Device and Method for Composting

Abstract

A composter device is provided including a mixer and a grinder commonly driven and commonly located in a composting chamber of the device. A large opening at the top of the composting chamber permits large objects to be inserted into the chamber to permit the object to be ground and left to decompose to produce compost material in the same chamber. The grinder includes grinding elements arranged to produce a shearing action while the mixer includes an auger to produce a churning action when the ground matter requires periodic mixing during the decomposition process to produce compost.

1 . A composter device for composting a whole object, the device comprising:
 a housing having a composting chamber arranged to receive the whole object therein;   a grinder supported in the composting chamber at the bottom end of the composting chamber so as to be arranged for grinding the whole object into a ground material; and   a mixing member supported in the composting chamber above the grinder for rotation about an upright axis relative to the housing so as to be arranged for mixing the ground material above the grinder;   the grinder including a first grinding element and a second grinding element rotatable relative to one another about the upright axis of the mixing member;   the first grinding element comprising a rigid member including a slot formed therein which extends fully through the rigid member from a first side to a second side of the rigid member and defining first edges at a periphery of the slot;   the second grinding element comprising a lug defining second edges which closely fits within the slot and which is arranged to pass fully through the slot from the first side to the second side of the rigid member as the grinding elements are rotated relative to one another;   the first edges of the first grinding element being rotatable in close proximity past the second edge of the second grinding element so as to be arranged to produce a shearing action between the first and second edges for grinding the object into the ground material.   
     
     
         2 . The device according to  claim 1  wherein the rigid member extends radially out from the upright axis of the mixer and wherein the lug is arranged to pass through the slot in the rigid member in a circumferential direction from the first side to the second side of the rigid member in relation to the upright axis. 
     
     
         3 . The device according to  claim 1  wherein the slot in the rigid member is open to a bottom side of the rigid member and wherein the lug is supported on a bottom wall of the composting chamber. 
     
     
         4 . The device according to  claim 1  wherein there is provided a horizontal base plate at the bottom of the composting chamber which supports the lug thereon and wherein the rigid member is located directly adjacent the base plate such that the rigid member and the base plate are rotatable relative to one another. 
     
     
         5 . The device according to  claim 4  wherein there is provided a plurality of lugs supported on the base plate so as to be arranged to be received in the slot as the first and second grinding elements are rotated relative to one another. 
     
     
         6 . The device according to  claim 1  wherein the first grinding element is rotatable relative to the housing and the second grinding element is fixed and stationary relative to the housing. 
     
     
         7 . The device according to  claim 1  wherein the lug includes a leading edge which extends upwardly at an inclination in a direction of rotation of the grinding element towards the slot of the other grinding element to confront the other grinding element as the grinding elements are rotated relative to one another. 
     
     
         8 . The device according to  claim 1  wherein the rigid member comprises at least one guide tooth above the slot which projects into a direction of relative rotation of the rigid member, said at least one guide tooth comprising a leading edge extending downwardly and inwardly towards the slot. 
     
     
         9 . The device according to  claim 1  wherein the sweep arm is in proximity to a wall of the composting chamber throughout a length of the sweep arm between a bottom end and a top end of the sweep arm such that the housing is substantially unobstructed along the upright axis of the mixer so as to be arranged to allow access of a substantially whole livestock carcass to the grinder at the bottom end of the composting chamber. 
     
     
         10 . The device according to  claim 1  wherein there is provided a gearbox having a gearbox housing and a gearbox output shaft supported for rotation relative to the gearbox housing by respective gearbox bearings and a motor coupled to the gearbox so as to drive rotation of the gearbox output shaft and wherein the mixer includes a drive shaft extending through the bottom end of the composting chamber for rotation relative to the housing of the composing chamber with the mixer about the upright axis, the gearbox housing being supported in an axial direction of the drive shaft primarily by connection of the gearbox output shaft to the drive shaft of the mixer and the gearbox housing being coupled to the housing of the composting chamber by a torque member acting primarily to resist rotation of the gearbox housing relative to the housing of the composting chamber about the upright axis of the mixer. 
     
     
         11 . A composter device for composting a substantially whole livestock carcass, the device comprising:
 a housing having a composting chamber arranged to receive the livestock carcass therein;   a grinder supported in the composting chamber at the bottom end of the composting chamber so as to be arranged for grinding the carcass into a ground material;   the grinder including a first grinding element having first edges and a second grinding element having second edges in which the first and second edges are rotatable relative to one another in close proximity past one another so as to be arranged to produce a shearing action between the first and second edges for grinding the livestock carcass into the ground material; and   a mixing member supported in the composting chamber above the grinder for rotation about an upright axis relative to the housing so as to be arranged for mixing the ground material;   the mixer comprising a sweep arm which spirals upwardly in a direction sloping away from a direction of rotation of the sweep arm from a bottom end of the sweep arm adjacent the grinder at the bottom end of the chamber to a top end of the sweep arm spaced above the bottom end of the chamber;   the sweep arm being in proximity to a wall of the composting chamber throughout a full length of the sweep arm between the bottom end and the top end of the sweep arm such that the sweep arm is movable about the composting chamber in a sweeping motion adjacent the wall of the composting chamber and such that the housing is substantially unobstructed along the upright axis of the mixer so as to be arranged to allow access of the substantially whole livestock carcass to grinder at the bottom end of the composting chamber.   
     
     
         12 . The device according to  claim 11  wherein the sweep arm is fully supported relative to the housing at the bottom end by axially spaced apart bearings such that the top end of the sweep arm comprises a free unsupported end. 
     
     
         13 . The device according to  claim 11  wherein the composting chamber includes a conical wall tapering downwardly and inwardly towards the grinder at the bottom end of the chamber and the sweep arm has an increasing diameter with increasing distance from the bottom end to the top end such that the sweep arm is in proximity to the conical wall throughout the full length of the sweep arm. 
     
     
         14 . The device according to  claim 11  wherein there is provided a fixed member supported on a wall of the composting chamber at an intermediate location along the length of the sweep arm in alignment with a slot on the sweep arm such that the fixed member passes through the slot as the mixer is rotated. 
     
     
         15 . The device according to  claim 14  wherein there is provided a plurality of fixed members supported on the wall of the composting chamber in alignment with said slot on the sweep arm. 
     
     
         16 . The device according to  claim 11  wherein there is provided a fixed member supported on a wall of the composting chamber at an intermediate location along the length of the sweep arm, the fixed member having a thickness which is arranged to substantially fully span a gap between the sweep arm and the peripheral wall as the sweep arm is rotated past the fixed member. 
     
     
         17 . The device according to  claim 11  wherein the sweep arm of the mixer includes an upper ramped surface extending along a length of the sweep arm and spanning horizontally in a radial direction across a width of the sweep arm so as to be arranged to urge material in the composting chamber upwardly at a periphery of the chamber along the ramp surface of the mixer as the mixer is rotated. 
     
     
         18 . The device according to  claim 11  wherein there is provided a gearbox having a gearbox housing and a gearbox output shaft supported for rotation relative to the gearbox housing by respective gearbox bearings and wherein the mixer includes a drive shaft extending through the bottom end of the composting chamber for rotation relative to the housing of the composing chamber with the mixer about the upright axis, the drive shaft of the mixer being supported for rotation relative to the housing of the composting chamber by a pair of bearings spaced apart from one another in an axial direction at a location below the bottom end of the composting chamber and spaced above the gearbox bearings in the gearbox housing. 
     
     
         19 . A composter device for composting a whole object, the device comprising:
 a housing having a composting chamber arranged to receive the whole object therein;   a grinder supported in the composting chamber at the bottom end of the composting chamber so as to be arranged for grinding the whole object into a ground material;   the grinder including a first grinding element having first edges and a second grinding element having second edges in which the first and second edges are rotatable relative to one another in close proximity past one another so as to be arranged to produce a shearing action between the first and second edges for grinding the object into the ground material;   a mixing member supported in the composting chamber above the grinder for rotation about an upright axis relative to the housing so as to be arranged for mixing the ground material above the grinder;   a gearbox having a gearbox housing and a gearbox output shaft supported for rotation relative to the gearbox housing by respective gearbox bearings; and   a motor coupled to the gearbox so as to drive rotation of the gearbox output shaft;   the mixer including a drive shaft extending through the bottom end of the composting chamber for rotation relative to the housing of the composing chamber with the mixer about the upright axis;   the gearbox housing being supported in an axial direction of the drive shaft primarily by connection of the gearbox output shaft to the drive shaft of the mixer; and   the gearbox housing being coupled to the housing of the composting chamber by a torque member acting primarily to resist rotation of the gearbox housing relative to the housing of the composting chamber about the upright axis of the mixer.   
     
     
         20 . The device according to  claim 19  wherein the drive shaft of the mixer is supported for rotation relative to the housing of the composting chamber by a pair of bearings spaced apart from one another in an axial direction at a location below the bottom end of the composting chamber and spaced above the gearbox housing.