Appeal No. 1999-1763
Application No. 08/834,931
moving “upstream” in the direction of the undigested biomass.
To provide further impetus for the worms’ migration towards
the undigested biomass, a variety of incentives may be used
such as moving air (e.g., by means of a fan), electrical
currents, radiant heat and vibration. Inasmuch as by nature,
the worms will avoid the free surface (10), these incentives
act to hasten the worms’ movement deeper into the biomass. A
copy of representative claim 1 appears below:
1. A high efficiency vermiculture apparatus which
reduces stratification of worms in the biomass being composed
and increases worm density and efficacy, the apparatus
comprising:
a thin layer biomass;
a worm mass within said thin layer biomass;
an input end and an output end;
a conveyor means for conveying the thin layer biomass
from the input end to the output end: such that the thin layer
biomass may be digested by the worm mass as the thin layer
biomass is conveyed from the input end to the output end.
The sole prior art reference relied upon by the examiner
in rejecting the appealed claims is:
4
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