Patents by Inventor Merle L. Ranck

Merle L. Ranck has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20110104795
    Abstract: A compost windrow turning machine disintegrates an existing windrow of compost material, conveys the disintegrated material rearwardly, aerates the rearwardly conveyed material with a positive displacement of air into the rearwardly conveyed compost material, and re-forms a new windrow of remixed and aerated compost material rearwardly of the machine in line with the original windrow. The disintegration of the original compost windrow is accomplished with a rotor having segmented teeth arranged in a spiral to shred the original compost material and convey the disintegrated material to a central chain and slat conveyor positioned behind the rotor. A positive displacement of air is injected into the compost material on the central conveyor by a pair of laterally disposed fans mounting in conduits angled inwardly toward the central conveyor. The discharge of material off the central conveyor is passed through a set of windrow-forming shields to create a new windrow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Inventors: Merle L. Ranck, Duane E. Newswanger