Abstract:
The present invention describes a cartridge for its use in an apparatus for making a foliar liquid wherein the cartridge is prepackaged with a particulate matter consisting of beneficial microorganisms. The cartridge includes a seating means for retention of the particulate matter in an apparatus for aerating the particulate matter, and apertures permitting the passage of air through the cartridge.

Description:
[0001]    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. More particularly, a cartridge for use in such an apparatus. This application is a divisional application of C-I-P application Ser. No. 12/930,77 filed Jan. 18, 2011, which was a continuation in part of Ser. No. 11/805,024, Filed: May 22, 2007. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    The background for this invention is fully described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,475,503 B2, Methods of Using Worm Castings for Insect Repellency; U.S. patent applications Ser. No 10/247,054, Methods Using Worm Castings for Fungal Suppression; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/299,350, Apparatus for Making a Foliar Liquid (the “&#39;350 apparatus”), which application is incorporated herein by reference. Such patent and applications disclose a particulate means  70  (herein shown in  FIG. 1 ) for receipt of a dry particulate matter used as an insect repellant or fungal suppressant, the particulate matter consisting of chitinase producing microorganisms isolated from worm castings wherein the enzyme count of the chitinase producing microorganisms is at least 1 million CFU/gdw (Colony Forming Units/gram dry weight), and an apparatus for making such insect repellant in foliar liquid. Each size of &#39;350 apparatus has a specific volume and depth of water in which particulate matter is submersed, through which air is percolated by means of particulate means  70 . This obtains the bubble mechanical force needed to fracture or separate the beneficial microorganisms from the particulate matter without destroying or smashing the microorganisms. However particulate means  70  has two main weaknesses in the operation of extracting the beneficial microorganisms: 
         [0005]    (1) The particulate means  70  needs to hold the particulate matter at the bubble cavitation level to assure the highest energy to extract beneficial organisms from the particulate matter and to direct the bubbles up and through the particulate matter. The particulate means  70  has mesh on the sides as well as the bottom. The side mesh allows the aeration bubbles to bypass the particulate matter in the basket and evacuate the &#39;350 apparatus without passing through the particulate matter. A closed side cartridge seals all of the air passageways except through the particulate matter. 
         [0006]    (2) The correct particulate matter is very critical to proper balanced biological multiplication. An open basket invites the user to put together a particulate matter that does not have all of the balanced components. The closed cartridge comes with the correct particulate matter of components so a quality solution of foliar liquid is produced from each brew. 
         [0007]    Cartridges of the prior art typically included of baskets of cylinder-shaped bodies having perforated tops, bottoms and side-walls wherein effluent water is percolated. This basket design permits particulate matter residue to escape to basket and be carried with the foliar liquid, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,649,404 to Alms, et al. The cartridge of the invention solves the above limitations. The self contained cartridge can be pre-activated in situ so no particulate matter components are lost. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/299,350 describes an apparatus for making a foliar spray. The invention described herein is a cartridge for accurately and consistently providing at least one particulate means for receiving a selected amount of particulate matter having beneficial micro-organisms. 
     
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the particulate means of the prior art mounted in the cover of the liquid receptacle of the apparatus described in the &#39;350 apparatus. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view, of a first embodiment of the cartridge of the invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a cross-section view of a first embodiment of the cartridge of the invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the lid for the cartridge. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the cartridge showing the bottom of the canister. 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a top view of a second preferred embodiment of the invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a front sectional view of the canister of the second preferred embodiment of the invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is top view of a particulate containing pillow of the second preferred embodiment of the invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  is a side view of the particulate containing pillow of the second preferred embodiment of the invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 10  is the canister of  FIG. 7  containing the pillow of the second preferred embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0019]      FIG. 1 , describes a partial view of lid  40  of an apparatus (identified in  FIG. 3  as lid  80  in the &#39;350 apparatus) for making a foliar liquid described hereinabove. Particulate means  70  rests in a circular orifice of such lid.  FIG. 2  describes the cylindrical, canister-like cartridge  10  of a first embodiment of the instant invention, which cartridge replaces particulate means  70  in such &#39;350 apparatus. Cartridge  10  is sized to be snugly received in the orifice in the lid of the apparatus, and holds an appropriate amount of particulate matter so that when the aeration process of the &#39;350 apparatus is complete, the concentration of beneficial organisms that has been fractured or separated from the particulate matter and suspended in the liquid is at a desired level. Cartridge  10  is the only means through which air injected by the aeration means of the &#39;350 apparatus may be vented from the &#39;350 apparatus during operation, thereby concentrating the bubble effect in the cartridge. 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , cartridge  10  is comprised of a canister  15  having an upper rim  20  and a bottom surface  50 , and non-permeable sidewalls. Formed about the upper rim  20  is flange member  25 . Flange member  25  is sized to abut against lid  40  of the &#39;350 apparatus and maintain cartridge  10  in a fixed position in a holding ring installed in lid  40 . Referring now to  FIG. 5 , canister  15  is shown to be formed with a recessed bottom, thereby creating a cylindrical rim  55 . The purpose of this cylindrical rim  55  is to direct air from the aeration means of the &#39;350 apparatus into the cartridge. Also shown in  FIG. 5  are perforations  62  formed in bottom surface  60 . Perforations  62  are sized to allow the passage of the equivalent air supplied by the aeration means of the &#39;350 apparatus into cartridge  10 . The surface area of perforations  62  is equal to the cross section of the volume of the airflow line increased by the compression ratio of the blower of the &#39;350 apparatus. from cartridge  10 . Perforations  62  are also sized to allow the bubbles (air) into the cartridge while holding the particulate matter (not shown) in the base of cartridge  10  until the particulate matter has been broken apart by the cavitation action of the breaking bubbles. The particulate matter includes, among other things, sand particles, cellulose fibers, compost, plant materials and beneficial organisms. Each size of &#39;350 apparatus has a specific volume and depth of water. These figures determine the volume of air that is required to properly multiply the biology of the beneficial organisms in the particulate matter into a liquid form. The depth of cartridge  10  is sized to hold the body of cartridge  10  at the appropriate level in the &#39;350 apparatus in order to absorb the maximum energy of the breaking bubbles from the aeration means. This is commonly referred to as “at the cavitation level.” The spacing of perforations  62  is selected to provide an even distribution of the air throughout the volume of cartridge  10 . 
         [0021]      FIG. 4  discloses lid  80 , which is formed to snugly and removably fit within the inside periphery of flange member  25 . Also shown in  FIG. 4  are perforations  82 . Perforations  82  are sized to allow the passage of the equivalent air supplied by the aeration means of the &#39;350 apparatus from cartridge  10 . Lid  80  should fit sufficiently snug to restrict flow of air about its, perimeter, and direct the flow of air through perforations  82 . In some cases, the perforations  82  are sized as two larger holes which have a secondary use as handling ports for the cartridge. Shown in the drawings but not critical to the invention are barriers  85 , which are affixed to the top and bottom of the cartridge and which prevent leakage of particulate matter during transit and storage. 
         [0022]      FIGS. 6-9  describe the second, preferred embodiment of the invention wherein the residue of the particulate matter is retained out of the foliar liquid after the beneficial organisms are separated out. In these figures like parts of the first embodiment are similarly numbered.  FIG. 6  is a top view of canister  15  showing flange member  25  and grate element  110 . Grate element  110  is constructed and sized to enable the maximum amount of aerated liquid to flow through canister  15  while supporting the particulate matter.  FIG. 7  is a front sectional view of canister  15 . In this embodiment the body of canister  15  is elongated, so as to funnel the aerated liquid through grate element  110 . At some point intermediate between grate element  110  and flange member  25  are exit apertures  115 , spaced about the periphery of canister  15 , which permit the foliar liquid containing the beneficial organisms to flow out of canister  15 . In this second preferred embodiment, perforations are not required in lid  80  ( FIG. 4 ), so the only requirement is that lid  80  fit snugly in canister  15 , such as by a screwing method. 
         [0023]      FIGS. 8 and 9  disclose a fabric pillow  120  for containing the particulate matter containing the beneficial organisms.  FIG. 8  shows pillow  120  to have a circular profile, sized to nestingly fit within the body of canister  15  and rest on grate element  110 . Pillow  120  consists of pillow body  125  and hem  130 . Pillow  120  is constructed so that hem  130  which extends about the periphery of pillow body  125 . When inserted in canister  15 , as shown in  FIG. 10 , hem  130  serves as a gasket, or o-ring, to slideably seal the pillow  120  in canister  15  and to cause the aerated liquid to flow through pillow body  125  and not around the periphery of pillow body  125 . As liquid is aerated and funneled through canister  15 , the aerated liquid passes through pillow  120 , fractures the beneficial organisms from the carrier particulate matter to be absorbed by the liquid to constitute the foliar liquid, and exits from canister  15  by means of apertures  115 . Pillow  120  keeps the residue out of the foliar liquid by containing the non-beneficial particulate matter within the fabric pillow. Pillow  120  is fabricated from a synthetic polyethylene with a selected porosity to allow the beneficial organisms in the foliar liquid to pass through and the residue to remain inside the fabric. Although synthetic polyethylene is used in this preferred embodiment, the invention is not limited by the material used for pillow body  120 . Any material that can withstand the aeration action of the liquid, have the requisite porosity to allow the foliar liquid to escape the pillow, and that will retain the non-beneficial particulate matter may be used. 
         [0024]    The diameter of canister  15  is sized to snuggly fit in the lid portion of the &#39;350 apparatus. It should be noted that there are various sizes of apparatus for making foliar liquids, and therefore, there may be various dimensions for canister  15 . Concomitantly, there are various materials that may be selected for constructing canister  15 . The only limitation is the corrosive elements or oxides not leach from the material during aeration of the foliar liquid. In these embodiments, plastic is the selected material. 
         [0025]    In both embodiments of the invention, the particulate matter includes chitinase producing microorganisms isolated from worm castings wherein the enzyme count of the chitinase producing microorganisms is at least 1 million CFU/gdw (Colony Forming Units/gram dry weight). 
         [0026]    While the present description contains 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. 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.