초록 ▼

A material spreader for handling both rock and powder-like materials incorporates a hopper assembly with a hydraulically motor driven side discharge as compared to the conventional bottom discharge. The hopper assembly in one embodiment is supported directly above the surface being covered by hydrau

A material spreader for handling both rock and powder-like materials incorporates a hopper assembly with a hydraulically motor driven side discharge as compared to the conventional bottom discharge. The hopper assembly in one embodiment is supported directly above the surface being covered by hydraulically motor driven wheeled frames and in another embodiment is supported by a carriage on a bridge spanning the work surface. A gasoline engine driven hydraulic system mounts on and moves with the hopper assembly during spreading and includes a mechanism for automatically reversing the direction of travel.

대표청구항 ▼

A material spreader for spreading a layer of particulate material of substantially uniform width and thickness over a defined surface, said spreader comprising: (a) a hopper assembly including: (i) an open top hopper structure for receiving and storing material to be spread; (ii) an upper material d

A material spreader for spreading a layer of particulate material of substantially uniform width and thickness over a defined surface, said spreader comprising: (a) a hopper assembly including: (i) an open top hopper structure for receiving and storing material to be spread; (ii) an upper material dispenser box formed by side and end walls defining an open top communicating with said hopper structure and an open bottom with the length of said box being substantially equal to the width of the layer of material to be spread; and (iii) a lower material dispensing section secured to and supported below said dispenser box, said lower section being formed by end walls and between said end walls an upwardly curved bottom wall defining an open top of said lower section mating the open bottom of said dispenser box, one side of said bottom wall forming a continuation of one sidewall of said dispenser box and the other side of said bottom wall terminating with an edge extending for the length of said dispenser box and located below and parallel to the bottom edge of the other said sidewall of said dispenser box thereby forming a side discharge dispensing slot located below and laterally offset from the central vertical plane of said dispenser box; (b) support structure mounting said hopper assembly for movement above and in the direction of the uncovered surface over which a layer of material is to be spread; (c) a gasoline engine mounted on said support structure and having a drive shaft powered by said engine; (d) a hydraulic pump mounted on said support structure and coupled to said drive shaft; (e) a plurality of hydraulic motors fluidly connected for being driven by pressurized fluid produced by said pump; (f) a reservoir supported by said support structure for storing hydraulic fluid utilized by said pump and motors; (g) drive means on said support structure for driving said support structure and thereby moving said hopper assembly over the surface to be covered by said material, said drive means including one or more of said hydraulic motors to drive one or more wheels supporting said support structure; (h) a paddle member extending for the length of and mounted in said lower dispensing section for ejecting material therefrom through said slot, said paddle member having a drive connection to another of said motors for driving said paddle member to assist the flow of material through said slot during operation of said spreader, said paddle member rotating about an axis laterally offset from the central vertical plane of said dispenser box, said paddle member being mounted for rotation in a circular path adapted to collect material falling by gravity onto said bottom wall and sweeping such material upwardly on said bottom wall to said discharge slot to thereby be discharged; and (i) control valve and conduit means on said support structure including an operator-control member and conduit interconnecting said pump, motors, reservoir and valve means positioned by said control member to allow selective stopping and reversing of the direction of the motors driving the wheels on said support structure while allowing said paddle member when operating to continuously rotate in the same direction independent of the direction of movement of said support structure and hopper assembly.