MATERIAL-SPREADING APPARATUS WITH INTERCHANGEABLE MATERIAL CONVEYOR ASSEMBLIES

• US 3,559,894 A
• Filed: 11/18/1968
• Issued: 02/02/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Frederick K. Tarrant Sr, Murray, Gregory J.
• Original Assignee: Frederick K. Tarrant Sr, Murray, Gregory J.
• Inventors: Murray, Gregory J., Tarrant, Frederick K. Sr.
• Application Number:
  US04/776,321
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• US Class Current: 239/672
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 17/00 Fertilisers or seeders with centrifugal wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 39/06 the dispensing being effected by mechanical means
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/40 using screw conveyors thereon
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/20 Apparatus for distributing, e.g. spreading, granular or pulverulent materials, e.g. sand, gravel, salt, dry binders E01C19/21, E01C19/4813, E01C19/482, E01C23/098, E01C23/166 take precedence; fertiliser distributors A01C15/00 ; permanently-installed devices for applying gritting or thawing materials E01H10/005; mobile spreaders specially adapted for treating wintry roads E01H10/007
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/203 Centrifugal spreaders with substantially vertical axis
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 2019/2075 with longitudinal conveyor belt
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 2019/208 with longitudinal auger

Abstract

A material-spreading apparatus has a hopper consisting of a Vshaped upper section and a rectangular lower section having an opening at the bottom of its rear wall with guides in the bottom section so that a desired type of a plurality of materialconveying assemblies may be slid into or removed from the bottom section. A discharge chute at the end of a material-conveying assembly includes a spinner mechanism and a plurality of internal deflectors to permit use with different types of conveyor assemblies. A palletized power unit for driving both the conveyor assembly and the spinner is attached to the rear wall of the hopper and is removable to facilitate maintenance.

Claims

1. Self-feeding material-spreading apparatus comprising a hopper adapted to be carried on a truck or trailer and having a V-shaped upper section and a rectangular lower section connected to said upper section, a pair of end walls for said hopper, one of said end walls having an opening providing access to said lower section, a material conveyor assembly insertable through said opening to extend longitudinally of the truck or trailer which carries the hopper and removably positioned in said lower section, whereby any of a plurality of assemblies having different types of conveyors may be inserted to or withdrawn from an operative position beloW said V-shaped section, means for maintaining an inserted assembly in an operative position in said lower section, said assembly when in operative position having an end which extends through said opening to a point exterior to said one end wall, and material-spreading means attached to said end of said assembly for receiving material from the conveyor of said assembly.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 which includes power means mounted on said one end wall and power transmitting means connected between said power means and both said conveyor assembly and said material spreading means.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said conveyor assembly includes a pair of sidewalls positionable between and in spaced relation with the sidewalls of said rectangular section, and a pair of deflector plates connected to said V-shaped upper section and extending into said rectangular lower section to direct material from said upper section into the conveyor assembly and prevent such material from entering the space between the sidewalls of the conveyor assembly and those of the lower section.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 in which the material-spreading means comprises a discharge chute connected to said end of said assembly at a point external to said one end wall of said hopper, a vertical shaft positioned in said chute, a rotatable disc connected to said shaft at the bottom of said chute, a plurality of vanes carried on said disc and an adjustable deflector mounted in said chute to direct material to be spread to said disc in a controllable pattern.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 in which the conveyor assembly includes an auger type conveyor and said assembly sidewalls are inclined to direct material to said auger conveyor.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 in which the conveyor assembly includes a drag bar type conveyor, said assembly having sidewalls which extend substantially vertically on opposite sides of the conveyor and include inclined flange portions for directing material to said drag-bar conveyor.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 in which the conveyor comprises a plurality of transverse bars, a drive chain connecting said bars, drive sprockets positioned at opposite ends of said conveyor and engaging said chain to cause said bars to travel in upper and lower paths, and a plate positioned between said paths to prevent material to be spread from reaching the lower path. 8. Material-spreading apparatus comprising a unitary hopper comprising:

an upper section having a pair of converging side members and a pair of end members connected to said side members;

a bottom section having a substantially planar bottom member and a pair of first sidewalls connected between said side members and said bottom member;

a pair of spaced guides supported on said bottom member;

a material conveyor assembly removably positioned in said guides in said bottom section, said conveyor assembly comprising a pair of second sidewalls defining a trough for receiving material to be spread and a material conveyor positioned in said trough;

material-spreading means mounted at one end of said trough;

one of said end members having an opening in its lower portion for inserting said conveyor assembly into said bottom section so that said first and second sidewalls are positioned in spaced substantially parallel relation;

means for locking said conveyor assembly in an operative position in said bottom section; and

said side members including means extending into said trough for inhibiting material deposited in said hopper from entering the space between adjacent first and second sidewalls.

9. The assembly of claim 8 in which the conveyor is of the auger type.

10. The assembly of claim 8 in which the conveyor is of the drag-bar type. 11. Material-spreading apparatus comprising a unitary hopper comprising:

an upper section having a pair of converging side members and a pair of end members connected to said side members;

a bottom section having a substantially planar bottom member and a pair of first sidewalls connected between said side members and said bottom member;

a pair of spaced guides supported on said bottom member;

a material conveyor assembly removably positioned in said guides in said bottom section, said conveyor assembly comprising a pair of second sidewalls defining a trough for receiving material to be spread and a material conveyor positioned in said trough;

material-spreading means mounted at one end of said trough;

one of said end members having an opening in its lower portion for inserting said conveyor assembly into said bottom section so that said first and second sidewalls are positioned in spaced substantially parallel relation;

means for locking said conveyor assembly in an operative position in said bottom section;

said side members including means extending into said trough for inhibiting material deposited in said hopper from entering the space between adjacent first and second sidewalls;

power means mounted on said end wall; and

means connecting said power means to said conveyor and said spreader.