Apparatus, method and business methods for processing animal waste in a farm building

Abstract

A mobile apparatus is used to process animal waste in a farm building and to spread the processed animal waste back on the floor of the farm building as the apparatus moves through the farm building. The apparatus includes a processing mechanism that heats the animal waste to a predetermined temperature to eliminate insects, bacteria, and ammonia from the animal waste. The apparatus also includes a spreader mechanism for distributing the processed animal waste onto the farm building floor. The most preferred implementation of the apparatus is a single-pass machine that takes in animal waste in the front using a pickup mechanism, processes the animal waste to sanitize the animal waste, and spreads the sanitized animal waste in the rear, allowing the operator to move the machine through the farm building and thereby sanitize all of the animal waste in a single pass.

1 . A mobile apparatus comprising: 
 (A) a mechanism that allows the apparatus to move from a first location to a second location as the apparatus processes animal waste;    (B) a pickup mechanism that is substantially wider than an input to a processing mechanism, the pickup mechanism continuously picking up the animal waste as the apparatus moves from the first location to the second location, the pickup mechanism comprising a mechanism for transporting the animal waste to the input of the processing mechanism;    (C) the processing mechanism receives the animal waste from the pickup mechanism as the apparatus moves from the first location to the second location and heats the animal waste to at least a predetermined temperature; and    (D) a spreader mechanism that receives processed animal waste from an output of the processing mechanism, and spreads the processed animal waste as the apparatus moves from the first location to the second location in a path substantially wider than the output of the processing mechanism.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the processing mechanism comprises a screw-type extruder.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the predetermined temperature is sufficient to kill substantially all bacteria and insects in the animal waste.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the predetermined temperature is maintained for a sufficient time period to eliminate at least half of a quantity of ammonia in the animal waste.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the processing mechanism further compresses the animal waste.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the predetermined temperature is maintained for a sufficient time period to eliminate substantially all ammonia in the animal waste.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the predetermined temperature is 132° C.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the predetermined temperature is 145° C.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the predetermined temperature is 160° C.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the spreader mechanism spreads the processed animal waste the full width of a building that contains the animal waste as the apparatus is moved through the building.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the spreader mechanism comprises at least one rotary broadcast spreader.  
   
   
       12 . A mobile apparatus for processing animal waste in a building in a single pass, the apparatus comprising: 
 (A) a mechanism that allows the apparatus to move through the building as the apparatus processes animal waste;    (B) a pickup mechanism that continuously picks up the animal waste from the floor of the building as the apparatus moves through the building, the pickup mechanism having an adjustment mechanism that allows the pickup mechanism to extend to span a full width of the building so the apparatus processes substantially all of the animal waste in the building in a single pass, wherein the pickup mechanism includes a tiller mechanism for breaking up the animal waste;    (C) a screw-type extruder that receives the animal waste from the pickup mechanism, and compresses and heats the animal waste to at least 160° C. to kill bacteria and insects in the animal waste; and    (D) a broadcast-type rotary spreader mechanism that receives processed animal waste from the screw-type extruder, and that spreads the processed animal waste the full width of the building as the apparatus moves through the building.    
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the pickup mechanism includes an auger mechanism for transporting the animal waste to the processing mechanism.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the rotary broadcast spreader mechanism spreads the processed animal waste the full width of a building that contains the animal waste as the apparatus is moved through the building.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 12  further comprising an automatic steering mechanism for steering the apparatus through the building in the single pass.  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 12  further comprising: 
 a process detection mechanism the detects temperature of the screw-type extruder; and    a speed setting mechanism that varies speed of movement of the apparatus through the building according to temperature detected by the process detection mechanism.    
   
   
       17 . A mobile apparatus for processing animal waste in a building in a single pass, the apparatus comprising: 
 (A) a propulsion mechanism that moves the apparatus in a self-propelled manner from a first location to a second location as the apparatus processes animal waste;    (B) a pickup mechanism that is substantially wider than an input to a processing mechanism, the pickup mechanism continuously picking up the animal waste as the apparatus moves from the first location to the second location, the pickup mechanism comprising a mechanism for transporting the animal waste to the input of the processing mechanism;    (C) the processing mechanism receives the animal waste from the pickup mechanism as the apparatus moves from the first location to the second location and heats the animal waste to at least a predetermined temperature;    (D) a spreader mechanism that receives processed animal waste from an output of the processing mechanism, and spreads the processed animal waste as the apparatus moves from the first location to the second location in a path substantially wider than the output of the processing mechanism; and    (E) a gate having a first position that directs the processed animal waste from the output of the processing mechanism to the input of the processing mechanism until the processing mechanism has achieved the predetermined temperature, and having a second position that directs the processed animal waste from the output of the processing mechanism to the spreader mechanism after the processing mechanism has achieved the predetermined temperature.    
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 17  further comprising an automatic steering mechanism for steering the apparatus through the building in the single pass.  
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 17  further comprising: 
 a process detection mechanism the detects temperature of the processing mechanism; and    a speed setting mechanism that varies speed of the propulsion mechanism according to temperature of the processing mechanism detected by the process detection mechanism.