Apparatus for co-composting municipal refuse

Claim 2

Apparatus for composting municipal refuse to cause biological decomposition of organic material in the municipal refuse, the apparatus comprising an elongated drum adapted to contain municipal refuse, the drum having an inlet end and a discharge end and including a central longitudinal axis, means for supporting the drum for rotation about its central longitudinal axis and with the inlet end of the drum higher than the discharge end of the drum, means for causing rotation of the drum about the longitudinal axis, means for supplying refuse material to the inlet end of the drum, the means for supplying refuse material to the inlet end of the drum including a chamber for containing a charge of refuse material, a pipe for connecting the chamber to the inlet end of the drum, the pipe having opposite ends, one end of the pipe being connected to the chamber and an opposite end of the pipe extending into and beyond the inlet end of the drum, and means for selectively forcing refuse material into the one end of the pipe, and means for connecting the opposite end of the pipe to the drum to facilitate rotation of the drum with respect to the pipe and for preventing discharge of refuse material between the inlet end of the drum and the pipe, the means for connecting the pipe to the drum including a cylindrical collar surrounding the pipe and supported on the pipe for slideable movement on the pipe in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the drum.

Claim 3

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 and further including means for supplying a quantity of moisture to the inlet end of the drum.

Claim 4

Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein the means for supplying moisture to the inlet end of the drum includes a means for supplying sewage sludge to the inlet end of the drum, the means for supplying sewage sludge including a pump connected to a source of sewage sludge and a conduit between the pump and the pipe for supplying refuse to the inlet end of the drum.

Claim 5

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the composted refuse material at the discharge end of the drum includes large particle component materials and composted particulate material, the composted particulate material having particle sizes smaller than the large particle component materials, and further including means for separating the composted particulate material from the larger materials in the refuse discharged from the discharge end of the drum.

Claim 6

Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein the means for separating includes a first screen surrounding the discharge end of the drum, the first screen receiving composted particulate material discharged from the discharge end of the drum.

Claim 7

Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein the first screen comprises a cylindrical screen fixed to the drum and having a longitudinal axis coextensive with the axis of the drum and for rotation with the drum.

Claim 8

Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 and further including a conveyor positioned below an end portion of the cylindrical screen for receiving large component materials from the cylindrical screen and a second conveyor is positioned below the cylindrical screen for receiving small particulate material.

Claim 9

Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 and further including a second cylindrical screen surrounding the first cylindrical screen.

Claim 10

Apparatus for composting municipal refuse to cause biological decomposition of organic material in the municipal refuse, the apparatus comprising: an elongated drum defining a single composting chamber extending substantially the length of the drum and adapted to contain municipal refuse, the drum having an inlet end and a discharge end and including a central longitudinal axis, means for supporting the drum for rotation about its central longitudinal axis and with the inlet end of the drum higher than the discharge end of the drum, means for causing rotation of the drum about the longitudinal axis, means for supplying a quantity of moisture to the inlet end of the drum, including means for supplying sewage sludge to the inlet end of the drum, the means for supplying sewage sludge including a pump connected to a source of sewage sludge and a conduit between the pump and the inlet end of the drum, a plurality of spaced-apart elongated members fixed to the drum and projecting generally radially inwardly, and means for supplying refuse material to the inlet end of the drum, the means for supplying refuse material to the inlet end of the drum including a storage area for receiving refuse material, the storage area including a floor, a chamber for containing a charge of refuse material, the chamber being in the floor such that refuse material on the floor can be pushed into the chamber, a pipe for connecting the chamber to the inlet end of the drum, the pipe having opposite ends, one end of the pipe being connected to the chamber and an opposite end of the pipe extending into the inlet end of the drum, and means for selectively forcing refuse material into the one end of the pipe, the means for selectively forcing including a ram housed in the chamber and extensible to force refuse material into the pipe, and further including means for connecting the opposite end of the pipe to the drum to facilitate rotation of the drum around the pipe, the means for connecting the pipe to the drum including means for preventing discharge of refuse material between the inlet end of the drum and the pipe, wherein the means for connecting the pipe to the drum includes a cylindrical collar surrounding the pipe and supported on the pipe for slideable movement on the pipe in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the drum, wherein the inlet end of the drum has an end wall including a central opening, the pipe and the collar being housed in the central opening, and wherein the means for connecting the pipe to the drum includes a pair of flanges supported by the collar, the flanges lying in planes generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the drum, one of the flanges being positioned on one side of the end wall of the drum and the other of the flanges positioned on the opposite side of the end wall of the drum.

Claim 11

Apparatus for composting municipal refuse to cause biological decomposition of organic material in the municipal refuse, the apparatus comprising: an elongated drum defining a single composting chamber extending substantially the length of the drum and adapted to contain municipal refuse, the drum having an inlet end and a discharge end and including a central longitudinal axis, means for supporting the drum for rotation about its central longitudinal axis and with the inlet end of the drum higher than the discharge end of the drum, means for causing rotation of the drum about the longitudinal axis, means for supplying a quantity of moisture to the inlet end of the drum, including means for supplying sewage sludge to the inlet end of the drum, the means for supplying sewage sludge including a pump connected to a source of sewage sludge and a conduit between the pump and the inlet end of the drum, a plurality of spaced-apart elongated members fixed to the drum and projecting generally radially inwardly, and means for supplying refuse material to the inlet end of the drum, the means for supplying refuse material to the inlet end of the drum including a storage area for receiving refuse material, the storage area including a floor, a chamber for containing a charge of refuse material, the chamber being in the floor such that refuse material on the floor can be pushed into the chamber, a pipe for connecting the chamber to the inlet end of the drum, the pipe having opposite ends, one end of the pipe being connected to the chamber and an opposite end of the pipe extending into the inlet end of the drum, and means for selectively forcing refuse material into the one end of the pipe, the means for selectively forcing including a ram housed in the chamber and extensible to force refuse material into the pipe, and further including means for connecting the opposite end of the pipe to the drum to facilitate rotation of the drum around the pipe, the means for connecting the pipe to the drum including means for preventing discharge of refuse material between the inlet end of the drum and the pipe, wherein the means for connecting the pipe to the drum includes a cylindrical collar surrounding the pipe and supported on the pipe for slideable movement on the pipe in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the drum, wherein the inlet end of the drum has an end wall including a central opening, the pipe and the collar being housed in the central opening, and wherein the means for connecting the pipe to the drum includes a pair of flanges supported by the collar, the flanges lying in planes generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the drum, one of the flanges being positioned on one side of the end wall of the drum and the other of the flanges positioned on the opposite side of the end wall of the drum.