Top dresser

• US 5,307,952 A
• Filed: 09/22/1992
• Issued: 05/03/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Turfco Manufacturing Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Turfco Manufacturing Incorporated
• Inventors: Worrel, Vernon J., Bondeson, Terry
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Andres
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pomrening, Anthoula
• Application Number:
  US07/948,664
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• Field of Search: 222/262, 222/263, 222/312, 222/313, 222/314, 222/333, 222/342, 222/392, 222/414, 222/626, 222/1, 222/415, 222/371, 239/668, 239/669, 239/672, 239/676, 239/679, 239/680, 267/41, 267/229, 280/699, 414/502, 414/517, 414/519, 298/1 B, 298/1 V, 198/310, 198/642, 198/690.2
• US Class Current: 222/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 15/122 with moving floor parts

Abstract

A top dresser (10) is disclosed in a first preferred form including a discharge gate (56) of a pusher (44) movably mounted in a hopper (30) for forcing material forward towards a rotating, cylindrical, dispensing drum (66) as the top dresser (10) is being pulled forward. The pusher (44) is slideably mounted by slides (50) secured to ears (48) extending between the sides (36) and the bottom (34) of the hopper (30) and slideable on tubular rails (52) positioned on the outside of the hopper (30). The pusher (44) is moved by expandable and contractable actuators (58, 60) pivotally mounted by their opposite ends to the frame (12) and the pusher (44) in a non-parallel, crossing manner. The drum (66) includes corrugated sheeting (70) around its periphery for gripping the material in the hopper (30) and drawing it under a metering gate (72) and a rotating brush (74) which propels the material onto the ground. The top dresser (10) is movably supported by four wheel assemblies each having a pair of wheels (16) rotatable about an axle (28) of a block (24) pivotable about stub shafts (26) pivotally mounted to the free end of a cantilevered mounted leaf spring (20). In an alternate form, a top dresser (100) is disclosed including an endless conveyor (140) including the corrugated sheeting (70) in the form of an endless belt passing around spaced, parallel rollers (148, 160) and beneath a hopper (136) for dispensing the material from the hopper (136) onto the ground and through the end of the hopper (136).

Claims

1. A top dresser adapted to be pulled across the ground in a first direction comprising, in combination:

a frame;

means for movably supporting the frame upon the ground;

a hopper mounted to the frame and having closed first and second sides, a closed bottom, and an open front;

a discharge gate movable between the sides of the hopper in the first direction from a first, expanded position to a second, unloaded position adjacent to the open front of the hopper;

a cylindrical dispensing drum rotatably mounted adjacent to the front of the hopper about an axis located below the closed bottom of the hopper;

a metering gate movably mounted at the front of the hopper and movable relative to the dispensing drum to meter the amount of material passing between the metering gate and the dispensing drum, with the discharge gate moving the material in the hopper in the first direction towards the dispensing drum for dispensing thereby, with the movably supporting means being spaced from the dispensing drum in a direction opposite to the first direction, with the material being dispensed by the dispensing drum in front of the hopper and the movably supporting means as the top dresser is being pulled in the first direction.

2. The top dresser of claim 1 wherein the dispensing drum has a periphery, with the periphery of the dispensing drum located above the bottom of the hopper, with the dispensing drum being rotatable with the periphery above the bottom moving generally in the first direction.

3. The top dresser of claim 2 further comprising, in combination:

a cylindrical brush rotatably mounted on the opposite side of the cylindrical dispensing drum than the hopper and rotatable in a direction opposite to the dispensing drum, with the cylindrical brush including bristles engaging the periphery of the dispensing drum.

4. The top dresser of claim 2 wherein the periphery of the drum includes means for gripping the material and moving the material under the metering gate.

5. The top dresser of claim 4 wherein the gripping and moving means comprises corrugated sheeting located on the periphery of the cylindrical, dispensing drum.

6. The top dresser of claim 5 wherein the corrugated sheeting comprises a multiplicity of spaced, parallel ribs extending continuously in a direction generally perpendicular to the first direction, with the ribs defining spaced channels therebetween of generally constant depths for receiving material.

7. The top dresser of claim 6 wherein the ribs are in a herringbone arrangement.

8. The top dresser of claim 1 further comprising an improved construction for movably mounting the discharge gate for movement between the first, expanded position and the second, unloaded position comprising, in combination:

first and second slide rails mounted to the first and second sides, with the first and second sides being located intermediate the first and second slide rails, with the first and second sides being spaced above the bottom; and

first and second means extending oppositely from the discharge gate and between the first and second sides and the bottom for slideable support on the first and second slide rails.

9. The top dresser of claim 8 wherein the slideable support means comprises first and second ears extending from the discharge gate and between the first and second sides and the bottom.

10. The top dresser of claim 9 wherein the slide rails are elongated tubular rails;

and wherein the slideable support means further comprises, in combination;

first and second C-shaped slides having a size complementary to and for slideable receipt on the first and second tubular rails, with the C-shaped slides having their free ends pointing at each other.

11. The top dresser of claim 9 further comprising an improved construction for moving the discharge gate in the first direction between the first, expanded position and the second, unloaded position comprising, in combination:

at least a first expandable and contractable actuator having a first end and a second end;

means for pivotably mounting the first end of the first actuator adjacent to the front of the hopper about an axis;

means for pivotably mounting the second end of the first actuator to the discharge gate about an axis, with a plane extending through the axes of the first actuator being at an angle to the first direction.

12. The top dresser of claim 11 wherein the second end of the first actuator is pivotally mounted to the first ear of the discharge gate outside of the first side.

13. The top dresser of claim 1 wherein the movably supporting means comprises a plurality of wheel assemblies, with each wheel assembly comprising, in combination:

a leaf spring mounted to the frame in a cantilever manner parallel to the first direction and having a free end;

an axle block;

means for pivotably mounting the axle block to the free end of the leaf spring about an axis parallel to the first direction; and

a pair of wheels rotatably mounted on opposite sides of the leaf spring about an axis extending through the axle block and perpendicular to the first direction.

14. The top dresser of claim 13 wherein each wheel assembly further comprises, in combination:

a snubber bar mounted to the frame in a cantilever manner spaced above and parallel to the leaf spring and having a free end for abutting with the leaf spring to limit the vertical travel of the leaf spring.

15. The top dresser of claim 1 further comprising an improved construction for moving the discharge gate in the first direction between the first, expanded position and the second, unloaded position comprising, in combination:

at least a first expandable and contractable actuator having a first end and a second end;

means for pivotably mounting the first end of the first actuator adjacent to the front of the hopper about an axis;

means for pivotably mounting the second end of the first actuator to the discharge gate about an axis, with a plane extending through the axes of the first actuator being at an angle to the first direction.

16. In a hopper including first and second closed sides, a closed bottom, an open first end, and a discharge gate extending between the first and second sides, an improved construction for movably mounting the discharge gate for movement between a first position spaced from the first end and a second position adjacent to the first end comprising, in combination:

first and second slide rails mounted to the first and second sides, with the first and second sides being located intermediate the first and second slide rails, with the first and second sides being spaced above the bottom; and

first and second means extending oppositely from the discharge gate and between the first and second sides and the bottom for slideable support on the first and second slide rails.

17. The hopper of claim 16 wherein the slideable support means comprises first and second ears extending from the discharge gate and between the first and second sides and the bottom.

18. The hopper of claim 17 wherein the slide rails are elongated tubular rails;

and wherein the slideable support means further comprises, in combination;

first and second C-shaped slides having a size complementary to and for slideable receipt on the first and second tubular rails, with the C-shaped slides having their free ends pointing at each other.

19. In a hopper including first and second closed sides, a closed bottom, an open first end, and a discharge gate extending between the first and second sides, an improved construction for moving the discharge gate in a first direction between a first position spaced from the first end and a second position adjacent to the first end comprising, in combination:

at least a first expandable and contractable actuator having a first end and a second end;

means for pivotably mounting the first end of the first actuator adjacent to the first end of the hopper about an axis;

means for pivotably mounting the second end of the first actuator to the discharge gate about an axis, with a plane extending through the axes of the first actuator being at an angle to the first direction.

20. The hopper of claim 19 further comprising, in combination:

a second expandable and contractable actuator having a first end and a second end;

means for pivotably mounting the first end of the second actuator adjacent to the first end of the hopper about an axis;

means for pivotably mounting the second end of the second actuator to the discharge gate about an axis, with a plane extending through the axes of the second actuator being at an angle to the first direction, with the plane of the axes of the first actuator intersecting with the plane of the axes of the second actuator at an angle other than 180°

.

21. In a hopper including first and second closed sides, a closed bottom, an open first end, and a discharge gate extending between the first and second sides, an improved construction for moving the discharge gate in a first direction between a first position spaced from the first end and a second position adjacent to the first end comprising, in combination:

at least a first expandable and contractable actuator having a first end and a second end;

means for pivotably mounting the first end of the first actuator to the hopper about a vertical axis; and

means for pivotally connecting the second end of the first actuator to the discharge gate about a vertical axis spaced from and parallel to the vertical axis of the first end of the first actuator, with the first actuator located vertically below the bottom and between the first and second sides.

22. In a top dresser adapted to be moved across the ground in a first direction comprising:

in combination;

a frame;

means for movably supporting the frame upon the ground;

a hopper mounted to the frame and having an end;

means for dispensing the material from the hopper onto the ground through the end of the hopper; and

a metering gate movably mounted at the end of the hopper and movable relative to the dispensing means to meter the amount of material being dispensed;

with the dispensing means being improved and comprising corrugated sheeting movable relative to the end of the hopper;

wherein the corrugated sheeting comprises a multiplicity of spaced, parallel ribs extending continuously in a direction generally perpendicular to the first direction between the sides of the corrugated sheeting with the ribs defining spaced channels therebetween of generally constant depths for receiving material and not being parallel to the metering gate.

23. The top dresser of claim 22 wherein the ribs define spaced, continuous channels therebetween.

24. The top dresser of claim 23 wherein the ribs are in a herringbone arrangement.

25. The top dresser of claim 24 wherein the dispensing means further comprises, in combination:

a cylindrical dispensing drum rotatably mounted adjacent to the end of the hopper, with the corrugated sheeting covering the entire periphery of the cylindrical dispensing drum.

26. The top dresser of claim 24 wherein the dispensing means further comprises, in combination:

an endless conveyor including first and second, spaced, parallel rollers, with the corrugated sheeting being in the form of an endless belt passing around the first and second rollers.

27. Method for dispensing material from a hopper into the ground through an end of the hopper as the hopper is moved across the ground in a first direction comprising the steps of moving corrugated sheeting relative to the end of the hopper, wherein the corrugated sheeting comprises a multiplicity of spaced, parallel ribs extending continuously in a direction generally perpendicular to the first direction between the sides of the corrugated sheeting, with the ribs defining spaced channels therebetween of generally constant depths for receiving material;

and moving a metering gate relative to the end of the hopper and to the corrugated sheeting to meter the amount of material being dispensed, with the ribs not being parallel to the metering gate.

28. The dispensing method of claim 27 wherein the moving step comprises the steps of covering the entire periphery of a cylindrical dispensing drum with the corrugated sheeting;

and rotating the cylindrical dispensing drum adjacent to the end of the hopper.

29. The dispensing method of claim 27 wherein the moving step comprises the steps of forming the corrugated sheeting into an endless belt passing around first and second, spaced, parallel rollers;

and rotating at least one of the first and second rollers.