ΛAN APPARATUS FOR SPREADING A GRANULAR PRODUCT'
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The present invention relates to an apparatus for spreading a granular product. In the ensuing description and annexed claims, by the term "granular product" is meant any product made up of granules of various dimensions and of various forms, for example organic or mineral fertilizer, salt, sand, seeds, etc. Moreover, understood as being comprised within the definition of "granular product" is also a fertilizer of a powdery type .
The apparatuses for the distribution of a granular product are frequently used in the agricultural field for the distribution of fertilizers on the land or else for broadcasting seed.
The known apparatuses comprise a hopper designed for containing the granular product and having at least one bottom outlet opening, and at least one spreader disk fixed on a motor-driven shaft and set for receiving the granular product that drops from the hopper and for spreading said product in a centrifugal direction. The known apparatuses of this type can be built with one or else two spreader disks and are usually designed for being connected to the rear part of a vehicle, such as for example an agricultural tractor or a lorry. The said apparatus are normally equipped with a transmission system designed for being connected to the power takeoff of the vehicle, for the actuation of the spreader disk or disks. The feeding of the granular product contained in the hopper to the spreading system
is obtained by gravity, thanks to the walls of the hopper being inclined in the direction of the outlet opening or openings. Normally, in order to favour dropping of the granular material, there are provided auger-type rotating elements, which extend in the hopper through the bottom outlet opening.
The apparatus of a known type are affected by numerous drawbacks, due for the most part to the presence of the rotating elements designed for favouring dropping of the material into the dosing and distribution system. During operation, the rotating elements, which may, for example, be of an auger type, turn at a speed that may be in the region of 600-800 r.p.m.. The said elements strike the product and tend to produce a crushing of the granules, which modifies the functional and nutritional characteristics of the granular product . In the case where the granular product is a fertilizer, the fact of breaking up or pulverizing the granules is a serious drawback because the shredded or pulverized fertilizer is not distributed in a uniform way over the land and also because the fertilizer immediately releases its properties to the soil, instead of diluting its action over a prolonged time. This involves the risk of producing an instantaneous overfertilization and also the possibility of pollution of aquifers. When the apparatus is used for broadcasting seed, the rotating members can bring about incisions in the seeds, with a consequent lack of germination and growth of only part of the seeds distributed on the land. A further drawback of the apparatus of a known type is that the granular product crushed by the rotating elements in the presence of humidity tends to form agglomerated
blocks, which can obstruct either partially or totally the opening through which the granular material reaches the spreader device .
The purpose of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for spreading a granular product that will overcome the aforesaid drawbacks .
According to the present invention, the said purpose is achieved by an apparatus having the characteristics forming the subject of the main claim. The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the attached drawing, which illustrates a schematic axial cross section of an apparatus according to the present invention.
With reference the figure, number 10 designates an apparatus for spreading a granular product according to the present invention. The apparatus 10 comprises a supporting frame 12, which is designed for being connected to a vehicle (not illustrated) . The frame 12 may, for example, be connected to an agricultural tractor by means of a three-point attachment.
The supporting frame 12 carries a hopper 14 designed for containing a granular product schematically designated by 16. The hopper 14 has a bottom outlet opening 18. The granular material 16 is conveyed in the direction of the outlet opening 18 by gravity by the inclined walls of the hopper 14, without the aid of rotating mechanical members.
A vibrating device 20 is set under the bottom outlet opening 18 of the hopper 14. The vibrating device 20 comprises a vibrating plate 22 provided with distribution openings 24, preferably associated to respective collars 26 having the shape of a truncated cone. The vibrating plate 22 is preferably provided
with a raised edge 28 connected to the bottom portion of the hopper 14. In the embodiment illustrated in the figure, an annular element 30, made of flexible and compressible material, is set between the outer surface of the hopper 14 and the raised edge 28 of the vibrating plate 22.
The vibrating device 20 according to the present invention preferably comprises a sieve 32 set above the vibrating plate 22. In the example illustrated, the sieve 32 is made up of a perforated plate rigidly fixed to the vibrating plate 22 by means of a plurality of pins 34 and spacers 36. The vibrating plate 22 is preferably connected to the supporting frame 12 in an elastic way. In the example illustrated in the figure, the vibrating plate 22 is connected to a stationary plate 38 fixed to the supporting frame 12 by means of a plurality of elastic connecting members 40, for example of the silent-block type.
A distribution assembly 42 is set under the vibrating device 20. The distribution assembly 42 comprises a spreader disk 44 fitted on a drive shaft 46, which turns about its own longitudinal axis 48. The actuation shaft 46 is actuated in rotation by means of a transmission system designed for being connected to the power takeoff of a vehicle (not illustrated) . The transmission system for driving the shaft 46 in rotation includes a pair of bevel gears, schematically designated by 50.
The distribution assembly 42 comprises a distribution chamber 52 set above the spreader disk 44.
The distribution chamber 52 is provided with lateral openings 54 for feeding the granular product onto the top surface of the spreader disk 44.
The apparatus 10 according to the present invention is preferably provided with a dosing device 56 set between the vibrating plate 22 and the distribution chamber 52. The dosing device 56 comprises a stationary disk 58 fixed with respect to the supporting frame 12 and provided with holes 60 connected to respective collars 26 of the vibrating plate 22 by means of respective flexible funnels 62. A plurality of tubular elements 64 are fixed to the stationary disk 58 at each hole 60. The dosing device 56 comprises a regulating disk 66 , which is provided with holes 68 and which turns with respect to the stationary disk 58 for partializing the section of passage of the distribution holes 60. The vibrating plate 22 may be actuated by any device designed for producing a vibrational movement. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the vibrating plate 22 is actuated by the same shaft 46 that drives in rotation the spreader disk 44. As illustrated in the figure, the drive shaft 46 extends through the distribution chamber 52 and through the disks 58, 66 of the dosing device 56. At the top end of the drive shaft 46 is formed an eccentric portion 68, which engages the vibrating plate 22. As is illustrated schematically in the figure, the eccentric portion 68 engages a bearing 70 housed in a hole 72 of the vibrating plate 22. The bearing 70 may be a rolling bearing (with balls or rollers) or else a friction bushing made of metal or plastic material . The rotary movement of the shaft 46 about the axis 48 causes an undulatory movement of the vibrating plate 22 in a plane orthogonal to the axis of rotation 48. The oscillation or vibration of the vibrating plate 22
is also transmitted to the sieve 32, which has the function of withholding the possible agglomerates of product, preventing them from reaching and clogging the openings of the distribution system for distribution of the granular product. The vibration of the sieve 32 guarantees the regular off-flow of the granular material 16 even in the presence of considerable quantities of agglomerated product . The vibration of the sieve 32 produces the breaking-up of the agglomerates of granules without, however, damaging or crushing the individual granules.
The vibration of the vibrating plate 22 is also transmitted to the bottom part of the hopper 14 either directly or by means of the deformable annular element 30. The vibration of the bottom part of the hopper 14 favours the sliding of the granular product on the inner walls of the hopper even in the presence of non- ideal climatic conditions for the spreading of the granular product, for example in conditions of high atmospheric humidity, a condition which tends to reduce sliding of the granular material.
The granular material slides effectively towards the bottom outlet opening 18 and passes through the sieve 32, which stops only the agglomerates of dimensions larger than the dimensions of the holes of the sieve 32 for the length of time necessary for breaking them up. The granular material which passes through the sieve 32 is distributed over the top surface of the vibrating plate 22. The oscillation and vibration of the plate 22 favour a constant and homogeneous supply of the product even if this is in a non-regular form (powder or granules of dimensions outside the average standard size of the product
itself) . The granular product drops through the openings 24, passes through the distribution holes 60 of the dosing device 56 and, via the distribution chamber 52, reaches the spreader disk 44, which distributes the granular product centrifugally.
The foregoing description relates to an apparatus provided with a single spreader disk 44. The invention may be applied also to apparatus equipped with two or more spreader disks 44 associated to one and the same hopper 14. In this case, each bottom outlet opening of the hopper is associated to a distribution assembly 42 of the type described previously.