Apparatus and method

Abstract

Apparatus comprising a cylindrical device 12 arranged to rotate about an axis, the cylindrical device including a plurality of openings 24 through which particulate material contained within the cylin

Description

29 05 25 The present invention relates to particulate matter distributing devices and, in particular, to manually operated compost spreaders and towed compost spreaders. 5 These types of matter distributing devices are used by professional or amateur gardeners to manually spread or distribute, in a substantially even manner, particulate matter such as compost, peat-moss and other top-dressing materials over an area where the top-dressing material is required. This may be over an area that has been treated with new seeds (such as grass seeds over a lawn surface or soil io prepared for seeding), or it may be over an area treated with topsoil, peat-moss, rootzone, 70-30 sand / topsoil mixes or sand to level out the surface of the ground. When there are damp ground surface conditions (more common in some countries than others) or when the top-dressing material is damp, relatively small openings in 15 the spreader, through which the material is emitted from the spreader to the ground surface, can become clogged / blocked with damp matter in the form of material picked up from the ground surface over which the spreader is moved and / or material from within the spreader. 20 According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided apparatus comprising a cylindrical device arranged to rotate about an axis, the cylindrical device including a plurality of openings through which top-dressing particulate material smaller than the size of the plurality of openings is emitted from the cylindrical device to outside of the cylindrical device to be distributed over a ground 25 surface with which the cylindrical device is arranged to be contact with and over which the cylindrical device is movable with particulate material larger than the size of the plurality of openings remaining in the cylindrical device, and an opening-clearing device arranged to prevent material from at least partially blocking the openings, wherein the opening clearing device is a brush device including a plurality 30 of flexible opening-clearing elements arranged to at least partially project into the plurality of openings. According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method comprising causing a cylindrical device, including a plurality of openings through 29 05 25 which a top-dressing particulate material smaller than the size of the plurality of openings is emitted from the cylindrical device to outside of the cylindrical device, being in contact with a ground surface to rotate about an axis over the ground surface so as to move across the surface distributing the desired top-dressing 5 particulate material over the surface with particulate material larger than the size of the plurality of openings remaining in the cylindrical device, and as the cylindrical device rotates utilsing an opening-clearing device to prevent material from at least partially blocking the openings by arranging a plurality of flexible opening-clearing elements of the opening-clearing device to at least partially project into the plurality io of openings. Owing to these aspects, openings in the cylindrical device can be cleared by the flexible opening-clearing device as the openings rotate past that device to prevent blocking of the openings and returning the cleared material into the cylindrical device 15 for recycling into the process. The opening-clearing device preferably comprises one or more mounting points for mounting to the apparatus and the utilising of the opening-clearing device includes mounting that device to a lower region of a handle portion of the apparatus. 20 Advantageously, the opening clearing device is a brush-type device having a plurality of flexible opening-clearing filaments arranged to at least partially project into the plurality of openings. Alternatively, the opening clearing device could be in the form of a flexible wiper-blade type device. 25 In addition, the apparatus further comprises opening adapting means connectable to the cylindrical device and serving to adjust a pore size to suit the size of the particulate material being used. 30 Advantageously, the apparatus further comprises opening adapting means connectable to the cylindrical device and including a plurality of openings, the opening adapting means serving to adapt a pore size through which particulate material is emitted. 29 05 25 In this way, materials of different particle sizes can be distributed with a single distribution apparatus. Preferably, the opening adapting means are connected to the inside of the cylindrical 5 device. Advantageously, the connection to the cylindrical device of the opening adapting means is magnetic, the cylindrical device being constructed from a magnetic material. In this respect, it is preferable that the apparatus or at least the cylindrical io device is constructed of steel, carbon steel or stainless steel having a sufficient quantity of ferrite in its chemical composition. Preferably, the opening adapting means fits tightly up against the internal curved surface of the cylindrical device and that the opening adapting means contains 15 magnets to facilitate temporary yet stable fixation of the opening adapting means to the cylindrical device. In addition, it is preferable that the opening adapting means are in sub-sections, which are advantageously foldable and that the foldable sub-sections contain 20 magnets to facilitate the temporary fixation of the opening adapting means to the cylindrical device. Moreover, the opening adapting means are mesh screens with an opening or pore size lower than that of the plurality of openings in the cylindrical device so as to 25 adapt the size of openings through which the particulate material passes to suit the type of particulate material. The mesh screens may be made from an inflexible material, such as a metallic material, or a flexible material, such as a textile material. In order that the present invention can be clearly and completely disclosed, 30 reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a compost spreader according to the present invention, 29 05 25 Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the compost spreader of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the compost spreader of Figure 1, Figure 4 is a close-up view of part of Figure 1, Figure 5 is a perspective view of an embodiment of opening adapting means 5 releasably attachable to the compost spreader, Figure 6 is a side view of the opening adapting means of Figure 5, Figure 7 is a perspective view of a panel releasably attachable to the compost spreader between free edge regions of the opening adapting means of Figures 5 and 6, io Figure 8 is a perspective view from the front of the compost spreader with the opening adapting means attached thereto, Figure 9 is a perspective view from the rear of the compost spreader with the opening adapting means attached thereto, Figure 10 is a perspective view of a first version of a second embodiment of the 15 opening adapting means, Figure 11 shows an end view of the first version of Figure 10, and Figure 12 is a view similar to Figure 10, but of a second version of the second embodiment with a removable panel section. 20 Referring to Figures 1 to 4, a particulate material distributor device 2 comprises a handle portion 4 which in the Figures is shown as T-shaped, but any configuration to provide a handle would be possible. At a lower end region 8 of the handle portion 4 opposite the end where a user holds hand grips 6 to manually propel the device 2 over a ground surface, an inverted U-shaped element 10 includes a pair of limbs 10a 25 between which is mounted at free end regions 16 of the limbs 10a a cylindrical device 12 in the form of a circular cylindrical drum rotatable about an axis 14 (see Figures 2 and 3), the axis 14 being aligned with mounting points of the free end regions 16. The particle material distributor device 2 may also be a towed device, attached to any suitable form of conveyancing means to propel the device 2 over the 30 ground surface. The cylindrical device comprises a pair of end pieces 18 connected in a spacedapart relationship by elongate frame members 20 and a meshed circumferential wall 22. The meshed circumferential wall 22 includes a plurality of openings 24 which 29 05 25 allow any particulate material of a desired size contained inside the cylindrical device 12 to be emitted by way of gravitational and / or centrifugal forces from the cylindrical device 12 when moved across the ground surface. 5 Mountable to the U-shaped element 10 to span substantially the length of the meshed circumferential wall 22 is an opening-clearing device 26 which comprises one or more mounting points 28 for mounting to the U-shaped element 10 and a plurality of opening-clearing filaments 30 (see Figure 4). The opening clearing device 26 is, advantageously, in the form of a brush device and the plurality of opening- 10 clearing filaments 30 are bristles of the brush device. The opening clearing filaments 30 project at least partially into the openings 24. Thus, as the cylindrical device 12 is rotated the filaments 30 serve to clear any material that has clogged / blocked the openings 24, particularly in damp ground conditions or when using damp materials inside the cylindrical device 12. The distance inwardly of the cylindrical device 12 15 that the filaments 30 project may be adjustable, but at a minimum the filaments 30 project at least partially into the openings 24. Alternatively, cartridge devices of differing filament lengths may be removably inserted into the opening clearing device 26. Different filament widths, thicknesses and density could also be made available to suit the particular circumstances of use. 20 The cylindrical device 12 preferably includes an obturating panel in either end piece 18 or in the meshed circumferential wall 22 to enable a particulate material to be introduced internally to the cylindrical device 12 by opening and closing the obturating panel, which has a locking device, such as one or more spring clamps to 25 make sure it stays closed in use. In use, once the cylindrical device 12 is loaded with a particulate material such as compost, peat-moss, topsoil, rootzone, 70-30 sand / topsoil mixes, sand or other top-dressing materials, for example, a user holds the hand grips 6 and begins to walk 30 over the ground surface and thereby pushing or pulling the distributor device 2 over the ground surface. With the cylindrical device in contact with the ground surface it rotates about the axis 14 as the user continues to push or pull the compost roller 2. As the cylindrical device rotates, the particulate material inside is tumbled around inside the cylindrical device 12 and material of a size smaller than the pore size of 29 05 25 the openings escapes or is emitted from the cylindrical device 12 through the openings 24 by way of gravity and / or centrifugal forces. Therefore, for the example of compost as the particulate material, as the roller is pushed or pulled over the ground surface, particles of compost of a size small enough to pass through the 5 openings 24 will be emitted from the cylindrical device 12 to act as fertiliser and / or to provide protection against the elements (wind, sun, heavy rain, cold temperatures) and predators such as birds, for growing one or more plants, as desired. The particulate material inside the cylindrical device 12 that is larger than the opening pore size will remain in the cylindrical device for disposal, if unwanted, or use io somewhere else. Referring to Figures 5 to 9, opening adapting means 32 can be releasably connectable to the cylindrical device 12 and serve to adapt a pore size to suit the material within the cylindrical device 12, allowing different sizes of material to be 15 screened and distributed with the same distributor device 2. For example, if a gardener wished to manually spread or distribute, in a substantially even manner, a top-dressing material over an area that has been treated with new grass seed, and the gardener wanted to ensure that only a certain maximum particle size of the top-dressing material made it to the surface of the area or to control the rate at which a 20 particle is emitted from the spreader, and that maximum particle size was smaller than the size of the openings 24 in the meshed circumferential wall 22, then the opening adapting means 32 with openings no larger than the maximum particle size desired can be utilised to make sure only particle sizes up the maximum desired are distributed over the area to be treated. 25 The opening adapting means 32 may therefore be provided in a variety of pore sizes. The opening adapting means 32 are advantageously curved to match the curve of 30 the cylindrical device 12. Advantageously, the opening adapting means 32 will connect to the cylindrical device 12 on the inside of the cylindrical device 2 and fit tightly up against the internal curved surface thereof, although connection to the outside surface of the cylindrical device 12 would also be possible. The opening adapting means 32 would preferably come in the form of sub-sections 34. Referring 29 05 25 particularly to Figures 5 and 6, in one embodiment of the opening adapting means 32 there are a plurality of meshed sub-sections 34 to cover a proportion of the circumference of the cylindrical device (in the example shown, the internal circumference) with a gap 36 between free edge regions of the sub-sections 34 5 which gap 36 is substantially the same size as an opening covered by the obturating panel if located in the meshed wall of the cylindrical device. In this way, the opening adapting means 32 extends substantially around all of the meshed wall portion of the cylindrical device 12. Referring to Figure 7, a sub-section 34a associated with the obturating panel may be solid and not meshed as shown and the pair of meshed io sub-sections 34 are larger in size than the sub-section 34a associated with the obturating panel. Furthermore, if the obturating panel is in the meshed circumferential wall 22, then each sub-section 34, 34a could be foldable in any convenient way, for example hinged, so that the different sub-sections 34 fit through the obturating panel when open and then subsequently be unfolded inside the 15 cylindrical device 12 to be fitted around the inside of the meshed circumferential wall 22. The opening adapting means 32 preferably connects to the cylindrical device magnetically if the cylindrical device 12 is made of magnetic material, such as steel, 20 carbon steel or stainless steel having a sufficient quantity offerrite in its chemical composition. However, other means for connecting the opening adapting means 32 to the cylindrical device 12 are possible. Preferably, one or more magnetic strips are located around the edge regions 36 of the sub-sections 34, 34a where those one or more strips will come into contact with the cylindrical device 12 when the sub-25 sections 34 are needed. The opening adapting means 32 by reducing the pore size through which material in the cylindrical device is to be screened thus allows a much finer particulate material to be screened through the openings. This can be advantageous in circumstances 30 where, for example, an area of ground requires the application of a top-dressing material sand or soil mix, possibly an engineered soil mix, that is used for horticultural and / or landscaping purposes so that it can provide the ideal growing, drainage and surface levelling conditions for turf and other high-performance landscaping plants. These types of soil mix typically include sand, loam, topsoil and 29 05 25 other organic and inert materials that are blended together to create a top-dressing material that provides the right balance of drainage, levelling, nutrition, aeration, and water-holding capacity for plants to thrive. 5 The opening clearing device 26 would also be useful to use in combination with the opening adapting means 32. When using the opening adapting means 32, it is advantageous that the plurality of opening-clearing filaments 30 of the opening clearing device 26 extend not only through the openings 24, but also extend to the reduced sized openings in the sub-sections 34. io An alternative embodiment, the opening adapting means 32 may be in the form of a flexible textile and also in the form of a bag-like unit. The bag-like unit is sized, for example, to the internal dimensions of the cylindrical device and the body of the baglike unit is largely made from a mesh fabric and magnetic elements can be 15 distributed at appropriate locations where contact with the cylindrical device 12 will be made when the bag-like unit is inserted into the cylindrical device 12. Referring to Figures 10 and 11, a second embodiment of the opening adapting means 32 is of a flexible textile. The opening adapting means includes first and 20 second end pieces 44 which comprise one or more magnets 46 for magnetically attaching to the inside of the corresponding end pieces 18 of the cylindrical device 12 and flexible stiffening rods 48 extending between the first and second end pieces 44 and which are biased into the straight position shown. Therefore, the opening adapting means 32 is, again, readily manipulated and manoeuvred in to and out of 25 the cylindrical device 12 and held it in place and taught by the magnetic attachment and stiffening rods 48. The opening adapting means 32 further includes a solid panel 50 to align with the obturating panel of the cylindrical device 12 and has an opening in a suitable location to be able to the desired particulate material inside. 30 Referring to Figure 12, the construction of the opening adapting means 32 is substantially the same except in the shown version there is a removable panel section 52 to create the opening into the opening adapting means 32 and which aligns with the obturating panel of the cylindrical device 12. The mesh of the opening adapting means 32 can be made of any suitable material and could be of a metallic material or a polymer material. Where there is intended to be flexibility in the opening adapting means, it is obviously advantageous to have the mesh made from a flexible material, such as a polymer. Nylon and the like would be 5 suitable materials in that instance. The opening-clearing device 26 is detachable and so can be an individual item retrofitted to existing particulate material distributors. io 29 05 25

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising a cylindrical device arranged to rotate about an axis, the cylindrical device including a plurality of openings through which top-5 dressing particulate material smaller than the size of the plurality of openingsis emitted from the cylindrical device to outside of the cylindrical device to be distributed over a ground surface with which the cylindrical device is arranged to be contact with and over which the cylindrical device is movable with particulate material larger than the size of the plurality of openings remainingio in the cylindrical device, and an opening-clearing device arranged to preventmaterial from at least partially blocking the openings, wherein the opening clearing device is a brush device including a plurality of flexible opening-clearing elements arranged to at least partially project into the plurality of openings.15 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the opening-clearing devicecomprises one or more mounting points for mounting to the apparatus.

3. Apparatus according to any claim 1 or 2, and further comprising opening adapting means connectable to the cylindrical device and serving to adjust a pore size of the openings.20 4. A method comprising causing a cylindrical device, including a plurality ofopenings through which a top-dressing particulate material smaller than the size of the plurality of openings is emitted from the cylindrical device to outside of the cylindrical device, being in contact with a ground surface to rotate about an axis over the ground surface so as to move across the surface25 distributing the desired top-dressing particulate material over the surface withparticulate material larger than the size of the plurality of openings remaining in the cylindrical device, and as the cylindrical device rotates utilsing an opening-clearing device to prevent material from at least partially blocking the openings by arranging a plurality of flexible opening-clearing elements of the30 opening-clearing device to at least partially project into the plurality ofopenings.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein said utilising comprises mounting by way of mounting points the opening-clearing device to the apparatus.

6. A method according to claim 4 or 5, and further comprising connecting opening adapting means to the cylindrical device serving to adjust a pore size of the openings.29 05 25

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