Abstract:
A device and method for chopping organic matter includes a chopping device consisting of a handle and a plurality of flat, sharpened blades attached radially around one end of the handle&#39;s axis; a chopping board, which acts as a chopping surface and conforms to the inside, bottom shape of a containment vessel; and the containment vessel, which stores, contains, and transports organic matter for chopping and handling. The chopping board is placed on the inside bottom surface of the containment vessel, organic matter is placed into the containment vessel and on top of the chopping board, and the chopping device is placed inside the containment vessel. The chopping device is repeatedly thrust downward, chopping the organic matter between the chopping board and the chopping device. Embodiments of the chopping device and the chopping board may be scaled proportionally to fit predetermined sizes of containment vessels.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS: 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of PPA Ser. No. 61/586,684, filed Jan. 13, 2012 by the present inventors, the contents of which are incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    none 
       REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING 
       [0003]    none 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0004]    1. Field 
         [0005]    This application relates to the technical field of tools used in association with composting, specifically to a compost processing tool which is effective in chopping organic matter prior to composting. 
         [0006]    2. Prior Art 
         [0007]    The use of composting to turn organic matter into a valuable resource is an ever expanding field as more people become aware of the environmental and economic benefits of composting. Many municipalities encourage citizens to keep active compost bins as a way to reduce kitchen waste and decrease the dependence on synthetic soil amendments when gardening. These bins have been proven fast and effective at decomposing various organic matter. 
         [0008]    Although current composting practices have been proven effective, the efficiency, quality and rate of composting can be increased by chopping the organic matter into smaller, uniform pieces prior to introduction to the compost bins. This is especially important when composting with enclosed bins, composting barrels, or when practicing Vermicomposting. The time consuming task of routinely hand-cutting kitchen scraps into smaller pieces prior to composting can be avoided altogether, by containing a whole batch of large scraps to be processed at one time. There exists a need to provide the user an arrangement of devices for the chopping of organic matter prior to introduction to compost bins. 
         [0009]    Current devices used to chop organic matter into smaller pieces before introduction to a compost pile use large mechanical systems, rely on electrical power, or do not provide adequate chopping. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,287 to Telsnig (1995) is a chopper for household and garden waste. The large size and reliance on a power source to drive the rotary chopping blades makes this an impractical device for everyday home use. U.S. Pat. No. 7,431,231 to Saiki (2008) is reliant on electrical power, making use impractical in most gardens, and produces results that are shredded rather than chopped. Shredded compost can prevent air from freely moving throughout the compost, hindering the composting process and leading to inefficiencies. Since both of these examples utilize power sources other than human effort, their appeal to “green-concious” gardeners is also diminished. 
         [0010]    Other devices designed for composting focus more on agitation of the compost pile, rather than the ease of chopping newly introduced organic matter. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,382,065 to Snell (1995) incorporates a single cutting blade that when thrust into the compost pile, cuts the organic matter, then subsequently pivots to aid in stirring the compost. A large emphasis is placed on the stirring attributes of the device, rather than the cutting attributes. With this device, cutting large amounts of organic matter will produce inconsistent results and prove to be time-consuming. U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,253 to Sainsbury (1993) describes a tool with a single blade suitable for chopping, cutting, and turning compost. Chopping and cutting is achieved by thrusting the blade into the pile, which will produce inconsistently chopped pieces and prove to be time-consuming. Both of these examples rely on the organic matter being in the compost pile during chopping. This increases the chances of damaging compost bins, which are frequently made of plastic and often not in a suitable position for efficient and forceful chopping. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0011]    In accordance with one embodiment a device and method for users to chop organic matter into smaller pieces comprises a chopping device with a plurality of blades at the end of a single handle, a chopping board, and a containment vessel. The chopping device has a number of sharpened chopping blades surrounding the axis of a handle. The chopping board serves as a rigid, flat surface for the chopping device to strike when chopping the organic matter, and as a barrier to protect the bottom of the containment vessel when the chopping device is used. The containment vessel acts as a way of holding the organic matter in a compact place for efficient chopping, and as a way to hold and transport the organic matter before and after chopping. The blades, the chopping board, and the containment vessel all work together in combination with the users downward thrusts to chop organic matter into smaller pieces prior to its addition to a compost pile. 
     
    
     
       DRAWINGS—FIGURES 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a potential embodiment of a chopping device, a potential embodiment of a chopping board, and a potential embodiment of a containment vessel; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is section view of embodiments showing intended use; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a chopping device; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view of one embodiment of a chopping device; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5A  is a front view of one embodiment of a chopping blade; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5B  is an end view of one embodiment of a chopping blade; 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a chopping board; 
           [0019]      FIG. 7A to 7C  show alternate embodiments of a chopping device; 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a chopping board; 
           [0000]    
         
           
                 
               
                 
                 
               
             
                 
                     
                 
                 
                   DRAWINGS-REFERENCE NUMERALS 
                 
                 
                     
                 
               
               
                 
                     
                 
               
            
             
                 
                   11 
                   chopping device 
                 
                 
                   12 
                   chopping board 
                 
                 
                   13 
                   containment vessel 
                 
                 
                   14 
                   organic matter 
                 
                 
                   15 
                   handle 
                 
                 
                   16 
                   blade 
                 
                 
                   17 
                   blade 
                 
                 
                   18 
                   blade 
                 
                 
                   19 
                   blade 
                 
                 
                   20 
                   hub 
                 
                 
                   21 
                   fastening device 
                 
                 
                   22 
                   matching hole 
                 
                 
                   23 
                   straight notch 
                 
                 
                   24 
                   upper curved edge 
                 
                 
                   25 
                   lower curved edge 
                 
                 
                   26 
                   sharpened edge 
                 
                 
                   27 
                   outer edge 
                 
                 
                   28 
                   angle 
                 
                 
                   29 
                   notch 
                 
                 
                   30 
                   three blade chopping device 
                 
                 
                   31 
                   five blade chopping device 
                 
                 
                   32 
                   six blade chopping device 
                 
                 
                     
                 
               
            
           
         
       
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     First Embodiment—FIGS.  1  to  6   
       [0021]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of embodiments comprised of an embodiment of a chopping device  11 , and embodiment of a chopping board  12 , and an embodiment of a containment vessel  13 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 2  is a cross-section view of the embodiments in a possible configuration in which an organic matter  14  is to be chopped into smaller pieces. The chopping board  12  is placed inside the containment vessel  13 . The organic matter  14  is placed inside the containment vessel  13  and on top of the chopping board  12 . The chopping device  11  is placed inside the containment vessel  13  and with quick, firm strokes, chops the organic matter  14  between the chopping board  12  and the chopping device  11 . 
         [0023]    In further detail and still referring to  FIG. 2 , note the size relationships between the chopping board  12 , the inside bottom of the containment vessel  13 , and the chopping device  11 . The chopping board  12  has an overall diameter conforming to and slightly smaller than the interior diameter of the bottom of the containment vessel  13 . The diameter of the chopping board  12  is sized to allow insertion and removal within the containment vessel  13 . The overall width of the chopping device  11  is no larger than the overall diameter of the chopping board  12 . Note that there is now little space between the sides of the containment vessel  13  and the width of the chopping device  11 . 
         [0024]    In further detail of the containment vessel  13  of  FIG. 2 , the preferred size and shape for the containment vessel  13  is that of a standard five-gallon bucket. Other embodiments of the containment vessel  13  are possible and will respectively require changes in dimension to the chopping device  11  and the chopping board  12 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the chopping device  11  of  FIG. 1 . This embodiment consists of a handle  15 , a plurality of blades  16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , a center hub  20 , and a fastening device  21 . In further detail, the handle  15  is of sufficient height to allow the user to grasp the device in a low position, all the way up to a standing position. The handle  15  can be made of wood, plastic, metal, composite, or any other material of suitable strength. 
         [0026]    Note that  FIG. 3  shows a preferred embodiment of the chopping device  11 . The plurality of blades  16 , 17 , 18 , 19  is in the most efficient configuration for use and manufacture. 
         [0027]      FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view of the chopping device  11  detailed in  FIG. 3  (complete handle not shown to allow more detailed view). The handle  15  is pressed tightly into the hub  20  and secured with a fastening device  21 . The fastening device  21  fits into the matching hole  22  in the handle  15  and the hub  20 . The fastening device  21  can be a rivet, pin, dowel, bolt, or any other method of mechanical fastening. The hub  20  is made of steel, cast-iron, or other suitable metal alloys. The blades  16 , 17 , 18 , 19  are made of steel, cast-iron, or other suitable metal alloys. The blades  16 , 17 , 18 , 19  are spaced equally around the axis of the hub  20  and welded, soldered, or mechanically fastened in place. 
         [0028]      FIG. 5A  is the front view of a chopping blade  16 . The blade has a straight notch  23 , an upper curved edge  24 , a lower curved edge  25 , an outside edge  27 , and a sharpened edge  26 . The straight notch  23  has a length sized to fit half of the diameter of the hub  20  and a height of sufficient size to provide rigid vertical support of the blade  16 . The upper curved edge  24  and lower curved edge  25  are tangent to the outer edge  27  of the blade  16 . This allows the blade  16  to smoothly slide up and down the interior wall of the containment vessel  13  without grabbing or causing damage. The sharpened edge  26  follows the complete length of the bottom edge of the blade  16 . 
         [0029]      FIG. 5B  is an edge view of the chopping blade  16 . The sharpened edge  26  comes to a point at the center of the thickness of the chopping blade  16 . The sharpened edge  26  is shaped to an angle  28 . The angle  28  allows easy chopping of the organic material and a strong, lasting sharpened edge  26 . 
         [0030]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the chopping board  12  of  FIG. 1 . The chopping board  12  is made of plastic or other suitable high-impact material that is not hard enough to dull or damage the chopping blades  16 , 17 , 18 , 19 . The chopping board  12  is cut to match the inside shape (a circle in this embodiment) of the containment vessel  13 . A notch  29  is cut at a point along the circumference of the chopping board  12  to allow the easy insertion and removal of the chopping board  12  within the containment vessel  13 . The chopping board  12  has a predetermined thickness to allow suitable durability and rigidity during use. 
       Operation—First Embodiment—FIGS.  1 ,  2 ,  3   
       [0031]    The following steps are necessary to utilize the preferred embodiment of this system.
       1) The user places the containment vessel  13  on flat and stable ground.   2) The chopping board  12  is placed into the containment vessel  13 .   3) The organic matter  14  is placed into the containment vessel  13 , on top of the chopping board  12 .   4) The chopping device  11  is firmly grasped by the handle  15  and lowered into the containment vessel  13 .   5) With quick and firm strokes, the chopping device  11  is thrust downward onto the chopping board  12 , chopping the organic matter  14  into smaller pieces. Slight rotation of the chopping device  11  will ensure the organic matter  14  is evenly chopped.   6) When the organic matter  14  has reached desired size, the chopping device  11  is removed and the containment vessel  13  is used to transport and dump the organic matter  14  into the compost pile.   7) The chopping board  12  comes out freely when dumping the organic matter  14 , or is pulled out with a finger using the notch  29 .       
 
       Alternate Embodiments—FIGS.  7 A,  7 B,  7 C,  8   
       [0039]      FIGS. 7A through 7C  shows alternate embodiments of the chopping device  11  of  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 7A  shows an embodiment of a three blade chopping device  30 .  FIG. 7B  shows an embodiment of a five blade chopping device  31 .  FIG. 7C  shows an embodiment containing a six blade chopping device  32 . 
         [0040]      FIG. 8  shows an alternate embodiment of the chopping board  12  of  FIG. 1 . This embodiment incorporates a notch  29  in two locations along the perimeter of the chopping board  12 . 
       Advantages 
       [0041]    From the description above, a number of advantages of some embodiments of the device and method of chopping organic matter become evident:
       (a) The construction of the chopping device is simple and sturdy, thereby decreasing the amount of maintenance required to keep the chopping device functional.   (b) The straight handle of the chopping device allows the user to forcefully thrust the blades down to the chopping board, without undue strain to the user.   (c) Since the chopping device&#39;s blades extend to all edges of the chopping board, more organic matter is chopped with each downward stroke of the chopping device.   (d) Because the blades of the chopping device have curved corners, if the blades come into contact with the sides of the containment vessel during use, the blades will not damage the inside of the containment vessel.   (e) Because the chopping device&#39;s handle, the chopping blades, the chopping board, and the chopping vessel are all concentric around one axis, the user can easily manipulate the handle of the chopping device, through rotation about the axis, thereby ensuring all organic matter is chopped evenly.   (f) The chopping board provides a flat and firm surface, which facilitates fast and easy chopping while protecting the bottom surface of the containment vessel.   (g) The chopping board conforms to the inside shape of the bottom of the containment vessel, thereby ensuring that all organic matter is contained on top of the chopping board during use.   (h) The notches in the chopping board facilitate removal of the chopping board for easy cleaning of all components.   (i) The containment vessel has an open top providing a clear view inside during chopping, thereby helping the user determine when the appropriate size of chopped pieces has been attained.       
 
       CONCLUSIONS, RAMIFICATIONS, AND SCOPE 
       [0051]    Accordingly, the reader can see that the device and method for chopping organic matter can be used to easily, efficiently, and consistently chop organic matter prior to introduction to a compost bin or compost pile. The chopping device works together with the chopping board and the containment vessel to provide a very simple and robust method of chopping. Furthermore, the device and method for chopping organic matter has the additional advantages in that:
       it produces consistent and clean chops of the organic matter, which aid in increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of the composting process;   it provides a neat and easy method of containment, chopping, and transport of the organic matter;   it permits the user to chop organic matter prior to introduction to compost bins, which are often constructed in a way that prohibits chopping once organic matter is already introduced;   it permits the user to have complete control over the size of the pieces of chopped organic matter.       
 
         [0056]    Although the foregoing written description contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments. Many other variations are possible, for example:
       the size of the chopping device, the chopping board and the containment vessel can be scaled up or down;   the size of the chopping device and the chopping board can be scaled in relation to the size of a predetermined containment vessel;   the blades of the chopping device can be made in an alternate shape, such as rounded, triangular, trapezoidal, etc., as long as the bottom edge of the blade retains its characteristics.   the blades can be cut, stamped, or cast;   the hub and blades could be cast or stamped together as one piece;   the notch in the chopping board could have other shapes, such as oval, rectangular, trapezoidal, etc.;   the chopping device and the chopping board may be used independent of the containment vessel and still facilitate chopping of organic matter, though advantages of using the containment vessel will be lost;   the chopping device may be used independent of both the chopping board and the containment vessel and will still facilitate chopping of organic matter, though advantages of using the chopping board and the containment vessel will be lost.       
 
         [0065]    Those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of these and other variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiments, method, and examples herein. 
         [0066]    Thus, the scope of the embodiments should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.