Abstract:
The present invention describes all apparatus for making a foliar spray from a liquid and a particulate matter. The apparatus consists of a non-porous liquid receptacle, a basket for holding the particulate matter, intake means for transporting air from a blower to a manifold means for aerating the liquid and the particulate matter, and a blower for supplying the air. The liquid receptacle is typically a substantially horizontal, rectangular tank having a flat bottom and the manifold means includes a selected number of diffuser arms, the number of diffuser arms selected to cover a substantial portion of the area of the bottom surface of the liquid receptacle and is selectively proportionate to the volume of the receptacle. The manifold means may be easily removed from the liquid receptacle by means of a quick-disconnect coupler for ease of cleaning the liquid receptacle once the foliar liquid is removed from the liquid receptacle via outlet means.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     Herein described is an apparatus utilizing aerating means for making a foliar liquid from particulate matter having beneficial micro-organisms for use as a foliar spray, a soil drench, and in watering systems as an injectable liquid. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Compost tea is a highly concentrated microbial solution produced by extracting beneficial microbes from vermicompost and/or compost. This “tea” is produced by adding nutrients to water that is highly aerated. Compost and/or vermi-compost is then placed in a “tea bag or basket” and suspended in solution and the extraction process begins. Apparatus for making such compost teas are currently being sold, however, the design, while being easy to use in small apparatus, does not scale up to provide an easy to use apparatus for industrial sized, or volume, applications. Notably, the apparatus typically employs an enclosed vertical, cylindrical vat, with the aerating unit suspended from the top of the vat, or the apparatus is suspended in air, and the aerating unit is mounted on the bottom of the unit, and extends vertically in the vat. One of ordinary skill in the art would know that as vermicompost and/or compost is aerated, partially separated material will drop from the basket, and fall to the bottom of the vat. In the vertical, cylindrical vat, this partially separated material will then accumulate at the bottom, and much of the beneficial microbes will remain in the compost. Thus, this design is not efficient. 
     In addition, this typical design poses a significant problem when cleaning of the vat is required, which is frequent. Cleaning being required alter every brewing cycle. Since the vat must be frequently cleaned in order that the compost tea is not contaminated, anid because the sides and bottom of the vat must be thoroughly washed, a vat design must enable a last and convenient access to the interior of the vat. In the cylindrical vat design, entry to the vat from the top is difficult, and, on large volume applications, frequently the person cleaning the vat must completely enter the vat through a manhole, which may require the use of breathing equipment and protective clothing. 
     The apparatus of the invention overcomes these problems by describing an apparatus that is easily accessible, and that provide optimal aeration for the volume of liquid being treated. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Described herein is an apparatus for making a foliar spray, soil drench, and watering system injectable liquid. The apparatus Consists of a liquid receptacle, or tank, having a selected volume for receiving a selected amount of liquid, at least one particulate means for receiving a selected amount of particulate matter having beneficial micro-organisms, means for aerating the liquid and the particulate matter, the aerating means being selectively proportionate to the volume of the receptacle/tank. As air is diffused through the liquid receptacle/tank and the particulate matter, the micro-organisms are separated from the particulate material in a manner to be suspended in the liquid. When the brewing cycle is completed, the lid of the liquid receptacle is easily removed. The aerating means, having been installed utilizing quick-disconnect couplers, can be easily removed From the receptacle, providing unobstructed, easy access to the entire surface of the receptacle. The aerating means is comprised of a manifold and diffuser system that may also be easily cleaned outside the apparatus, and then easily reinstalled. The apparatus also includes temperature control means for maintaining the temperature with the liquid receptacle at a selected temperature. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the apparatus of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view of the apparatus of liquid receptacle containing the aerating means of the invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a partial, perspective view of the particulate means mounted in the cover of the liquid receptacle. 
         FIG. 4  is a partial, perspective view of the 
         FIG. 5  in a schematic of a second embodiment of the manifold system of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1 , describes an apparatus  10  for making a foliar spray having a liquid receptacle  20 , a base  30 , a lid  40 . The base  30  also includes tap drain  35  and exhaust drain  38 . Mounted on one side of liquid receptacle  20  is blower  50 , for injecting air to an aeration means  100  (not shown), and on the other side is a control means  60 , for controlling the duration of aeration and temperature of the liquid in liquid receptacle  20 . 
     The dimensions of the liquid receptacle  20  are selected to receive a selected amount of liquid, which in some instances would be reverse osmosis treated water. Reverse osmosis treated water is used when the foliar spray is to contain beneficial organisms, such as the chitinase producing microorganisms from worm castings. Impurities in regular water may be detrimental to the life of such microorganisms. In this exemplary embodiment, a 100 gallon liquid receptacle is described, having a width of approximately 30 inches, a length of approximately 31 inches, and a height of approximately 30 inches. This low height enables easy access to the side walls and bottom of the receptacle for cleaning. 
     Suspended within liquid receptacle  20  is particulate means  70  for receiving a selected amount of particulate matter. The particulate means  70  is sized to receive the appropriate amount of particulate matter so that when the aeration process is complete, the concentration of beneficial organisms suspended in the liquid is at a desired level, as would be known by one of ordinary skill in the art.  FIG. 3  depicts particulate means  70 , and flange  75  to enable the particulate means  70  to be installed in lid  40 . In this exemplary embodiment, particulate means  70  is molded cylindrical plastic basket with meshed side walls and bottom, the orifices of the mesh sized to retain the particulate matter until being dislodged from means  70  by aeration. The geometric shape of particulate means  70  is not a limitation of the invention. It is only necessary that the geometry enable the aeration effects to separate the beneficial organisms from the particulate matter. The baskets design permit the particulate means  70  to be easily removed for easy cleaning between cycles. Flange means  75  may be recessed into lid  40  or may protrude slightly above the surface of lid  40 , in which case flange  75  may be threaded on its outer perimeter to receive complementarily thread cover  45  (FIG.  1 ). 
     Aeration means  100  is shown in  FIG. 2 , which is a plan view of the inner surfaces of liquid receptacle  20 . Aeration means  100  consists of an inlet  110 , which is preferrable located adjacent the top rim of the inner surface of liquid receptacle  20  (FIG.  4 ), and which communicates air from blower  50  to the diffusers  140  and  160 . In the event that inlet  110  is located at or near the bottom of liquid receptacle  20 , then inlet  110  would also require valving to inhibit liquid in the receptacle from back flow into tile blower. Inlet  110  includes a duct, which in this exemplar embodiment is shown as through pipe  115 , which extends through liquid receptacle  20  to the outlet of blower  50  (not shown), and a quick disconnect coupler  120  that complementarily couples with transmission coupler  130 , that is intermediate to inlet  110  and manifold  150 . Quick disconnect couplers are well known to those of ordinary skill of the are, and it is well within the skill of the art to devise the plumbing system for the diffusers and manifold. Manifold  150  is sized to distribute air to a selected number of diffusers. In this exemplary embodiment, the manifold is formed of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). PVC provides light weight for ease of removal and re-assembly, greatly reduces the possibility of scraping the side walls which will damage the tank, provides easy to clean surfaces, provides constant positioning of the duckbill and tubular diffusers and more importantly, provides an inert surface to prevent contamination of microorganisms. The PVC manifold enables an entire diffuser unit removable between cycles for cleaning. 
     The number of diffusers is determined by the inner bottom surface area of liquid receptacle  20 . As shown in this exemplary embodiment, manifold  150  is in the shape of an inverted T, having a selected number of nipples  155  to complimentarily mate with distribution diffusers  160 . The base leg  145  of the T complementarily mates with duck-billed coarse diffuser  140 . Duck-billed coarse diffuser  140  is situated in liquid receptacle  20  so that it aerates the bottom side of particulate means  70 , such that when particulate matter is in the particulate means  70 , liquid receptacle  20  filled with liquid such that water saturates the particulate matter, and air passes through manifold  150 , coarse diffuser  140  is used to provide a specific volume of air (10 cubic feet per minute (cfm) of air in 26-30 inches of water) to hit the bottom of particulate means  70  and disperse air in all directions. This obtains the bubble mechanical force needed to dislodge the beneficial microorganisms from the particulate matter without destroying or smashing the microorganisms. In this exemplary embodiment, duckbill diffusers have been employed because they provide vigorous turbulence to extract organisms from the particulate matter, they provide mixing agitation, they can be plumbed into position directly beneath each basket to hit the particulate matter with the strongest force. In addition, they eliminate the need for circulating pumps that would destroy microorganism by impellers. However, the choice of diffusers is a matter of design choice, and the use of pumps would not be barred if their use would not neutralize the beneficial organisms. 
     Distribution diffusers  160  extend perpendicular to the cross portion of the T, and are parallel to and adjacent the Rat bottom of liquid receptacle  20 . Distribution diffusers  160  are sized to cover a substantial portion of the surface area of the bottom so that they maintain the particulate matter in suspension until a maximum number of beneficial organisms are separated out and absorbed by the liquid, thereby constituting the foliar liquid. In this exemplary embodiment, distribution diffusers  160  are fine, tubular diffusers, providing 2.5 cfm of air per diffuser. Tubular diffusers provide large quantities of dissolved oxygen for maximum biological organism growth, sustain the suspension of the beneficial organisms in the “tea,” and maintain constant dissolved oxygen levels for aerobic conditions. One of ordinary skill in the art would realize that not all of the beneficial organisms will be absorbed in the liquid, and that not all of the particulate matter can be separated, however, the diffuser configuration and aeration of the bottom of the tank will maintain the particulate matter in suspension throughout the aeration process to maximize absorption, after which, some of the beneficial organisms and particulate matter will drop to the bottom surface of liquid receptacle  20 . The diffusers are known to those of ordinary skill in the art, and are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,016,839, “Tideflex Coarse Bubble Diffuser, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,193,220, “Combination Fine &amp; Coarse Bubble Aeration System,” both of which are assigned to Red Valve Company, Inc. However, other diffusers may be selected as a matter of design choice. 
     In this exemplary embodiment, a 30 cfm regenerative blower  50  is used to inject air into manifold  150 . Since aeration means  100  is connected to inlet  110  by quick disconnect coupler  120 , the complete manifold transmission and distribution system may be removed from liquid receptacle  20 , permitting easy access to tile interior of liquid receptacle  20  for cleaning. Thus the manifold transmission and distribution system may be separated and cleaned, ensuring that there is no opportunity for growth of anti-microbial matter that would inhibit the beneficial organisms. With the manifold removed, liquid receptacle  20  is easily flushed out, and contaminants are easily removed from the smooth, accessible surfaces of liquid receptacle  20 . 
     Recent studies have shown that maintaining the selected liquid in a preferred temperature range optimizes absorption of the beneficial organisms and microbial growth conditions for the beneficial organisms. Such preferred temperature range is 65° F.-70° F. Thus liquid receptacle  20  is of double wall, plastic construction, having inner wall  25  and outer wall  28  (FIG.  4 ), which permits insulation of the selected liquid from ambient temperatures and conditions. It should be noted that although the exemplary embodiment includes double wall construction, such is not a limitation of the invention, and one of ordinary skill in the art would know of methods of maintaining a single wall receptacle within the appropriate temperature range. Control means  60  functions to keep the selected liquid at the selected temperature by means of heating and/or cooling coils  65  located between the double walls of liquid receptacle  20 . Heating and cooling systems are well known to one of ordinary skill in thee art, and are only a matter of design choice. An example of cooling means would be standard refrigeration cooling coils. Control means  60  includes circuitry for controlling the duration of the operation cycle of the aerators and temperature control circuitry. 
     The inner surface of inner wall  25  is preferably constructed of a smooth non-porous, slick fiberglass material to limit the adhesion of tea biofilm, with the interior corners  225  ( FIG. 5 ) rounded, to enable easy cleaning of the surfaces, basically a horizontal, rectangular bathtub design. Thus, there are no nooks and crannies where anti-microbial conditions can exist, or anaerobic conditions occur. Tap drain  35  is provided to express the foliar liquid from liquid receptacle  20 . Tap drain  35  provides a flow path for the foliar liquid from a point adjacent the upper surface of diffusers  160  to a selected point on the base to enable the expressing of the foliar spray from liquid receptacle  20 . An exhaust drain  38  provides a flow path to express waste and cleaning materials from receptacle  20  once the foliar liquid has been removed. Exhaust drain  38  communicates with the bottom interior surface of receptacle  20  so that all particulate matter not absorbed in the foliar liquid may be easily removed from receptacle  20  by flushing, or equivalent means. Although fiberglass is the selected material for construction of liquid receptacle  20 , other materials may be employed that have the characteristics of a low-porous/non-porous surface, to limit the adhesion of the tea biofilm; a slick surface that allows ease of cleaning, high strength and a durable finish for long life. Also beneficial is a totally opaque material that blocks out ultraviolet light. Also of consideration is the capacity to construct a heating/cooling unit  90  into the base of the receptacle with heating/cooling coils  65  distributed through the double-walled sides of the liquid receptacle. 
     Lid  40  is constructed of a plastic material, and molded to include an orifice for receiving particulate means  70  (FIG.  3 ). Removably attached to lid  40  is cover  45 , which cover  45  includes a gasket on its bottom surface to insulate and isolate the particulate means from ambient conditions. In this exemplary embodiment cover  45  is of “screw cap” type to enable the liquid receptacle to be sealed. Cover  45  is also contains the foam created by aeration during brewing cycle. This design enables cover  45  to be easily removed for access and disassembly for cleaning. 
     Referring again to  FIG. 1 , liquid receptacle  20  is mounted on base  30 , which elevates receptacle  20  to a height to permit expressing of the foliar liquid from receptacle  20 . Base  30  also serves as a platform for cleaning the interior of liquid receptacle  20 . In  FIG. 1 , tap drain  35  and exhaust drain  38  extend through base  30  for easy access. In other embodiments, tap drain  35  and exhaust drain  38  may extend directly from and adjacent to bottom of liquid receptacle  20 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , depicted is a schematic of an extended manifold system for use in a larger liquid receptacle. As can readily be seen, the amount of foliar liquid that may be produced is not limited by the apparatus of the invention. In this embodiment, the five hundred gallon liquid receptacle would have the same height and width as the one-hundred gallon receptacle of  FIG. 1 , but would have a longer length. Correspondingly, efficient operation of the apparatus would require an additional number of particulate means, coarse diffusers, and tubular diffusers. Not shown in aeration means  200  of  FIG. 5  are the inlet means  110 , which may consist on one single inlet, or a plurality of inlets. It is only necessary that the blower means provide an equivalent amount of airflow to each of the coarse diffusers and tubular diffusers as noted above. The exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 5  depicts the bottom surface  215  of the liquid receptacle, having rounded corner  205 , and two manifold systems  210  and  220 . Not shown is the equivalent through pipe  115 , quick disconnect coupler  120  and the transmission coupler  130 , that is intermediate between inlet  110  and manifolds  210  and  220 . Manifolds  210  and  220  are sized to distribute air to a selected number of diffusers. As with the diffuser system of  FIG. 2 , the number of diffusers is determined by the inner bottom surface area of the liquid receptacle. In the case of the 500-gallon liquid receptacle, the width of the receptacle is 40 inches, and its length is 106 inches.  FIG. 5  shows a manifold system wherein there are 4 duck-billed coarse diffusers  240  and 8 tubular distribution diffusers  260 . Thus it is obvious that size of the liquid receptacle is not a limitation of the invention. The size of the receptacle is only limited by the capacity of the aeration system to provide sufficient air at the diffusers to break up the particulate matter, and release the beneficial organisms into the liquid. 
     While the present description contain many specificities, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather as an exemplification of some preferred embodiments thereof. For example, it would be well within the skill of the art to incorporate a water purification system by industrial quality reverse osmosis prior to the intake valve. Such a system would provide a high level of water purification to remove salts, chlorine, and other materials that are harmful to the production of quality tea. Such a system would also provide for preliminary water testing and pretreatment of water dependent upon conditions, and provide a consistent quality water for the aeration process. Additionally, it would be obvious to include an exterior thermostat, located on the side of the tank in a waterproof housing, for temperature control. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should not be determined by the specific embodiments illustrated herein, but rather in light of the full scope of the claims appended hereto.