Means for creating air channels in bagged compost material

• US 5,345,744 A
• Filed: 09/22/1992
• Issued: 09/13/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Versa Corporation (Conveyors, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Steven R Cullen
• Inventors: Cullen, Steven R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Linda B.
• Application Number:
  US07/949,447
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 100/65, 100/98 A, 100/100, 100/144, 141/71, 141/73, 141/114, 53/111 R, 53/113, 53/128.1, 53/410, 53/428, 53/459, 53/469, 53/473, 53/567, 53/570, 53/576
• US Class Current: 53/128.1
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 1/04 Methods of, or means for, filling the material into the containers or receptacles

Abstract

A compost bagging machine is described including a wheeled frame having a tunnel mounted thereon which is adapted to receive the opened mouth of a bag. The inside surface of the tunnel is provided with a plurality of spaced apart flutes which create air channels in the material within the bag. An elongated perforated pipe is also positioned within the material in the bag and the bagging machine moves relative to the bag during the bagging operation. The presence of air in the channels created by the flutes and the air present in the perforated pipe ensures that sufficient air will be present in the mass to achieve complete decomposition of the material.

Claims

1. A compost bagging machine for bagging compost material into an elongated flexible bag having a fixed end and an open mouth;

a wheeled frame means having rearward and forward ends;

a tunnel means on said wheeled frame means and having an intake end for receiving compost material and an output end adapted to receive the mouth of the bag;

a hopper means on said wheeled frame means for receiving compost material;

means at the intake end of said tunnel means for forcing the compost material into said tunnel means, into said bag, and to move said wheeled frame means away from said fixed end of said bag;

means associated with the bagging machine for creating air channels in the compost material in said bag to enhance the composting of the compost material;

said means for creating air channels comprising means for positioning an elongated, perforated pipe means in the compost material;

said means for positioning the elongated pipe means in the compost material including means for positioning the pipe means in a horizontal position, a reel means positioned on said wheeled frame means outwardly of said tunnel means, said reel means having the elongated pipe means wound thereon, and a guide means extending between said reel means and the interior of said tunnel means for guiding the pipe means from said reel means into the interior of said tunnel means.