Poultry litter rejuvenating machine

Abstract

A poultry rejuvenating machine for attachment to a tractor includes a deck with an offset front frame attached to the top and front of the deck for attachment of the machine to a power-transfer output and a three-point hitch of a tractor. A rotating shaft is housed within the deck, and a plurality of peripheral blades are coaxially and equidistantly held on the shaft by bushings. Height adjustable skids attached to the bottom of the deck space the blades about 1 inch from the floor of a poultry house. A guide is provided on a projecting end of the deck, and a belt drive is provided on the other end of the deck that is drivingly engaged to the shaft. The machine traverses a poultry house to cut, turn and rejuvenate poultry litter.

1 . A method of rejuvenating poultry litter comprising the steps of:
 providing a plurality of blades having four cutting edges on radially extending members situated on each blade with two oppositely situated cutting edges oriented outward a first direction and two oppositely situated cutting edges oriented outward a second direction that is opposite the first direction;   coaxially arranging the plurality of blades along a transverse horizontal axis rotary shaft on a machine;   orienting each blade on the shaft such that each cutting edge leads the radially extending members during clockwise rotation of the blades while the machine is moving in a forward direction;   moving the machine in the forward direction and rotating the blades clockwise in a peripheral motion by rotation of the transverse horizontal axis rotary shaft of the machine; and   penetrating a layer of poultry litter on a poultry house floor by individual sequential entry of each blade cutting edge into the layer of poultry litter as the machine moves forward to generate loosened litter.   
     
     
         2 . A method as in  claim 1  in which the step of penetrating the layer of poultry litter includes returning the loosened litter to the blade's center by the peripheral motion of the blades and then returning the loosened litter to the cutting edges for further fragmenting of the loosened litter. 
     
     
         3 . A method as in  claim 1  including the additional step of replacing the loosened litter after further diminution onto the poultry house floor by centrifugal force of the rotating blades. 
     
     
         4 . A method as in  claim 1  including the additional step of supporting the cutting edges of the blades above the poultry house floor upon penetration of the layer of poultry litter. 
     
     
         5 . A method as in  claim 1  in which the cutting edges of the blades are supported one inch above the poultry house floor.