GB2169813A

GB2169813A - Compost-making

Info

Publication number: GB2169813A
Application number: GB8432049A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Grant Blakemore
Original assignee: Blackwall Products Ltd
Current assignee: Blackwall Products Ltd
Priority date: 1984-12-19
Filing date: 1984-12-19
Publication date: 1986-07-23
Also published as: GB2169813B; GB8432049D0

Abstract

A compost-making apparatus comprises a hollow container 10 rotatably supported on a transverse shaft 12 which is carried on opposite side members of a demountable frame 14. The container has (a) uppermost a filler opening 30 for admitting and emptying a charge of compost materials, and a closure member 40, (b) in its base, drainage holes 34, and (c) in its side wall, aeration holes 36. Compost is produced in said apparatus by placing a charge of compost materials in the container, adding an activating material, moistening the container contents with water, sealing the filler opening, and tumbling the container contents by rotating the container, for example, at least three times, and repeating the tumbling at least three times per day, for some two weeks. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Compost-making apparatus and method This invention relates to an apparatus and a method for making compost (i.e. decomposed vegetation) for use as a mulching or fertilising material in gardens.

Known methods of making compost involve forming discarded vegetation into a pile within a circumferentially-enclosing boundary, and allowing bacterial action in the presence of air and moisture to decompose that vegetation.

In some cases a chemical additive is provided to hasten the decomposition.

Such methods produce compost at a relatively low rate, require extraction of the mature compost from the relatively inaccessible bottom part of the pile, and necessitate lifting the composting material at different, generally inaccessible circumferential positions and heights so as to admit air to the interior of the pile.

The present invention seeks to provide an apparatus and a method for producing mature compost at a relative high rate, in readily handleable quantities, and with a ready means of effecting aeration of the material being composted and of removal of the mature compost product.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a compost-making apparatus comprises (a) a closed container having a filler opening through which a charge of materials to be composted may be introduced into the container, drainage holes in a base part of the container through which liquids from said materials may drain, and aeration holes in a side wall part of the container through which air may pass to said materials; (b) a closure member removably secured over said filler opening; and (c) a support frame for supporting said container, said container and said frame having cooperating bearing means which rotatably support the container on the frame and permit the container to be rotated about a transverse axis disposed intermediate said filler opening and said base part of the container whereby to tumble a said charge of materials introduced into the container.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a compost-making method includes the steps of:-(a) loading a balanced charge of materials to be composted into a rotatable, perforated container through a filler opening, (b) adding to the loaded materials water to moisten such materials; (c) sealing the filler opening, (d) rotating the container about a transverse axis intermediate said filler opening and an opposite base part of said container, so as to tumble the materials within the container, (e) allowing the materials in the container to settle and rest for a period, and (f) periodically repeating the step (d) above, with rest periods as at step (e) above in between.

Other features of the present invention will appear from a reading of the description that follows hereafter, and from the claims appended at the end of that description.

One compost-making apparatus and a method of making compost, both according to the present invention, will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing, in which: Figure 1 shows a side view of that apparatus in the composting position, with some parts broken away to reveal otherwise hidden parts; and Figure 2 shows an end view of the apparatus likewise in the composting position.

Referring now to the drawing, the apparatus there shown comprises a thin-walled, barrelshaped container or drum 10 of polyethylene, which container is rotatably carried, by means of a transverse bearing shaft 12, on a support frame 14 for rotation about a transverse axis which traverses the middle portion of the container.

The support frame 14 is of tubular metal construction, and comprises two parallel side members 16, each of inverted V-shape, which side members are joined together at their respective base portions by transverse, groundengaging foot portions 18. At the apex of each side member 16 is a seating 20 on which one end of the transverse shaft 12 is carried and secured there by a bolt 22 passing through the shaft 12 and side member 16, and an associated nut 24.

Each said side member 16 comprises at its upper end a tubular apex element 26 of inverted V-shape, and into the lower ends of that element are demountably-socketed (with push-fit) the upper ends of two mutually-inclined tubular leg portions 28. Each such leg portion forms, together with the corresponding leg portion 28 of the other side member 26 and the associated foot portion 18, a Ushaped frame member.

The container 10 has at its upper end a large filler opening 30 defined by an externally screw-threaded neck 32, in a base-portion a plurality (e.g. six) of spaced liquid drainage holes 34 of relatively small size (e.g. 5 mm diameter), and in its side wall a larger plurality (e.g. twelve) of spaced aeration holes 36 of somewhat greater size (e.g. 30 mm diameter).

The container 10 has inserted, with push-fit in its sidewalls at diametrically-opposite positions two plastics, bearing bushes 38 by means of which the container is rotatably carried on the said transverse shaft 12. That shaft traverses the interior of the container, protrudes on either side thereof from the respective bearing bushes 38, engages at its respective ends on the respective seatings 20 at the apices of the respective side members 16, and is secured on those seatings by the nut and bolt fixings 24, 22.

The filler opening 30 is provided with a removable closure member or cap 40, which has an internally screw-threaded rim for engagement with the neck 32 of the container.

The frame 14 is fully demountable for packaging and storage purposes, all of the frame parts being capable of being inserted into and stored in the container 10. Thus, for packaging, the transverse shaft 12 is released from the support frame by removal of the nut and bolt fixings, and the apex elements 26 are then detached from the said U-shaped frame members (16, 18). Those parts together with appropriate protective materials are inserted in the container, and are sealed therein by reapplying the closure member 40.

In one preferred embodiment of the apparatus just described above, the container has the following particulars:-diameter-6 1 cm; height-1 00 cm; capacity 180 litres; base and sidewall openings as specified in the examples given above.

Any other means of securing the closure member 40 may be used instead, e.g. a bayonet-type plug-and-socket arrangement.

The container 10 may have any suitable alternative configuration, provided that the charge of materials for composting may be easily admitted and subsequently emptied, and that effective tumbling of the charge in the container may be properly performed by rotation of the container about a transverse axis in the manner referred to herein.

Various other simple bearing arrangements for rotatably carrying the container 10 may be used as alternatives if desired. For example, the transverse shaft 12 may be replaced by two short stub shafts mounted in a cantilever manner on the seatings 20 and engaging in the respective bushes 38. If desired, those bushes may be of the socketed kind, rather than the straight-through kind, so as to protect the stub shafts from the contents of the container.

Moreover, the transverse shaft 12, or the said stub shafts, may be supported instead in journal bearings secured on the respective seatings 20 on the frame side members 16.

If desired, such stub shafts may be transferred to and secured on the container side walls, bearing bushes for receiving those respective stub shafts being in that case mounted on the respective seatings 20 of the frame side members 16. In such an alternative, one such stub shaft may be arranged to protrude from its associated bearing bush and be removably fitted at its free end with a iever or handle for effecting rotation of the container.

To produce compost using the apparatus described above, by the aerobic method, the cap 40 is removed, and with the container in the vertical, composting position a balanced charge of waste vegetable materials (for example, garden weeds, plant clippings, vegetable peelings, grass cuttings, and strips of newspaper) is tipped into the container. An artificial (e.g. having an ammonium sulphate base) or a natural (e.g. having a bacterial base) activating material is added to the charge, for example, as sold under the trade marks COMPHOST by Sertosan Limited, GAR OTTA by Garotta Products Limited or SEP TICO by Septics Limited, and the contents of the container is then moistened with water.

The contents of the container must not be allowed to dry out, and further water may therefore be added subsequently.

After re-applying the container cap, the container is rotated about its transverse shaft 12, for example two/three times, so as to tumble and so intimately mix and aerate the contents of the container. After a rest period of about five or six hours, the container is again rotated in like manner to again mix and aerate the contents. Rotation of the container is repeated after a further period of rest of some five or six hours. Each day for two weeks this process is repeated, and dependent on the seasonal weather conditions prevailing, the contents of the container will then have reached a matured, ready-for-use state, or require but a few more days of further processing in the manner described above.

The mature compost may be emptied conveniently on to a piastic sheet by removing the closure cap 40, and then tilting the container to the chain-dotted position 42 so as to lower the filler opening towards the ground.

The apparatus may be arranged for sale in a self-assembly package, in which all of the frame parts are to be found packed and sealed within the closed container. Assembly of the apparatus simply involves:- (a) the assembly of the support frame 14, (b) the insertion of the transverse shaft 12 in the fitted container bushes 38; and (c) the fixing of the respective ends of the container-carrying shaft 12 on the seatings 20 of the frame side members 16.

Claims

1. A compost-making apparatus comprising (a) a closed container having a filler opening through which a charge of materials to be composted may be introduced into the container, drainage holes in a base part of the container through which liquids from said materials may drain, and aeration holes in a side wall part of the container through which air may pass to said materials, (b) a closure member removably secured over said filler opening; and (c) a support frame for supporting said container, said container and said frame having cooperating bearing means which rotatably support the container on the frame and permit the container to be rotated about a transverse axis disposed intermediate said filler opening and said base part of the container whereby to tumble a said charge of ma terials introduced into the container.

2. An apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said bearing means on said container are arranged so that said transverse axis is disposed substantially centrally between said filler opening and said container base part.

3. An apparatus according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein said frame includes a pair of parallel side members which extend along opposite sides respectively of said container and support said container at the respective opposite sides thereof.

4. An apparatus according to Claim 3, wherein at each side of said container said bearing means comprises a pair of cooperat ing, aligned, male and female bearing members, one such bearing member being secured on the container and the other bearing member being secured on the adjacent side mem bey of said support frame.

5. An apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein at each side of said container said male bearing member is secured to the said side member of the support frame.

6. An apparatus according to Claim 5, wherein each said male bearing member is constituted by an end portion of a transverse bearing shaft which extends across the interior of the container and which has said end portion thereof protruding from the container.

7. An apparatus according to Claim 5 or 6, wherein at each side of said container said female bearing member comprises a bearing bush inserted in an aperture formed in the side wall of the container.

8. An apparatus according to any one of the Claims 3 to 7, wherein each of said side members of the support frame comprises an inverted V-shaped side member with which said bearing means cooperates at or near the apex of that member.

9. An apparatus according to Claim 8, wherein each said V-shaped side member comprises a V-shaped apex element, with the respective limbs of which are removably-socketed respective detachable leg members.

10. An apparatus according to Claim 8 or 9, wherein said supporting frame includes a ground-engaging base structure which interconnects said V-shaped side members.

11. An apparatus according to any one of the Claims 8 to 10, wherein said V-shaped side members and/or said base structure are of tubular construction.

12. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein said container is of barrel shape, or drum shape.

13. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein said closure member is secured to said container by a screw-threaded coupling means, or by a bayonet-type plugand-socket coupling means.

14. A method of making compost by the aerobic process, comprising the steps of:-(a) loading a balanced charge of materials to be composted into a rotatable, perforated container through a filler opening; (b) adding to the loaded materials water to moisten such materials; (c) sealing the filler opening; (d) rotating the container about a transverse axis intermediate said filler opening and an opposite base part of said container, so as to tumble the materials within the container; (e) allowing the materials in the container to settle and rest for a period; and (f) periodically repeating the step (d) above, with rest periods as at step (e) above in between.

15. A method according to Claim 14, including between the steps (a) and (b) the additional step of adding to the materials loaded in said container an activating substance or material.

16. A method according to Claim 14 or 15, performed in an apparatus according to any one of the Claims 1 to 13.

17. A compost-making apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying diagrammatic drawing.

18. A method of making compost, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying diagrammatic drawing.