Growing medium and mulch fiber opening apparatus
AssigneeProfile Products L.L.C.
InventorsKevin Scott Spittle, Gary Lane Bowers, Neil Mabrouk, Robert Lando
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A compressed growing medium or mulch fiber opener comprising at least one set of adjacent rotating members, the rotating members having a surface and including at least one wire wound around at least a portion of the surface, wherein the wire includes a plurality of projections engaging compressed or partially opened growing medium or mulch fiber, and wherein a distance between the adjacent rotating members is sufficiently small to create at least one pinch point between the adjacent rotating members, the adjacent rotating members separating the fibers as the fibers pass through the at least one pinch point so that the density of the fiber is lowered by at least 50-95%.
Claims16
A compressed growing medium or mulch fiber opener comprising:
- a conveyor belt configured to deliver compressed or partially opened growing medium or mulch fiber to first and second rotating members arranged adjacent to the conveyor belt, each rotating member having a plurality of projections capable of engaging the compressed or partially opened growing medium or mulch fiber;
- the first and second rotating members configured immediately adjacent to each other to provide a pinch point between the rotating members, the first and second rotating members including a surface having at least one wire wound around at least a portion of the surface, the at least one wire having the projections, the first and second rotating members being configured to separate individual fibers as the compressed or partially opened growing medium or mulch fiber passes through the pinch point so that density of passing fiber is lowered by at least 50%, relative to the density of the compressed or partially opened growing medium or mulch fiber;
- and
- a first movable roller having a plurality of protrusions on its outer surface, the first moveable roller being located upstream from the rotating members, the first movable roller being relocatable with respect to the conveyor belt or a combination of the conveyor belt and the first and second rotating members and being arranged to apply pressure to the compressed or partially opened growing medium or mulch fiber such that the fiber remains within the fiber opener as the fiber advances towards the rotating members.
A compressed growing medium or mulch fiber opener comprising:
- a conveyor belt configured to deliver input fiber;
- a fiber opening section comprising a first and second rotating members being immediately adjacent to each other and arranged to provide a pinch point between the rotating members, the first and second rotating members including a surface having at least one wire wound around at least a portion of the surface, the at least one wire having the projections, the first and second rotating members configured to separate fibers as input fiber passes through the pinch point;
- and
- a shroud partially surrounding the rotating members and defining an opening opposite the pinch point, the shroud comprising a curved upper portion partially surrounding the first rotating member and a curved lower portion partially surrounding the second rotating member, the curved lower portion defining an open-bottom container of a mixing section immediately adjacent to the opening, a distance between the curved lower portion and the second rotating member defining a gap.
A compressed growing medium or mulch fiber opener comprising:
- a conveyor belt configured to deliver input fiber to a fiber opening section;
- the fiber opening section, capable of engaging compressed or partially opened growing medium or mulch fiber, comprising a first and second rotating members immediately adjacent to each other, the first and second rotating members being configured to form a fiber-separating pinch point, and a shroud partially surrounding the rotating members and defining an opening coplanar with the pinch point, the shroud comprising a curved upper portion partially surrounding the first rotating member and a curved lower portion partially surrounding the second rotating member;
- a mixing section adjacent to the opening;
- and
- a hopper immediately adjacent to the fiber opening section and connected to the mixing section via a connector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.