Compost turning apparatus

A compost turning apparatus for turning composting materials in a windrow, the apparatus comprising:

• a towable mobile base being elongated in a longitudinal direction and having a lateral direction oriented substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the mobile base including a frame defining a windrow tunnel through which a windrow of composting materials is passed, and a tongue mounted on and extending forwardly from the frame;
• and
• a rotor mounted on the mobile base to rotate about a central longitudinal axis oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the mobile base, the rotor comprising:
• a drum having an outer surface elongated in the longitudinal direction of the mobile base, the outer surface of the drum having a pair of opposite ends and a midpoint between the opposite ends;
• a support shaft supporting the drum on the frame;
• and
• a plurality of paddles mounted on and extending outwardly from the drum, each paddle having a front surface for contacting composting materials in the windrow, the plurality of paddles having paddle positions on the outer surface of the drum, the paddle positions are arranged in a series of circumferential rows with each circumferential row having multiple paddles;
• and
• wherein the series of circumferential rows are spaced in the longitudinal direction of the drum, spacings between rows toward the midpoint of the outer surface being relatively farther apart than spacings between rows toward the ends of the outer surface of the drum.

A compost turning apparatus for turning composting materials in a windrow, the apparatus comprising:

• a towable mobile base being elongated in a longitudinal direction and having a lateral direction oriented substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the mobile base including a frame defining a windrow tunnel through which a windrow of composting materials is passed, and a tongue mounted on and extending forwardly from the frame;
• and
• a rotor mounted on the mobile base to rotate about a central longitudinal axis oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the mobile base, the rotor comprising:
• a drum having an outer surface elongated in the longitudinal direction of the mobile base;
• a support shaft supporting the drum on the frame;
• and
• a plurality of paddles mounted on and extending outwardly from the drum, each paddle having a front surface for contacting composting materials in the windrow;
• wherein the plurality of paddles have paddle orientations on the outer surface of the drum, the paddle orientations being characterized by an angle of pitch rotation of the front surface of the paddle about an axis parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the drum, the degree of pitch rotation being positive such that the front surface is rotated forward of the neutral plane such that the tip of the paddle is positioned forward of the neutral plane.