Patent ID: 8017021

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a platform; a trough carried by the platform, the trough inclined at an angle sufficient for permitting fluid to flow downstream from a first elevated end to a second end as a result of gravitational forces; an auger carried within the trough and generally extending between the first and second ends for conveying sludge placed within the trough; a drive assembly carried at the first end of the trough, the drive assembly including a motor connected to the auger for controlling a speed and direction of rotation thereof and thus a flow of the sludge; a hopper positioned for receiving the sludge at a top end thereof and dispensing the sludge from a bottom end thereof into the trough at a location generally between the first and second ends thereof; cutter blades fixed between the top and bottom ends of the hopper, the cuter blades receiving the sludge passing through the hopper and cutting the sludge as a result of the sludge falling through the cutter blades under gravitational forces; a plate positioned at the trough first end for receiving the sludge driven against the plate by operation of the auger, wherein the sludge is broken up through action of the auger forcing the sludge against the plate; a fluid injector positioned for injecting a fluid into the trough for diluting the sludge being processed therein; a chopper carried at the second end of the trough for receiving the sludge from the auger for a chopping of the sludge; a filter including slats positioned between the second end of the trough and the chopper for allowing a preselected size of sludge to enter the chopper; and a pump positioned for receiving the sludge from the chopper for removing the sludge therefrom.