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Soil sterilizer and method

  • US 5,553,414 A
  • Filed: 07/22/1994
  • Issued: 09/10/1996
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/23/1993
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. Apparatus for destroying soil-borne pests comprising:

  • a) frame means;

    b) mobility means mounted on and supporting the frame means for movement of the frame means in a given direction;

    c) a hollow drum having a boundary wall rotationally supported on the frame means about a substantially horizontal axis parallel to the given direction, the drum having a forward and rearward end;

    d) ground-engaging means supported by the frame means for continuously removing at least about the top 100 mm of soil from the ground in the path of the apparatus as the frame means moves in the given direction;

    e) a continuous conveyor supported on the frame means for moving the removed soil from the ground-engaging means and delivering it to the forward end of the drum;

    f) flame-and-exhaust-gas-producing means in an end of the drum directed inward of the drum along the upper portion of the drum to heat the wall of the drum;

    g) means for moving the removed soil from the forward end of the drum to the rearward end toward discharge including helical baffle means fixedly secured to the wall of the drum add extending toward the axis and having trip plates also affixed to the wall longitudinally of the drum between adjacent sections of the helical baffle means, whereby the helical baffle means serves to convey the removed soil and also to arrest the flow of flame and exhaust gas along the upper portion of the rotating drum to expose said wall for a longer period to the heat of the flame and gas and more efficiently increase the temperature of the wall, and the trip plates serve to tumble the removed soil to assure thorough contact of the soil with the hot wall.

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