Sand spreader

• US 4,029,237 A
• Filed: 03/20/1975
• Issued: 06/14/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pietro Miconi
• Original Assignee: Pietro Miconi
• Inventors: Miconi, Pietro
• Primary Examiner(s): Reeves, Robert B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Handren, Frederick R.
• Application Number:
  US05/560,669
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 222/177, 222/231, 222/232, 222/233, 222/311, 222/313, 222/412, 291/33
• US Class Current: 222/614
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/2035 both rotating parts and reciprocating, oscillating, jolting or vibrating parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 16/13 Plastic hinge

Abstract

A spreader is described, primarily for use in distributing sand and the like on ice and snow-covered sidewalks. The spreader has a frame supported on ground wheels and a sand hopper is provided on the frame. An auger is mounted at a lower end of the hopper in an opening in the hopper to control the flow of sand from the spreader. A driving wheel is operably coupled to the auger, and supported on the hopper for movement between an operative position in which the wheel is in peripheral driving engagement with one of the ground wheels and an inoperative position in which the driving wheel is clear of this ground wheel. In the operative position the auger is driven as the spreader moves along the ground to spread sand and in the inoperative position the driving wheel is disengaged from the ground wheel and the auger is stationary.

Claims

1. A sand spreader comprising:

a frame;

ground wheels coupled to and supporting the frame for movement over the ground in use;

a sand hopper mounted on the frame and having an opening at its lower end through which sand can be dispensed;

a rotary auger mounted in the hopper and positioned in said opening therein for controlling the flow of sand from the hopper in use; and

,

a driving wheel which is drivably coupled with the auger;

a slide supporting the driving wheel for movement between an operative position in which the wheel is in peripheral engagement with one of the ground wheels supporting the frame of the spreader, whereby rotation of that ground wheel as the spreader moves over the ground in use drives the auger by way of the driving wheel, and an inoperative position in which the driving wheel is clear of the relevant ground wheel;

a lever for moving the slide between a first position in which the driving wheel is in its said operative position and a second position in which the driving wheel is in its said inoperative position; and

,

an over-centre linkage coupling the lever to the slide, said linkage being adapted to lock the slide in said first position when the lever is moved in the appropriate direction.

2. A sand spreader according to claim 1, wherein the auger, driving wheel and ground wheels rotate about parallel axes and wherein the spreader further comprises a chain and sprocket drive drivably coupling the driving wheel to the auger, said drive comprising a first sprocket mounted to rotate with the driving wheel, a second sprocket mounted to rotate with the auger, and an endless chain coupling the sprockets.

3. A sand spreader as claimed in claim 1, further comprising rubber tires on the ground wheels and driving wheel.

4. A sand spreader as claimed in claim 1, wherein the auger comprises a cylindrical tube, and two blades of opposite-handed helical form secured to the external surface of the tube, whereby rotation of the auger in the appropriate direction in use tends to convey sand inwardly of the auger towards its centre.

5. A sand spreader as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an agitator positioned in the hopper above the auger to agitate the sand before it reaches the auger, and a cam which is coupled to the auger and is adapted to drive the agitator in an oscillatory motion.

6. A sand spreader as claimed in claim 5 wherein the auger is mounted on a spindle driven from said auger drive means, wherein said cam driving the agitator is mounted on said spindle, and wherein the agitator comprises:

a shaft mounted on said spindle;

a plurality of radial agitator projections on said shaft;

a radial arm on said shaft positioned to contact the edge of said cam; and

biasing means adapted to maintain said arm and cam in contact.

7. A sand spreader as claimed in claim 1, wherein a part of the hopper wall which defines the opening receiving the auger is initially separate from the remainder of said wall and is hinged thereto about an axis parallel to the axis of the auger, and wherein the spreader further comprises biasing means adapted to maintain said part of the hopper wall in a normal position in which a predetermined space is defined between said part and the auger, whereby a piece of foreign material passing between the auger and said part of the wall can hinge said part outwardly against the biasing means and so pass safely through the hopper opening, the biasing means subsequently returning said part of the hopper wall to its normal position.

8. A sand spreader as claimed in claim 7, further comprising means for adjusting the normal position of said part of the hopper wall to vary the spacing between said wall and the auger, and thereby to control the rate of sand flow from the hopper.