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Umted States Patent 1191 1111 3,789,797

Brewer [45] Feb. 5, 1974

[54] CAT LITTER [56] References Cited

[75] Inventor: Andrew I. Brewer, Los Angeles, UNITED‘ STATES PATENTS
Calif. 3,286,691‘ ll/1966 McFadden ............................ .. 119/1
[73] Assignee: stabKist Foods’ lncq‘Terminal 3,353,949 11/1967 Nau ................................. .,. 71/26 X
Island’ Cahf' Primary Examiner—' ouis G. Maneene
[22] Filed: Nov. 12, 1971 Assistant Examiner- J. A. Oli?'
[21] Appl. _No.._ 198,112 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Fulwider, Patton, Rieber,
Lee ‘& Utecht

[52] US. Cl..; ...................... 119/1, 71/21, 71/26, [57] ABSTRACT

[ 51] I t Cl An animal litter prepared from a mixture’ of alfalfa,
- [ 58] F'i‘eid """ 21 23 bentonite and a binder for absorbing and neutralizing
_ the odors of animal waste matter. '
71/26, 64 DA; 119/1
11 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure

Aer/7cm SUPPLY

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 3,789,797
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CAT LITTER flow of alfalfa. From the holding bin 14, the ground and
screened alfalfa is moved by means of a conveyor 16,
which may be of the screw type, onto the upper run of
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION a conveyor belt 18. The conveyor belt 18 concurrently
Animal litter prepared particularly for household 5 receives bentonite from a bin 22 by means of a screw
pets have been marketed for many years. A widely uti conveyor 24. ‘ '
lized type of animal litter employs light-weight material The bentonite is mixed with the alfalfa in a ratio of
generally of clay and/or ?berous products. Such mate from about 2 percent to ‘50 percent by weight. Gener
rial, however, tends to adhere to the paws or fur of the ally, a ratio of 2 percent to 3 percent of bentonite to al~
animal and accordingly is tracked from the litter area falfa provides excellent results. intersects
to the surrounding household area. Moreover, such an Conveyor belt 18 moves the mixture of alfalfa and
imal litter products generally have no provision for bentonite into a pelletizing device 30. Concurrently,
neutralizing or eliminating the unpleasant odors inher with the deposit of alfalfa and bentonite within the con
ent to animal waste. Where such animal litter is formed ?nes of the pelletizer 30 the latter receives a supply of
of clay, the comparatively high weight thereof results a suitable binder for the alfalfa and bentonite. Such
in expensive shipping costs. Other animal litter prod binder. may take the form of a molasses, wood molas
ucts have been developed utilizing chlorophyll ses, modi?ed starches or a non-toxic glue. The binder
containing agents. Such animal litter generally provides is initially contained within a tank 32 provided with a
effective odor control by means of the chlorophyll, conventional ?oat valve device 34 that controls the
however, this type of litter is prone to being tracked 20 flow of binder into the tank from a supply source 38.
throughout the house by the animals.‘ Applicant is A pipe 40 leads from tank 32 and a meter 41 is dis
aware of US. Letters Patent No. 3,286,691 and US. posed therein. The binder from tank 32 is mixed with
Letters Patent No. 3,425,397 directed to chlorophyll water entering through a second pipe 42 that intersecte
containing animal litter. pipe 40. A valve 44 is disposed in pipe 42. The water
25 and binder ?ow through a mixer 46 before entering pel
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION ‘
letizer 30. The ratio of water to binder may be approxi
The present invention relates to an animal litter pre mately 90 percent water to 10 percent binder. The
pared by mixing ground and screened alfalfa with ben moisture level of the mixture of alfalfa and bentonite is
tonite and the resulting mixture with a binder, thereaf raised on the pelletizer 30 to approximately 50 percent
ter pelletizing the mixture of alfalfa, bentonite and 30 to 60 percent by the addition of the water and binder.
binder, and ?nally drying the pellets produced by such Preferably, the pelletizer 30 is of the type known as
pelletizing. The alfalfa contains chlorophyll which pro a Dravo-Lurgi pelletizer sold by Dravo Corporation,
vides effective odor control of animal waste. By mixing Neville Island, Pittsburgh, Pa. Such a device-utilizes a
and pelletizing the mixture of alfalfa, bentonite and pelletizing disc which is rotates about an inclined axis.
binder, and thereafter drying such pellets, an animal 35 During rotation of the disc its upper surface receives
litter is provided which is not readily tracked from the material to be pelletized.'The rotation of the disc of
litter area to the other parts of the house. pelletizer 30 produces a tumbling action of the alfalfa,
Other objects and advantages of the present inven bentonite, molasses and water deposited thereon lifting
tion will become apparent from a consideration of the such material until the, gravity-of the material over
following description, when taken in conjunction with 40
comes the centrifugal force and the particles of the ma
the accompanying drawing. terial gradually are enlarged so as to “snowball” into
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING pellets of the desired size. During this pelletizing the
mixture of water and molasses acts as an adhesive to
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing a preferred cause the alfalfa particles to snowball together to form
form of method and apparatus for making animal litter the resulting pellets.
embodying the present invention. As indicated by the directional arrows 50, pellets
' DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
from pelletizer 30 drop onto the upper run of a second
conveyor belt 52.-Conveyor belt 52 moves the pellets
Referring to the upper left-hand portion of FIG. 1, into one end of a three-stage dryer 54 of conventional
there is shown at 10 the representation of a grinder for construction, the stages being designated 54", 54" and
receiving a supply of alfalfa indicated by directional 54‘. Conveyor belts 56 and 58 move the pellets through
line 11 to be ground into ?ne particles which may be the dryer at a rate which affords a generally uniform
termed. granulated alfalfa powder. The grinder 10’ may heat rise which reduces the moisture content to‘ 6-10
be of conventional construction and the details of its percent.
construction are not important with respect to the pres From dryer 54 the dried pellets are dropped by con
ent invention. From thev grinder l0, ground alfalfa veyor belt 58 into a second screening device 60 of con
drops into a conventional screening device 12.,The ventional construction. The second screening device
screening device 12 may also be of conventional con separates the large and the’ ?nes from the pellets and
struction. Preferably, the alfalfa should be screened 60 such large and ?nes are then returned to the grinder 10
through at least a 50 mesh screen, although a ?ner by suitable means, as indicated by directional line 66.
mesh could be utilized. Pellets of the desired predetermined size pass from
As indicated by directional line 13 the screened al screening device 60 to a packing means, as indicated by
falfa is moved from screen 12 to a holding bin 14. Op the directional line 68.
tionally, alfalfa which is too coarse to fall through a The resulting pellets provide an animal litter that
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screen 12 is returned to grinder 10,- as indicated by di neutralizes or eliminates the unpleasant odors inherent
rectionalline 15. The provision of holding bin 14 is op~ to animal waste because of the chlorophyll contained
tional, however, it is desirable since it affords a steady in the alfalfa. The bentonite provides the pellets with
 3,789,797
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firmness and because such animal litter is pelletized it bling is effected by depositing the particles of alfalfa
is not readily tracked by animals. Such animal litter and bentonite on a rotating surface whereby said parti
also is light in weight so as to permit it to be shipped at cles snowball into balls.
comparatively low cost. The resulting litter also may be 3. A method as set forth in claim 1 that includes the
flushed down a toilet so as to be readily ‘disposable. Al
ternatively, such litter after being spent, may be em step of adding a moistened binder to said powder.
ployed as a lawn or garden fertilizer. It should be par~ 4. A method as set forth in claim 3 wherein said
binder is molasses.
ticularly noted that where molasses it utilized as a
binder it enhances the odor control characteristic of 5. A method as set. forth in claim 3 wherein the
the animal litter. It should also be noted that the litter 10 moisuture level of alfalfa and bentonite relative to the
produced by the aforedescribed process may be ex moistened binder is raised during said tumbling to
tended by mixing it with crushed corn cobs, perlite, a about 50 percent to 60 percent.
combination thereof of other suitable materials. 6. A method as set forth in claim 2 wherein the ben
Various other modi?cations and changes may be tonite is mixed with the alfalfa in a ratio of about 2 per
made with respect to the foregoing detailed description cent to 3 percent by weight.
without departing from the spirit of the present inven 7. A method as set forth in claim 4 wherein the ben
tion. tonite is mixed with the alfalfa in a ratio of about 2 per
I claim: . cent to 3 percent by weight.
l. A method of preparing an animal litter, comprising 8. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the ben
the steps of: .
20 tonite is mixed with the alfalfa in a ratio of about 2 to
grinding alfalfa to form an alfalfa powder; 3 percent by weight.
screening said powder; 9. A method as set forth in claim 3 wherein the mois
mixing said ground and screened alfalfa powder; with ture level of alfalfa and bentonite relative to the mois
bentonite to form a loose moistened mixture; ture binder is raised during said tumbling to about 50
then tumbling the‘particles of said mixture to cause 25 to 60 percent.
the particles in said mixture to snowball together in 10. A method as set forth in claim 9 wherein said
a noncompacted state; and binder is molasses.
drying the noncompacted snowballed pellets formed 11. A method as set forth in claim 2 that includes the
by said tumbling. ' steps of adding molasses to said powder.
2. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said tum * * a: * *

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