GB2098443A - Material spreading apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

An end-finger manure spreader (10) comprises a chassis (11) to be towed by a tractor vehicle. A container (13) for the manure (14) is mounted on the chassis (11) by means of resilient bushes (15) and an eccentric vibrator (18) connected to the container (13) is driven by the power take-off (17, 18) of the tractor to vibrate the container (13). The manure ejecting means (24, 27, 28) is housed in an enclosure (23) which communicates with the rear end of the container (13) to which the manure (14) is forwarded by the vibration. The enclosure (23) has an aperture (29) which may be closed by a door (30). The ejecting means (24, 27, 28) comprises chains (27) attached to a shaft (24) mounted in the enclosure (23) and extending transversely of the container (13). Alternatively the floor (21) of container (13) may be vibrated relative to the walls thereof. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Material spreading apparatus This invention relates to material spreading apparatus, and in particular to apparatus for spreading fluidic or partially fluidic materials such as manure.

Known manure spreaders are of two types, both of which are adapted to be towed behind and powered by, a tractor vehicle. One type is known as a "side-flinger" and comprises an elongate container extending in line with the direction of motion of the tractor, from which container the manure is thrown laterally of that direction through an aperture extending the length of the container. The means for throwing the material from the container comprises a rotary shaft extending axially of the container and driven from the tractor vehicle power take-off, and a plurality of chains or arms extending radially of the shaft which sweep the enclosed space in the container. The other type of spreader is known as an "end-flinger" and again comprises an elongate container extending in line with the direction of motion of the tractor.In this case however a rotary shaft extends laterally of the containers at the rear end thereof, and arms extending radially of the shaft propel the material rearwardly of the container.

The first of the above mentioned types of spreaders may be used with slurry or fluidic manure as well as with relatively solid material.

However stones and the like which are often present in such material tend to cause damage to the flail arms or chains and to the shaft, thus requiring relatively frequent maintainance, repair or even replacement of these items.

In the "end-flingers" types of spreaders it is necessary to provide means for conveying the manure rearwardly of the container so as to be presented to the throwing arms. Conventionally such conveying means comprises a conveyor in the form of a pair of endless chains extending adjacent the longitudinal edges of the floor of the container and having laterally disposed bars extending between the chains to sweep the floor.

However such apparatus cannot be used satisfactorily with slurries having relatively high liquid content since leakage will occur at least at the ends of the conveyor flights. Furthermore the chains and bars tend to freeze in situ in cold weather, thus rendering the apparatus inoperative In order to overcome these problems it has been proposed to use a pusher which can travel along the container so as to push the material therealong, but this entails the use of an hydraulic ram or other operating means having a very long stroke, which cannot conveniently be mounted at the front of the container.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a spreader of the 'end-flinger' type in which the above disadvantages are avoided or at least mitigated to a substantial extent.

The invention provides material spreading apparatus comprising an elongate container for such material, means for ejecting such material from one end of said container and means for vibrating at least a part of said container whereby said material may be conveyed along said container towards said one end thereof.

Preferably said container comprises a floor which in use is inclined downwardly towards said one end. Alternatively or additionally the floor may be stepped with the steps being downward in a direction towards said one end.

The vibrating means may be adapted to vibrate said container in a direction longitudinally thereof, or transversely thereof in substantially vertical direction. Alternatively the vibrating means may be adapted to vibrate the floor of the container, in which case flexible sealing means may be provided between said floor and said walls.

Preferably the spreading apparatus is adapted to be towed by a tractor vehicle, in which case the vibrating means may be adapted to be driven by means of a power take-off means of the tractor vehicle.

The ejecting means may be mounted in an enclosure which communicates with said container and which has an aperture at one side thereof remote from said container. Preferably said enclosure is provided with aperture closing means, which may comprise a door member hingedly attached to said enclosure and operable by means of an hydraulic actuating means. The actuating means is preferably a piston and cylinder device which in use is in fluid flow connection with an hydraulic system of the tractor vehicle. Preferably also the ejecting means is adapted to be driven by the power take-off means of the tractor vehicle.

The ejecting means may comprise a rotary shaft mounted transversely of said container and having a plurality of flail arms attached thereto.

Preferably said flail arms are flexible and each may have a relatively massive part at the free end thereof. The arms may comprise chains.

The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of one embodiment and Fig. 2 is a scrap side elevation of an alternative embodiment.

Referring now to Fig. 1 there is shown a spreader 10 which is adapted to be towed behind a tractor vehicle (not shown). The spreader 10 comprises a chassis 11 supported by wheels 12 and on which is mounted a container 13 for material such as manure 14. The mounting of container 13 on chassis 11 is by means of resilient bushes 1 5 so that a certain amount of relative movement between the container 13 and chassis 11 can take place. A gear box 1 6 is mounted on the chassis 11 and has a drive shaft 1 7 adapted to be driven by the power take-off of the tractor vehicle.An eccentric 1 8 driven by an output of the gearbox 1 6 is connected by a rod 1 9 and resilient bushes 20 to the container 13 so that the container 13 may be vibrated in a vertical direction as shown by arrow V.

The container 13 has a floor 21 which is inclined downwardly towards the rear and is also stepped in a rearwardly downward direction as shown at 22. The effect of vibration of container 13 and the inclined and stepped floor 21 is to cause the manure 14 to move rearwardly in the container and to prevent or restrict movement in the opposite direction. When the manure 14 reaches the rear of container 13 it enters enclosure 23 in which a rotatable shaft 24 is mounted transversely of the spreader 10. Shaft 24 is driven by drive chain 25 which in turn is driven by an output shaft 26 of gearbox 16, the direction of rotation of shaft 24 being shown by arrows R. Attached to shaft 24 are a plurality of flail arms 27 in the form of chains to the free end of each of which a mass 28 is attached.The chains 27 propel the manure 14 through aperture 29 in enclosure 23 which may be open to a predetermined extent by means of hinged door 30. An hydraulic jack or ram 31 is coupled to the hydraulic system of the tractor vehicle and is actuable to effect the closing of aperture 29 by door 30 or to adjust the size of the aperture 29.

By this means the aperture 29 may be closed whilst manure is transported to the location at which it is to be spread and also the direction of ejection of the manure during spreading may be adjusted to a certain degree. Since the enclosure 23 may be effectively sealed, i.e. be open only into container 13 the floor 21 of which is also sealed, manure having a high liquid content, i.e.

slurry, may be transported without spillage, and dispensed as desired. Also relatively solid manures may be ejected from the spreader 10.

Furthermore there are no moving parts in container 13 which can freeze up in cold weather and thus render the equipment inoperative.

Referring now to Fig. 2, in which like parts are numbered as in Fig. 1, the embodiment shown therein has the container 13 mounted on chassis 11 by means of resilient bushes 15 so as to be movable in a fore and aft direction as shown by arrow V. As in the previous embodiment vibration of container 13 is effected by rod 19 connected thereto by resilient bushes 20 and driven by eccentric 18, gearbox 16 and drive shaft 17. In this embodiment the steps 22 are especially effective in preventing or restricting forward motion of the manure 14 during vibration of container 13.

As an alternative to either of the above embodiments, walls of container 13 may be rigidly mounted on the chassis 11 whilst the floor 21 is mounted on bushes 20. With such a construction only the floor 21 vibrates, but the operation of the apparatus is the same as that described above. A seal of flexible material is provided between the floor 21 and the walls of container 13 to prevent leakage of slurry therebetween.

Claims (24)

Claims

1. Material spreading apparatus comprising an elongate container for such material, means for ejecting such material from one end of said container and means for vibrating at least a part of said container whereby said material is conveyed along said container towards said one end thereof.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said container comprises a floor which in use is inclined downwardly towards said one end.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said container comprises a floor which is stepped, said steps being downward in a direction towards said one end.

4. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said vibrating means is adapted to vibrate said container or part thereof in a direction longitudinally thereof.

5. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said vibrating means is adapted to vibrate said container or part thereof transversely thereof in a substantially vertical direction.

6. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein said vibrating means comprises an eccentric connected to said container or part thereof.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said eccentric is connected to said container or part thereof by means of resilient bushes.

8. Apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 7 wherein said container is mounted on a chassis of said apparatus by resilient mounting means.

9. Apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 7 wherein said container comprises a floor and walls and said vibrating means is adapted to vibrate said floor, said walls being secured to a chassis of said apparatus and said floor being mounted on said chassis by resilient mounting means.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 comprising flexible sealing means disposed between said floor and said walls to prevent leakage of said material therebetween.

11. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein said apparatus is adapted to be towed by a tractor vehicle.

1 2. Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said vibrating means is adapted to be driven by a power take-off means of said tractor vehicle.

1 3. Apparatus according to claim 11 or claim 12 wherein said ejecting means is adapted to be driven by a power take-off means of said tractor vehicle.

14. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13 wherein said ejecting means is mounted in an enclosure which communicates with said container.

1 5. Apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said container has an aperture at one side thereof remote from said container.

1 6. Apparatus according to claim 1 5 wherein said enclosure is provided with aperture closing means.

1 7. Apparatus according to claim 1 6 wherein said aperture closing means comprises a door member hingedly attached to said enclosure.

1 8. Apparatus according to claim 1 7 wherein said door is operable by hydraulic actuating means.

1 9. Apparatus according to claim 1 8 wherein said apparatus is adapted to be towed by a tractor vehicle and said actuating means comprises a piston and cylinder device which in use is in fluid flow connection with an hydraulic system of said tractor vehicle.

20. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 1 9 wherein said ejecting means comprises a rotary shaft mounted transversely of said container and having a plurality of flail arms attached thereto.

21. Apparatus according to claim 20 wherein said flail arms are flexible.

22. Apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said flail arms comprise chains.

23. Apparatus according to any one of claim 20 to 22 wherein each flail arm comprises a relatively massive part at the free end thereof.

24. Material spreading apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.