Fluid sprinkling – spraying – and diffusing – Container for non-fluid material – and scattering means – Including driven conveyor or follower feeding material...
Patent
1995-06-28
1997-09-30
Weldon, Kevin
Fluid sprinkling, spraying, and diffusing
Container for non-fluid material, and scattering means
Including driven conveyor or follower feeding material...
A01C 1902
Patent
active
056718918
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to apparatus for spreading material, and in particular, though not limited to apparatus for spreading animal fodder, manure, slurry and the like.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
Such apparatus is commonly used for agricultural purposes, for example, for spreading fodder or manure. Generally speaking, these types of apparatus are referred to as spreader wagons. In general, such spreader wagons comprise an elongated container and a dispensing rotor rotatably mounted at one end thereof for discharging material from the container through the dispensing outlet. A piston plate is drivable with rectilinear movement along and through the container for urging material in the container towards the dispensing rotor. A typical spreader wagon is illustrated and briefly described in British Specification No. GB-A-2,177,937.
Such spreader wagons in general, are relatively satisfactory for use with relatively dry material, however, they have been found to be particularly unsatisfactory for use with relatively wet materials, particularly, relatively viscous and lumpy slurry type materials. In practice, the slurry tends to settle around the dispensing rotor, thus, immersing a substantial part of the dispensing rotor therein. In many cases the torque required to commence rotation of the rotor when immersed in the slurry is so great as to cause shearing of the rotor shaft or serious damage to the rotor.
There is therefore a need for a spreader wagon, and indeed, for apparatus for spreading materials, in particular, wet, slurry type materials which overcomes these problems.
The present invention is directed towards providing such apparatus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention there is provided apparatus for spreading material, the apparatus comprising an elongated container for the material extending from an upstream end to a downstream end and defining a longitudinally extending central axis, the container comprising a base, a pair of spaced apart side walls extending generally upwardly from the base and between the upstream and downstream ends, and a downstream end wall extending upwardly from the base between the side walls, a dispensing outlet from the container being located adjacent the downstream end thereof, a dispensing rotor mounted in the container at the downstream end, and being rotatable about a rotational axis which extends parallel to the central axis of the container for dispensing material from the container through the dispensing outlet, wherein an isolating means extending transversely of the central axis is located in the container adjacent the downstream end and upstream of the dispensing rotor, the isolating means being movable between a closed position for isolating the dispensing rotor from a portion of the container which is upstream of the isolating means to an open position whereby the dispensing rotor communicates with the upstream portion of the container.
The advantages of the apparatus according to the invention are many. In particular, the apparatus is particularly suited for dispensing and spreading slurry type materials which include fibrous material, such as, for example, straw, hay and the like. In particular, the apparatus is suitable for dispensing and spreading animal fodder and manure. By virtue of the fact that an isolating means is provided by isolating the dispensing rotor from the upstream portion of the container, the dispensing rotor can be run up to speed while it is disengaged from the material to be dispensed. This, thus permits the apparatus to be operated with a relatively low torque requirement. The torque required for running the dispensing rotor up to speed, is relatively low since the dispensing rotor is disengaged from the material, and once the dispensing rotor has been brought up to speed, and comes into engagement with the material in the container, the torque requirement is also relatively low.
Preferably, the isolating means comprises an isolating plate. This provides a particularly advantageous
REFERENCES:
patent: 2876014 (1959-03-01), Markel
patent: 3907211 (1975-09-01), O'Reilly
patent: 4072272 (1978-02-01), Harder
patent: 4473184 (1984-09-01), Martin
patent: 4801085 (1989-01-01), Fischer
Keenan John
Keenan Richard
Moore Richard Christopher
Vetron Holdings Limited
Weldon Kevin
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