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US 4,306,686 AGranted
Compost treatment apparatus
AssigneeScarab Manufacturing and Leasing, Inc.
InventorMarvin L. Urbanczyk
Life of this patent
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AssigneeScarab Manufacturing and Leasing, Inc.
InventorMarvin L. Urbanczyk
Estimating the term…
A machine and method are disclosed whereby a deep continuous layer of waste material in a large field can be processed into compost without prearranging the material in windrows. Up to four times as much material in a given area can be treated compared to windrowed material. The machine forms an initial pathway through the deep layer of material by following one boundary of the material with the material treating mechanism and supporting tunnel frame set at an oblique angle to the pathway and the tracking wheels set at acute angles to the tunnel axis. The material undergoing treatment is continuously discharged rearwardly at an oblique angle. At the end of the initial pathway, the machine is turned and adjusted to a second operational mode and moved in a reverse direction along a second pathway contiguous with the initial pathway. The material along the second pathway is treated and continuously discharged rearwardly at an oblique angle into the initial pathway to fill in the same. The method is continued until the entire continuous layer of material is treated without disturbing its continuity.
A machine for treating a continuous deep layer of waste material covering a wide area of the ground comprising a tunnel frame, mechanical waste treatment means carried by the tunnel frame, a steering and traction wheel and a cooperative trailing caster wheel disposed on each side of the tunnel frame, independent power drive and steering means for each steering and traction wheel, power means to raise and lower said steering and traction wheels and said caster wheels on each side of the tunnel frame relative to the tunnel frame, additional power means bodily supporting each steering and traction wheel and associated caster wheel at each side of the tunnel frame and being operable to longitudinally shift such wheels forwardly and rearwardly along the sides of the tunnel frame to and from right and left hand use modes on the tunnel frame, said steering and traction wheels in both the right and left hand use modes being positioned to track at an acute angle to the tunnel axis of said frame, and means to releasably lock said additional power means in said right and left hand use modes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.