US 11,865,570 B2
Flow divider for spinner spreader
Geof J. Gray, Burford (CA); Joshua Scott Fields, Clermont, GA (US); Steven Ray Owenby, Blairsville, GA (US); Richard Hagler, Gainesville, GA (US); Russell Mcever, Gainesville, GA (US); and Brian Hobson, Pope, MS (US)
Assigned to Salford Group Inc., Salford (CA)
Appl. No. 17/294,480
Filed by Salford Group Inc., Salford (CA)
PCT Filed Jul. 22, 2019, PCT No. PCT/CA2019/051007
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 17, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/102878, PCT Pub. Date May 28, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/770,792, filed on Nov. 22, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0402427 A1, Dec. 30, 2021
Int. Cl. B05C 19/04 (2006.01); A01C 17/00 (2006.01); B05D 1/12 (2006.01); E01C 19/20 (2006.01); E01H 10/00 (2006.01)
CPC B05C 19/04 (2013.01) [A01C 17/001 (2013.01); A01C 17/008 (2013.01); B05D 1/12 (2013.01); E01C 19/203 (2013.01); E01H 10/007 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for spreading particulate material, the apparatus comprising:
a bin for holding particulate material;
a rotatable disc for broadcasting the particulate material to a ground surface, the rotatable disc oriented to have an upper surface for receiving the particulate material;
a conveyor for conveying the particulate material in a particulate material path from the bin to the upper surface of the rotatable disc;
a longitudinally adjustable flow divider situated in the particulate material path between the bin and the rotatable disc, the flow divider receiving particulate material from the conveyor and dividing the particulate material so that the particulate material is dischargeable on to the upper surface of the rotatable disc on first and second laterally spaced apart longitudinally oriented drop lines; and,
an actuator operably connected to the flow divider to adjust a longitudinal position of the flow divider to longitudinally adjust drop points on the drop lines at which the particulate material is dischargeable on to the rotatable disc.
 
10. A method of controlling distribution pattern of a particulate material broadcast to a ground surface by a spreading apparatus, the method comprising:
conveying the particulate material from a bin to a rotatable disc for broadcasting the particulate material to the ground surface, the rotatable disc oriented to have an upper surface for receiving the particulate material thereon;
dividing the particulate material into first and second portions;
discharging the first portion of particulate material to a first drop point on the upper surface of the rotatable disc on a first longitudinally oriented drop line;
discharging the second portion of particulate material to a second drop point on the upper surface of the rotatable disc on a second longitudinally oriented drop line spaced apart laterally from the first drop line; and,
rotating the rotatable disc to broadcast the particulate material in a uniform distribution pattern on the ground surface.
 
17. A flow divider for a particulate material spreading apparatus, the flow divider comprising:
a base;
immovable walls extending upwardly from the base;
and an immovable splitter extending upwardly from the base, the immovable walls and the immovable splitter defining first and second channels, the first and second channels immovable and laterally situated with respect to each other in relation to a longitudinal axis of the spreading apparatus,
each channel comprising a funnel at a top of the channel for receiving particulate material from a conveyor of the apparatus and a discharge opening in the base at a bottom of the channel for discharging the particulate material on to a same rotatable disc of the apparatus, the discharge openings of the first and second channels being laterally spaced apart,
the first and second channels each further comprising a particulate material receiving surface, the receiving surface downwardly sloped at a non-90-degree angle from the top toward the bottom of the channel.