Broadcast spreading top dresser
First Claim
1. Top dresser for dispensing material to a surface comprising, in combination:
- a hopper for containing top dressing material and movably supported relative to the surface;
at least a first spinner rotatable about a vertical axis in a rotation direction, with the spinner including a circular disk of a diameter and having a center corresponding to the vertical axis, with the circular disk being generally perpendicular to the vertical axis, with the circular disk having a top, with the spinner further including a plurality of fins on the top of the circular disk and in a radial orientation, with the spinner being movable along the surface in an operation direction generally perpendicular to the vertical axis and with the circular disk being generally parallel to the surface with top dressing material being dispensed from the hopper onto the top of the circular disk at an infeed radial position; and
a diverter located in the rotation direction past the infeed radial position, with the diverter having a forward end spaced from the circular disk and located intermediate the infeed radial position and the maximum rearward extent of the circular disk in the operation direction, with top dressing material being propelled from the spinner by centrifugal forces as a result of rotation of the spinner and past the diverter rearward of the spinner and the diverter.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A broadcast spreading top dresser (10) includes a diverter (200) which can be positioned in an upper position for light applications and a lower position for heavy applications, with the diverter (200) extending through a slot (210) in an upper sheet (58) of the spinner assembly (40) and beyond and below the upper sheet (58) in the lower position. The leading edges (204) of the diverter (200) are spaced from the circular disks (154) of the spinners (54) intermediate the radial position that the material is dispensed unto the spinners (54) and the maximum rearward extent of the circular disks (154). The lower edges of the diverter (200) extend at differing distances into the thickness of the propelled top dressing material. The metering gate (72) is prevented from being inadvertently manually pivoted between first and second ranges of spacings from the conveyor (140) by a stop (180) having a spring based plunger (182), with the free end of the plunger (182) sliding on the face of the side plate (174) of the metering gate (72) in the second range while the plunger (182) abuts with an edge of the side plate (174) in the first range.
81 Citations
25 Claims
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1. Top dresser for dispensing material to a surface comprising, in combination:
- a hopper for containing top dressing material and movably supported relative to the surface;
at least a first spinner rotatable about a vertical axis in a rotation direction, with the spinner including a circular disk of a diameter and having a center corresponding to the vertical axis, with the circular disk being generally perpendicular to the vertical axis, with the circular disk having a top, with the spinner further including a plurality of fins on the top of the circular disk and in a radial orientation, with the spinner being movable along the surface in an operation direction generally perpendicular to the vertical axis and with the circular disk being generally parallel to the surface with top dressing material being dispensed from the hopper onto the top of the circular disk at an infeed radial position; and
a diverter located in the rotation direction past the infeed radial position, with the diverter having a forward end spaced from the circular disk and located intermediate the infeed radial position and the maximum rearward extent of the circular disk in the operation direction, with top dressing material being propelled from the spinner by centrifugal forces as a result of rotation of the spinner and past the diverter rearward of the spinner and the diverter.
- a hopper for containing top dressing material and movably supported relative to the surface;
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2. Top dresser for dispensing material to a surface comprising, in combination:
- a hopper for containing top dressing material and movably supported relative to the surface;
at least a first spinner rotatable about a vertical axis in a rotation direction, with the spinner including a circular disk of a diameter and having a center corresponding to the vertical axis, with the circular disk being generally perpendicular to the vertical axis, with the circular disk having a top, with the spinner further including a plurality of fins on the top of the circular disk and in a radial orientation, with the spinner being movable along the surface in an operation direction generally perpendicular to the vertical axis and with the circular disk being generally parallel to the surface with top dressing material being dispensed from the hopper onto the top of the circular disk at an infeed radial position; and
a diverter located in the rotation direction past the infeed radial position, with the diverter having a forward end spaced from the circular disk and located intermediate the infeed radial position and the maximum rearward extent of the circular disk in the operation direction, with the diverter having a lower edge spaced vertically above the top of the circular disk. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6)
- a hopper for containing top dressing material and movably supported relative to the surface;
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7. Top dresser for dispensing material to a surface comprising, in combination:
- a hopper for containing top dressing material and movably supported relative to the surface;
at least a first spinner rotatable about a vertical axis in a rotation direction, with the spinner including a circular disk of a diameter and having a center corresponding to the vertical axis, with the circular disk being generally perpendicular to the vertical axis, with the circular disk having a top, with the spinner further including a plurality of fins on the top of the circular disk and in a radial orientation, with the spinner being movable along the surface in an operation direction generally perpendicular to the vertical axis and with the circular disk being generally parallel to the surface with top dressing material being dispensed from the hopper onto the top of the circular disk at an infeed radial position;
a diverter located in the rotation direction past the infeed radial position, with the diverter having a forward end spaced from the circular disk and located intermediate the infeed radial position and the maximum rearward extent of the circular disk in the operation direction; and
a second spinner rotatable about a vertical axis spaced from and parallel to the vertical axis of the first spinner, with the second spinner being rotatable in an opposite rotation direction than the rotation direction of the first spinner to create a rearward downstream nip in the operation direction, with the diverter being generally V-shaped and positioned in the downstream nip of the first and second spinners.
- a hopper for containing top dressing material and movably supported relative to the surface;
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8. Top dresser for dispensing material to a surface comprising, in combination:
- a hopper for containing top dressing material and movably supported relative to the surface;
at least a first spinner rotatable about a vertical axis in a rotation direction, with the spinner including a circular disk of a diameter and having a center corresponding to the vertical axis, with the circular disk being generally perpendicular to the vertical axis, with the circular disk having a top, with the spinner further including a plurality of fins on the top of the circular disk and in a radial orientation, with the spinner being movable along the surface in an operation direction generally perpendicular to the vertical axis and with the circular disk being generally parallel to the surface with top dressing material being dispensed from the hopper onto the top of the circular disk at an infeed radial position; and
a diverter located in the rotation direction past the infeed radial position, with the diverter having a forward end spaced from the circular disk and located intermediate the infeed radial position and the maximum rearward extent of the circular disk in the operation direction, with the diverter having a rearward edge opposite to the forward edge, with the rearward edge being radially spaced intermediate the forward edge and the maximum rearward extent in the operation direction.
- a hopper for containing top dressing material and movably supported relative to the surface;
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9. Top dresser for dispensing material to a surface comprising, in combination:
- a hopper for containing top dressing material and movably supported relative to the surface;
at least a first spinner rotatable about an axis in a rotation direction, with top dressing material being dispensed from the hopper to the spinner and being propelled radially from the spinner by rotation of the spinner at a thickness parallel to the axis; and
a diverter extending in a nonradial direction from the axis and preventing passage of top dressing material therethrough, with the diverter having an edge extending at different distances parallel to the axis into the thickness of the propelled top dressing material.
- a hopper for containing top dressing material and movably supported relative to the surface;
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10. Top dresser for dispensing material to a surface comprising, in combination:
- a hopper for containing top dressing material and movably supported relative to the surface;
at least a first spinner rotatable about an axis in a rotation direction, with top dressing material being dispensed from the hopper to the spinner and being propelled radially from the spinner by rotation of the spinner at a thickness; and
a diverter extending in a nonradial direction from the axis and preventing passage of top dressing material therethrough, with the diverter having an edge extending at different distances into the thickness of the propelled top dressing material, with the diverter including a portion of the edge which has linearly decreasing distances into the thickness of the propelled top dressing material. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
- a hopper for containing top dressing material and movably supported relative to the surface;
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14. Method for dispensing top dressing material to a surface comprising:
- rotating a spinner about an axis;
dispensing top dressing material to the rotating spinner to be propelled radially from the spinner by rotation of the spinner at a thickness parallel to the axis; and
extending an edge of a diverter into the thickness parallel to the axis of the propelled top dressing material, with the edge having different distances into the thickness of the propelled top dressing material.
- rotating a spinner about an axis;
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15. Spinner assembly comprising, in combination:
- a spinner rotatable about an axis;
a sheet located perpendicular to the axis and extending parallel to the spinner;
an opening formed in the sheet for directing material to the spinner;
a slot formed in the sheet; and
a diverter having a shape insertable through the slot, with the diverter being positionable in a first position which does not detrimentally extend beyond the plate towards the spinner and in a second position extending beyond the plate towards the spinner. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
- a spinner rotatable about an axis;
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20. Top dresser comprising, in combination:
- a hopper for containing top dressing material, with the hopper including a bottom and a back;
a conveyor located at the bottom of the hopper so as to have top dressing material contained in the hopper gravitationally discharged on the conveyor to be conveyed to the back of the hopper an opening formed in the back of the hopper; and
a gate moveable relative to the opening and adjustable in a first range of spacings from the conveyor and adjustable in a second range of spacings from the conveyor different than the first range of spacings, with the gate being prevented from being manually moved inadvertently between the first and second ranges of spacings. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
- a hopper for containing top dressing material, with the hopper including a bottom and a back;
Specification