An Apparatus for Spreading Slurry and a Boom Assembly Therefor

Abstract

An apparatus for spreading slurry comprising a slurry reservoir tank 2 mounted on a chassis to be towed behind or mounted on a vehicle. A transversely extending boom is mounted on either side of the t

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an apparatus for spreading slurry and in particular to an improved a slurry spreading apparatus that can be retrofitted to an existing slurry tanker. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is desirable to apply slurry to soil to improve the nitrogen content of the soil. Traditionally, slurry is spread on the land from pressurised slurry tankers towed by a tractor across the land and having a rear spray outlet from which the slurry is passed onto a splash plate whereby the slurry is crudely sprayed onto the land. While a splash plate slurry spreader is inexpensive and robust, it is not environmentally friendly. Ammonia emissions from the application of slurry account for a large proportion of the total ammonia emissions from agriculture. The use of a splash plate slurry spreader can result in up to 80% of the available nitrogen being lost to the atmosphere in the form of ammonia and results in contamination of the foliage of plants growing on the land. Increasing environmental concerns regarding the noxious effects of spraying slurry over the land and the problems of run off into waterways and of foliage soiling have led to a preference for delivery of slurry directly onto or into the soil. This can be achieved by the use of a dribble bar spreader, wherein a boom is mounted on a rear end of the slurry tanker, extending transverse to the direction of travel, upon which is mounted a number of evenly spaced flexible pipes coupled to an outlet of the slurry tanker. Slurry travels down these pipes to be deposited on the soil or crop surface. This method reduces the surface area of slurry exposed to the air, lowering nutrient losses, and gives a more uniform spread pattern. In trailing shoe spreaders, the slurry is supplied to a row of trailing "shoes" mounted on the boom behind the tanker. Such shoes part the grass sward to allow slurry to be deposited onto bare soil rather than onto the plants themselves. Ammonia emissions are further reduced by the slurry bands being protected from air currents by the crop canopy. Another advantage of a trailing shoe spreader is that the method of application causes little damage to growing crops, even tall crops, which allows for greater flexibility in application date as well as the availability of a larger window to apply slurry without affecting silage or herbage quality. In each of abovementioned processes for the delivery of slurry directly onto the soil the spreader apparatus is typically mounted on the rear of the slurry tanker. However, mounting the spreader apparatus on the rear of the slurry tanker, behind the wheels thereof, adds weight to the slurry tanker in a disadvantageous location, transferring weight towards the rear of the slurry tanker, reducing the weight on the draw bar and thereby reducing the traction available to the towing tractor. Also the position of the boom behind the wheels of the slurry tanker exposes the boom to greater risk of damage when in an out of use folded configuration. An object of the present invention is to alleviate these problems, in particular in a manner which can be retrofitted to an existing slurry tanker. In the following description the terms “forward” and “rear” should be interpreted in relation to the normal direction of travel of a vehicle towing the slurry spreading apparatus or upon which the apparatus is mounted. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for spreading slurry comprising a cylindrical slurry reservoir mounted on a chassis to be towed behind or mounted on a vehicle, said chassis having a forward end, a rear end, and a longitudinal axis extending between said forward and rear ends, a horizontally-oriented transverse axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and a vertical axis perpendicular to the longitudinal and transverse axes; a transversely extending boom comprising a respective boom section provided on each side of the reservoir, a plurality of slurry discharge nozzles mounted on each boom section for delivering slurry from the reservoir directly onto or into the ground, wherein the boom is mounted on support means fitted over the cylindrical slurry reservoir at or adjacent the forward end of the reservoir. Preferably a respective boom section is mounted on each side of the support means, preferably adjacent a lower end of the support means. Preferably the support means comprises a support saddle, which may be in for form of one or more bands, belts, straps or arcuate beams, extending over an upper surface of the slurry reservoir to secure the boom to the slurry reservoir. In one embodiment the support saddle comprises an arcuate upper section adapted to rest on an upper surface of the slurry reservoir to extend over an upper portion of the reservoir, a respective lower section depending from either side of the upper section. The arcuate upper section may comprise first and section parallel arcuate beams spaced apart and interconnected by transverse link members. The arcuate upper section may be foldable about one or more transverse pivot axes to facilitate storage and / or transport. Each lower section of the support saddle may comprise a respective pair of transversely spaced apart support beams, each support beam depending from and being pivotally coupled to a lower end of a respective arcuate beam of the upper section, each boom section being pivotally mounted between the lower ends of the support beams of a respective lower section of the support saddle. Each support beam of the lower parts of the support saddle includes a support shoe at or adjacent a lower end of the respective support beam and being adapted to engage a respective side of the slurry reservoir. Securing straps may be coupled between the lower sections and / or upper section of the support saddle and the slurry reservoir and / or chassis to secure the support saddle on the slurry reservoir. Each boom section may be pivotally mounted on a respective side of the support saddle to be foldable between a raised transport position and an outwardly extending operative position. Actuators, such as hydraulic rams, may be provided, extending between the support saddle and the respective boom section, for moving the boom sections between their transport and operative positions. Each boom section may include one or more foldable outer sections, the or each foldable outer section being foldable with respect to the remainder of the boom section about a vertical axis. The slurry reservoir preferably incorporates a slurry outlet at a rear end thereof, at least one slurry delivery conduit extending between said slurry outlet and said boom. In one embodiment a pair of slurry delivery conduits are provided extending up either side of the slurry reservoir to supply slurry to the respective boom section on each side of the reservoir. The or each slurry delivery conduit may terminate at a respective manifold, the or each manifold having a plurality of outlets each communicating with a respective slurry delivery nozzle on the respective boom section via a respective slurry delivery pipe. The or each manifold may incorporate a respective macerator adapted to chop up fibrous material in the slurry to prevent blockages in the slurry delivery pipes and slurry discharge nozzles. The or each slurry delivery conduit may comprise a flexible or rigid pipe. The or each slurry delivery conduit may be provided with a shut off valve, such as a gate valve, preferably at or adjacent the slurry outlet of the slurry reservoir. Ground engaging wheels may be mounted on the chassis adjacent the rear end of the reservoir, said support saddle being mounted on the slurry reservoir ahead of said ground engaging wheels. A further boom section may be mounted on the rear end of the chassis extending parallel to said transverse axis. According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a boom assembly for a slurry spreading apparatus comprising a cylindrical slurry reservoir mounted on a chassis to be towed behind or mounted on a vehicle, said boom assembly comprising a support saddle comprises an arcuate upper section adapted to sit on an upper surface of the slurry reservoir to extend over an upper portion of the reservoir, a respective lower section depending from either side of the upper section, a transversely extending boom being mounted on each lower section of the support saddle to extend from a respective side of the slurry reservoir when the support saddle is mounted thereon. The arcuate upper section may comprise first and section parallel arcuate beams spaced apart and interconnected by transverse link members. The arcuate upper section may be foldable about one or more transverse pivot axes to facilitate storage and / or transport. Each lower section of the support saddle may comprise a respective pair of transversely spaced apart support beams, each support beam depending from and being pivotally coupled to a lower end of a respective arcuate beam of the upper section, each boom section being pivotally mounted between the lower ends of the support beams of a respective lower section of the support saddle. Each support beam of the lower parts of the support saddle may include a support shoe at or adjacent a lower end of the respective support beam, each support shoe being adapted to engage a respective side of the slurry reservoir. Securing straps or bands may be provided to be coupled between the lower sections and / or upper section of the support saddle and the slurry reservoir and / or chassis to secure the support saddle on the slurry reservoir. The securing traps or bands may incorporate tensioning means. Each boom section may be pivotally mounted on a respective side of the support saddle to be foldable between a raised transport position and an outwardly extending operative position. Actuators, such as hydraulic rams, may be provided, extending between the support saddle and the respective boom section, for moving the boom sections between their transport and operative positions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS An apparatus for spreading slurry in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :- Figure 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus for spreading slurry in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a further perspective view of the apparatus of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a detailed perspective view of the apparatus of Figure 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A slurry tanker having a boom assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the drawings. A cylindrical slurry storage tank 2 may be mounted on an elongate chassis (not shown) having a drawbar at a forward end for coupling to a towing vehicle and an axle with ground engaging wheels mounted on the chassis adjacent a rear end thereof, as is conventional in the art. The storage tank 2 may be adapted to be pressurized by means of a compressor and a slurry outlet 4 is provided at the rear end of the tank 2, preferably adjacent the lowermost point of the tank 2. The tank 2 is preferably mounted on the chassis to be inclined downwardly towards the slurry outlet 4 when coupled to the towing vehicle (e.g. tractor). A transversely extending boom is mounted on either side of the tank 2, adjacent a forward end thereof, via a support saddle 10, the boom comprising at least one foldable boom section 12,14 on each side of the support saddle 10. In the embodiment shown, each foldable boom section 12,14 is pivotable between a transversely oriented extended configuration and a substantially vertically oriented folded configuration. As illustrated in the drawings, the support saddle 10 having the foldable boom sections 12,14 mounted thereon, is mounted on the tank 2 adjacent a forward end of the tank 2, preferably ahead of the wheels, greatly improving the weight distribution of the slurry tanker when coupled to a tractor. A plurality of slurry discharge nozzles 16 are mounted on the boom sections 12,14 for delivering slurry from the tank 2 directly onto or into the ground, as will be described in more detail below. A slurry distribution manifold 18 is mounted on each side of the support saddle 10 adapted to receiving slurry from a slurry outlet at the rear of the tank, via a respective slurry conduit 20 extending along a respective side of the tank 2. Each manifold 18 includes a plurality of slurry outlet ports 22, a slurry delivery hose (not shown) being connected to each slurry outlet port 22 and each slurry delivery hose being coupled to a respective slurry discharge nozzle 16. The slurry delivery hoses have been omitted from the drawings for clarity, but are conventional in the art. A respective shut off valve 24, such as a gate valve, is provided at an inlet end of each slurry conduit 22, adjacent the slurry outlet of the tank 2. Each manifold 18 may incorporate a macerator having cutting blades mounted therein, the blade being arranged to mix, macerate and distribute solid materials contained in the slurry to reduce the risk of blockages of the relatively small diameter slurry delivery hoses. The support saddle 10 comprises a two part arcuate upper section adapted to rest on an upper surface of the slurry tank 2 to extend over an upper portion of the tank, a respective lower section depending from either side of the upper section. The arcuate upper section comprises a spaced pair of parallel arcuate beams 26 interconnected by transverse link members 28 and divided into two relatively foldable sections by hinge assemblies 30 arranged at an uppermost region of the support saddle 10 so that the arcuate beams 26 of the upper section be folded about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tank 2 to allow the support saddle 10 to be folded when not in use. Each lower section of the support saddle 10 comprises a respective pair of transversely spaced apart support beams 32, each support beam 32 depending from and being pivotally coupled to a lower end of a respective arcuate beam 26 of the upper section, each boom section 12,14 being pivotally mounted between the lower ends of the support beams 32 of a respective lower section of the support saddle 10 on a respective side of the tank 2. Each support beam 32 of the lower parts of the support saddle 10 includes a support shoe 34 at or adjacent a lower end of the respective support beam 32 shaped to engage and rest against a respective side of the slurry tank 2. Securing straps 36 are provided extending between the lower ends of the support beams 32 of the lower section and / or the lowermost link members 28 of the upper section and a lower portion of the tank 2 or the chassis to secure the support saddle 10 on the tank 2. The securing straps may be associated with or may incorporate tensioning means, such as elastic and / or threaded portions or an over centre pivot, for tensioning the straps to secure the support saddle on the tank. Each boom section 12,14 is pivotally mounted on a respective side of the support saddle 10 to be foldable between a raised transport position and an outwardly extending operative position. Actuators 38, such as hydraulic rams, are provided, extending between the lower sections of the support saddle 10, preferably a lower end of at least one of the support beams 32 thereof, and the respective boom section 12,14, for moving the boom sections 12,14 between their transport and operative positions. Each boom section 12,14 may include one or more foldable outer sections 40, the or each foldable outer section 40 being foldable with respect to the remainder of the boom section 12,14 about a vertical axis to be movable between an extended position, coaxial with the remainder of the boom section 12,14, and a folded position, substantially parallel to the remainder of the boom section 12,14. In addition to the forwardly mounted foldable boom sections 12,14, a further rear mounted boom section 42 may be mounted on the rear end of the chassis or on the rear end of the tank 2 to spread slurry behind the tank 2 in the spaced between the foldable boom sections 12,14, the further boom section 42 further discharge nozzles in the same manner as the foldable boom sections 12,14. The provision of a support saddle 10 upon which the boom is mounted allows the boom to be readily mounted on the tank of a conventional slurry tanker in a forward position, allowing a forward mounted boom to be readily retrofitted to an existing slurry tanker to provide improved weight distribution. While the provision of a support saddle 10 is described above, it is envisaged that 5 other means for securing the boom to the tank may be provided in accordance with the present invention. For example, the boom may be secured to the tanker by straps extending around and over the top of the tanker. In one embodiment, not shown, the boom sections may be coupled to and support on a frame extending beneath the tank and secured to the tank by straps extending over the top of the 10 tank. The invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein but can be amended or modified without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. 15

Claims

1. An apparatus for spreading slurry comprising a cylindrical slurry reservoir mounted on a chassis to be towed behind or mounted on a vehicle, said chassis having a forward end, a rear end, and a longitudinal axis extending between said forward and rear ends, a horizontally-oriented transverse axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and a vertical axis perpendicular to the longitudinal and transverse axes; a transversely extending boom comprising a respective boom section provided on each side of the reservoir, a plurality of slurry discharge nozzles mounted on each boom section for delivering slurry from the reservoir directly onto or into the ground, wherein the boom is mounted on support means fitted over the cylindrical slurry reservoir at or adjacent the forward end of the reservoir.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a respective boom section is mounted on each side of the support means.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein each boom section is mounted adjacent a lower end of the support means.

4. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said support means comprises a support saddle extending over an upper surface of the slurry reservoir.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said support saddle comprises an arcuate upper section adapted to rest on an upper surface of the slurry reservoir to extend over an upper portion of the reservoir, a respective lower section depending from either side of the upper section.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said arcuate upper section of the support saddle comprises first and section parallel arcuate beams spaced apart and interconnected by transverse link members.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein said arcuate upper section is foldable about one or more transverse pivot axes extending parallel to said longitudinal axis to facilitate storage and / or transport of the support saddle.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, wherein each lower section of the support saddle comprises a respective pair of transversely spaced apart support beams, each support beam depending from and being pivotally coupled to a lower end of a respective arcuate beam of the upper section, each boom section being pivotally mounted between the lower ends of the support beams of a respective lower section of the support saddle.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein each support beam of the lower parts of the support saddle includes a support shoe at or adjacent a lower end of the respective support beam and being adapted to engage a respective side of the slurry reservoir.

10. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 5 to 9, wherein securing or bands straps are coupled between the lower sections and / or upper section of the support saddle and the slurry reservoir and / or chassis to secure the support saddle on the slurry reservoir.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein said securing traps or bands are associated with or incorporate tensioning means.

12. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each boom section is pivotally mounted on a respective side of the support means to be foldable between a raised transport position and an outwardly extending operative position.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein actuators are provided, extending between the support means and the respective boom section, for moving the boom sections between their transport and operative positions.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 or claim 13, wherein each boom section includes one or more foldable outer sections, the or each foldable outer section being foldable with respect to the remainder of the boom section about a respective vertical axis.

15. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said slurry reservoir incorporates a slurry outlet at a rear end thereof, at least one slurry delivery conduit extending between said slurry outlet and said boom.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein a pair of slurry delivery conduits are provided, each extending up a respective side of the slurry reservoir to supply slurry to the respective boom section on each side of the reservoir.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 15 or claim 16, wherein the or each slurry delivery conduit terminates at a respective manifold, the or each manifold having a plurality of outlets each communicating with a respective slurry delivery nozzle on the respective boom section via a respective slurry delivery pipe.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the or each manifold incorporates a respective macerator adapted to chop up fibrous material in the slurry to prevent blockages in the slurry delivery pipes and slurry discharge nozzles.

19. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 15 to 17, wherein the or each slurry delivery conduit is provided with a shut off valve.

20. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein ground engaging wheels are mounted on the chassis adjacent the rear end of the reservoir, said support saddle being mounted on the slurry reservoir ahead of said ground engaging wheels.

21. A boom assembly for a slurry spreading apparatus comprising a cylindrical slurry reservoir mounted on a chassis to be towed behind or mounted on a vehicle, said boom assembly comprising a support saddle comprises an arcuate upper section adapted to sit on an upper surface of the slurry reservoir to extend over an upper portion of the reservoir, a respective lower section depending from either side of the upper section, a transversely extending boom being mounted on each lower section of the support saddle to extend from a respective side of the slurry reservoir when the support saddle is mounted thereon.

22. A boom assembly as claimed in claim 21, wherein said arcuate upper section comprise first and section parallel arcuate beams spaced apart and interconnected by transverse link members.

23. A boom assembly as claimed in claim 22, wherein each lower section of the support saddle comprises a respective pair of transversely spaced apart support beams, each support beam depending from and being pivotally coupled to a lower end of a respective arcuate beam of the upper section, each boom section being pivotally mounted between the lower ends of the support beams of a respective lower section of the support saddle.

24. A boom assembly as claimed in claim 23, wherein each support beam of the lower parts of the support saddle includes a support shoe at or adjacent a lower end of the respective support beam and being adapted to engage a respective side of the slurry reservoir.

25. A boom assembly as claimed in any of claims 21 to 24, wherein securing straps or bands are provided to be coupled between the lower sections and / or upper section of the support saddle and the slurry reservoir and / or chassis to secure the support saddle on the slurry reservoir.

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