Manually operable push from behind spreader

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9657451-B2
Application number	US-201514700452-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2015
Priority date	May 2, 2014
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

A manually operable spreader which can be moved from behind on a surface is especially suitable for distributing salt and other particulate materials which tend to conglomerate or clump in a hopper of the spreader. Wheels are mounted to a frame also support the hopper. A horizontal drive shaft between the wheels is coupled to rotate a vertical shaft. A distributor below the hopper rotates with vertical shaft rotation to distribute particulate material which drop via openings in the bottom of the hopper. The vertical shaft extends via a hole in bottom of hopper and carries at the top thereof an auger having a helical vane. The auger is rotatable with the vertical shaft as the spreader is moved on its wheels. The auger circulates the particulate material in the hopper as the spreader moves while directing material in the hopper towards the bottom thereof.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A spreader for particulate material comprising:
a hopper for containing particulate material, in which said hopper has a bottom with one or more openings;
drive wheels on which said hopper is supported and moved over a surface;
a horizontal shaft between said drive wheels which rotates in concert with said wheels;
a vertical shaft extending through the bottom of said hopper;
a gear assembly for coupling rotation of said horizontal shaft to said vertical shaft; and
an auger having a height to maintain it in adjacent proximity with the bottom of the hopper being disposed at the end of the vertical shaft for rotation when said vertical shaft rotates, so that a circulation of the particulate material is provided which effectively fluidizes the particulate material preventing conglomeration and clumping enabling the particulate material to smoothly drop through said one or more openings in the bottom of the hopper for distribution over the surface, wherein said auger is vertically disposed along said shaft with at least one helical vane that reduces in diameter in a direction away from said bottom of said hopper.

2. The spreader according to claim 1 wherein said auger extends axially from said bottom of said hopper no more than 10-35% of height of the hopper.

3. The spreader according to claim 1 wherein said auger extends vertically to a height in said hopper which is at or between 25-35% of a distance between said bottom of said hopper to a top of said hopper.

4. The spreader according to claim 1 wherein said lowest end of the vane is spaced above the bottom of said hopper.

5. The spreader according to claim 1 wherein said auger has at least a partial bore extending vertically from the bottom of said auger, and said end of said vertical shaft is received in said bore to position said auger upon said vertical shaft, in which said auger is retained to said vertical shaft for rotation with said vertical shaft.

6. The spreader according to claim 1 further comprising a frame supporting said hopper above said drive wheels, in which said wheels are mounted to said frame, and said frame comprises a handle section extending behind said hopper enabling manual pushing of said spreader from behind along said surface with rotation of said drive wheels.

7. The spreader according to claim 1 wherein said particulate material comprises salt.

8. The spreader according to claim 1 further comprising a distributor coupled for rotation with said vertical shaft, and being disposed between said hopper and said drive wheels to assist in distributing said particulate material that drop through said one or more openings in the bottom of the hopper over the surface.

9. The spreader according to claim 1 further comprising a plate below said hopper adjacent said one or more openings which is pivotal along said one or more openings to open and close at least partially said one or more openings so as to control rate said particulate material drops through said one or more openings over the surface.

10. In a salt spreader having a hopper for containing salt particulate, said hopper having a bottom with at least one opening through which the particulates can drop for spreading, and an agitator rotationally mounted on a shaft extending through the bottom of the hopper, the improvement comprising wherein said agitator is an auger having at least one helical vane extending axially of the auger, the auger being disposed in a vertical direction upwards from the bottom of the hopper for circulating the salt particulates around the hopper in a path for preventing conglomeration of the particulates and enabling passage thereof through said at least one opening in the bottom unrestricted by clumps of conglomerated particulates, wherein the auger extends axially from the bottom of the hopper to a height at or less than 35% of the height of the hopper, wherein said at least one helical vane reduces in diameter in a direction extending away from said bottom of said hopper.

11. A manually operated push from behind spreader of particulate material comprising:
a hopper for receiving particulate material, in which said hopper has a bottom with one or more openings; and
a vertically disposed auger in said hopper having a helical vane in which non-motorized rotational motion is applied to said auger to move the particulate material when present in said hopper along said vane towards said bottom of said hopper, wherein said helical vane reduces in diameter in a direction extending away from said bottom of said hopper.

12. The spreader according to claim 11 further comprising wheels on which said hopper is supported and moved over a surface, in which rotation of said wheels along said surface is coupled for rotating a vertical shaft upon which said auger is vertically disposed to provide said non-motorized rotational motion to said auger.

13. The spreader according to claim 11 wherein said auger extends vertically to a height in said hopper which is at or between 10-35% of a distance between said bottom of said hopper to a top of said hopper.

14. The spreader according to claim 11 wherein said auger extends vertically to a height in said hopper which is at or between 25-35% of a distance between said bottom of said hopper to a top of said hopper.

15. The spreader according to claim 11 wherein said lowest end of said vane is spaced above the bottom of said hopper.

16. The spreader according to claim 1 wherein said auger has a height at or less than 35% of the height of the hopper from the bottom thereof.

17. The improvement according to claim 10 wherein said path the salt particulates around the hopper is along the bottom upwardly from the bottom towards the top and back downwardly.

18. The spreader according to claim 11 wherein said auger has a height at or less than 35% of the height of the hopper.

Assignees

• Chapin Mfg Inc

Inventors

• Delorme John D
• Bouton William C

Classifications

• E01H10/007 Primary

  Mobile apparatus specially adapted for preparing or applying liquid or semi-liquid thawing material or spreading granular material on wintry roads · CPC title

• A01C17/001

  Centrifugal throwing devices with a vertical axis · CPC title

• B05B3/1007

  characterised by the rotating member (B05B3/105 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A01C15/007

  with agitators in the hopper · CPC title

• E01C19/203

  Centrifugal spreaders with substantially vertical axis · CPC title