WO1996000001A1

WO1996000001A1 - Spreader for granular materials

Info

Publication number: WO1996000001A1
Application number: PCT/FI1995/000366
Authority: WO
Inventors: Olli Ikola
Original assignee: Olli Ikola
Priority date: 1994-06-23
Filing date: 1995-06-26
Publication date: 1996-01-04
Also published as: FI943034A0

Abstract

The object of the invention is spreader for granular material, which includes a reservoir (1) for the material to be spread, with a silo-like base (2) with an opening, a shut-off plate (4) located in connection with the opening (3) of the base (2) of the reservoir to allow the material to flow in a controlled manner through the opening (3), and a rotatable spreader plate (6) located beneath the flow point to throw the material over an extensive area. The opening (3) of the base (2) is set at a slope and shut-off plate (4) is supported on an axle (5) situated in the area of the upper edge of the opening (3) in such a way that the shut-off plate (4) is able to turn from the fully closed position to an open position of the desired size while the shut-off plate (4) forms a flow chute and that the rotatable spreader plate (6) is located eccentrically in front of the opening (3) in such a way that the flow point is situated at the rear part of the centre point of the plate (6) and laterally on the side designated by the direction of rotation.

Description

SPREADER FOR GRANULAR MATERIALS

The object of the invention is a spreader for granular mate¬ rials, which includes a silo-like reservoir equipped with a base with an opening for the material to be spread, a shut-off plate situated in connection with the opening in the base of the reservoir in order to allow the material to flow in a controlled manner through the opening, and a rotatable spreader plate located beneath the flow opening to throw the material over a large area. The invention is mainly concerned with pushable plate spreaders, but it may also be used in towed or self- propelled machines. Spreaders for granular materials and equipped with a rotating spreader plate are described in US Patent Publications 2,841,401, 3,310,314, and 3,282,591, and in German Application Publication DE 33074468. Material flows onto the spreader plate through the opening made in the reservoir of the wheel-barrow in accordance with the German publication, but the material to be spread easily becomes packed, nor is this in any way a general purpose system when bearing in mind different materials.

Both spreading devices shown in US Publications 2,841,401 and 3,310,314 have the defect that the material to be spread forms a vault on the base of the spreader, because the opening is only formed over part of the surface area of the base. In both, the flow point is located more or less symmetrically in relation to the spreader plate. In the device in accordance with the first publication, spreading takes place evenly around the device, also onto the feet of the user.

Publication US 3,282,591 shows a material spreader, in which there is a rotatable spreading thrower, which corresponds to the plate in a conventional spreader, located beneath the conical funnel. A device of this kind also spreads the material around itself, nor can the material being spread be regulated by it, as the shut-off must be carried out earlier. There have often been attempts to resolve the problem of sprea¬ ders becoming blocked, by means of various kinds of vibrators, which, however, cause unpleasant noise.

The intention of this invention is to create a new kind of spreader solution, which will not have the deficiencies of the above mentioned known devices. In particular, reliable spreading operation when using different kinds of granular materials is desired. The characteristic features of a spreader in accordance with the invention are presented in the accompanying Patent Claims. The invention is based to a great extent on the obser¬ vation that by opening the entire base, the material in the reservoir is forced into such a flow that prevents vaulting. In addition, the flow in accordance with the invention takes place at precisely such a place on the spreader plate that the sprea¬ ding is evenly distributed forwards, and not at all in the direction of the user. Naturally, the concepts forwards and backwards must be reversed if the device is implemented in a towable form. Other advantages and embodiments of the invention appear from the examples of applications presented later.

In what follows, the invention is illustrated with reference to the accompanying Figures, which show one spreader in accordance with the invention.

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the spreader. Figure 2 shows the spreader in partial cross-section, seen from the side. Figure 3 shows the spreader seen from in front.

The spreader in Figures 1 - 3 is a model that is pushed and moves on its own wheels. The spreader is built on top of a cart 8 moving on wheels 7, and the spreader plate 6 receives its rotational power from one of the wheels. The spreader includes reservoir 1, which is composed of an upper part in the form of a rectangular prism and a silo- like base 2, in which opening 3 is cut at a slant. This opening is closed by shut-off plate 4, which is attached to the rear part of opening 3 by means of hinge 5. The shut-off plate 4 with its extension 9 is thus able to turn to a limited extent around axle 5. The maximum opening can be adjusted by means of screw device 10. The shut-off plate 3 is operated with the aid of handle 19, which moves a cable mechanism connected to the shut-off plate.

With reference to Figure 3, the rotating spreader plate 6 is situated eccentrically in relation to the opening of base 2 and the shut-off plate 4. The rotatable plate is secured to the end of an arm set on bearings and it is driven by a serrated belt transmission 11, which is in turn driven by a friction wheel 12 from one support wheel 7.

The spreader includes lateral guides 13, which can be turned forwards to the operating position, when the spreading width can be effectively adjusted.

The opening 3 of the base 2 of the reservoir 1 is cut at a suitable angle to the horizontal. This angle should be 10° - 14°, in order for the granular material to discharge with a precisely suitable force past shut-of plate 4. The shut-off plate 4 opens at a greater angle than this. The user also tilts the device slightly. The optimal maximum tilt in operation seems to be about 30°. A small tilt of the reservoir has as such no significance and it may indeed be slightly sloping when at rest.

As such the reservoir 1 may even be a rotating component, but from the point of view of use of space the form of a rectangular prism, together with a straight base, provides greater capacity. The extension 9 of the shut- off plate 4 is dimensioned for its intended purpose. Its length is advantageously 20 - 100 % of the length of the opening. Its end determines the point of flow, which should be located on the rear part of the spreader plate, on the side determined by the direction of rotation. The exten- sion section 9 of the shut-off plate can naturally include some kind of adjustment component to adjust its length. The lateral guides consist of turnable supports, in which there are flexible, e.g. rubber, plates.

A cable mechanism operates the arm 16 that extends to the side of the shut-off plate.

A spreader in accordance with the invention can differ from the example of application, in that it can be arranged to be towable or as a device only carried on a vehicle.

Claims

Patent Claims

1. A spreader for granular material, which includes a reservoir (1) for the material to be spread, with a silo-like base (2) with an opening, a shut-off plate (4) located in connection with the opening (3) of the base (2) of the reservoir to allow the material to flow in a controlled manner through the opening (3) , and a rotatable spreader plate (6) located beneath the flow point to throw the material over an extensive area, characterized in that the opening (3) of the base (2) is set at a slope and shut-off plate (4) is supported on an axle (5) situated in the area of the upper edge of the opening (3) in such a way that the shut-off plate (4) is able to turn from the fully closed position to an open position of the desired size while the shut-off plate (4) forms a flow chute and that the rotatable spreader plate (6) is located eccentrically in front of the opening (3) in such a way that the flow point is situated at the rear part of the centre point of the plate (6) and laterally on the side designated by the direction of rotation.

2. A spreader in accordance with Patent Claim 1, charac¬ terized in that the angle formed by the opening (3) with the horizontal is 10° - 20°, most advantageously 12° - 16°.

3. A spreader in accordance with Patent Claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the reservoir (1) consists of an upper part in the shape of a rectangular prism and in the base (2) sloping sides that connect with the lower sides of this, and the lower edges of which stop at the aforesaid opening (3) .

4. A spreader in accordance with Patent Claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the spreader in installed on a pushable cart, which has at least two support wheels (7) and that the spreader includes a friction transmission (11, 12) to rotate the spreader plate from a support wheel.

5. A spreader in accordance with one of the above Patent Claims 1 - 4, characterized in that that the shut- off plate (4) includes a unified extension (9) , which forms the aforesaid flow chute and the length of which is 20 - 100 % of the length of the opening (3) .

6. A spreader in accordance with one of the above Patent Claims 1 - 5, characterized in that the spreader includes flexible lateral guides, surfaced with e.g. rubber plates, which can be turned essentially to the side of the spreader plate to regulate the spreading width.