Broadcast spreader with swath manipulation

Abstract

A spreader with a material divider that is adjustable from side to side so as to change a percentage of a stream of material which flows through portions of the material divider and also supports and moves laterally with a spinner while the spinner is adjustable longitudinally. The geometry of spread patterns can be adjusted by laterally manipulating the location of the material divider.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application claims the benefit of the filing date of the non-provisional patent application with the same title and filed by the same inventors on Aug. 8, 2012, and having Ser. No. 13 / 569,861 and the filing date of the provisional patent application with the same title and filed by the same inventors on Oct. 10, 2011, and having Ser. No. 61 / 548,050, which applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.BACKGROUND OF INVENTION[0002]Spinner spreaders for granular, i.e. flowable material are well known in the art, for agricultural application, lawn care and road maintenance application. Typically, such spreaders are mounted onto a truck body, truck chassis, trailer, or slid into a truck's dump body. The spreader includes a material storage bin(s), a conveyor system(s), metering method, and rotating spinners. The conveyor systems transfer material from the storage bin(s) to the spinners. The spinners broadcast the mate...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0018]Accordingly, a primary objective of the present invention is an improved particulate material spreader with a provision that achieves proper placement of product onto a field, lawn or other area in both symmetrical and asymmetrical patterns with relationship to the line of travel.

[0023]Another objective of the present invention is to combine the benefits of dividing the flow into necessary ratios via the transverse divider movement with independent fore and aft movement of the spinner under the same divider to achieve proper placement of material onto a field, lawn, or other area.

[0024]Another objective of the present invention is to is to divide the flow of product being delivered to twin spinners by moving a divider, fixed in location with respect to the spinner disks, transversely beneath the flow of material leaving a conveyor system whereas the product flow is placed on the spinner disk at a point that aids proper placement onto the field while spreading field boundaries.

[0025]The adjustable spinner of the present invention is adapted for use with a spreader for broadcasting particulate material onto a field, lawn, or other area. The spinner includes a frame which is adapted to be adjustably mounted transversely beneath a conveyor discharge. Fixed to the transversely adjustable frame is a material divider above a pair of rotating spinner disks whereas the transverse adjustment of the frame moves both the divider and disks causing a split of material flow in any number of variable ratios to each spinner disk in a ratio necessary to facilitate variable asymmetric spread patterns. The position of the divider and spinners relative to the conveyor discharge can be controlled, either manually or automatically, with or without automatic position feedback, by any number of means such as mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, or hydraulic so as to adjust the ratio and placement of material onto the spinners to accomplish any number of symmetrical or asymmetrical patterns. The position of the divider and spinners can be further aided by varied spinner rotational speeds, independent of each other, to further aid definition of spread pattern shape and position.

Problems solved by technology

However, in order to cover the field area completely, the wider spread patterns of a broadcast spreader make it difficult to avoid overlapping areas or spreading into areas that should be avoided.

Likewise, spreading on irregular shaped fields may result in inadequate coverage when the spreading vehicle is approaching areas at an angle that is not perpendicular to areas already covered.

This results in using more fertilizer and higher costs.

At the same time, too much overlap of these spreaders quickly produce areas that can double the intended rate per area.

The throughput of these spreaders are limited by how fast the material can gravity flow from a funnel shaped bin through the restrictive orifice and on to the spinner.

While they can produce a wide pyramid pattern and the flow can be adjusted easily, the orifice limits the speed of the carrying or towing vehicle and overall throughput.

While electronics and software can easily control doubling the number of conveyor systems, the doubling of hydraulic motors, hydraulic valves, sensors, conveyors, bearings, drive shafts, etc. are expensive, add weight to the spreader, add volume to the drive components and take away usable volume for the spreader bins, hurt hydraulic efficiencies, etc.

The increase in mechanical and hydraulic parts increase repair items and the dense packaging of those components would make access to the repair items more difficult.

Images