Abstract: An apparatus for depositing a particulate material onto mushroom compost has a distributor box configured to receive the particulate material, such as mushroom casing, and a moving belt that is fed from a roller into the bottom of the box and exits from a discharge opening of the distributor box. A net pulley roller associated with the moving belt is pulled to advance the moving belt. A ribbed roller mounted for rotation at or near the discharge opening of the distributor box scrapes the particulate material out of the distributor box and deposits the particulate material onto the top surface of the moving belt. The particulate material then rides on the top surface of the moving belt until it drops off the belt onto the mushroom compost at the belt reversal point.

Abstract: A mushroom compost leveling apparatus includes a panel with a bottom edge where the panel is vertically suspended in a mushroom compost receptacle leaving a gap between the bottom edge and the floor of the receptacle. The panel reciprocates from side to side as mushroom compost is conveyed under the panel. Optionally, the panel includes vanes extending outwardly from a first face surface, and a rake outwardly and downwardly extending from the panel at or near the bottom edge. Optionally, a pair of wheels are mounted for rotation either to the first face of the panel or to a rail of a frame to be isolated from the panel, and the wheels each include paddles that push compost toward the side edges of the mushroom compost receptacle as the wheels are rotated. Optionally, the leveling apparatus is removably attached to sleeves depending over sidewalls of the compost receptacle, and a roller assembly is removably attached to such sleeves downstream of the leveling apparatus.

Abstract: A mushroom compost leveling apparatus includes a panel with a bottom edge where the panel is vertically suspended in a mushroom compost receptacle leaving a gap between the bottom edge and the floor of the receptacle. The panel reciprocates from side to side as mushroom compost is conveyed under the panel. Optionally, the panel includes vanes extending outwardly from a first face surface, and a rake outwardly and downwardly extending from the panel at or near the bottom edge. Optionally, a pair of wheels are mounted for rotation either to the first face of the panel or to a rail of a frame to be isolated from the panel, and the wheels each include paddles that push compost toward the side edges of the mushroom compost receptacle as the wheels are rotated. Optionally, the leveling apparatus is removably attached to sleeves depending over sidewalls of the compost receptacle, and a roller assembly is removably attached to such sleeves downstream of the leveling apparatus.

Abstract: A mushroom compost compacting system and method includes a hydraulically activated tamper platen to compact compost held within a mushroom compost receptacle. The tamper platen has engageable arms extendable from opposite ends of the top surface of the platen and that each connect to a respective hydraulic piston or cylinder. The hydraulic pistons or cylinders link to respective ends of a brace bar disposed beneath the floor portion of the compost receptacle. Tamping compression of the tamper platen compresses compost between the tamper platen and the brace bar. In one embodiment, the hydraulic pistons are installed in or joined to fixtures, which fixtures may have trolley wheels therein to permit relative movement between the fixtures and guide rails supporting the fixtures so that the mushroom compost compacting system may be traversed along the length of all or a portion of the compost receptacle.

Abstract: A mushroom compost compacting system and method includes a roller assembly mounted to a compost receptacle to form a nip, and a web or conveyor to convey mushroom compost to the nip. Mushroom compost is compacted at the nip from an initial compost height to a final compost height. The roller assembly has a roller, a shaft, and fixtures coupled to each end of the shaft. The fixtures are adjustable to define the roller nip height. In one embodiment, the fixtures are mounted to sleeves that engage the sidewalls of the compost receptacle. In another embodiment, the ends of the fixtures are mounted to a support, which may be a joist or a separate channel extending under the floor portion of the compost receptacle, or which may be a post that forms support structure for the compost receptacle.

Abstract: A mushroom compost compacting system and method includes a roller assembly mounted to a compost receptacle to form a nip, and a web or conveyor to convey mushroom compost to the nip. Mushroom compost is compacted at the nip from an initial compost height to a final compost height. The roller assembly has a roller, a shaft, and fixtures coupled to each end of the shaft. The fixtures are adjustable to define the roller nip height. In one embodiment, the fixtures are mounted to sleeves that engage the sidewalls of the compost receptacle. In another embodiment, the ends of the fixtures are mounted to a support, which may be a joist or a separate channel extending under the floor portion of the compost receptacle, or which may be a post that forms support structure for the compost receptacle.

Abstract: A mushroom compost compacting system and method includes a roller assembly mounted to a compost receptacle to form a nip, and a web or conveyor to convey mushroom compost to the nip. Mushroom compost is compacted at the nip from an initial compost height to a final compost height. The roller assembly has a roller, a shaft, and fixtures coupled to each end of the shaft. The fixtures are adjustable to define the roller nip height. In one embodiment, the fixtures are mounted to sleeves that engage the sidewalls of the compost receptacle. In another embodiment, the ends of the fixtures are mounted to a support, which may be a joist or a separate channel extending under the floor portion of the compost receptacle, or which may be a post that forms support structure for the compost receptacle.

Abstract: A mushroom compost compacting system and method includes a roller assembly mounted to a compost receptacle to form a nip, and a web or conveyor to convey mushroom compost to the nip. Mushroom compost is compacted at the nip from an initial compost height to a final compost height. The roller assembly has a roller, a shaft, and fixtures coupled to each end of the shaft. The fixtures are adjustable to define the roller nip height. In one embodiment, the fixtures are mounted to sleeves that engage the sidewalls of the compost receptacle. In another embodiment, the ends of the fixtures are mounted to a support, which may be a joist or a separate channel extending under the floor portion of the compost receptacle, or which may be a post that forms support structure for the compost receptacle.

Abstract: A mushroom compost compacting system and method includes a roller assembly mounted to a compost receptacle to form a nip, and a web or conveyor to convey mushroom compost to the nip. Mushroom compost is compacted at the nip from an initial compost height to a final compost height. The roller assembly has a roller, a shaft, and fixtures coupled to each end of the shaft. The fixtures are adjustable to define the roller nip height. In one embodiment, the fixtures are mounted to sleeves that engage the sidewalls of the compost receptacle. In another embodiment, the ends of the fixtures are mounted to a support, which may be a joist or a separate channel extending under the floor portion of the compost receptacle, or which may be a post that forms support structure for the compost receptacle.

Abstract: A compost processing machine for separating, mixing and stacking compost includes a pick-up drum at its forward end which picks up the compost and discharges it to feed means which in turn feeds the compost to a beater drum at the back end of the machine with the feed means and beater drum being formed in three distinct sections so as to provide a staggered type of feeding from the feed means to the beater drum and then a staggered type of discharge from the beater drum to the pile of compost being formed therefrom.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for depositing material, such as mushroom casing, on a horizontally moving belt from which the material is discharged to a surface beneath said belt. The material may be deposited first in a conveyor box which contains an element capable of moving the material in the box from one end of it to its other end, the said conveyor box having an outlet through which the material is passed to a distributing container. If preferred, the material may be deposited directly in the distributing box. This container also has in it means for moving the material from one of its ends to the other, as desired, in order to achieve a substantially uniform distribution in it of the material. The container has in it an outlet which comprises a slot of uniform gap. This gap is located in a position to be in delivery relationship with said moving belt. The gap is formed through the use of a cut-off plate that may be constructed of adjustable sections.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method for laying a uniformly thick and, hence, a uniformly dense bed of compost for growing mushrooms and the like are provided. In the shelf system compost is supplied via a conveyer belt from an external supply through the door of a conventional mushroom house to a transverse, variable speed, reversible distributor which distributes the compost uniformly across the shelf at one end thereof onto a moving belt or web, which belt moves along the floor of the shelf from the supply end of the shelf to the far end thereof. The compost which is distributed by the distributor at the supply end moves on the belt toward the far end on the belt, being passed under a rotating, bladed leveling member located in close proximity to the supply end. The blades are set at a height from the floor of the shelf corresponding to the desired thickness of the final compost bed.

Abstract: Elongated receptacles, such as mushroom trays, are emptied of particulate material by positioning a screw conveyor transversely to the length of the tray and at one end of the tray. A winch, placed at the opposite end of a tray, with its cable attached to the frame of the screw conveyor, pulls the screw conveyor along the length of the tray to discharge the particulate matter out one side of the tray. Steering pads in the form of plates pivotally mounted to the rear portion of the screw conveyor frame may be selectively depressed by the operator standing on them and shifting his weight to aid in steering the screw conveyor through the length of the tray. The winch cable is connected to the frame of the screw conveyor by means of an L-shaped hook which acts on the lower rear portion of the frame. This enables the bottom portion of a shroud, which encloses the screw conveyor, to ride against the bottom of the tray, scrape the bottom of the tray, and remove any loose particulate matter left by the conveyor.