the container. The air conveying device o~ the instant invention bensficially faoilitates the in~ress ~f ambient air into, and the e~ress of air out of, a oompo.sting mass. The air conve~ing device may be considered an air diffuser and may be used with a oompost containable container having side walls without apertures and havin~ only a single acces.s opening. The air dlffuser is particularly suited for u3e with flexihle walled continers.
The use o~` containers with -few openings to the exterior for aerobic composting permits composting to be under-taken wit.h control of small animal pests, insects and flies and with conventional containers suitable for individual situations. In addition, becau~ ~ir admittin~
apertures are not needed in the exterior walls of the containers, there is not excessive or ,~
disproportionate drying of ~he ed~es of khe oornpost mass in conkaot with -the walls o~ -the container.
The air diffuser of khe instant invention may be removed from the cornpos-tin~ container, upon substantial Gompletion of oomposting of the wastes therein placed, and the con-tainer, which may be a plastic bag, may then be used to store the compost formed therein until required. The removed air diffuser may he placed in a second container and processin~ o-f further compos-tablc wastes conducted.
This feature additionally permits reduction in the labor necessary to handle compost compared -to the use of a composter in which the compost must be remo~ed from the composter in order to fur-ther employ the entire apparatus.
Compostin~ is a well known method of processin~ or~anic deoomposable substances, so as to recover useful materials ~rom su~stanoes otherwlse not in a condition ~or direct reuse. Ik is known to -take or~anic was-tes, tha-t is vegetable wastes and animal wastes, and permit these to partially deoay under Gonditions in which the identity of the individual waste items is lost and whioh results in a humus rioh material. Such a deoomposed produot may be beneficially used as a soil conditioner and as an aid to healthy plant growth.
Composting prooesses are known to involve microor~anisms and to proceed in the absence of sunli~ht. The presenk inYention is directed towards 39 that group of compustin~ processes in which -the preferred microorganisms are those which use ox~en `,;
12~;~72~3 and compri.se the aerobic microorgani.sme.
The reac-tions occurring in compostin~ and the growth of mioroorganisms require waker. Howevsr, excessive water in a mass of material will retard the utili~ation of air~ In a-ldition to water ànd oxygsn) there are known ra-tios of carbon to nitro~en which are assooiated with composting prooesses which perform satisfactorily. For this reason it is believed that the ratio of carbon to nitrogen should preferably be near 30 to 1. Those skilled in -the art will realize -that many materials may be employed beneficially ln certain compos-ts, in addltlon to the organic wa.ste products of vegetable and animal origin.
Upon completion of oomposting lt is known to .store the compost and preferably undsr condition.s in which loss of ma-terial, by wind disturbance or by liquid loss, partioularly by precipitation elution, is minimized. The device of -the present in~entlon, by employin~ a conventional container, in additlon to impro~ing;the compostin~ process in a novel way, also permits stora~e of the mature compos-t, without the need to transfer the compost to another oontainer, s~o a.s to preserve the benefioial characteristlos of the flrlished compost.
~ evice~ have been described in which air ha.s been introduced~by means o human energy in-to oompost contained in a flexible bag. Such a device is described in U.S.Patent N0. 3,934,~99 -to H.R.Meier, concerning a method employing a flexible ba~ with a plurality o~ perorations ln the walls , 07~8 thereof. In -the method o-f H.Meier, air is expelled and reintrodlleed h~ manuall~ oornpressin~ and "fluffin~" the bag) thereby forcing air out of the ba~ and in-to the bagJ respectively~ through those perforati.on~ sufficiently unblocked with oompost to permit air to be conveyed throu~h the perforations, during the actual time of manually manipulatirl~ the bag~
Another approach to perormin~ composting is desoribed in Canadian Patent N0~ 1,078,206 to P.M.Whiteside in which a rotatable container containing compost is employed~ B~ rota-tin~ compost in a partially filled container the contents may be thoroughly mixed and air simultaneousl~ well introdueed into the rotating mass. This devioe requires manual energy or the use o~ power driven devîces to operate. The device of the present invention does not require manual energy or the uge of power driven de~ices for o-ther than -filling ~nd emptyin~ the composter.
A device employin~ air con~eying members to aerate a compostin~ mass, in this oase a staok of refuse/sewage, is described in Canadian Patent N0.
1,07~,720 to W.Hannes. The device of W~Hannes concerns employing, in the interior o~ the stack, tunnel like hollow ~hannel~ arranged to -facilitate the distribution o~ ambient air and the release of gaseous products of composting. The device of Hannes involves exten~ive air manifolds and i~
direoted to oases in wnioh extensive quantities o~
compos-table material are being proces~ed. Also the -4- ;
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device of Hannes is used with the oompostable materials not contained within a container but ex~osed direc-tly to ambient air movements.
A still furth~r approach to permit-tin~ air to access a compostin~ mass is described in U.S.Patent N0. ~,0~0,~45 to C.A.Wilson concernin~ the u~e o~ a cornpostin~ bin. In the device of C.A.Wilson, there is pro~ided a channel located below the oomposk bin, cut. into the substrate upon which the bin is located, and extendin~ beyond the wall limits o the compost bin. The channel permits air exterior to the interior o the bin to interchan~e with air in the bin. This approaoh requires at least one openin~ in the underlying region of the compost container, of a size capable of conveying air in quantity into the compo~t bin. In ~ddition, such sPaoes below composters are unde~irable in residential areas, as animal pests using such plaoes may constitute a hazard to humans. The presen-t invention provides for air to enter throu~h the upper portion of a composter and khe use of -the pre~ent; invention does not require empty spaces to be formed in soil.
Canadian Patent N0. 1,056,074 to J.A.Pinder describes a device permitting air to access a compostin~ mass, invoi~in~ an air conveylng de~ioe mounted in an opening of the composting oontainer.
This in~ention, of Canadian Patent No. 1, 056, 074, when employed with a con~ainer with at least one access opening relies upon di~fusion of air and air flow by natural oonvection currents to aohieve aera-tion of the oompost rna~s.
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The present invention irlcludes an improvemen-t in the apparatu~s of ~anadian Patent No. 1,056,074.
It has been found that an improved air conveyin~
device may ~e constructed which has surprisin~ly useful features when made of corruga-ted material, preferably corrugated polymeric material, and that these improvemen-ts~ with an assooiated i.mprovement in the air admitting zone of the devics, constitute as a combination a new and heretofore unknown devioe and method to proce~s organic material in compostin~.
One problem wi-th air diffusers in composting is the need to have suffioient SiZ8 to allow air to adequately access the compos-tin~ wast,es and at the same time to have the diffuser oE a construction which is li~ht in weight and sturdy. Some ~: embodiments o~ the instant invention are intended to be distributed by mail and it i8 an ob~ective of ~he invention to have the devloe being of a light weight ~orm which enables low oo~t distribution and also facilitates ~ease of handlin~.
With larger air diffusers havin~
correspondin~ lar~er air admi~ting openings th~re may be a difficul-ty in excluding inseots in a way : which is durable and al~o re~l~-tant to damage, particularly of the insect excluding member, or displacement of the insect excluding member, as maY :
: be caused in the handli~g of the wastes when usin~
the air diffuser~ In addition, for applioations in which low co~t means of compostin~ are emplo~ed, aR
when u.sing a plastic bag, particularly a low co~t 12~;072~3 ba~ o~ the kind uRed to f1ispo.se o~ trash, the utilitarian role of the air diffuser depends upon it aIso bein~ of a nature whioh is cost efficient.
E~truded corrugated pipe, or tube, has become available in recent years ~or soil drainage application~; which is low in cos-t, durable and light weight~ The oorrugated pipe of -the instant invention has much ~reater proportion of apertures and ha~
reduoed rigidit~ compared to soil drainage pipe of similar size. When corrugations are formed perpendicular to the len~hthwise direotion of the pipe they may advantageously be used to support and streng~hen struotures employed to exclude insects and wastes from qn-tering the openin~ use to permit air to enter the air diffuser. It ha.s been found that the combinatlon of attributes involved in conskructine and using a composting air di~fllser of corrugated polymerio material form a uni~ue and novel combination being both unexpeoted and use~ul.
SUMMARY OF THE INVE~TION
The instant invention permits air to be introduced and released from a container having at least one aocess openin~ in the containerJ such access opening being suitable or adding substances toJ or removin~ substances fromJ a container. By comparison to the prior artJ no manual energy or power driven devices are required for the purpose of introducin~ air into the container or for releasing air or other ~aseous materials therefrom. It has been -found that an air conveying device made of per~orated corrugated pipeJ or perorate-1 corru~ated tuhin~, has properties whioh are espeoiall~
advanta~eous in a ooraposting en~ironment and, furthermore~ these propertieF; are desirable with respect to packa~in~ and distributing -the assembly or oonsumer use. The properties which ha~e utility in practical and useful situa-tions invol~in~
compostin~ inolude; inertness to microbial agents, inertness to water and oxygen and compressional rigidit~ in a radial direotion at minimal weight.
When such de~ices are constructed of or~anic polymeric materials the perforations may be made in a simple and faoile manner. This i5 particularly khe case if thermoplastio materials are emplo~ed and if apertures are madq while the thermoplastic material is soft. Thermoplastic material removed in formin~ the apertures may be reprooessed, thereby contributin~ to having a cost efficient product~and a oompetitive produot.
The air admitting and air conveying opening Z0 oP the air diffuser devioe, of the instant invention, which faces the exterior must be co~ered to allow air to be admitted and also to both control access to the oompost by small animal pests~ flies and insects and to prevent wastes from~entering the interior of the air difuser and thereby reduoin6 its use-fulness. A combination of two s-tructures are employed, one having openin~s smaller than about onè
tenth o~ an inch in the lon~est dimension suitable for excluding insects and the other suitable for supportin~ or proteoting the inseot excludin~
structure. The specific construction of this ~,,.
y 1 ~ 07 ~ ~
oombination of -these two structures can be varied but in all instances the two struotures are held within corru~ation sec-tions to assist in supporting the two strllcture3 so that they maY be light in weight and also sufficiently ri~id to perform their intended purposes. In one embodiment, the insect excluding st,ructure is a wo~en pla~tic which is adhered to a ri~id perforated plateJ the perforations bein~ a~out one square inch in area. In another embodiment, the insect excluding struoture is a woven metalic screen supported by a woven grill from below. The grill being o~ rigid metallic wire with wires located about one ~uarter inch apart one frorn another.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The in~sntion will be described, by way oP
exanlple, in fur-ther detail by referenoe to the drawin~.
Fig. 1 is a front view in perspective o a oonventional oornpost containable container with one embodiment of a compostin~ air diffuser ins-talled kherein.
Fi~. 2 is a top view of two struotures, as installed in combination in the air admitting opening of the same embodiment of an air diffuser as ; in Fi~. 1.
Fi~. 3 is a front view in section o~ a len~thwise plane through the oenter of a further embodiment of an air dif-fu~qr.
Fi~. 4 is a ~ront view in sectionS of the zone includin~ an air admi-tting opening, of a ~2~072~
len~thwise plane throu~h the cen-ter of a further embodiment o~ an air dif-fuser.
Fi~. 5 is a top view of -the same embodiment of an air diffuser as in Fig. 4.
In Fig.l, 1 is a corrugated side wall o~ a corrugated hollow tube like structure, 2 iæ an upper æone o~ a hollow -tube like struoture with an air admitting opening therein, 3 is an insect exoluding screen looated within the air admittin~ openin~ o-f the upper zone of the hollow tuhe like structure, 4 is a cord to secure a flexible polymerio sheet material to the air diffuser, 5 is a flexible polymeric sheet material, 6 is an extendable ela~tic strap to secure the flexible polymeric æheet material to the oompost containable container, 7 is the container. In this embodiment, the corru~ated hollow tu~e like st,ructure is substantially circular in cross seotion.
In Fi~. 2, 3 is a fine insect cxcludin~
soreen, 8 is a sealant surroundin~ the lateral extremities of the insect excludin~ ~creen, ~ i8 a grill adjoining to and located immediately below the screen 8, 10 is a sealant surrounding the la-teral extremities of the grill ~. The grill is shaped non oircularly to facilitate installation within the air diffuser. In this embodiment the ~rill 8 is substantially rigid and havin~ at leas-t some elements having one dimension greater than two hundredths of an inch and with the distance between adiacent elements being between one sixth inch and two inches.
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7~8 In ~ 3, 11 is an upper zone of a hollow tube like structllre with an air admittin~ opening therein, 12 is an air admi-tting openin~J 13 is an insect excluding screen within the air admittin~
openin~ 12, 14 is a side wall, 15 iæ a sealant whioh seals the scrsen 12 to the side wall 14, 16 is a substantially rigid grill, 17 is a sealant whi.ch seals the ~rill lG to the side wall 14, 1~ is a corrugation section having an aperture therein, and 19 i~ an aperture located in the outermQst surface of the corru~ation section. The corruga-tions in this embodiment extend about the surface of the hollow tube like struoture in a direotion whioh is perpendicular to the lengthwise dirnension of the hollow tube like structure, the air diffuser.
In Fig. ~, 20 is an air admitting opening, 21 is a side w~ll in an upper zone of a hollow -tube like struoture with the air admittin~ opening 20 wi-thin -the upper ~one, 22 is a unikary structure havin~ air admittin~ sections which enable air exteriorly of the hollow tube like structure to be in communioation with air interiorly of the hollow tube like struoture and substantially shields the interior of the upper zone of the hollow tube llke structure from items larger than two inches in their ~mallest dimension which otherwise might enter the opening 20 and thereby could damage an insect excludin~ screen within the upperzone of the hollow tu~e li~e structure, 23 is an air admittin~ section of the shieldin~ struc-ture 22 with a dimension less than two inches in its smallest dimension, 24 is an . .
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in.sect e~cludin~ screen, 2S is a sealarlt which seals ~oth the screen 24 and ~he unitary ætructure 22 to the side wall 21. In this embodiment the unitary curved cover ~tructure 22 being rigid in the direo-tion respondin~ -to a stress directed lengthwise towards the air admitting openin~ 20 from external to the hollow -tube like structure and bein~ placed above the member .sui.table for excluding flyin~
insects 24.
In Fig. 5J 21~ 22 and 23 have the æame meaning as noted in Fig. 4.
In the embodiment of Fig. 4 and Fi~. 5 the æealant 25 is a thermoplaætic material which may be applied hot and thereby made to flow into close oontact with the insect exoluding screen 2~, the unitary structure 22 and also into contact with the nearby side walls and further upon cooling beoomeæ
substan-tially non ~lowin~ and ~ormæ an adhesive bond holdin~ these three members together. Asphalt may be used aæ well aæ hot melt sealants formed for this purpose with ~lends includin~ thermoplastic substances. Low molecular wei~ht polymers, includin~
rubbers and~including polyole~ins, maY be used to formulate the sealants.
One or both sealants) sealing the insect excluding screen and the æupportin~ .struoture which pre~ents damage to or displacement of the screen, may be a meohanical device or may be a rubber grommet like structure formed to fit o~er -the edgc portions o-f one or both of the æcreen and the ed~e portions of the supporting structure which are ., closest to oontac-ting the side walls of the corrugated hollow tuhe like structure. A suitable rnechanical device includes a deorm~ble clip, shaped to fit securely within the side walls of a corrugation section o e the pipe, whioh is of a ~iæe which holds the screen and the associated suppportin~ structure securely in place and forms an insect excluding fit. Such a clip may be fastened to the uppermost edges of the pipe, particularly with pipe ha~in~ corru~ations extendin~ in the direction parallel t,o the lengthwise dimension of -the pipe.
With pipe having corrugations in the direction perpendicular to -the len~thwise dimensiorl, i-t is preferred for the olip to fit securely within a corrugation section and to assist it by means of adhesive applied on installation.
An air dif-fuser according to the present invention should be of a size whioh fit~ within the corlta~ner, or mass of compost, in whioh it will ~0 function and also be of a size and mass whioh can be manually handled.
Composting accordin~ to the instant inven~ion involves employing, in combination, a oontainer and a device of matching siæe to facilitate the in~ress of air into and the corresponding release of ~ases from the compostln~
wastes. A variety of containers suitable for containing compost, and forming compost from or~aniG
wastes, may be employed~ These inolude containers de~cribed as one of the :eollowing: a flexible walled strlloture with air permeable walls; a ,;
~6(~7~
flexible walled structure with walls su~stantiallyimpermea~le to air; a ba~ havin~ flexible and air permeable walls; a bag having flexible walls substantially impermeable to air; a rigid walled container having a oover constructed at least partially of flexible weather resistant polymerio material; a conventiorlal dome~tio -trash container with a cover made at least partly of flexible weather resistant polymeric material; a converltional shipping drum with a oover made at least partly of -flexible weather resistant polymeric material; or a combination of at least two of these.
In suoh containers there must be a coYer~ as part of the oontaincr, or another upper wall portion of the container which has at least one access opening providing acoess to the interior of khe contalner. This upper wall portion may be of the form of one of the following: extendin~
continuously from the side walls; substantially of the same construotion as the side walls; a cover which is attachable -to and de-tachable from the walls of the container; a co~er attaohable to and detaohable from the hollow tube like struoture; a cover which is attaohable to and detachable from the walls of the container and also is at-tachable to and ,~
detaohable from the hollow tube like struoture; a flexible material~ suoh as a rubberi~ed sheet or a plastic sheet of polyethylene less than one tenth inch thick or a sheet of polyvinyl chloride less than orle t~rth inoh thiok; a cover whioh oomprises at least two portions one of which includes an . .
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~L26072~3 openable and closeable acoes~ openine; a cover comprising at leas-t two portions one of whioh inolude~ arl opening of a for~ to releasably reoeivo ~he hollow tube like struoture and another portion includes a means to access the interior of the contai~er. Such mean~ may simplY be a separate access member; a shute, or a door~ or a moveable olosure.
Suitable containers may inolude one of; a trash can, a ~urplus shipping drum and a plastic ba~, such as the polyethylene ba~s used for wa~t,e collection and ~arba~e di.sposal~ Preferably a pla~tic bag should be of thickness between one thousandth of an inch and -ken hundredths of an inch.
A pre-ferred ba~ is thirty inches in width bY ~ourtY
eiOEht inches in length, measured flat, made of black polyethylane of four hundreths of an inch thiokness.
Containers may be used which have a capaci-ty between one cuhic foot and five hundred cubic feet and preferably between two oubic fee-t and f4rtY
oubic feet. With .such containers the length a~ the air diffus0r, the hollow tube lika structure, may be between one foot and ei~ht feet and preferably between one and one half ~eet and three ~eet. The internal width of the hollow tube like structure may be be-tween three inches and twelve inches and preferably between four inches and six inches.
A bag of 30 inohe.s by 48 inches requires a hollow tube like structure, to facilitate air contact with the composting wastes, whioh`is at least -twent;y two inches in length and preferably at least four inehes in internal diameter or width. By comparison~ ~nother pre*erred ba~, of 60 in4hes bY
72 inohes, of six hundredths of an inoh thiok blaok polyethylene, requir~s a hollow tube like struoture as an air dif~user whioh i~ at least thirty ineheæ
in length and such a a hollow tube like s-tructure may functionally be about six inohes in diame-ter or width~ Lar~er diameter hollow tube like structures may be employed wi-th oontainers of larger capaoity.
The ba~s may be alosed about or attached to, and detached from, the hollow tube li~e structure by means of -tie cords, or straps, or sliddin~ lockin~
belts, or clips, whioh fasten to the bag only or fasten to the hollow tube like struoture or fasten to hoth or comblnations of these. One preferred waY
to attach the openin~ of the bag about the upper æone o~ the hollow tube like structure includes the ba~ bein~ oloseable and attaohable to -the uppermost zone by means o at least one oord whioh slide.s reversibly within guide members in the walls o~ the ba~ and being 104ated so as to enable the acoes~
openin~ to be closed. Another preferred manner of attaohin~ the openin~ o~ the bag about the upper æone of the hollow tube like structure i~oludes the ba~ bein~ closeable and attachable to the uppermost ~one by means of -two cords eaoh secured to the ~ag and each bein~ able to close at least part of the ba~ opening and both being supported so they may .30 slide rever~ibly within ~uide members in ~he walls of the bag and being located so as to enable the 1 2~
access opsrlin~ to be closed. A -further preferred rneans o~ attaohin~ -the openin~ of the b~g abou-t the upper zone of the hollow tube like structure include.s the bag being clossabls and a-ttaehable to the uppermo~t zone by means of at least one tie .strap seour~d to the upper wall of the ba~ and with a strap receiving -fastener unit al50 secured on the upper wall o~ the bag whereby the strap may b8 wrapped about the upper walls of the ba~ -therebY
closing the bag about and to the hollow tube like struoture and the strap -then being fastened to the said strap receiv-in~ fastener unit.
The hollow -tube like structure, an air diffuser, may consist substan-tially of one of the following; ~n extruded thermoplastic polymerio material, a metal, a biodegradable material) a cornposite rnaterial, and may include a combination o~
at leask t,wo o~ these.
The side walls o~ the hollow tube like structure must be at least partially constructed o~
corrugated tubing or pip0 and apertures in the side walls may be, at least partially, ~ormed by the outer surfaces of the corrugations bein~ per-forated, or the inner surfaces o~ the corru~ations per~orated, and including corrugations in both inner and outer surfaoes.
Perforations in the side walls of the hollow tube like struckure, the air diffuser, may reduce the rigidity of the side walls and it is some-times desirahle to have a æone adjacent to at least one len~thwi.se end to be withou-t perforations or to have . .
~2S07~8 any perforations therein covered. If only one end is without aperture,s it is the end having therein the openin~ to admit air and having an inseo-t excludin~ member therein. The .size of the %one wi-thout apertures should be lar~e enou~h to permit ready attachment of the upper wall section of the container to -the air di-ffuser and this oorrespond3 to a zone with a lengthwise dist~nce correspondin~
to the width of at least one of the side wall corrugations.
The corru~ations may extend leng-thwise on -the side walls of the corrugated tubing or corru~ated pipe~ or may be helically formed in a len~thwise form or may be formed a.s adiacent corrugations perpendicular to the lengthwise direction. One preferred embodiment includes oorru~ations on both surfacea beinB formed perpendicular to -the len~thwise direction with perforations being only in the outermost surfaoe.
The ~attern of the perforations in the side walls directly relates to -the ri~idity of the side walls. lt is preferred for -the plurality of aperatures located in the side walls to be located in a form conslsbin~ of one or more of th followln~: the perforations on any corrugation section bein~ substantially evenly spaQed one from another; the perforations being spaced so that ~he distance between the closest parts of any two perforations on a section of a corrugation is sub0tantially the same as the a~erage dimension of the two perforations; the perforations bein~ formed ~.,.
~2~;0728 in a linear pattern leng-thwise in the æide walls of the hollow tube like s-tr~cture; the perforation~
being ormed in a spiral pak-tern leng-thwi~e in the ~ide walls of the hollo~ tube like str~cture; and a plurality of perfora-tion~ being formed on any corru~ation seotion. It i~ preferred for the perforatione to be evenly spacedJ in the outer surface of corru~ations of the hollow tube like structure.
The aparatures in the side wall~ of -the hollow tube like structure, when not covered with oompost excluding material, may have an a~erage area of between about one ~quare inch and one eigth sg~are inch and preferably between about three quarters of a square inch and one quarter square inch. The number of perforations may ~e related to the fraotion of the wall area ocoupied by the void area of the openin~s. It is preferred or this area, of all the perforation~, to be between one half and one tenth the area o-f the outer surface of the tubin~ or pipe.
The corru~ations of the the said hollow tube like struoture may be of a siæe which, measured as a ratio of the;difference between the average external width dimen~ion a~d the average internal width dimension over the avera~e internal widt,h dimension, is between one fiftieth and one quarter and preferably between one twentieth and one eighth, The air admitting openin~ of the air difu~er must ha~e installed therein a member .~uitable for excllldin~ flying inseots larger than one tenth inch : . , . . ~
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,, , 607~3 in -their smallest dimenæion. The preferred member is a rnetallic wo~en ecreen with about eleven wires per inch by about eighte~n wires per inch. The inseot excluding member, which also must exclude waste from enterirl~ the air diffuser while permitting air to enter the air dif-fuser, may be constructed of other materials, including one or more of; porous sheet like material, mesh material fibrous material, woven material, non woven rnaterial, perforated material. It is neoessary to support these materials -to prevent displacement or damage from wastes contactin~ the inseot excluding member.
The support of or protection of the in~ect exoludin~ member so as to resist displacemerlt maY
include one or more of the fol1owin~; (a~ an assembly of elements in which at leaF~t some elements are of a dimension greater than two hundredths of an inch and with the distanoe between adjacent element.s in the plane perpendicular to the lengthwise dimension of the hollow tube like structure being between one sixth inch and two inches ~nd the a~sembly being placed immediately below and adjoinin~ to the member suitable for excluding flying inseot6, (b) a unitary ourved oover ~tructure being rigid in the direction responding to a s-tress directed lengthwi~e towards ths air admittin~
opening from external to the hollow kube like ; structure and being plaoed above the member suitable ~or excludin~ flyin~ insscts, (c~ a rigid ~rill havirl~ at least sorne elements having one dimen.sion .
~rea-ter than two hundredths o~ an inch and with the distance bekween adjacent elements in the plane perpendicu3.ar to -the len~thwise dimension o~ th~
hollow tube like strllGture bein~ between one sixth inch and two inches and the grill bein~ placed immediately below and adjoinin~ to the member sui-table f`or excluding ~lying insects, (d~ an assembly of elements in which at least some elements are of a dimension greater -than two hundredths o-~ an inGh and with the distance between adjacent elements in the plane perpendicular to the lengthwise dimension o~ the hollow tube like struoture bein~
between one sixth inoh and two inches and being plaoed immediately below and adjoining to the member suitable for excluding flyin~ inseots, (e) an assembly o~ slements ~orming a proteotive cover havin~ air admi-tting regions greater than about one tenth inoh in their smallest dimension and less than two inohes in their largest dimension extendin~
above the member suitable for exoluding ~lying insects, (~) a rigid structure with air admitting regions in the plane perpendicular to the lengthwise dimension of the hollow tube like structure bein~
~reater than about one tenth inch in their smallest dimension and less than two inches in their lar~est dimension extendin~ above the member suitable for excludinæ ~l~in~ insectsl ~g) a rigid structure with air admi-tting regions havin~ dimensions in the p].ane perpendioular to the lengthwise dimension of the hollow tube like struoture ~reater than about one tenth in~h in their smallest dimension and less than ~L26~72~3 two inches in their lar~e~t dimen.sion adioirling to the lower ~urface of the member suitable for excludin~ flyin~ insects.
A prefe,rred method of producin~ compos-t from or~anic waste materials invol~es employin~ the apparatus of the instant invention and the steps o~
~a3 installin~ the hollow tube like structure, the air diffuser, within the seleoted container whereby -the air admittin~ opening of the ~aid hollow tube like structure being loca-ted exteriorly of an upper wall of the container or of an upper wall of an attached co~er of the containerJ ~b~ attaching ~-t least part of a contalner wall, wherein the container wall may be a portion of a cover mounted on the container, to the said hollow tuba like structure as required to enclose the oon-tents o-f the container, ~c~ deattaohing and attaching at lea~t part of a container wall, wherein the part of the oontainer wall may include an openable and clo~eable door therein, a$ re~uired to respectively access and enclose the:oontents of the container, (d~
accumulating or~anio waste ma-tter laterally about, and adjoining to, the said hollow tube like structure, (e~ adding water as reguired to maintain ~: the org~nic matter in a moist stateJ (f) addin~
matter rich in microorgani~m~ ) repeating the steps (c~, (dj, (e) and ~f~ until ths container is illed to a hei~ht at leas-t equal to hal~ the hei~ht o~ the said hollow tuhe like structure, (h) allowin~
the container and at least ~ome o~ t,he content~: to remain at an avera~e daily ambient temperature above 07~8 sixty de~reeFJ F'arerlheit for at least ~ifteen days, and (i~ removing the contents o~ the oontainer, wherein the ma~tter rich in microorganisms is one, or more~ of one of the following; (a) natural F2oil, (~
compost, and ~o} partially forrned compoF~tJ and wherein the average ratio, on a weight basis, of drY
compos-table organic matter to dr~ ma-tter rich in microorganisms which is placed in the container is between 200:1 and 5:1 respectively.
One preferred method of processin~ waste material involves -the use of a flexible walled bagJ
partioularly -for intermittent use or for seasonal useJ such as the infrequent processing of leaves. It is desirable to ensure that there is at least one small liquid drain hole in the lowermost wall of anY
container employed for compostin~.
In one preferred method of processin~ waste materialJ the air di~fuser is removed from the oompost containable oontainer at the end of ZO su~F2tantially oomplete compostin~J the oontainer bein~ closed asd the compost bein~ stored in the container untll the compost bein~ required~ The removed air dlffuser may be installed in a second container and the processing o~ additional or~anic waste contisued is the seoosd contaiser.
~, ~, . .
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AEROBIC GOMPOSTING APPARAT~S
The invention concerns an improvemen-t in a composking apparatus and proces.s, including an air conveying device, useful in -the aerobic compostin~
of organio wa~stes. The invention is parkioularly directed -to small scale compost.in~, such a~s may be practiced on a domestic scale by individual persons, or families, on the premises of their dwellin~s or on a similar scale in public areag. No power or manual energy is required, other -than that re~uired ~or introducing oompostahle material to a container and the removal o-f the derived material from the container. The air conveying device o~ the instant invention bensficially faoilitates the in~ress ~f ambient air into, and the e~ress of air out of, a oompo.sting mass. The air conve~ing device may be considered an air diffuser and may be used with a oompost containable container having side walls without apertures and havin~ only a single acces.s opening. The air dlffuser is particularly suited for u3e with flexihle walled continers.
The use o~` containers with -few openings to the exterior for aerobic composting permits composting to be under-taken wit.h control of small animal pests, insects and flies and with conventional containers suitable for individual situations. In addition, becau~ ~ir admittin~
apertures are not needed in the exterior walls of the containers, there is not excessive or ,~
disproportionate drying of ~he ed~es of khe oornpost mass in conkaot with -the walls o~ -the container.
The air diffuser of khe instant invention may be removed from the cornpos-tin~ container, upon substantial Gompletion of oomposting of the wastes therein placed, and the con-tainer, which may be a plastic bag, may then be used to store the compost formed therein until required. The removed air diffuser may he placed in a second container and processin~ o-f further compos-tablc wastes conducted.
This feature additionally permits reduction in the labor necessary to handle compost compared -to the use of a composter in which the compost must be remo~ed from the composter in order to fur-ther employ the entire apparatus.
Compostin~ is a well known method of processin~ or~anic deoomposable substances, so as to recover useful materials ~rom su~stanoes otherwlse not in a condition ~or direct reuse. Ik is known to -take or~anic was-tes, tha-t is vegetable wastes and animal wastes, and permit these to partially deoay under Gonditions in which the identity of the individual waste items is lost and whioh results in a humus rioh material. Such a deoomposed produot may be beneficially used as a soil conditioner and as an aid to healthy plant growth.
Composting prooesses are known to involve microor~anisms and to proceed in the absence of sunli~ht. The presenk inYention is directed towards 39 that group of compustin~ processes in which -the preferred microorganisms are those which use ox~en `,;
12~;~72~3 and compri.se the aerobic microorgani.sme.
The reac-tions occurring in compostin~ and the growth of mioroorganisms require waker. Howevsr, excessive water in a mass of material will retard the utili~ation of air~ In a-ldition to water ànd oxygsn) there are known ra-tios of carbon to nitro~en which are assooiated with composting prooesses which perform satisfactorily. For this reason it is believed that the ratio of carbon to nitrogen should preferably be near 30 to 1. Those skilled in -the art will realize -that many materials may be employed beneficially ln certain compos-ts, in addltlon to the organic wa.ste products of vegetable and animal origin.
Upon completion of oomposting lt is known to .store the compost and preferably undsr condition.s in which loss of ma-terial, by wind disturbance or by liquid loss, partioularly by precipitation elution, is minimized. The device of -the present in~entlon, by employin~ a conventional container, in additlon to impro~ing;the compostin~ process in a novel way, also permits stora~e of the mature compos-t, without the need to transfer the compost to another oontainer, s~o a.s to preserve the benefioial characteristlos of the flrlished compost.
~ evice~ have been described in which air ha.s been introduced~by means o human energy in-to oompost contained in a flexible bag. Such a device is described in U.S.Patent N0. 3,934,~99 -to H.R.Meier, concerning a method employing a flexible ba~ with a plurality o~ perorations ln the walls , 07~8 thereof. In -the method o-f H.Meier, air is expelled and reintrodlleed h~ manuall~ oornpressin~ and "fluffin~" the bag) thereby forcing air out of the ba~ and in-to the bagJ respectively~ through those perforati.on~ sufficiently unblocked with oompost to permit air to be conveyed throu~h the perforations, during the actual time of manually manipulatirl~ the bag~
Another approach to perormin~ composting is desoribed in Canadian Patent N0~ 1,078,206 to P.M.Whiteside in which a rotatable container containing compost is employed~ B~ rota-tin~ compost in a partially filled container the contents may be thoroughly mixed and air simultaneousl~ well introdueed into the rotating mass. This devioe requires manual energy or the use o~ power driven devîces to operate. The device of the present invention does not require manual energy or the uge of power driven de~ices for o-ther than -filling ~nd emptyin~ the composter.
A device employin~ air con~eying members to aerate a compostin~ mass, in this oase a staok of refuse/sewage, is described in Canadian Patent N0.
1,07~,720 to W.Hannes. The device of W~Hannes concerns employing, in the interior o~ the stack, tunnel like hollow ~hannel~ arranged to -facilitate the distribution o~ ambient air and the release of gaseous products of composting. The device of Hannes involves exten~ive air manifolds and i~
direoted to oases in wnioh extensive quantities o~
compos-table material are being proces~ed. Also the -4- ;
..
. , ~L~6cr7~ "
device of Hannes is used with the oompostable materials not contained within a container but ex~osed direc-tly to ambient air movements.
A still furth~r approach to permit-tin~ air to access a compostin~ mass is described in U.S.Patent N0. ~,0~0,~45 to C.A.Wilson concernin~ the u~e o~ a cornpostin~ bin. In the device of C.A.Wilson, there is pro~ided a channel located below the oomposk bin, cut. into the substrate upon which the bin is located, and extendin~ beyond the wall limits o the compost bin. The channel permits air exterior to the interior o the bin to interchan~e with air in the bin. This approaoh requires at least one openin~ in the underlying region of the compost container, of a size capable of conveying air in quantity into the compo~t bin. In ~ddition, such sPaoes below composters are unde~irable in residential areas, as animal pests using such plaoes may constitute a hazard to humans. The presen-t invention provides for air to enter throu~h the upper portion of a composter and khe use of -the pre~ent; invention does not require empty spaces to be formed in soil.
Canadian Patent N0. 1,056,074 to J.A.Pinder describes a device permitting air to access a compostin~ mass, invoi~in~ an air conveylng de~ioe mounted in an opening of the composting oontainer.
This in~ention, of Canadian Patent No. 1, 056, 074, when employed with a con~ainer with at least one access opening relies upon di~fusion of air and air flow by natural oonvection currents to aohieve aera-tion of the oompost rna~s.
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The present invention irlcludes an improvemen-t in the apparatu~s of ~anadian Patent No. 1,056,074.
It has been found that an improved air conveyin~
device may ~e constructed which has surprisin~ly useful features when made of corruga-ted material, preferably corrugated polymeric material, and that these improvemen-ts~ with an assooiated i.mprovement in the air admitting zone of the devics, constitute as a combination a new and heretofore unknown devioe and method to proce~s organic material in compostin~.
One problem wi-th air diffusers in composting is the need to have suffioient SiZ8 to allow air to adequately access the compos-tin~ wast,es and at the same time to have the diffuser oE a construction which is li~ht in weight and sturdy. Some ~: embodiments o~ the instant invention are intended to be distributed by mail and it i8 an ob~ective of ~he invention to have the devloe being of a light weight ~orm which enables low oo~t distribution and also facilitates ~ease of handlin~.
With larger air diffusers havin~
correspondin~ lar~er air admi~ting openings th~re may be a difficul-ty in excluding inseots in a way : which is durable and al~o re~l~-tant to damage, particularly of the insect excluding member, or displacement of the insect excluding member, as maY :
: be caused in the handli~g of the wastes when usin~
the air diffuser~ In addition, for applioations in which low co~t means of compostin~ are emplo~ed, aR
when u.sing a plastic bag, particularly a low co~t 12~;072~3 ba~ o~ the kind uRed to f1ispo.se o~ trash, the utilitarian role of the air diffuser depends upon it aIso bein~ of a nature whioh is cost efficient.
E~truded corrugated pipe, or tube, has become available in recent years ~or soil drainage application~; which is low in cos-t, durable and light weight~ The oorrugated pipe of -the instant invention has much ~reater proportion of apertures and ha~
reduoed rigidit~ compared to soil drainage pipe of similar size. When corrugations are formed perpendicular to the len~hthwise direotion of the pipe they may advantageously be used to support and streng~hen struotures employed to exclude insects and wastes from qn-tering the openin~ use to permit air to enter the air diffuser. It ha.s been found that the combinatlon of attributes involved in conskructine and using a composting air di~fllser of corrugated polymerio material form a uni~ue and novel combination being both unexpeoted and use~ul.
SUMMARY OF THE INVE~TION
The instant invention permits air to be introduced and released from a container having at least one aocess openin~ in the containerJ such access opening being suitable or adding substances toJ or removin~ substances fromJ a container. By comparison to the prior artJ no manual energy or power driven devices are required for the purpose of introducin~ air into the container or for releasing air or other ~aseous materials therefrom. It has been -found that an air conveying device made of per~orated corrugated pipeJ or perorate-1 corru~ated tuhin~, has properties whioh are espeoiall~
advanta~eous in a ooraposting en~ironment and, furthermore~ these propertieF; are desirable with respect to packa~in~ and distributing -the assembly or oonsumer use. The properties which ha~e utility in practical and useful situa-tions invol~in~
compostin~ inolude; inertness to microbial agents, inertness to water and oxygen and compressional rigidit~ in a radial direotion at minimal weight.
When such de~ices are constructed of or~anic polymeric materials the perforations may be made in a simple and faoile manner. This i5 particularly khe case if thermoplastio materials are emplo~ed and if apertures are madq while the thermoplastic material is soft. Thermoplastic material removed in formin~ the apertures may be reprooessed, thereby contributin~ to having a cost efficient product~and a oompetitive produot.
The air admitting and air conveying opening Z0 oP the air diffuser devioe, of the instant invention, which faces the exterior must be co~ered to allow air to be admitted and also to both control access to the oompost by small animal pests~ flies and insects and to prevent wastes from~entering the interior of the air difuser and thereby reduoin6 its use-fulness. A combination of two s-tructures are employed, one having openin~s smaller than about onè
tenth o~ an inch in the lon~est dimension suitable for excluding insects and the other suitable for supportin~ or proteoting the inseot excludin~
structure. The specific construction of this ~,,.
y 1 ~ 07 ~ ~
oombination of -these two structures can be varied but in all instances the two struotures are held within corru~ation sec-tions to assist in supporting the two strllcture3 so that they maY be light in weight and also sufficiently ri~id to perform their intended purposes. In one embodiment, the insect excluding st,ructure is a wo~en pla~tic which is adhered to a ri~id perforated plateJ the perforations bein~ a~out one square inch in area. In another embodiment, the insect excluding struoture is a woven metalic screen supported by a woven grill from below. The grill being o~ rigid metallic wire with wires located about one ~uarter inch apart one frorn another.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The in~sntion will be described, by way oP
exanlple, in fur-ther detail by referenoe to the drawin~.
Fig. 1 is a front view in perspective o a oonventional oornpost containable container with one embodiment of a compostin~ air diffuser ins-talled kherein.
Fi~. 2 is a top view of two struotures, as installed in combination in the air admitting opening of the same embodiment of an air diffuser as ; in Fi~. 1.
Fi~. 3 is a front view in section o~ a len~thwise plane through the oenter of a further embodiment of an air dif-fu~qr.
Fi~. 4 is a ~ront view in sectionS of the zone includin~ an air admi-tting opening, of a ~2~072~
len~thwise plane throu~h the cen-ter of a further embodiment o~ an air dif-fuser.
Fi~. 5 is a top view of -the same embodiment of an air diffuser as in Fig. 4.
In Fig.l, 1 is a corrugated side wall o~ a corrugated hollow tube like structure, 2 iæ an upper æone o~ a hollow -tube like struoture with an air admitting opening therein, 3 is an insect exoluding screen looated within the air admittin~ openin~ o-f the upper zone of the hollow tuhe like structure, 4 is a cord to secure a flexible polymerio sheet material to the air diffuser, 5 is a flexible polymeric sheet material, 6 is an extendable ela~tic strap to secure the flexible polymeric æheet material to the oompost containable container, 7 is the container. In this embodiment, the corru~ated hollow tu~e like st,ructure is substantially circular in cross seotion.
In Fi~. 2, 3 is a fine insect cxcludin~
soreen, 8 is a sealant surroundin~ the lateral extremities of the insect excludin~ ~creen, ~ i8 a grill adjoining to and located immediately below the screen 8, 10 is a sealant surrounding the la-teral extremities of the grill ~. The grill is shaped non oircularly to facilitate installation within the air diffuser. In this embodiment the ~rill 8 is substantially rigid and havin~ at leas-t some elements having one dimension greater than two hundredths of an inch and with the distance between adiacent elements being between one sixth inch and two inches.
"~ `
7~8 In ~ 3, 11 is an upper zone of a hollow tube like structllre with an air admittin~ opening therein, 12 is an air admi-tting openin~J 13 is an insect excluding screen within the air admittin~
openin~ 12, 14 is a side wall, 15 iæ a sealant whioh seals the scrsen 12 to the side wall 14, 16 is a substantially rigid grill, 17 is a sealant whi.ch seals the ~rill lG to the side wall 14, 1~ is a corrugation section having an aperture therein, and 19 i~ an aperture located in the outermQst surface of the corru~ation section. The corruga-tions in this embodiment extend about the surface of the hollow tube like struoture in a direotion whioh is perpendicular to the lengthwise dirnension of the hollow tube like structure, the air diffuser.
In Fig. ~, 20 is an air admitting opening, 21 is a side w~ll in an upper zone of a hollow -tube like struoture with the air admittin~ opening 20 wi-thin -the upper ~one, 22 is a unikary structure havin~ air admittin~ sections which enable air exteriorly of the hollow tube like structure to be in communioation with air interiorly of the hollow tube like struoture and substantially shields the interior of the upper zone of the hollow tube llke structure from items larger than two inches in their ~mallest dimension which otherwise might enter the opening 20 and thereby could damage an insect excludin~ screen within the upperzone of the hollow tu~e li~e structure, 23 is an air admittin~ section of the shieldin~ struc-ture 22 with a dimension less than two inches in its smallest dimension, 24 is an . .
,.
6(~7~
in.sect e~cludin~ screen, 2S is a sealarlt which seals ~oth the screen 24 and ~he unitary ætructure 22 to the side wall 21. In this embodiment the unitary curved cover ~tructure 22 being rigid in the direo-tion respondin~ -to a stress directed lengthwise towards the air admitting openin~ 20 from external to the hollow -tube like structure and bein~ placed above the member .sui.table for excluding flyin~
insects 24.
In Fig. 5J 21~ 22 and 23 have the æame meaning as noted in Fig. 4.
In the embodiment of Fig. 4 and Fi~. 5 the æealant 25 is a thermoplaætic material which may be applied hot and thereby made to flow into close oontact with the insect exoluding screen 2~, the unitary structure 22 and also into contact with the nearby side walls and further upon cooling beoomeæ
substan-tially non ~lowin~ and ~ormæ an adhesive bond holdin~ these three members together. Asphalt may be used aæ well aæ hot melt sealants formed for this purpose with ~lends includin~ thermoplastic substances. Low molecular wei~ht polymers, includin~
rubbers and~including polyole~ins, maY be used to formulate the sealants.
One or both sealants) sealing the insect excluding screen and the æupportin~ .struoture which pre~ents damage to or displacement of the screen, may be a meohanical device or may be a rubber grommet like structure formed to fit o~er -the edgc portions o-f one or both of the æcreen and the ed~e portions of the supporting structure which are ., closest to oontac-ting the side walls of the corrugated hollow tuhe like structure. A suitable rnechanical device includes a deorm~ble clip, shaped to fit securely within the side walls of a corrugation section o e the pipe, whioh is of a ~iæe which holds the screen and the associated suppportin~ structure securely in place and forms an insect excluding fit. Such a clip may be fastened to the uppermost edges of the pipe, particularly with pipe ha~in~ corru~ations extendin~ in the direction parallel t,o the lengthwise dimension of -the pipe.
With pipe having corrugations in the direction perpendicular to -the len~thwise dimensiorl, i-t is preferred for the olip to fit securely within a corrugation section and to assist it by means of adhesive applied on installation.
An air dif-fuser according to the present invention should be of a size whioh fit~ within the corlta~ner, or mass of compost, in whioh it will ~0 function and also be of a size and mass whioh can be manually handled.
Composting accordin~ to the instant inven~ion involves employing, in combination, a oontainer and a device of matching siæe to facilitate the in~ress of air into and the corresponding release of ~ases from the compostln~
wastes. A variety of containers suitable for containing compost, and forming compost from or~aniG
wastes, may be employed~ These inolude containers de~cribed as one of the :eollowing: a flexible walled strlloture with air permeable walls; a ,;
~6(~7~
flexible walled structure with walls su~stantiallyimpermea~le to air; a ba~ havin~ flexible and air permeable walls; a bag having flexible walls substantially impermeable to air; a rigid walled container having a oover constructed at least partially of flexible weather resistant polymerio material; a conventiorlal dome~tio -trash container with a cover made at least partly of flexible weather resistant polymeric material; a converltional shipping drum with a oover made at least partly of -flexible weather resistant polymeric material; or a combination of at least two of these.
In suoh containers there must be a coYer~ as part of the oontaincr, or another upper wall portion of the container which has at least one access opening providing acoess to the interior of khe contalner. This upper wall portion may be of the form of one of the following: extendin~
continuously from the side walls; substantially of the same construotion as the side walls; a cover which is attachable -to and de-tachable from the walls of the container; a co~er attaohable to and detaohable from the hollow tube like struoture; a cover which is attaohable to and detachable from the walls of the container and also is at-tachable to and ,~
detaohable from the hollow tube like struoture; a flexible material~ suoh as a rubberi~ed sheet or a plastic sheet of polyethylene less than one tenth inch thick or a sheet of polyvinyl chloride less than orle t~rth inoh thiok; a cover whioh oomprises at least two portions one of which includes an . .
.
~L26072~3 openable and closeable acoes~ openine; a cover comprising at leas-t two portions one of whioh inolude~ arl opening of a for~ to releasably reoeivo ~he hollow tube like struoture and another portion includes a means to access the interior of the contai~er. Such mean~ may simplY be a separate access member; a shute, or a door~ or a moveable olosure.
Suitable containers may inolude one of; a trash can, a ~urplus shipping drum and a plastic ba~, such as the polyethylene ba~s used for wa~t,e collection and ~arba~e di.sposal~ Preferably a pla~tic bag should be of thickness between one thousandth of an inch and -ken hundredths of an inch.
A pre-ferred ba~ is thirty inches in width bY ~ourtY
eiOEht inches in length, measured flat, made of black polyethylane of four hundreths of an inch thiokness.
Containers may be used which have a capaci-ty between one cuhic foot and five hundred cubic feet and preferably between two oubic fee-t and f4rtY
oubic feet. With .such containers the length a~ the air diffus0r, the hollow tube lika structure, may be between one foot and ei~ht feet and preferably between one and one half ~eet and three ~eet. The internal width of the hollow tube like structure may be be-tween three inches and twelve inches and preferably between four inches and six inches.
A bag of 30 inohe.s by 48 inches requires a hollow tube like structure, to facilitate air contact with the composting wastes, whioh`is at least -twent;y two inches in length and preferably at least four inehes in internal diameter or width. By comparison~ ~nother pre*erred ba~, of 60 in4hes bY
72 inohes, of six hundredths of an inoh thiok blaok polyethylene, requir~s a hollow tube like struoture as an air dif~user whioh i~ at least thirty ineheæ
in length and such a a hollow tube like s-tructure may functionally be about six inohes in diame-ter or width~ Lar~er diameter hollow tube like structures may be employed wi-th oontainers of larger capaoity.
The ba~s may be alosed about or attached to, and detached from, the hollow tube li~e structure by means of -tie cords, or straps, or sliddin~ lockin~
belts, or clips, whioh fasten to the bag only or fasten to the hollow tube like struoture or fasten to hoth or comblnations of these. One preferred waY
to attach the openin~ of the bag about the upper æone o~ the hollow tube like structure includes the ba~ bein~ oloseable and attaohable to -the uppermost zone by means o at least one oord whioh slide.s reversibly within guide members in the walls o~ the ba~ and being 104ated so as to enable the acoes~
openin~ to be closed. Another preferred manner of attaohin~ the openin~ o~ the bag about the upper æone of the hollow tube like structure i~oludes the ba~ bein~ closeable and attachable to the uppermost ~one by means of -two cords eaoh secured to the ~ag and each bein~ able to close at least part of the ba~ opening and both being supported so they may .30 slide rever~ibly within ~uide members in ~he walls of the bag and being located so as to enable the 1 2~
access opsrlin~ to be closed. A -further preferred rneans o~ attaohin~ -the openin~ of the b~g abou-t the upper zone of the hollow tube like structure include.s the bag being clossabls and a-ttaehable to the uppermo~t zone by means of at least one tie .strap seour~d to the upper wall of the ba~ and with a strap receiving -fastener unit al50 secured on the upper wall o~ the bag whereby the strap may b8 wrapped about the upper walls of the ba~ -therebY
closing the bag about and to the hollow tube like struoture and the strap -then being fastened to the said strap receiv-in~ fastener unit.
The hollow -tube like structure, an air diffuser, may consist substan-tially of one of the following; ~n extruded thermoplastic polymerio material, a metal, a biodegradable material) a cornposite rnaterial, and may include a combination o~
at leask t,wo o~ these.
The side walls o~ the hollow tube like structure must be at least partially constructed o~
corrugated tubing or pip0 and apertures in the side walls may be, at least partially, ~ormed by the outer surfaces of the corrugations bein~ per-forated, or the inner surfaces o~ the corru~ations per~orated, and including corrugations in both inner and outer surfaoes.
Perforations in the side walls of the hollow tube like struckure, the air diffuser, may reduce the rigidity of the side walls and it is some-times desirahle to have a æone adjacent to at least one len~thwi.se end to be withou-t perforations or to have . .
~2S07~8 any perforations therein covered. If only one end is without aperture,s it is the end having therein the openin~ to admit air and having an inseo-t excludin~ member therein. The .size of the %one wi-thout apertures should be lar~e enou~h to permit ready attachment of the upper wall section of the container to -the air di-ffuser and this oorrespond3 to a zone with a lengthwise dist~nce correspondin~
to the width of at least one of the side wall corrugations.
The corru~ations may extend leng-thwise on -the side walls of the corrugated tubing or corru~ated pipe~ or may be helically formed in a len~thwise form or may be formed a.s adiacent corrugations perpendicular to the lengthwise direction. One preferred embodiment includes oorru~ations on both surfacea beinB formed perpendicular to -the len~thwise direction with perforations being only in the outermost surfaoe.
The ~attern of the perforations in the side walls directly relates to -the ri~idity of the side walls. lt is preferred for -the plurality of aperatures located in the side walls to be located in a form conslsbin~ of one or more of th followln~: the perforations on any corrugation section bein~ substantially evenly spaQed one from another; the perforations being spaced so that ~he distance between the closest parts of any two perforations on a section of a corrugation is sub0tantially the same as the a~erage dimension of the two perforations; the perforations bein~ formed ~.,.
~2~;0728 in a linear pattern leng-thwise in the æide walls of the hollow tube like s-tr~cture; the perforation~
being ormed in a spiral pak-tern leng-thwi~e in the ~ide walls of the hollo~ tube like str~cture; and a plurality of perfora-tion~ being formed on any corru~ation seotion. It i~ preferred for the perforatione to be evenly spacedJ in the outer surface of corru~ations of the hollow tube like structure.
The aparatures in the side wall~ of -the hollow tube like structure, when not covered with oompost excluding material, may have an a~erage area of between about one ~quare inch and one eigth sg~are inch and preferably between about three quarters of a square inch and one quarter square inch. The number of perforations may ~e related to the fraotion of the wall area ocoupied by the void area of the openin~s. It is preferred or this area, of all the perforation~, to be between one half and one tenth the area o-f the outer surface of the tubin~ or pipe.
The corru~ations of the the said hollow tube like struoture may be of a siæe which, measured as a ratio of the;difference between the average external width dimen~ion a~d the average internal width dimension over the avera~e internal widt,h dimension, is between one fiftieth and one quarter and preferably between one twentieth and one eighth, The air admitting openin~ of the air difu~er must ha~e installed therein a member .~uitable for excllldin~ flying inseots larger than one tenth inch : . , . . ~
: . :
,, , 607~3 in -their smallest dimenæion. The preferred member is a rnetallic wo~en ecreen with about eleven wires per inch by about eighte~n wires per inch. The inseot excluding member, which also must exclude waste from enterirl~ the air diffuser while permitting air to enter the air dif-fuser, may be constructed of other materials, including one or more of; porous sheet like material, mesh material fibrous material, woven material, non woven rnaterial, perforated material. It is neoessary to support these materials -to prevent displacement or damage from wastes contactin~ the inseot excluding member.
The support of or protection of the in~ect exoludin~ member so as to resist displacemerlt maY
include one or more of the fol1owin~; (a~ an assembly of elements in which at leaF~t some elements are of a dimension greater than two hundredths of an inch and with the distanoe between adjacent element.s in the plane perpendicular to the lengthwise dimension of the hollow tube like structure being between one sixth inch and two inches ~nd the a~sembly being placed immediately below and adjoinin~ to the member suitable for excluding flying inseot6, (b) a unitary ourved oover ~tructure being rigid in the direction responding to a s-tress directed lengthwi~e towards ths air admittin~
opening from external to the hollow kube like ; structure and being plaoed above the member suitable ~or excludin~ flyin~ insscts, (c~ a rigid ~rill havirl~ at least sorne elements having one dimen.sion .
~rea-ter than two hundredths o~ an inch and with the distance bekween adjacent elements in the plane perpendicu3.ar to -the len~thwise dimension o~ th~
hollow tube like strllGture bein~ between one sixth inch and two inches and the grill bein~ placed immediately below and adjoinin~ to the member sui-table f`or excluding ~lying insects, (d~ an assembly of elements in which at least some elements are of a dimension greater -than two hundredths o-~ an inGh and with the distance between adjacent elements in the plane perpendicular to the lengthwise dimension o~ the hollow tube like struoture bein~
between one sixth inoh and two inches and being plaoed immediately below and adjoining to the member suitable for excluding flyin~ inseots, (e) an assembly o~ slements ~orming a proteotive cover havin~ air admi-tting regions greater than about one tenth inoh in their smallest dimension and less than two inohes in their largest dimension extendin~
above the member suitable for exoluding ~lying insects, (~) a rigid structure with air admitting regions in the plane perpendicular to the lengthwise dimension of the hollow tube like structure bein~
~reater than about one tenth inch in their smallest dimension and less than two inches in their lar~est dimension extendin~ above the member suitable for excludinæ ~l~in~ insectsl ~g) a rigid structure with air admi-tting regions havin~ dimensions in the p].ane perpendioular to the lengthwise dimension of the hollow tube like struoture ~reater than about one tenth in~h in their smallest dimension and less than ~L26~72~3 two inches in their lar~e~t dimen.sion adioirling to the lower ~urface of the member suitable for excludin~ flyin~ insects.
A prefe,rred method of producin~ compos-t from or~anic waste materials invol~es employin~ the apparatus of the instant invention and the steps o~
~a3 installin~ the hollow tube like structure, the air diffuser, within the seleoted container whereby -the air admittin~ opening of the ~aid hollow tube like structure being loca-ted exteriorly of an upper wall of the container or of an upper wall of an attached co~er of the containerJ ~b~ attaching ~-t least part of a contalner wall, wherein the container wall may be a portion of a cover mounted on the container, to the said hollow tuba like structure as required to enclose the oon-tents o-f the container, ~c~ deattaohing and attaching at lea~t part of a container wall, wherein the part of the oontainer wall may include an openable and clo~eable door therein, a$ re~uired to respectively access and enclose the:oontents of the container, (d~
accumulating or~anio waste ma-tter laterally about, and adjoining to, the said hollow tube like structure, (e~ adding water as reguired to maintain ~: the org~nic matter in a moist stateJ (f) addin~
matter rich in microorgani~m~ ) repeating the steps (c~, (dj, (e) and ~f~ until ths container is illed to a hei~ht at leas-t equal to hal~ the hei~ht o~ the said hollow tuhe like structure, (h) allowin~
the container and at least ~ome o~ t,he content~: to remain at an avera~e daily ambient temperature above 07~8 sixty de~reeFJ F'arerlheit for at least ~ifteen days, and (i~ removing the contents o~ the oontainer, wherein the ma~tter rich in microorganisms is one, or more~ of one of the following; (a) natural F2oil, (~
compost, and ~o} partially forrned compoF~tJ and wherein the average ratio, on a weight basis, of drY
compos-table organic matter to dr~ ma-tter rich in microorganisms which is placed in the container is between 200:1 and 5:1 respectively.
One preferred method of processin~ waste material involves -the use of a flexible walled bagJ
partioularly -for intermittent use or for seasonal useJ such as the infrequent processing of leaves. It is desirable to ensure that there is at least one small liquid drain hole in the lowermost wall of anY
container employed for compostin~.
In one preferred method of processin~ waste materialJ the air di~fuser is removed from the oompost containable oontainer at the end of ZO su~F2tantially oomplete compostin~J the oontainer bein~ closed asd the compost bein~ stored in the container untll the compost bein~ required~ The removed air dlffuser may be installed in a second container and the processing o~ additional or~anic waste contisued is the seoosd contaiser.
~, ~, . .
~,
Claims (14)
1. A composting apparatus comprising, in combination; (a) a compost containable container, having (1) an access opening in an upper wall portion and (b) a hollow tube like structure installed in the said access opening, and the hollow tube like structure having (1) at least one air admitting opening extending outwardly from the access opening and (2) the said air admitting opening having therein one member suitable for admitting air while excluding flying insects and (3) means enabling the insect excluding member to resist displacement from the air admitting opening while excluding wastes, and an improvement in said hollow tube like structure including (4) apertured corrugated side walls in that portion extending into the container and (5) means permitting the hollow tube like structure being releasably installed in said access opening, so as to be attachable to and detachable from the upper wall portion of the said container and being attached to the said container so as to substantially close at least part of said access opening.
2. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 in which the said upper wall portion of the said container is a member selected from the group consisting of; (a) a member extending continuously from the side walls, (b) a member substantially of the same construction as the side walls, (c) a cover member attachable to and detachable from the walls of the container, (d) a cover member attachable to and detachable from the said hollow tube like structure, (e) a cover member being attachable to and detachable from the walls of the container and also being attachable to and detachable from the said hollow tube like structure, (f) a flexible material, (g) a cover member comprising at least two portions one of which includes a openable and closable access opening, (h) a cover member comprising at least two portions one of which includes an opening of a form to releasable receive the said hollow tube like structure and another portion includes a means to access the interior of the said container, and (i) a combination of at least two of; (a), (b, (c), (d), (e), (f), (g) and (h), and in which said hollow tube like structure, comprises side walls constructed, at least partially, of a member selected from the group consisting of; (a) corrugated hollow tube with the outer surfaces of the corrugations being perforated, (b) corrugated hollow tube with the inner surfaces of the corrugations being perforated, and (c) a combination of (a) and (b), an in which the said air admitting portion having installed therein a member suitable for excluding flying insects larger than one tenth inch in their smallest dimension selected from the group consisting of; (a) porous sheet like material, (b) mesh material, (c) fibrous material, (d) woven material, (e) non woven material, (f) perforated material, and (g) a combination of (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), and (f), and the means enabling the said member to resist displacement includes a member selected from the group consisting of; (a) rigid structure with air admitting regions in the plane perpendicular to the lengthwise dimensions of the hollow tube like structure greater than about one tenth inch in their smallest dimension and less than two inches in their largest dimension extending above the said member suitable for excluding flying insects, (b) rigid structure with air admitting regions in the plane perpendicular to the lengthwise dimension of the hollow tube like structure greater than about one tenth inch in their smallest dimension and less than two inches in their largest dimension adjoining to the lower surface of the said member suitable for excluding flying insects, (c) rigid structure with air admitting regions in the plane perpendicular to the lengthwise dimension of the hollow tube like structure greater than about one tenth inch in their smallest dimension and less than two inches in their largest dimension supporting the lower surface of the said member suitable for excluding flying insects, and (d) a combination of at least two of (a), (b) and (c).
3. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 2 in which the said compost containable container is a member selected from the group consisting of; (a) a flexible walled structure with air permeable walls, (b) a flexible walled structure with walls substantially impermeable to air, (c) a bag having flexible and air permeable walls, (d) a bag having flexible walls substantially impermeable to air, (e) a rigid walled container having a cover constructed at least partly of flexible weather resistant polymeric material, (f) a conventional domestic trash container with a cover made at least partly of flexible weather resistant polymeric material, (g) a conventional shipping drum with a cover made at least partly of flexible weather resistant polymeric material, (h) a combination of at least two of; (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f) and (g).
4. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 3 in which the apertured corrugated side walls of the said hollow tube like structure comprise a plurality of aperatures located within a region of the lengthwise dimension of the side walls which excludes a zone comprising a distance corresponding to the width of at least one of the side wall corrugations and the said zone without aperatures being located adjacent to one of the two end extremities of the lengthwise portion of the said hollow tube like structure and that zone without and aperture being the side wall portion including the said air admitting portion of the said hollow tube like structure and in which a plurality of aperatures located in the side walls of the said hollow tube like structure are located in a form of a member selected from the group consisting of; (a) the perforations on any coorugation section being substantially evenly spaced one from another, (b) the perforations being spaced so that the distance between the closest parts of any two perforations on a section of a corrugation in substantially the same as the average dimension of the two perforations, (c) the perforations being formed in a linear pattern lengthwise in the side walls of the said hollow tube like structure, (d) the perforations being formed in a spiral pattern lengthwise in the side walls of the said hollow tube like structure, (e) a plurality of perforations being formed on any corrugation section, and (f) a combination of at least two of; (a), (b), (c), (d), and (e).
5. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 3 in which the said compost containable container has a capacity between one and five hundred cubic feet and preferably between two and forty cubic feet, and the length of the said hollow tube like structure is between one foot and eight feet and preferably between one an one half feet and three feet, and the internal width of the said hollow tube like structure is between three inches and twelve inches and preferably between four inches and six inches, and the side walls of the said hollow tube like structure being at least partially constructed of a member selected from the group consisting of; (a) an extruded thermoplastic polymeric material, (b) metal, (c) biodegradable material, (d) composite material, and (e) a combination of at least two of;
(a), (b), (c) and (d), and the corrugations of the the said hollow tube like structure have the form of a member selected from the group consisting of; (a) corrugations extending perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the said hollow tube like structure, (b) corrugation extending parallel to the lengthwise direction of the said hollow tube like structure, (c) corrugations extending helically in the lengthwise direction of the said hollow tube like structure, and the the corrugations of the the said hollow tube like structure being of a size which, measured as a ratio of the difference between the average external width dimension and the average internal width dimension over the average internal width dimension, is between one fiftieth and one quarter and preferably between one twentieth and one eighth, and the means enabling the said member suitable for excluding flying insects larger than one tenth inch in their smallest dimension to resist displacement includes a rigid structure being a member selected from the group consisting of; (a) an assembly of elements as least some elements being of larger dimension in the direction responding to a stress directed lengthwise towards the said air admitting opening from external to the said hollow tube like structure than in one other direction and being placed below the member suitable for excluding flying insects, (b) a unitary curved cover structure being rigid in the direction responding to a stress directed lengthwise towards the said air admitting opening from external to the said hollow tube like structure and being placed above the member suitable for excluding flying insects, (c) a rigid grill having at least some elements having one dimension greater than two hundredths of an inch and with the distance between adjacent elements in the plane perpendicular to the lengthwise dimension of the hollow tube like structure being between one sixth inch and two inches and being placed immediately below and adjoining to the member suitable for excluding flying insects, and (d) a combination of at least two of; (a), (b) and (c).
(a), (b), (c) and (d), and the corrugations of the the said hollow tube like structure have the form of a member selected from the group consisting of; (a) corrugations extending perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the said hollow tube like structure, (b) corrugation extending parallel to the lengthwise direction of the said hollow tube like structure, (c) corrugations extending helically in the lengthwise direction of the said hollow tube like structure, and the the corrugations of the the said hollow tube like structure being of a size which, measured as a ratio of the difference between the average external width dimension and the average internal width dimension over the average internal width dimension, is between one fiftieth and one quarter and preferably between one twentieth and one eighth, and the means enabling the said member suitable for excluding flying insects larger than one tenth inch in their smallest dimension to resist displacement includes a rigid structure being a member selected from the group consisting of; (a) an assembly of elements as least some elements being of larger dimension in the direction responding to a stress directed lengthwise towards the said air admitting opening from external to the said hollow tube like structure than in one other direction and being placed below the member suitable for excluding flying insects, (b) a unitary curved cover structure being rigid in the direction responding to a stress directed lengthwise towards the said air admitting opening from external to the said hollow tube like structure and being placed above the member suitable for excluding flying insects, (c) a rigid grill having at least some elements having one dimension greater than two hundredths of an inch and with the distance between adjacent elements in the plane perpendicular to the lengthwise dimension of the hollow tube like structure being between one sixth inch and two inches and being placed immediately below and adjoining to the member suitable for excluding flying insects, and (d) a combination of at least two of; (a), (b) and (c).
6. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 4 in which the said compost containable container has a capacity between one and five hundred cubic feet and preferably between two and forty cubic feet, and the length of the said hollow tube like structure is between one foot and eight feet and preferably between one and one half feet and three feet, and the internal width of the said hollow tube like structure is between three inches and twelve inches and preferably between four inches and six inches, and the side walls of the said hollow tube like structure being at least partially constructed of a member selected from the group consisting of; (a) an extruded thermoplastic polymeric material, (b) metal, (c) biodegradable material, (d) composite material, and (e) a combination of at least two of;
(a), (b), (c) and (d), and the corrugations of the the said hollow tube like structure have the form of a member selected from the group consisting of; (a) corrugations extending perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the said hollow tube like structure, (b) corrugations extending parallel to the lengthwise direction of the said hollow tube like structure, (c) corrugations extending helically in the lengthwise direction of the said hollow tube like structure, and the the corrugations of the the said hollow tube like structure being of a size which, measured as a ratio of the difference between the average external width dimension and the average internal width dimension over the average internal width dimension, is between one fiftieth and one quarter and preferably between one twentieth and one eighth, and the means enabling the said member suitable for excluding flying insects larger than one tenth inch of their smallest dimension to resist displacement includes a rigid structure being a member selected from the group consisting of; (a) an assembly of elements at least some elements being of larger dimension in the direction responding to a stress directed lengthwise towards and said air admitting opening from external to the said hollow tube like structure than in one other direction and being placed below the member suitable for excluding flying insects, (b) a unitary curved cover structure being rigid in the direction responding to a stress directed lengthwise towards the said air admitting opening from external to the said hollow tube like structure and being placed above the member suitable for excluding flying insects, (c) a rigid grill having at least some elements having one dimension greater than two hundredths of an inch and with the distance between adjacent elements in the plane perpendicular to the lengthwise dimension of the hollow tube like structure being between one sixth inch and two inches and being placed immediately below and adjoining to the member suitable for excluding flying insects, and (d) a combination of at least two of; (a), (b) and (c).
(a), (b), (c) and (d), and the corrugations of the the said hollow tube like structure have the form of a member selected from the group consisting of; (a) corrugations extending perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the said hollow tube like structure, (b) corrugations extending parallel to the lengthwise direction of the said hollow tube like structure, (c) corrugations extending helically in the lengthwise direction of the said hollow tube like structure, and the the corrugations of the the said hollow tube like structure being of a size which, measured as a ratio of the difference between the average external width dimension and the average internal width dimension over the average internal width dimension, is between one fiftieth and one quarter and preferably between one twentieth and one eighth, and the means enabling the said member suitable for excluding flying insects larger than one tenth inch of their smallest dimension to resist displacement includes a rigid structure being a member selected from the group consisting of; (a) an assembly of elements at least some elements being of larger dimension in the direction responding to a stress directed lengthwise towards and said air admitting opening from external to the said hollow tube like structure than in one other direction and being placed below the member suitable for excluding flying insects, (b) a unitary curved cover structure being rigid in the direction responding to a stress directed lengthwise towards the said air admitting opening from external to the said hollow tube like structure and being placed above the member suitable for excluding flying insects, (c) a rigid grill having at least some elements having one dimension greater than two hundredths of an inch and with the distance between adjacent elements in the plane perpendicular to the lengthwise dimension of the hollow tube like structure being between one sixth inch and two inches and being placed immediately below and adjoining to the member suitable for excluding flying insects, and (d) a combination of at least two of; (a), (b) and (c).
7. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 4 in which the said compost containable container is a flexible plastic bag constructed of black polyethylene of four hundredths of an inch average thickness with flat dimensions of thirty inches width and fourth eight inches length and the bag being closeable and attachable to the uppermost corrugations of the said hollow tube like structure located therein by means of at least one cord which slides reversibly within guide members located so as to enable the said access opening to be closed and the said hollow tube like structure being a corrugated pipe, with the corrugations being adjacent one to another and extending perpendicular to the lengthwise direction, and said pipe being about four inches in internal diameter and about twenty two inches in length and constructed of black polyethylene with perforations in the outermost surface of the corrugations and said perforations having an average area of about one quarter square inch and the area of the perforations comprising in total about one tenth the area of the outer surface of the pipe.
8. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 6 in which the said compost containable container is a flexible plastic bag constructed of black polyethylene of four hundredths of an inch average thickness with flat dimensions of thirty inches width and fourty eight inches length and the bag being closeable and attachable to the uppermost corrugations of the said hollow tube like structure located therein by means of at least one cord which slides reversibly within guide members located so as to enable the said access opening to be closed and the said hollow tube like structure being a corrugated pipe, with the corrugations being adjacent one to another and extending perpendicular to the lengthwise direction, and said pipe being about four inches in internal diameter and about twenty two inches in length and constructed of black polyethylene with perforations in the outermost surface of the corrugations and said perforations having an average area of about one quarter square inch and the area of the perforations comprising in total about one tenth the area of the outer surface of the pipe.
9. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 5 in which the said compost containable container is a flexible plastic bag made of black polyethylene of six hundredths of an inch average thickness with flat dimensions of sixty inches width and seventy two inches length and the bag being closable and attachable to the uppermost corrugations of the said hollow tube like structure located therein by means of two cords which separately being attached to the bag and slide reversibly within guide members located so as to enable at least part of the said access opening to be closed with either cord and the said hollow tube like structure being a corrugated pipe, with the corrugations being adjacent one to another and extending perpendicular to the lengthwise direction, and being about six inches in internal diameter and about thirty two inches in length and constructed of black polyethylene with perforations in the outermost surface of the corrugation having an average area of about one half square inch and the area of the perforations comprising in total about one fifth the area of the outer surface of the pipe.
10. an apparatus as claimed in Claim 5 in which the said compost containable container is a rigid walled container having a capacity of about seven cubic feet and having a cover constructed substantially of flexible vinyl film of about one tenth of an inch average thickness and the said hollow tube like structure being about six inches in internal diameter and about thirty two inches in length and constructed of black polyethylene soil drainage pipe with perforations in the outermost surface of the corrugations having an average area of about one half square inch and the area of the perforations comprising in total about one fifth the area of the outer surface of the pipe and the said hollow tube like structure being located within the rigid walled container wherein the air admitting opening being uppermost and the cover being releasably attachable to the upper portions of the said rigid walls of the container and said cover having therein an opening near the center of the cover and about said opening there being means enabling the cover to be attachable to and detachable from the uppermost zone of the side walls of the said hollow tube like structure so as to seal the vinyl cover to the said hollow tube like structure.
11. A method of producing compost from organic waste materials employing the apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the apparatus comprises, in combination; (a) a compost containable container, having (1) an access opening in an upper wall portion and (b) a hollow tube like structure installed in the said access opening, and the hollow tube like structure having (1) at least one air admitting opening extending outwardly from the access opening and (2) the said air admitting opening having therein one member suitable for admitting air while excluding flying insects and (3) means enabling the insect excluding member to resist displacement from the air admitting opening while excluding wastes, and an improvement in said hollow tube like structure including (4) apertured corrugated side walls in that portion extending into the container and (5) means permitting the hollow tube like structure being releasably installed in said access opening, so as to be attachable to and detachable from the upper wall portion of the said container so as to substantially close said access opening and the steps of; (a) accumulating organic waste matter within the container and laterally about, and adjoining to, the said hollow tube like structure, (b) adding water as required to maintain the organic matter in a moist state, (c) adding matter rich in microorganisms, (d) repeating the steps (a), (b) and (c) until the container is filled to height at least equal to half the height of the said hollow tube like structure, (e) allowing the container and at least some of the contents to remain at an average daily ambient temperature above sixty degrees Farenheit for at least fifteen days, and (f) removing the contents of the container, wherein the matter rich in microorganisms is a member selected from the group consisting of; (a) natural soil, (b) compost, (c) partially formed compost and (d) a combination of at least two of (a), (b) and (c), and wherein the average ratio, on a weight basis, of dry compostable organic matter to dry matter rich in microorganisms which is placed in the container is between 200:1 and 5:1 respectively.
12. A method of producing compost from organic waste materials employing the apparatus as claimed in Claim 2 and the steps of; (a) installing the said hollow tube like structure within the said container whereby the air admitting opening of the said hollow tube like structure being located exteriorly of an upper wall of the container, (b) attaching at least part of a container wall, wherein the said container wall may be a portion of a cover mounted on the container, to the said hollow tube like structure as required to enclose the contents of the container, (c) deattaching and attaching at least part of a container wall, wherein the part of the container wall may include an openable and closeable door therein, as required to respectively access and enclose the contents of the container, (d) accumulating organic waste matter laterally about, and adjoining to, the said hollow tube like structure, (e) adding water as required to maintain the organic matter in a moist state, (f) adding matter rich in microorganisms, (g) repeating the steps (c), (d), (e) and (f) until the container is filled to a height at least equal to half the height of the said hollow tube like structure, (h) allowing the container and at least some of the contents to remain at an average daily ambient temperature above sixty degrees Farenheit for at least fifteen days, and (i) removing the contents of the container, wherein the matter rich in microorganisms is a member selected from the group consisting of; (a) compost and (d) a combination of at least two of (a), (b) and (c), and wherein the average ratio, on a weight basis, of dry compostable organic matter to dry matter rich in microorganisms which is placed in the container is between 200:1 and 5:1 respectively.
13. A method of producing compost from organic waste materials employing the apparatus as claimed in Claim 7 and the steps of; (a) installing the said hollow tube like structure within the plastic bag wherein the access opening in the bag facing upwardly and whereby the air admitting opening of the said hollow tube like structure being uppermost and the said air admitting opening being substantially surrounded latterly by the access opening of the bag, (b) attaching at least part of the upper bag wall to the said hollow tube like structure as required to enclose the contents of the container, (c) deattaching and attaching at least part of the bag wall with respect to the said hollow tube like structure by means of at least one cord provided for this purpose, as required to respectively access and enclose the contents of the container, (d) accumulating organic waste matter laterally about, and adjoining to, the said hollow tube like structure, (e) adding water as required to maintain the organic matter in a moist state, (f) adding matter rich in microorganisms, (g) repeating the steps (c), (d), (e) and (f) until the bag being filled to a height at least equal to half the height of the said hollow tube like structure, (h) allowing the bag and at least some of the contents to remain at an average daily ambient temperature above sixty degrees Farenheit for at least fifteen days, and (i) removing the contents of the bag, wherein the matter rich in microorganisms is a member selected from the group consisting of; (a) natural soil, (b) compost, (c) partially formed compost and (d) a combination of at least two of (a), (b) and (c), and wherein the average ratio, on a weight basis, of dry compostable organic matter to dry matter rich in microorganisms which is placed in the bag is between 200:1 and 5:1 respectively.
14. A method of producing compost from organic waste materials employing the apparatus as claimed in Claim 10 and the steps of; (a) installing the said hollow tube like structure within the said container whereby the air admitting opening of the said hollow tube like structure being located near an upper wall of the container, (b) attaching at least part of a container wall, wherein the container wall may be a portion of a cover mounted on the container, to the said hollow tube like structure as required to enclose the contents of the container, (c) deattaching and attaching at least part of a container wall, wherein the part of the container wall may include an openable and closable door therein, as required to respectively access and enclose and contents of the container, (d) accumulating organic waste matter laterally about, and adjoining to, the said hollow tube like structure, (e) adding water as required to maintain the organic matter in a moist state, (f) adding matter rich in microorganisms, (g) repeating the steps (c), (d), (e) and (f) until the container is filled to a height at least equal to half the height of the said hollow tube like structure, (h) allowing the container and at least some of the contents to remain at an average daily ambient temperature above sixty degrees Farenheit for at least fifteen days, and (i) removing the contents of the container, wherein the matter rich in microorganisms is a member selected from the group consisting of; (a) natural soil, (b) compost, (c) partially formed compost and (d) a combination of at least two of (a), (b) and (c), and wherein the average ratio, on a weight basics, of dry compostable organic matter to dry matter rich in microorganisms which is placed in the container is between 200:1 and 5:1 respectively.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000577980A CA1260728A (en) | 1988-09-21 | 1988-09-21 | Aerobic composting apparatus |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000577980A CA1260728A (en) | 1988-09-21 | 1988-09-21 | Aerobic composting apparatus |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1260728A true CA1260728A (en) | 1989-09-26 |
Family
ID=4138760
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000577980A Expired CA1260728A (en) | 1988-09-21 | 1988-09-21 | Aerobic composting apparatus |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1260728A (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5457031A (en) * | 1993-09-20 | 1995-10-10 | Masse; Ronald J. | Composter and method of use |
-
1988
- 1988-09-21 CA CA000577980A patent/CA1260728A/en not_active Expired
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5457031A (en) * | 1993-09-20 | 1995-10-10 | Masse; Ronald J. | Composter and method of use |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |