Abstract:
An improved waste treatment chamber which comprises a first substantially, cylindrically shaped chamber portion, a first tapered end portion and a second tapered end portion, the cylindrical body and first and second end portions further comprising a plurality of components which may be transported individually and assembled to one another via bolting or the like so as to define an enclosed treatment chamber therewith, the assembled chamber mountable on bearings for rotation during the treatment process. Further, there is provided an improved container opening for placing waste therein or removing waste therefrom, which further comprises a rotatable locking system so that when the lid is in the open position, the lid is rotated and locked in place along the wall of the chamber to provide the necessary opening to avoid the lid from being loosely connected to the chamber during disposal of the waste therefrom.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable 
     REFERENCE TO A “MICROFICHE APPENDIX” 
     Not applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The apparatus of the present invention relates to treatment of waste materials for disposal. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved chamber for treating waste which allows the chamber to be transported over long distances in unassembled components and upon reaching a site, reassembled for use, and provides for an improvement in the chamber opening for disposal of waste from the chamber. 
     2. General Background of the Invention 
     In the treatment and disposal of waste materials, such as household or other type of waste, applicant has been granted several patents, the first being U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,764, entitled “System for Treatment of Household Waste”, which discloses a system for treating municipal waste and recovering recyclable materials from the waste stream. The overall process included feeding a substantially solid waste stream comprising generally paper and pulp material, glass, etc. into a first vessel and rotating the vessel to intermix the solids with water under a predetermined pressure whereby the solid would be treated within the vessel and rendered in condition for moving along the remainder of the waste treatment stream. The second patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,407 relates to an improved chamber for treating the cellulose containing waste within the rotating chamber with steam under pressure which provided for the even distribution of waste within the chamber during treatment and easy removal of the waste from the chamber following treatment. The technology disclosed in these two aforesaid patents are hereby incorporated in their entirety herein by reference thereto. Additionally, these patents are cited in the information disclosure statement which is accompanying this application. 
     There are several drawbacks in the chamber which was disclosed and claimed in the two aforesaid patents and in the prior art. The chamber disclosed in these patents was substantially a very large chamber, sometimes 30 to 50 feet in length and having a diameter of 10 to 15 feet. As disclosed, this chamber was mounted to bearing assemblies on its end portions so that it may rotate during treatment of the waste. There was further disclosed, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,407, an opening along the chamber wall and which allowed waste to be dumped into the chamber. The opening would have to be sealed and the chamber would have been rotated, so that following treatment of the waste, the opening would be reopened and the treated waste could be removed from the chamber. 
     The manner in which the chamber is mounted on bearings and rollers, and the manner in which the lidded opening operates is currently causing problems in the art. The chamber is part of an overall system of treating waste, so that eventually at the end of the treatment cycle, the waste is rendered harmless and able to be disposed of in a conventional manner. However, it has been found that if the treatment system is located in remote areas, the transport of a very large treatment vessel across long distances is very, very difficult, if not impossible. Therefore, there is a need in the art for a chamber which can be fabricated of individual components, these components transported and then the components assembled on site as the entire chamber. 
     There is a need in the art to secure the lid once it is moved from the closed position to the open position, in order to allow the waste to be removed from the chamber after use, yet assuring that the lid is not damaged. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention solves the problems in the art in a simple and straight forward manner. What is provided is an improved waste treatment chamber which comprises a first substantially, cylindrically shaped chamber body, a first tapered end portion and a second tapered end portion, the cylindrical body and first and second end portions further comprising a plurality of components which may be transported individually and assembled to one another via bolting or the like so as to define an enclosed treatment chamber therewith within which may be mounted on bearings for rotation during the treatment process. Further, there is provided an improved container opening for adding or removing waste therein, which further comprises a rotatable locking assembly so that when the lid is in the open position, the lid is rotated and locked in place along the wall of the chamber, to provide the necessary opening, yet to avoid the lid from being loosely connected to the chamber during disposal of the waste therefrom. 
     Therefore, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide an improved waste material treatment chamber which is able to be fabricated in individual component parts, transported in its disassembled state, and assembled on site so that the chamber is ready for use at a particular location; 
     It is a further principal object of the present invention to provide a waste disposal chamber which has a central opening which when in the open position a lid portion of the chamber may be locked in place so as to avoid any damage to the lid or other chamber while the waste material is being removed from the chamber; 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a chamber which can be assembled on site and mounted on pillar block bearings so as to allow the chamber to rotate during use yet have the ability to maneuver laterally as waste is rotated within the chamber and the chamber undergoes expansion and contraction during heating and cooling; and 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a chamber which is a part of an overall treatment system which can be assembled on site to be part of the overall treatment system and the transport of the chamber is made quite feasible in the process. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a further understanding of the nature, objects, and advantages of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, read in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 illustrates an overall side view of the preferred embodiment of the chamber of the present invention mounted on a pair of bearing assemblies; 
     FIG. 2 illustrates an overall side view of the preferred embodiment of the chamber of the present invention illustrating the various component parts being interconnected thereto to define the chamber; 
     FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded view of the preferred embodiment in the chamber apparatus of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 illustrates a detailed view of the improved lid portion of the container in the first closed and locked position; 
     FIG. 5 illustrates a detailed view of the lid portion of the chamber in the stored and locked position while the chamber opening is in the opened position; 
     FIG. 6 illustrates a top view of the lid portion as illustrated in FIG. 4; and 
     FIG. 7 illustrates a top view of the lid portion as illustrated in FIG.  5 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIGS. 1 through 7 illustrate the preferred embodiment of the present invention by the numeral  10 . It should be noted initially that the overall functioning of the chamber apparatus in treating municipal wastes by heating and rotating, will not be discussed in detail, since this process is thoroughly covered in the prior art U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,253,764 and 5,492,407, which were referenced earlier and incorporated by reference herein. The improvements in the chamber itself will be the focus of this patent and its novel features. 
     Reference is first made to FIG. 1 where there is illustrated the improved chamber apparatus  10  of the present invention. In FIG. 1, there is illustrated the chamber  10  having a substantially cylindrically shaped body portion  12  extending from a first end  14  to a second end  16  having a cylindrical wall  18  which defines the outer skin of the chamber  12  and defines a waste containing portion  20  therein housing waste  22  as seen in phantom view. Further, the ends  14  and  16  of the chamber portion  12  tapers into a first conical end  24  and a second conical end  26  with each of the ends  24  and  26  terminating in an end plate  28 ,  30  respectively. Each of the ends  28  and  30  respectively engage to a shaft member  32  on each end with shaft member  32  extending into a bearing assembly  34  which allows the shaft  32  to rotate within the bearing assembly during the treatment process. While the waste is being heated and treated within the chamber, the chamber  10  which is made of a metal such as steel or the like would tend to expand outward in the direction of arrow  40 . Upon such expansion, it is important that the chamber maintain its ability to rotate freely. Therefore, it is foreseen that one of the bearing assemblies  34  would have the ability to move outward or inward in the direction of arrows  41  as the chamber would expand and contract. One other option is to include a gap  36  between the bearing assembly  34  and the end plates  28 ,  30  respectively. So that in the event the bearing assemblies are not able to move, the gap  36  would allow the necessary expansion and of course, the chamber  10  would contract back to its normal size after it has returned to ambient temperature following the treatment process. 
     Turning now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the chamber  10  appears in more proper detail in the embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the chamber  10 , rather than being a single unitary body, comprises a plurality of component parts which are sealed and bolted together to form the composite chamber as seen in FIG.  2 . In FIG. 3, there is seen an exploded view of principal portion  12  which comprises a first upper semicircular elongated portion  13  and a second lower semicircular portion  15 . Each of the portions  13 ,  15  would be engaged to intermediate portions  24 ,  26 , each comprising a pair of semicircular upper and lower portions  25 ,  27  respectively. Each of the portions  25 ,  27  would be engaged to an end cone-shaped portion  29  at each end. As a means of attachment between the various components discussed above, each component would include a lip portion  31  around the edge of each component, which would allow each of the components to be mated against the adjacent component to configure the entire chamber, as seen in FIG.  2 . In order to properly secure these components into a unified chamber  10  as seen in FIG. 2, there is provided a plurality of bolts  39  which would be secured within openings  41  spaced along the length of each of the lip portions  31 , of each of the components, to secure them in place. FIG. 2 illustrates the bolt heads  43  of the bolts  39 , which are in place. For assuring that the components are sealed tightly to one another, there would be included a gasket member  33  which would be placed between each of the jointed edges of the components that were described in FIG. 3, so that when the bolts  39  are securely in place, each of the mating lips  31  of the various portions of the chamber would insure the chamber secured in a fluid or air tight configuration to be used in the process of treating waste as it is mounted and placed in FIGS. 1 and 2. 
     Of course, like FIG. 1, the assembled chamber in FIG. 2 is also mounted on bearings  34  at each end. As seen in this particular figure, the bearings  34  would support the shaft  32  as was described in FIG. 3, and may be engaged to a motor  50 , which when rotated would effect rotation of the chamber itself. There is likewise seen in FIG. 2, a temperature gauge, or the like  52 , which records the temperature of the steam that would be passing through the chamber during the treatment process, as was described in earlier prior art patents. 
     Another important feature of the improved chamber of the present invention is the functioning of the lid assembly  60 , as seen in FIG.  2 . As was described in the prior art patents, the lid assembly  60  includes a lid  66  which is designed to move from a first closed position as seen in FIG. 2, to an open position, so that waste material can be placed into the chamber  10  through opening  64 , and waste material can be dumped from the chamber when the lid  66  is opened. As was described in the prior art patents noted in this application, after the waste in the chamber has been treated, the chamber is rotated so that the lid assembly would be placed in the open position and the waste  22  within the chamber  10  would be dumped from within and into, for example, a waste receiving channel  69  which may include a conveyor belt or the like  70  for conveying the waste that was removed from the chamber  10 , to the next step in the treatment process. 
     In order to understand the configuration of the functioning of the lid  60 , reference is made to FIGS. 4-7. As seen in FIG. 4, there is illustrated the chamber wall  18  upon which the lid assembly  60  is mounted. The lid assembly  60  includes a first raised ring portion  62  secured to the wall  18 , which defines an opening  64  therethrough into the interior  20  of the chamber wherein waste would be moved thereto. The raised portion  62  has an upper circular lid member  66  which, when placed upon raised portion  62  and locked in place, forms a fluid tight seal against sealing gasket  68 , as seen in FIG.  4 . The lid  66  is sealably engaged to portion  62  via a pair of locking members  70 ,  72 , which tightly secure the lid  66  onto the gasket  68  of raised portion  62 , as seen in FIG.  4 . 
     The means for removal of lid  66  will be explained further. As is illustrated, the lid  66  has an arm member  74  which extends, and is connectably engaged to lid  66  as it straddles across the width of lid  66 . The arm  74  has a first end  76  engaged to a piston member  78  and a second end  75  engaged to a second piston  80 . Each of the pistons  78 ,  80  are housed within a cylinder  84 , and the pistons would be activated via hydraulic, pneumatic or the like activation. 
     In the removal of the lid  66  from upper portion  62 , first the lock member  70  and  72  are disengaged between the lid  66  and the upper portion  62 . Next the pistons  78 ,  82  are activated so as to lift the lid  66  a slight distance upward in the direction of arrow  90 , to disengage the lid  66  from the raised portion  62 . After this is achieved, the lid  66 , which is attached to arm  72 , is rotated along the connection between the leg  76  and cylinder  84  so that the lid  66  is carried away from the raised portion  62 , which would then allow free access into the opening  64 . 
     Now that the lid  66  has been removed from opening  64 , the lid  66  must be secured in place before the waste material is removed from the chamber through opening  64 . In order to achieve this, reference is made again to FIG. 4 where there is seen a second raised portion  63 , which is positioned adjacent the raised portion  62 , and surrounds a “dummy” opening  61 . The portion  63  is configured in the identical manner as raised portion  62 , i.e. having a side wall and an upper sealing gasket  68 . There is also illustrated an additional piston  96  housed within a cylinder  98 , on the second side of dummy opening  61 . The size and configuration of this assembly is in direct proportion to the configuration as was described in FIG. 4, which secured the lid  66  in place. Therefore, reference is made to FIG. 5 where after the lid  66  has been rotated 180 degrees, the second end  75  has been secured atop the piston  96  housed within cylinder  98  and the end  76  is maintained within cylinder  84  since it acts at its rotation point. After the arm  75  is in place, as seen in FIG. 5, the piston members  78 ,  96  are then lowered, bringing the lid and sealing the lid  66  in sealing engagement with gasket 68. The lid is secured in place in the locking position over “dummy” opening  61  as seen in FIG.  5 . Therefore, after the lid  66  is locked in place, the chamber  10  can then be rotated so that the opening  64  is at the lowermost part of the rotation cycle, and the waste material can be removed therefrom without the possibility of damaging the lid  66 , since it is securely locked in place on the dummy opening  61 . 
     FIGS. 6 and 7 show respectively the lid  66  in the first locked position on the chamber body  12  with the dummy opening  61  adjacent thereto. After the process of raising the lid  66  from the locked position as seen in FIG. 4, reference is made to FIG. 7 where it is rotated 180 degrees in the direction of arrow  97 , wherein lid  66  is now locked in place on the dummy opening  61  on chamber  12 , and there is complete access to the interior  20  of the chamber  12  through opening  64 , so that waste material may be removed therefrom without fear of damage to the lid  66 . 
     It should be noted that in this particular apparatus, although it is not fully explained in this application, it is incorporated by reference thereto from the prior art patents in that the internal wall of the chamber may include a plurality of mixing paddles or a helix that would mix the material as the chamber is rotated, but when the waste in the chamber needs to be removed from the chamber, after the lid has been locked in the open position as was described earlier, the helix or mixing paddles within the chamber would direct the waste material toward the centrally located opening  64  of the chamber so that the waste could be easily removed from the chamber. A complete description and functioning of these paddles or helix is fully described in the &#39; 764  and &#39; 407  patents incorporated hereinto by reference thereto. 
     The foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only; the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims.