Seed spreader

• US 4,926,768 A
• Filed: 12/11/1987
• Issued: 05/22/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lawn Doctor Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Lawn Doctor Incorporated
• Inventors: Magda, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): DeMille, Danton D.
• Application Number:
  US07/132,000
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 111/10-13, 111/73, 111/80, 111/10, 111/130, 111/178, 222/142, 222/626, 222/627, 222/368
• US Class Current: 111/11
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 45/00 Machines for treating meadows or lawns , e.g. for sports grounds
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/06 Seeders combined with fertilising apparatus

Abstract

A special seed spreading machine, lawn care apparatus and process are provided to transport, meter, and disperse different types of grass seeds evenly and uniformly over a lawn, turf, or soil. Advantageously, the novel seed spreading machine, lawn care apparatus and process can accurately control, mix, meter, and spread different amounts (proportions) of various types of grass seeds and/or other materials, and can dispense different types of grass seed in separate bins simultaneously at different speeds and flow rates. The seed spreading machine and lawn care apparatus preferably comprise of a ground driven disc, dual hopper assembly with double friction wheels which drives tumblers in the hopper assembly through a chain and sprocket arrangement.

Claims

1. A seed spreader, comprising:

a manually guided, power driven, frame assembly having at least one axle;

front wheels operatively connected to said frame assembly;

rear wheels operatively connected to said axle of said frame assembly;

a drive assembly having an internal combustion engine mounted on said frame assembly and operatively connected to said wheels, said drive assembly including a drive sprocket operatively connected to said rear wheels, a drive chain operatively connecting said engine and said drive sprocket, a gear reduction assembly operatively connected to said drive sprocket;

first seed hopper means providing a first compartment mounted on said frame assembly for containing one type of grass seed;

second seed hopper means providing a second compartment mounted on said frame assembly for containing another type of grass seed;

a first seed dispensing tube defining inlet and outlet openings and containing a first set of seed tumblers operatively associated with said first seed hopper means for dispensing one type of grass seed from said first seed hopper means at a first dispensing rate;

a second seed dispensing tube defining inlet and outlet openings and containing a second set of seed tumblers operatively associated with said first seed hopper means for dispensing a second type of grass seed from said second seed hopper means at a second dispensing rate different then said first dispensing rate;

a drive disc operatively connected to and driven by said drive sprocket, said drive disc being positioned at an angle of inclination ranging from about 15 degrees to about 60 degrees and facing generally upwardly and slightly rearwardly;

a first toothless friction wheel engaged and driven by said drive disc for driving said first set of tumblers; and

a second toothless friction wheel engaged and driven by said drive disc for driving said second set of tumblers.

2. A seed spreader, comprising:

a manually guided, power driven, frame assembly having front wheels, a rear axle, rear drive wheels connected to said rear axle, a handle bar with manually grippable handles positioned above and spaced rearwardly of said rear wheels, and an engine support platform positioned between said rear wheels and said handle bars at a location spaced rearwardly of said rear wheels and forwardly of said handle bars;

drive means for rotating said rear axle, said drive means including a engine mounted on said engine support platform of said frame assembly, a rear sprocket connected to said rear axle, and a drive chain operatively connecting said rear axle to said engine;

bin means extending transversely across said frame assembly, said bin means having a first front compartment, a second compartment, and a partition separating said first compartment and said second compartment;

first metering means comprising a first set of tumblers operatively associated with said first compartment for metering substantially solid material, such as grass seed, from said first compartment, and

second metering means comprising a second set of tumblers operatively associated with said second compartment for metering another substantially solid material, such as another type of grass seed, from said second compartment;

a drive disc operatively connected to and driven by said engine;

a first friction wheel engaged and driven by said drive disc for driving said first set of tumblers in a clockwise direction;

a second friction wheel engaged and driven by said drive disc for driving said second set of tumblers in a counterclockwise direction;

means for operating one of said sets of tumblers operating at a faster metering rate than the other set of tumblers and for metering the material associated with said faster set of tumblers at a faster rate than the material associated with said slower set of tumblers, said means including adjustment means for moving said first and second friction wheels to different asymmetrical positions relative to said drive disc; and

at least one of said sets of tumblers revolving at a different rate than said rear drive wheels.

3. A seed spreader in accordance with claim 2 wherein said first compartment has a first top access door opening in one direction and second compartment has a second top access door opening in an opposite direction.

4. A seed spreader in accordance with claim 2 including a cultivator assembly comprising a crankshaft positioned forwardly of said bin means and operatively driven by said engine, and a set of rearwardly extending spring loaded cultivating arms for reciprocatingly engaging and sequentially scratching the soil forwardly and beneath said bin means.

5. A seed spreader in accordance with claim 2 including a clutch for selectively engaging and disengaging said drive disc from said first and second friction wheels.

6. A seed spreader, comprising:

a manually pushable, power driven frame assembly having longitudinal side bars, a front bar extending laterally across said side bars, downwardly inclined bars extending rearwardly from said side bars, a transverse bar extending laterally between and connecting said downwardly inclined bars, rear axle supporting bars extending rearwardly and downwardly from said transverse bar, said rear axle supporting bars laterally spanning a minimum distance less that the minimum distance between said downwardly inclined bars, upwardly inclined bars extending rearwardly from said transverse bar, said upwardly inclined bars positioned laterally inwardly and above said rear axle supporting bars, engine support bars extending rearwardly at an upward angle of inclination from said upwardly inclined bars, an engine support platform extending across said engine support bars, elongated rearward bars extending upwardly and rearwardly at an angle of inclination from said upwardly inclined bars to an elevation substantially above the height of said engine support platform, a handle bar extending across an upper portion of said elongated rearward bars, front compartment brackets extending substantially vertically upwardly from said side bars, and rear compartment brackets extending upwardly and rearwardly at an angle of inclination from said upwardly inclined bars to a height substantially above said front compartment brackets;

a hopper assembly extending substantially across said frame assembly above said transverse bar, said hopper assembly having side walls, a front compartment for containing one type of grass seed, a rear compartment for containing another type of grass seed, and an upright barrier wall providing a substantially imperforate partition extending laterally across said hopper assembly and separating said front and rear compartments, said front compartment having a lower front dispensing chamber and a front wall, said front wall comprising a rearwardly sloping upper portion, an inclined intermediate portion, and a rearwardly sloping lower portion mounted upon said front compartment brackets, said rear compartment having a lower rear dispensing chamber positioned rearwardly of said front dispensing chamber and a rearward wall abuttingly engaging and mounted against said rear compartment bracket, said front and rear walls extending laterally between and connecting said side walls, a front dispensing tube defining front inlet and outlet openings and containing rotatable front tumblers extending generally across said front dispensing chamber for dispensing seeds from said front compartment, a rear dispensing tube defining rear inlet and outlet openings and containing rotatable rear tumblers extending generally across said rear dispensing chamber for dispensing seeds from said rear compartment; and

a drive assembly having an internal combustion engine mounted on said engine support platform, front caster wheels extending downwardly at a location in proximity to said front bar, a rear axle extending laterally between and supported by said rear axle supporting bars, rear drive wheels operatively connected to said rear axle, a drive sprocket connected to said rear axle, a drive chain operatively connecting said engine and said drive sprocket, a gear reduction assembly operatively connected to said drive sprocket, a drive disc operatively connected to and positioned forwardly of said gear reduction assembly, a front compartment drive shaft drive shaft extending laterally between said engine and said hopper assembly, a front compartment drive sprocket connected adjacent an end of said front compartment drive shaft, an adjustable front compartment friction wheel slidably connected to said front compartment drive shaft, said adjustable front compartment friction wheel positioned above and driven by said drive disc in one direction, a rear compartment drive shaft positioned in substantial lateral alignment with said front compartment drive shaft, a rear compartment drive sprocket connected adjacent an end of said rear compartment drive shaft, an adjustable rear compartment friction wheel slidably connected to said rear compartment drive shaft, said rear compartment friction wheel positioned above and driven by said drive disc in an opposite direction of said front compartment friction wheel, a front compartment driven sprocket operatively to said front tumblers, a rear compartment driven sprocket operatively connected to said rear tumblers, a front compartment chain operatively connecting said front compartment drive sprocket and said front compartment driven sprocket, and a rear compartment chain connecting said rear compartment drive sprocket and said rear compartment driven sprocket, one of said friction wheels and said tumblers rotating clockwise for dispensing seeds in a clockwise direction and the other of said friction wheels and said tumblers rotating counterclockwise for dispensing seeds in a counterclockwise direction.

7. A seed spreader in accordance with claim 6 wherein:

said frame assembly includes a friction wheel support assembly with bearings for rotatively supporting said shafts; and

said front friction wheel rotates at a different speed than said rear friction wheel.

8. A seed spreader in accordance with claim 7 wherein said front and rear compartments each comprise a plurality of chambers and at least one of said friction wheels rotates at a different rpm than said rear drive wheels.

9. A seed spreader in accordance with claim 8 wherein said front compartment has an top front access door opening in one direction and said rear compartment has a top rear access door opening in an opposite direction.

10. A seed spreader in accordance with claim 9 including:

a cam assembly having a cam for selectively engaging said drive disc and said friction wheels, said cam assembly having squeezable manually grippable control levers positioned in proximity to said handle bars; and

a cultivator assembly comprising a crankshaft positioned forwardly of said hopper assembly and operatively driven by said engine, and a set of rearwardly extending spring loaded cultivating arms operatively connected to said crankshaft for reciprocatingly engaging and sequentially scratching the soil forwardly and beneath said hopper assembly.