Apparatus for treating garbage to produce compost

Claim 1

A DIGESTER COMPRISING A BASE FRAME PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON THE GROUD AT ONE END, JACKING MEANS ATTACHED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID BASE FRAME FOR PIVOTING SAID BASE FRAME SO THAT IT MAY AKE AN INCLINED POSITION, DRIVING AND SUPPORTING WHEELS SUPPORTED BY SAID BASE FRAME, A CYLINDRICAL DRUM SUPPORTED BY SAID WHEELS AND ROTATED BY SAID DRIVING WHEELS ABOUT ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS, MOTOR MEANS TO DRIVE SAID WHEELS, SAID DRUM HAVING INLET AND OUTLET OPENINGS AT OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF, CLOSURE MEANS TO CLOSE SAID OPENINGS, LIFTING BLADES EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID DRUM WITHIN THE SAME IN CLOSE PROXIMITY WITH THE INSIDE FACE OF THE CYLINDRICAL WALL THEREOF, MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTING SAID BLADES WITHIN SAID DRUM FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID BLADES BETWEEN AN ACTIVE POSITION RADIALLY INWARDLY PROJECTING WITHIN THE DRUM, AND AN INACTIVE POSITION FOLDED FLAT AGAINST SAID CYLINDRICAL WALL OF THE DRUM, ACTUATOR MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH BLADE FOR PIVOTING SAID BLADES BETWEEN SAID TWO POSITIONS INDEPENDENTLY OF ONE ANOTHER, AND CONTROL MEANS OPERATING SAID ACTUATOR MEANS WHEN THE ASSOCIATED BLADE REACHES THE TOPMOST PORTION OF SAID DRUM DURING ROTATION OF THE LATTER, SAID OUTLET OPENINGS CONSISTING OF A SERIES OF EQUALLY SPACED AND ANNULARLY ARRANGED OPENINGS MADE IN THE OUTER MARGINAL PORTION OF THE END WALL OF SAID DRUM, AND SAID CLOSURE MEANS FOR SAID OUTLET OPENINGS CONSISTING OF AN ANNULAR PLATE MEMBER SLIDABLY FITTED OVER SAID END WALL FOR ROTATION WITH RESPECT TO THE SAME ABOUT ITS CENTER, SAID ANNULAR CLOSURE PLATE HAVING A PLURALITY OF EQUALLY SPACED OPENINGS ADAPTED TO REGISTER WITH THE OUTLET OPENINGS OF SAID END WALL IN ONE POSITION OF SAID PLATE AND ADAPTED TO REGISTER WITH THE IMPERFORATE PORTION OF SAID END WALL IN THE CLOSED POSITION OF SAID CLOSURE PLATE, AND POWER MEANS FOR MOVING SAID CLOSURE PLATE BETWEEN SAID TWO POSITIONS.