FR2558037A1 - Method for separating earthworms from their original litter with the aim of subsequently sorting them by means of screening - Google Patents

Abstract

This method uses a homogeneous material 3 covered by a screen 1 supporting a heterogeneous material 4 containing earthworms, in which a harrow assembly 5 is moved while vibrating and above which are fixed a light source 6 and an air blower 7, both facing towards the heterogeneous material 4. The combined effect of the action of the light, gas and vibrations gives rise to the migration of the earthworms from the heterogeneous material 4 towards the homogeneous material 3, via the orifices of the screen 1. It then suffices to screen this homogeneous material 3 in order to obtain the earthworms alone.

Description

 The present invention relates to a method for separating earthworms from their original litter in order to sort them later by screening.

 The original bedding of earthworms is generally an agglomeration of putrescible materials, decomposed or in decomposition, heterogeneous in size, with high humidity levels.

 The separation of earthworms from this litter is traditionally made impossible by any other means than manual because of the very nature of the materials that compose it.

 When sorting is done mechanically, it only intervenes after a relatively long period, during which the earthworms have sufficiently degraded the litter to allow it to be screened.

 Here again problems remain because at this stage the litter is still very wet, and the material which constitutes it tends to agglomerate and to clog the orifices of the screen.

 On the other hand, the material not being fluid and homogeneous, the screening of the litter, by planar or circular screens moved in translation or in rotation, tends to damage, cut or crush earthworms.

 This fact makes it difficult to market healthy earthworms, and shortens their shelf life.

 In addition, the production rate is slow and piecemeal.

 The storage of the litters entails an exaggerated occupation of the surface on the ground.

 Litter rotation is non-existent, resulting in a low yield per square meter and a high operating cost.

The aim being to separate earthworms from their vital environment by screening, the basic idea of the method according to the invention is to transfer earthworms contained in a heterogeneous material, to and into a new homogeneous material, of which the particle size, the humidity, temperature, and hydrogen potential (pH) are known and controlled
This transfer must be done without damage to earthworms, it appeared profitable to put them to use and therefore to meet the conditions necessary for their migration from a given environment, to another known.

 Once this transfer has been made, the screening of the new material no longer presents any technical difficulty and especially no longer any risk of damage to earthworms.

The method according to the invention will be written with reference to the appended drawings in which - Figure 1 is a schematic cross section
representing the different necessary elements put in
work by the process; - Figure 2 is a top view cut away from the figurel.

The method according to the invention implements: - a support 2, covered with a homogeneous material 3; - a flat screen 1, placed on this homogeneous material 3 and
directly in contact with it - a heterogeneous material 4, (litter> containing earthworms
and covering the plane screen 1; - a set of harrows 5 or any other suitable device.

placed above the screen 1, penetrating into the material
heterogeneous 4 and vibrating in the plane perpendicular to
that of screen I - one or more light sources 6 arranged above
and or on both sides of the whole, and directed towards
the heterogeneous material 4 - one or more air blowers 7 arranged above,
and or on both sides of the whole, and directed towards
heterogeneous material 4
According to the process, the combined effect of vibratory, gaseous and luminous actions causes the earthworms to migrate from the heterogeneous material 4 through the orifices of the plane screen 7 towards the homogeneous material 3
The method according to the invention is characterized in that it can be fully automated.

 Consequently, it is possible to envisage a line for the production of earthworms going, from the arrival of the heterogeneous material containing earthworms, to the packaging of these, passing through separation and screening.

Claims (11)

 1 - Method for separating earthworms from their original litter, with a view to sorting them later by screening, characterized in that it uses a homogeneous material 3 covered by a screen I supporting a heterogeneous material 4 containing earthworms in which moves a set of harrows 5 vibrating and above which are fixed one or more light sources 6 and one or more air blowers 7 directed towards the heterogeneous material 4  2. - Method according to claim 9 characterized in that the homogeneous material 3 is chemical nt compatible with the biological balance of earthworms.  3. - Method according to claim 2 characterized in that the homogeneous material 3 has a particle size, a temperature, a degree of humidity, and a predetermined hydrogen potential.  4. - Method according to claim 1 characterized in that the screen I has openings of predetermined dimensions and configurations.  5. - Method according to claim 1 characterized in that the support 2 and the screen 1 are self-supporting conveyor belts or not, or any other device allowing the superposition of the homogeneous material 3 and the screen I and the heterogeneous material 4  6. - Method according to claims I and 5 characterized in that the support 2 and the screen 1 are motorized conveyor belts moved in translation with predetermined own speeds and a relative speed of one of the bands with respect to zero .  7. - Method according to claim 1 characterized in that the heterogeneous material 4 is placed on the screen 1 in a thin layer of the order of five centimeters, just as the homogeneous material 3 is placed on the support 2 in layer thin on the order of five centimeters.  8. - Method according to claim 1 characterized in that the homogeneous material 3, and the screen 1 and the heterogeneous material 4 are in perfect contact and have zero relative displacement  9. - Method according to claim 1 characterized in that the harrow assembly 5 consisting of a non-limiting number of harrow vibrates in a plane perpendicular to that of the screen 1 at a predetermined frequency while being moved or not in translation in a plane parallel to that of the screen 1  10. - Method according to claims 1 and 9 characterized in that the vertical rods constituting the harrows penetrate and vibrate in the heterogeneous material 4 so that their lower part is not in contact with the upper part of the screen 7  11 ..- A method according to claim 1 characterized in that the intensity of the light flux, and or the inten situ of the gas flow and or the temperature of the gas flow are variable.