Method and device for producing feedstuff or organic fertilizer from edible waste material through low temperature, natural fermentation and drying process

Abstract

A method and device for producing feed stuff or organic fertilizer from edible waste material, such as domestic and commercial food waste products in addition to marine, livestock and agriculture by-products resulting from the commercial production of food items, through a low temperature, natural fermentation and drying process is disclosed. In an embodiment, two mixing/crushing screw feeder units are inclinedly arranged within a chamber with the inclining directions of the two units being opposite to each other. Two mixing screw feeder units individually and downwardly extend from the overlapping inclined end of one of the two mixing/crushing units to the underlapping declined end of the other mixing/crushing unit. In another embodiment, two oppositely rotatable screw feeders, individually consisting of a drive shaft with two helical screws rotating upon the shaft in opposite directions, are horizontally arranged in the chamber.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of producing feed stuff or organic fertilizer from edible waste material, consisting of domestic and commercial food waste products in addition to marine, livestock and agriculture by-products resulting from the commercial production of food items, through a low temperature, natural fermentation and drying process in a fermenting/drying chamber, comprising the steps of: 
 moving the waste material upwardly along an inclinedly arranged first screw feeder unit from a declined end to an inclined end of said unit while mixing and crushing the material by helical screws of the unit prior to passing the material to an inclined end of an inclinedly arranged second screw feeder unit;    moving the waste material downwardly along said second unit from the inclined end to a declined end of the second unit while mixing the material by helical screws of the second unit prior to passing the material to a declined end of an inclinedly arranged third screw feeder unit;    moving the waste material upwardly along the third unit from the declined end to an inclined end of said third unit while mixing and crushing the waste material by helical screws of the third unit prior to passing the material to an inclined end of an inclinedly arranged fourth screw feeder unit;    moving the waste material downwardly along said fourth unit from the inclined end to a declined end of the fourth unit while mixing the material by helical screws of the fourth unit prior to passing the material to the declined end of said first unit, thus allowing the waste material to be repeatedly processed by the first to fourth units until the material is appropriately fermented and dried into feed stuff or organic fertilizer.    
     
     
         2 . A method of producing feed stuff or organic fertilizer from edible waste material, consisting of domestic and commercial food waste products in addition to marine, livestock and agriculture by-products resulting from the commercial production of food items, through a low temperature, natural fermentation and drying process in a fermenting/drying chamber, comprising the steps of: 
 repeatedly moving the waste material along two horizontally and parallely arranged screw feeders outwardly and inwardly while mixing and crushing the material by helical screws of said two screw feeders rotated in opposite directions.    
     
     
         3 . A device for producing feed stuff or organic fertilizer from edible waste material, consisting of domestic and commercial food waste products in addition to marine, livestock and agriculture by-products resulting from the commercial production of food items, through a low temperature, natural fermentation and drying process in a fermenting/drying chamber, comprising: 
 two mixing/crushing units oppositely and inclinedly arranged in said chamber with inclining directions of said two units being diametrically opposite to each other, each of said two units consisting of alternately and parallely arranged first and second screw feeders rotatable in opposite directions, thus moving the waste material upwardly while mixing and crushing the material; and    two mixing units oppositely and inclinedly arranged in said chamber while respectively and downwardly extending from overlapping inclined ends to underlapping declined ends of the two mixing/crushing units, each of said mixing units consisting of two screw feeders rotatable in the same direction, thus moving the waste material downwardly while mixing the material prior to passing the material to the underlapping declined ends of the mixing/crushing units.    
     
     
         4 . The device according to    claim 3   , wherein either of the two mixing units extends to an exit of the chamber, thus selectively discharging processed waste material to the outside of said chamber through the exit with the screw feeders of a selected mixing unit being rotated in a reversed direction.  
     
     
         5 . A device for producing feed stuff or organic fertilizer from edible waste material, consisting of domestic and commercial food waste products in addition to marine, livestock and agriculture by-products resulting from the commercial production of food items, through a low temperature, natural fermentation and drying process in a fermenting/drying chamber, comprising: 
 two parallel screw feeders horizontally arranged in said chamber, said two screw feeders being rotatable in opposite directions and individually comprising a drive shaft, with two helical screws rotating upon the drive shaft in opposite directions and the rotating direction of the helical screws of one of the two screw feeders being opposite to that of the other screw feeder.