Slidable False-Bottom Trailer for Controlled Material Spreading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing trailer assemblies for dispensing flowable materials lack a mechanism to selectively open apertures in the bottom, preventing efficient spreading of materials as the trailer is towed.
Innovation Solution
A trailer assembly with a fixed bottom and a selectively slidable false bottom, allowing the apertures in the fixed bottom to be opened and closed, enabling the flowable material to be spread as the trailer is towed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a fixed bottom with apertures is used for material dispensing, then material can be spread as the trailer is towed, but the apertures cannot be selectively opened or closed to control dispensing
Solution Approach 1:
The false bottom is made movable relative to the fixed bottom, allowing it to transition between covering and exposing the apertures. This dynamic structure enables selective aperture opening without complex mechanical mechanisms, as the false bottom can be simply shifted to either cover or expose the discharge openings as needed.
2Productivity
If material is dispensed through apertures in the bottom, then spreading efficiency is improved, but the structure lacks a mechanism to control when material flows
Solution Approach 1:
The false bottom provides a simple yet effective mechanism for controlled dispensing. By moving the false bottom between two positions (covering or exposing apertures), the operator can precisely control when material flows through the apertures, enabling both efficient spreading and operational control without complex systems.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the false bottom is made slidable to open apertures, then material flow control is enabled, but the trailer structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The false bottom is designed as a simple slidable component that can be easily moved along the fixed bottom. This dynamic but straightforward mechanism provides adaptable material dispensing capabilities, allowing the false bottom to be positioned to either cover or expose apertures as needed, achieving versatility without excessive structural complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The trailer assembly effectively spreads flowable materials like soil, sand, and fertilizer by allowing the material to flow through the opened apertures as the trailer is towed, improving efficiency and distribution.
Implementation Method 1
allowing the flowable material to be spread as the trailer is towed
Data Source
AI summary
A hauling and spreading trailer assembly for spreading loose material includes a trailer, which has a tongue that is engageable to a hitch of a tow vehicle. The trailer comprises a fixed bottom in which a plurality of apertures is positioned. A plurality of sidewalls extends substantially perpendicularly from the fixed bottom. A false bottom is slidably engaged to the trailer so that the false bottom is selectively positionable in first and second positions in which at least one of the apertures is at least partially open and the apertures are closed, respectively. A load of flowable material is positionable in the trailer with the false bottom in the second position. The false bottom can be selectively slid to the first position to dispense the flowable material through the at least one aperture, thereby allowing the flowable material to be spread at the trailer is towed.