US 12,404,636 B2
Spreading machines with improved controls
Eric A. Carreon, Sycamore, IL (US); and Tyler Braun, Rockford, IL (US)
Assigned to E.D. Etnyre & Co., Oregon, IL (US)
Filed by E.D. Etnyre & Co., Oregon, IL (US)
Filed on Jan. 31, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/589,377.
Application 17/589,377 is a continuation of application No. 29/824,503, filed on Jan. 25, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0243111 A1, Aug. 3, 2023
Int. Cl. E01C 19/21 (2006.01); E01C 19/08 (2006.01)
CPC E01C 19/21 (2013.01) [E01C 19/08 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle for distributing a fluid or a solid material on or into the ground, the vehicle comprising:
one or more axles for supporting the vehicle on the ground;
a vessel for holding the material to be spread on or into the ground;
a plurality of valves for controlling the lateral extent of distribution of the material on or into the ground; and
a control panel for controlling the lateral extent of distribution of material, the control panel having a plurality of dedicated switches, each of the dedicated switches having an open position and a closed position, which are operative to respectively control the opening and closing of different valves of the plurality of valves, the dedicated switches plugged into an electronic bus on a circuit board,
the vehicle further comprising a taper switch operative to control the opening of an outermost closed valve of the plurality of valves and the closing of an outermost open valve of the plurality of valves to incrementally increase or decrease the lateral extent of distribution while overriding the dedicated switches, wherein repeated operation of the taper switch to increase the lateral extent repeatedly increasing the lateral extent of distribution until a maximum lateral extent of distribution is achieved on one side of the vehicle.