A feed-grade compost turner

Abstract

This invention provides a feed-grade compost turner, comprising a self-propelled platform with a feed pickup device at its front end. A feed pickup conveyor belt, a deep mixer, and a lifting conveyor belt are spaced apart at the front and rear of the self-propelled platform. The first end of the feed pickup conveyor belt connects to the feed pickup device. The deep mixer includes a shell, mixing components, an inlet, and an outlet. The inlet connects to the rear end of the feed pickup conveyor belt, and the outlet connects to the front end of the lifting conveyor belt. An auxiliary material adding device is provided between the feed pickup conveyor belt and the inlet of the deep mixer, used to feed auxiliary materials into the material before mixing. The end of the lifting conveyor belt extends upwards so that the material flowing out from its end naturally falls into the pile. During production, this invention applies hammering and cutting forces to the clumps of wet material through the deep mixer, breaking up the clumps in situ while simultaneously achieving mixing, ensuring that all materials and fermentation agents are thoroughly mixed without dead zones. This improves fermentation speed, quality, and uniformity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the fields of agricultural and sideline product processing and feed production, and particularly to a feed-grade compost turner. Background Technology

[0002] In the fields of agricultural and sideline product processing and feed production, the output of by-products such as distiller's grains, mushroom residues, and fruit pomace is enormous. Converting these by-products into feed-grade bio-fermentation is an important way to improve resource utilization, reduce environmental pollution, and expand protein feed sources. This conversion process places far higher demands on the uniformity of mixing fermentation materials, process flexibility, and hygiene and safety standards than those for ordinary organic fertilizer production.

[0003] Currently, the mainstream equipment used in the industry for aerobic or anaerobic fermentation treatment of such materials is various types of compost turners. For example, common trough compost turners and tracked compost turners have the core function of turning, crushing, oxygenating and relocating the stockpiled materials, mainly serving the large-scale production of organic fertilizers (such as farmyard manure, urban sludge and domestic waste).

[0004] However, existing compost turning technology has the following significant drawbacks, making it difficult to directly apply to feed-grade fermentation production: First, the mixing capacity is insufficient, failing to achieve feed-grade uniformity: Existing compost turners primarily rely on rollers, blades, or spiral blades to toss materials from one point to another, aiming to increase the material's contact area with air and the pile's permeability, rather than precise, high-intensity mixing. This working principle results in the material and the added microbial inoculants (microbial fermentation agents) failing to achieve deep and uniform integration, leaving numerous mixing "dead zones" or inefficient areas. During subsequent fermentation, these unevenly mixed areas are highly susceptible to the growth of harmful molds (such as Aspergillus flavus and Penicillium), producing mycotoxins. This causes the entire batch of material to fail to meet feed-grade hygiene standards and nutritional indicators, ultimately relegating it to use as organic fertilizer, resulting in resource waste and economic losses.

[0005] Secondly, the existing turning machines are functionally limited and lack the necessary technological steps for feed production. A standard feed-grade fermentation process requires not only turning but also the precise and uniform addition of various microbial agents, additives (such as bran and cornmeal), nutrient solutions, or moisture-regulating liquids, followed by orderly piling to control fermentation conditions. Current turning machines only have basic turning or piling functions, lacking integrated modules for feeding, spraying, deep mixing, residual material cleaning, and controlled piling. Manufacturers need to configure separate mixers, liquid pumps, conveyor belts, and other equipment, resulting in discontinuous processes, low efficiency, and difficulty in ensuring consistent process conditions between different batches.

[0006] In summary, existing technologies lack a dedicated feed fermentation production machine specifically designed for feed-grade conversion, capable of integrating multiple functions such as walking, conveying, deep mixing, liquid spraying, and pile cleaning into a single unit, and achieving seamless, highly uniform mixing (meeting feed-grade standards). Therefore, developing a novel, functionally integrated feed production machine with high mixing precision to address these issues has significant market application value and practical implications. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a feed-grade turning machine to solve the technical problem that the existing technology cannot meet the requirements of turning and mixing wet feed materials.

[0008] The present invention adopts the following technical solution: A feed-grade compost turner includes a self-propelled platform. A feeder is installed at the front end of the self-propelled platform. A feeder conveyor belt, a deep mixer, a lifting conveyor belt, and an auxiliary material adding device are arranged at intervals on the self-propelled platform. The first end of the feeder conveyor belt is connected to the feeder. The deep mixer includes a shell, a mixing component, a feed inlet, and a discharge outlet. The auxiliary material adding device is located in front of the mixing component and is used to feed auxiliary materials into the material before mixing. The end of the lifting conveyor belt extends upward so that the material flowing out from its end falls naturally into the pile.

[0009] Furthermore, the self-propelled platform is also equipped with a turning conveyor belt, the first end of which is connected to the end of the lifting conveyor belt, and the end of the turning conveyor belt can rotate around the first end to switch the position of the dumping and scattering.

[0010] Furthermore, the auxiliary material adding device includes a nozzle and a feeding bin. The nozzle is arranged at the feed inlet, and the feeding bin is fixed relative to the self-propelled platform. The lower end of the feeding bin is provided with a feeding port, which is located above the material picking conveyor belt.

[0011] Furthermore, the feed inlet is located at the upper end of the outer shell, and the discharge outlet is located at the lower end of the outer shell. The mixing component includes two stirring assemblies installed inside the outer shell, and a driving component installed on the outer shell for driving the two stirring assemblies to rotate relative to each other. Each stirring assembly includes a rotating shaft and crushing and stirring blades fixedly installed on the rotating shaft. The crushing and stirring blades are evenly staggered along the axial and circumferential directions of the rotating shaft.

[0012] Furthermore, the end of the crushing and turning blade is folded a certain size toward the axis of the turning assembly to form a bent working surface.

[0013] Furthermore, the outer shell is rectangular in shape and is installed at an angle with a lower front and a higher rear on the self-propelled platform. The two stirring assemblies are arranged side by side along the width direction of the outer shell. The feed inlet is located at the upper top of the outer shell in the length direction, and the discharge outlet is located at the lower bottom of the outer shell in the length direction.

[0014] Furthermore, the end of the crushing and turning blade extends toward the lower end of the outer shell in the length direction.

[0015] Furthermore, the pickup includes a pickup housing and a pickup roller shaft rotatably mounted thereon. The pickup roller shaft is fixed with helical blades and spokes. The helical blades have two sections and are located on both sides of the spokes. The spokes extend radially along the pickup roller shaft. Multiple spokes are distributed circumferentially along the pickup roller shaft. The two ends of the spokes extend to adjacent helical blades respectively.

[0016] Furthermore, the front end of the self-propelled platform is also provided with a cleaning device, which is located behind the pickup. The cleaning device includes two cleaning rollers and a drive component for rotating the cleaning rollers. The two cleaning rollers are arranged in a herringbone shape and the outer sides of the cleaning rollers are inclined forward. The opposite ends of the two cleaning rollers partially overlap.

[0017] The advantages of this invention are: 1. In the production process, this invention uses a deep mixer to apply hammering and cutting forces to clumps of material, breaking them up in situ rather than simply flipping them. Once the clumps are broken, their structure loosens, and the microbial agent enters simultaneously, allowing all materials to be thoroughly mixed with the fermentation agent without any dead zones. It's not a process of breaking first and then mixing, but rather mixing immediately after breaking the clumps. The microbial agent enters simultaneously, ensuring all materials are thoroughly mixed with the fermentation agent without any dead zones. After the materials and microbial agent are evenly mixed, fermentation no longer occurs only on the "clump surface," but starts simultaneously from every tiny cross-section, resulting in faster and more stable fermentation temperature rise and a significantly earlier high-temperature phase. For the same batch of material, fermentation uniformity is significantly consistent, with uniform color and odor in the output. Microbial agent utilization is improved, reducing the cost of repeated inoculation. It also reduces ineffective work such as sandwiching and dead zones caused by ordinary stirring.

[0018] 2. After being picked up, mixed, lifted, and piled, the materials undergo fermentation. All piled materials have been mixed to prevent incomplete fermentation and localized spoilage or mold due to uneven distribution of the microbial agent. During the piling process, any clumps will roll down the slope and break up, further improving the uniformity of the piling.

[0019] 3. The deep mixer is inclined on the self-propelled platform. After the material sent out by the end of the pick-up conveyor belt enters the deep mixer, it flows along the length of the deep mixer to other shaft sections of the turning assembly under the action of gravity. At the same time, it is turned over, crushed and transferred to the lower end of the turning assembly by the relatively rotating turning assembly, and then flows out through the discharge port. This increases the crushing efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a feed-grade compost turner according to the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of two stirring assemblies in a deep mixer; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the crushing and turning blades; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the pickup device. Figure 5 A top view showing the relative positions of the cleaning roller and the pickup. In the diagram, 100 is a self-propelled platform; 200 is a material pickup device; 300 is a material pickup conveyor belt; 400 is a deep mixer; 500 is a lifting conveyor belt; 600 is a turning conveyor belt; 700 is a cleaning device; and 800 is a feeding hopper. 21. Pick-up shell; 22. Pick-up roller shaft; 23. Spiral blade; 24. Spoke plate; 25. Drive component two; 41. Outer shell; 42. Feed inlet; 43. Discharge outlet; 44. Tumbling assembly; 45. Drive component one; 46. Nozzle; 441. Rotating shaft; 442. Crushing and tumbling blade; 71. Cleaning roller. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] Example 1 of a feed-grade compost turner: A feed-grade compost turner includes a tracked self-propelled platform 100, on which a feed pickup device 200, a feeding conveyor belt 300, a deep mixer 400, a lifting conveyor belt 500, and a turning conveyor belt 600 are installed.

[0024] The material picker 200 is installed at the front end of the self-propelled platform 100 to pick up wet materials from the ground and place them onto the material picker conveyor belt 300. The material picker conveyor belt 300 feeds the material into the deep mixer 400. After deep mixing, the wet material is discharged from the discharge port of the deep mixer and falls onto the lifting conveyor belt 500. The lifting conveyor belt 500 then conveys the material upward to the turning conveyor belt, which throws it out within a certain range. The material naturally falls into a pile, completing one turning and throwing cycle.

[0025] The pickup 200 is a rolling pickup type. As the self-propelled platform 100 moves forward, the pickup rotates synchronously and picks up the wet material onto the pickup conveyor belt 300. The pickup conveyor belt 300 is a V-shaped belt with a lower middle section and higher sides to prevent material from falling during the conveying process.

[0026] The picking conveyor belt 300 and the lifting conveyor belt 500 are arranged at intervals along the self-propelled platform 100. The deep mixer 400 is arranged between the picking conveyor belt 300 and the lifting conveyor belt 500, with its upper feed inlet 42 corresponding to the end position of the picking conveyor belt 300 to receive the material flowing out from the end of the conveyor belt. The deep mixer 400 includes a housing 41, with the feed inlet 42 located at the upper end of the housing 41 and a discharge outlet 43 at the lower end of the housing 41. Two stirring assemblies 44 are installed in the middle of the housing 41, and a drive component 45 for driving the two stirring assemblies 44 to rotate relative to each other is also installed on the housing 41. The stirring assembly 44 includes a rotating shaft 441 and crushing and stirring blades 442 fixedly installed on the rotating shaft. The crushing and stirring blades 442 are evenly staggered along the axial direction and circumferential direction of the rotating shaft 441. The ends of each crushing and turning blade 442 are folded a certain size toward the axis of the turning assembly to form a bent working surface for improving material crushing efficiency and turning uniformity.

[0027] The deep mixer 400 is installed at an angle on the self-propelled platform 100, with the front lower than the rear. Two agitator assemblies 44 are arranged at intervals along the wide side of the deep mixer 400. The feed inlet 42 is located at the upper side of the long side of the outer shell 41, and the discharge outlet 43 is located at the lower side of the long side of the outer shell 41. After the material enters the deep mixer 400 through the feed inlet 42, part of the material is crushed and agitated by the relatively rotating agitator assemblies 44, while the other part of the material flows downward along the triangular section gap formed above the two agitator assemblies 44, flowing to the lower shaft section of the agitator assemblies 44 where it is crushed and agitated. During the downward flow of the material along the triangular section gap formed above the two agitator assemblies 44, any clumps are broken up as they roll down, increasing the uniformity of the mixing between the microbial agent and the material. The crushed and agitated material rolls down along the lower long side of the outer shell 41 to the discharge outlet 43 and flows out onto the lifting conveyor belt 500.

[0028] A nozzle 46 is installed on the outer casing 41. The nozzle 46 is installed on one side wall forming the feed inlet 42 and is used to spray the microbial agent. When the material enters the deep mixer 400, the nozzle 46 sprays the microbial agent onto it. Then, the two stirring assemblies 44 rotate relative to each other, stirring the material and microbial agent evenly while breaking up small clumps in the material, so that the microbial agent and material are evenly mixed.

[0029] In addition to nozzle 46, a feeding bin 800 is fixed above the self-propelled platform 100. The feeding bin 800 includes a feeding bin shell with a feeding port at the lower end of the shell. A rotating wheel 81 is rotatably mounted on the feeding bin shell at the feeding port. The rotating wheel 81 includes multiple circumferentially arranged spokes. When the rotating wheel 81 rotates, it can sequentially feed the material in the feeding bin 800. The feeding port is located above the picking conveyor belt 300, so other auxiliary materials can be continuously fed onto the picking conveyor belt 300.

[0030] The discharge port 43 is located above the lifting conveyor belt 500, the end of which extends upward at an angle. The first end of the turning conveyor belt 600 connects to the lifting conveyor belt 500, and its end can rotate around the first end, evenly distributing the mixed material to the designated area. After the material falls and accumulates, any clumps are broken up by rolling down the slope, improving the uniformity of the turning and piling.

[0031] The flow process of wet materials is as follows: the wet materials on the ground are picked up by the picker 200 and placed on the picker conveyor belt 300. The picker conveyor belt 300 then sends the materials into the deep mixer 400 for deep mixing. After that, the materials fall onto the lifting conveyor belt 500 and are lifted by the lifting conveyor belt 500 to the turning conveyor belt 600. The turning conveyor belt 600 throws the materials within a certain range, and the materials naturally fall into the pile to complete one turning.

[0032] The structure of the pickup 200 is as follows Figure 4As shown, the system includes a pickup housing 21 and a pickup roller shaft 22 rotatably mounted thereon. The pickup roller shaft 22 is fixed with helical blades 23 and spokes 24. The helical blades 23 consist of two sections located on both sides of the spokes 24. The spokes 24 extend radially along the pickup roller shaft 22, and multiple spokes 24 are spaced circumferentially along the pickup roller shaft 22. The pickup roller shaft 22 is driven by a second drive component 25, which is fixed to the pickup housing 21. As the pickup roller shaft 22 rotates, the helical blades 24 on both sides gather the material towards the center. When the spokes 24 rotate, they scoop up the material and convey it backward to the pickup conveyor belt 300 at the rear end. The two ends of the spokes 24 extend to adjacent helical blades 23. The length of the spokes 24 is adapted to the width of the pickup conveyor belt 300.

[0033] A cleaning device 700 is also installed on the self-propelled platform 100. The cleaning device 700 includes two cleaning rollers 71 and a drive component 3 for rotating the cleaning rollers 71. The two cleaning rollers 71 are arranged in a herringbone shape with their outer sides inclined forward. The opposite ends of the two cleaning rollers 71 partially overlap to increase the cleaning effect and prevent material from accumulating on the ground where the turner travels. The outer end of the cleaning roller 71 is flush with the outer end of the spiral blade 23 (the outer end refers to the outer side in the width direction of the turner).

[0034] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as exemplary and non-limiting, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and not by the foregoing description. Thus, all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included within the present invention. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A feed-grade compost turner, comprising a self-propelled platform, characterized in that: The self-propelled platform is equipped with a material picker at its front end. The platform is equipped with a material picker conveyor belt, a deep mixer, a lifting conveyor belt, and an auxiliary material adding device at intervals. The first end of the material picker conveyor belt is connected to the material picker. The deep mixer includes a shell, a mixing component, a feed inlet, and a discharge outlet. The auxiliary material adding device is located in front of the mixing component and is used to feed auxiliary materials into the material before mixing. The end of the lifting conveyor belt extends upward so that the material flowing out from its end can fall into the pile naturally.

2. The feed-grade compost turner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The self-propelled platform is also equipped with a turning conveyor belt, the first end of which is connected to the end of the lifting conveyor belt, and the end of the turning conveyor belt can rotate around the first end to switch the position of the dumping and scattering.

3. The feed-grade compost turner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The auxiliary material adding device includes a nozzle and a feeding bin. The nozzle is arranged at the feed inlet, and the feeding bin is fixed relative to the self-propelled platform. The feeding port is provided at the lower end of the feeding bin and is located above the material picking conveyor belt.

4. A feed-grade compost turner according to claim 1, 2, or 3, characterized in that: The feed inlet is located at the upper end of the outer shell, and the discharge outlet is located at the lower end of the outer shell. The mixing component includes two stirring assemblies installed inside the outer shell, and also includes a driving component installed on the outer shell for driving the two stirring assemblies to rotate relative to each other. The stirring assembly includes a rotating shaft and crushing and stirring blades fixedly installed on the rotating shaft. The crushing and stirring blades are evenly staggered along the axial direction and circumferential direction of the rotating shaft.

5. A feed-grade compost turner according to claim 4, characterized in that: The end of the crushing and turning blade is folded a certain size toward the axis of the turning assembly to form a bent working surface.

6. A feed-grade compost turner according to claim 5, characterized in that: The outer shell is rectangular and is installed at an angle with a lower front and a higher rear on the self-propelled platform. The two mixing assemblies are arranged side by side along the width of the outer shell. The feed inlet is located at the top of the upper end of the outer shell along its length, and the discharge outlet is located at the bottom of the lower end of the outer shell along its length.

7. A feed-grade compost turner according to claim 6, characterized in that: The end of the crushing and turning blade extends toward the lower end of the shell along its length.

8. A feed-grade compost turner according to claim 5, characterized in that: The pickup includes a pickup housing and a pickup roller shaft rotatably mounted thereon. The pickup roller shaft is fixed with helical blades and spokes. The helical blades are in two sections and located on both sides of the spokes. The spokes extend radially along the pickup roller shaft. Multiple spokes are distributed circumferentially along the pickup roller shaft. The two ends of the spokes extend to the adjacent helical blades respectively.

9. A feed-grade compost turner according to claim 8, characterized in that: The front end of the self-propelled platform is also equipped with a cleaning device, which is located behind the pickup. The cleaning device includes two cleaning rollers and a drive component for rotating the cleaning rollers. The two cleaning rollers are arranged in a herringbone shape and the outer sides of the cleaning rollers are inclined forward. The opposite ends of the two cleaning rollers partially overlap.

Images