Method and apparatus for the fermentation of waste materials containing organic constituents

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR MAKING COMPOST FROM UNCOMMINUTED NON-FLUID WASTE MATERIALS CONTAINING FERMENTABLE ORGANIC SUBSTANCES WHICH COMPRISES, SUPPLYING AND INTRODUCING SAID UNCOMMINUTED NON-FLUID WASTE MATERIALS INTO AN ELONGATED, HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING ENCLOSURE ADJACENT ONE END THEREOF, FEEDING AND ADVANCING SUCH MATERIAL EN MASSES CONTINUOUSLY AND WITHOUT INTERRUPTION ALONG SAID ENCLOSURE FROM SAID ONE END TO THE OTHER THEREOF, INJECTING AERATION MEDIUM UNDER PRESSURE DIRECTLY INTO THE BODY OF SAID MATERIAL IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSE TO THE FLOW OF SAID MATERIAL THROUGH SAID ENCLOSURE, AND AT A MULTITUDE OF SPACED POSITION ALONG SAID PATH OF FLOW, TO FERMENT SAID MATERIAL, TUMBLING SAID MATERIAL WHILE THE SAME IN MOVING THROUGH SAID ENCLOSURE BY ROTATING SAID ENCLOSURE ABOUT A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL AXIS TO MIX SAID MATERIALS AND TO TRANSFER MOISTURE FROM THE RELATIVELY MOIST COMPONENTS OF SAID MATERIALS TO THE RELATIVELY DRY COMPONENTS THEREOF AND TO EFFECT ADEQUATE AERATION OF THE TOTAL MASS, MAINTAINING A SUBSTANTIAL DEPTH OF SAID MATERIAL THROUGHOUT SAID ENCLOSURE SO THAT THE UPPER LEVEL OF THE MATERIAL IS ABOVE SAID HORIZONTAL AXIS TO CAUSE SAID AERATION MEDIUM TO PASS THROUGH A SUBSTANTIAL THICKNESS OF THE MASS OF SAID MATERIAL, REGULATING THE INJECTION OF AERATION MEDIUM INTO SAID MASS ALONG THE LENGTH THEREOF TO CONTROL THE TEMPERATURE RESULTING FROM SAID FERMENTATION, CONTINUING SAID FERMENTATION UNTIL SAID MATERIAL IS FERMENTED TO A DESIRED DEGREE AND DISCHARGING THE TREATED MATERIAL FROM THE END OF SAID ENCLOSURE OPPOSITE TO SAID INTRODUCING END.