CA2055603A1

CA2055603A1 - Road gritter device

Info

Publication number: CA2055603A1
Application number: CA002055603A
Authority: CA
Inventors: William F. Cotton; Terence Mcgee
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: CONVEYORS YORKSHIRE Ltd; WEST YORKSHIRE HIGHWAYS ENGINEERING AND TECHNICAL SERVICES JOINT COMMITTEE
Priority date: 1989-03-28
Filing date: 1990-03-08
Publication date: 1990-09-29
Also published as: EP0465499A1; FI914570A0; JPH05500245A; WO1990011409A1; GB2248759A; GB2248759B; GB8906957D0; GB9120482D0

Abstract

There is disclosed a road gritter device (10) which forms a unit which can be mounted onto a loading platform (11) of a truck for use during the winter months, and which comprises a hopper body (12) assembled from a number of separately formed plates of rigid plastics material which are releasably coupled together for replacement when required. An endless conveyor (15) is arranged to convey gritter material from the hopper body (12) to a spinner disc assembly (13) which comprises a spinner disc (14) rotatable in a substantially horizontal plane in order to distribute laterally gritter material supplied thereto. The endless conveyor (15) has an endless conveyor band (16) made of plastics or elastomeric material, and preferably also the spinner disc (14) also is made of plastics material. Therefore, the major components of the road gritter device are made of plastics material which is not adversely affected by usual road gritter material incorporating "salt", which otherwise can cause serious corrosion damage to existing designs of gritter devices fabricated from metal sheet and having metal spinner discs. By making the hopper body of an assembly of separate rigid sheets or plates of plastics material, damaged or worn sheets can readily be replaced.

Description

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ROAD G~IIT~R DE~ICE

~ his inventlon relates ~o ~ road ~ritter devioe wh~ch f orms part ~f . or i s adapted to be m~unted ~n a ~ransport vehicle, and which ls operable t~ distrlbute particulate materi~l over the surface o~ ~ road ~he~ requlred during icy conditi ons . ', As is wel 1 known. the part~c~late material d~stributed over icy patches on roads tlsually co~prises a suitable ~orm of solub~e ~salt~ which helps to mel~ any ic~ patches ~n a .
ro~t~ ~nd sa~d or grit which improves ~ehi~le tgre grip wîth Icy and me~lt~n~ ice patches on the road. The materiall applied to ro~s in lc;y conditions i~ ver~ effectlve and i~;
a major contribution to road safety ~n the winter.
~owe~er, the salt con~ent of the cistr~buted material ~s c~rrosive. and this is both a pro~lem to ~oad users in tha~
it causes unseen under~ody corrosion whic~ can only ~e miti8ated ~y regular under~ody w2shing. a~d 1.s also an~ 1, more seriously a pro~lem to the operators cf the ~ri~ter tevioes.
E~isti~g gritter devi~es general}y comprlse a stora~e hopper for t~ ~ritter mate~ial. a rotary ~rit distr~butor ' in tho f~rm of a spinner disc. and an endless conveyor for .
transfe~rin~ the mat~rial from the ~opper to the distributor. Th~ entire de~rice may ~orm an integral part ' of a specally designed road gritter vehic~e. or.may form à
de-mountable assem}~ly ~hlch ca~ be mounted ~nto a lo~diP.~ '.
pla~orD~ of any suita~e truck for use during the wint~r :~onths. but w~içh ca~ be dismoun~ed and kept i~ storaE~e dur ing the remainder of ~he yeeLr~ therebg rel~asing the ~, true~ iGr other du~ s.
~ h~ hopper ls ~a~r~c ted frosQ me~21 plate or sheet, and th~ 8rit ~istril:~utor is also made of metal. taking the.
form ol~ a spinner ds~: wl~ich rotates i~ a horizo~tal plane aDt which i~ drive~ by a vertic~l sha~ on ~h~h it is carried. Gi~ren that the metal compone~ts of She e~is~ing ', i , .

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gritter devices are e~posed to direct and continuous cont~t. wi ~h th~ corno~ lt ~ uf Lhe ~ri~er mzt~r;al. the~ ~omponcnts ~re su~ d ~o acceler2ted . ., . .. ~ .. . . .. ... . ~ .. .... .... . .. .... .......... .... ~
c~rrnn~ tt~c~. rhon ~o~a~a~ Li~ rrosl~e act~o~
applied to the ve~icles bodies of road users. and this i there~ore involves substantial ref~r~lshment ~f th~
comp~n~nt p~rt~ beforo each wi nt~r ~ei~-on commences.
~ Igh~Ry auth~ri~ie~ empIoy &o~-~itera~ eets of gritters, and the materiaL and labou~ cost of each ~nnual .
refur~is~ment amounts-to a s~bstantial-amount~
There is therefore a cl.ear nee~ to provide:a novel construoton o~ road gritter device which is less - ~
s~s~eptible to corrosive at~ack from the consti4uents of , -the gritter material whi~h it is inten~ed to distribute. ~
.Accordin~ to o~e aspect o~ the in~ention there is pro~ided.a road -gri~ter deYic~ which forms part o~. or is adapted to be mounted ~n a transpor~ vehicle, and which ls operable to d~stribute gritter material over the surface o~
a road when req~ired. in whichLtAe devi~e e~mprises: ', a hopper body for ~ritter material Which is assembled, fro~ a plurality of separately formed plates. at least some of which are made of rlgid plastics materlal ~nd which 2rej releasa~ly co~pl~d together.for replacemënt when required:
a spinner disc whi~h is rotatable in a 5ubsta~tially horizo~t21 plane i~ order ~o-distribute l?terally ~ritter material supplied thereto from ~he hopper~ and.
an endless con~eyor arran~ed to co~vey gritter~ l material ~rom the hopper t~ t~eispinner-~lsc. ~.
Ac~ordLn~ to a ~urther aspec~ o~ the ~nve~tion there is provded a ro~d ~ritter ~ ce which forms part of. or is adapted ~o be mounted on a transport vehi¢le. an~ which', c opera~le to dis~ri~ute ~ritter m~eriaI- o~er ~he surface of a road when r~quired. in wnIch the d~Yice comprises~
a hopper ~ody ~or gri~.~er material;
a sp~nn~r dIsc ~hich is rot~t~le ln a s~stantially horizontal plane in order .to dis-tri~u~e laterall~ ~ritter !

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mater~l supplied thereto fr~m the hopper. ~he disc b~in~
made of a rIgid.pl~stios materi21 znd.
an endless c~n~eyor 2rran~e~ to convey gritter material from the hopper to the s~inner disc.
A~cording to another ~spect of the inve~-ion there is pro~ited a r~ad gritter devic~ which forms part of. or is adapted to be mountet on a transport vehicle. and wh~ch is' opera~le t~ distri~ute gritter m~terial over the surface of a road when re~uired. in which the device comprises:
a hopper body f~r gritter material whlch is assemblet from a pl~rality o~ se~ar tely forme~ plates. at least som of ~hi~h aro reieasabl~ coupled together for replacement ~hen required;
a spinner disc wnich ~s ~ot~table in a su~stantially horizo~tal plane ~n order to ~is~r~ute laterally gri~ter ~aterial supplied t~ereto from the hopper: a~d, an endle~s conveyor arran~ed to co~vey ~ritter materi~l f~om the hopper to t~e.spinner disc. an endless '.
conYeyor ba~d of the conve~or being made o~ plastics or el~stomeric material.
A road gritter device accordi~g to. a~g of the above aspec~s of the inventic~ is therefore better able to wi~hs~a~d the corrosi~e action of the usual ~s~lt~ which is present in ro~ ~ritter material ~sod i~ this country, since at least some o~ the component parts o~ the device are made of p~astics ma~erial.
T~ere is now availa~le on the m r~et a ~ew type of plastics material ~ALch is r~id and robust. ~nd whi~h i~
cap~ble sf wifhsta~din~ the arduous conditions to which ~t ~ill be expo~e~ in service ~s compone~t pa~ts of a road ~ritt~r device.se~ording to the inve~tion.
A parti~ul~r pre~erred material is a newly aYaila~le I
plastics material obt~inable from Macpherson Polymers under t~e tra~e n~me PO~YE~E~ 2B74~06. However. St is e~is~ed t~t there will be ot~er types of pl2stics material which haYe su~ficient resilience to wit~stand the W~ g~ O!? r~ f~i~

ar~uous conditions to ~hich they will ~ e~posed. and yet which h~s sufficient rigidity to be ~a~ricated ~nto suita~ly robust form Ior long ~erv.ice. The use o~ plas~ics material i~ the ~abrication ~ some or ~11 of t4e ma jor oomponents of the r~ad gr~tter device enables the device to function sa~isfactorily and without any corrosi~e acti~n :
from the contents of the ~ritter material.
Preferab}y. the hopper body.is entÇrely fabricated from separately for~ed sheets or plates of ri~id pl~sticsl~
material which are releasa~ly coupled together. ~nd in the ev~nt of any exce~sive we~r occuring.in service. or more 1, usually in the event of impa~t damage by careless use.
replacement sheets can readily ~e instal~ed with onl~
minimal ~own time~ o~ the gri~ter device.
~ he sp~ne~ ~sc i5 prefera~ly carried at the lower I
end of a rotatab~e ~erticaL snaft. ant ~he entire ~isi- willl usuall,v be made o~ suitab.le rigid p.lasrics materi~1. znd so a~so.may be t~e carryin~ shaf t..
The endloss con~eyor may hav.e most of it~ major eomponents made o~ plastics ~terial. such a the endless i con~e~or band. ~r~ve..rollers ~nd. id~e ro}lers. so as to mini~ise ~he opp~r.tunity for corrosive attac~ to ta~e place. - . . j A road..gritter de~ic~ according to the invention may form an integral component of &: speci~lly designed and: ' constr~ct~ road gr~tt~r vehiole..but pre~erz~l~ will ~e ', ~
~orme~ as a demountable assembly wh~ch can. be lns~alled oni, a loa~ng platform of ~ny.sui~able truck.w~ich will be ~se~
for other duties d~in8 the seasons othsr t4an wnter. I
To prevent. or at least minimise the risks o~ I
eorro5ive attack ~pon the metal eo~p~nen~s of t~e loaaing I
platform. an underlyin~ sheet of pla5tScs.m~terial m2y be ¦
arra~8ed below the gritter devioe.ana ~e~we~n it and the ~, loading platform. Ihen. if ~ny of the~~salt~ falls townwartly. either in powder for~m.. or ln solution ~ollowin~
rain fallln~ on the contents of the hopp~r.. the under~ying' :-.

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sheet will tend to shield the }oadin~ pl2tform from contac~
w~th this corro ive medium.
~ heD the hopper body is assembled entirely from plastics sheets coupied together. it will be preferable fo~
the hopper body o be given additional rigidity by the pro~ision of a ri~id supporting frame whih en~a~es the upper edge mar~ins of the side walls of the hopper body.
This supportin~ frame may be fabricate~ ~rom suitable ~et sections whioh are ri~3dly assem~led ~o form the re~uired frame shape. and ~ usuai mesh screen may be supporte~ by this fr~me throu~h which the ~ri~ter material will be }oa~ed by bucket-mounted loaders.
The interior of the hoppèr body ~y also be provi~ed with a spre~der frame srran~ed near the lower part of the hopper body. This spreader frame will tend to bear part o~
She load of the gritter material, and also will facili~ate.
smooth discharge of ~he material from the louer part of ~he hopper body onto the underlyi~ entless con~eyor~
A road ~ritter device according to the in~ntion ~ill no~ be descri~ed in detail. ~y way of ~ample only, with reference to the ~ccompanying drawin~s, i~ which:
Fi~ure 1 is a diagrammatic side illus~ration of a road ~ritter de~ic~ assembly mounte~ as a unit on a lo~dlng platform of a truck:
. Figur~ a s~de v~ew. to an enlar~ed s~aIe, o~
detaîled e~bodl~ent of hopper body of t~e grîtter device:
Fi~ure 3 is a composlte en~ ele~ationa~ ~iew of ~he hopper body;
Fi~ure 4 is a cross sectional ~iew t~rough the hcpper bod~
Figure 5 is ~ plan Yiew of a support fr~me ~or the hopper ~o~
F~ ~re 6 îs an en~ ele~tion of the suppor~ ~rame^
Fisure 7 i5 a side ele~tion ~iew of the s~pport f rarrle:
~i~u~e 8 is a sectio~ taken on A-A i~ Fi~ure 5; and~

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F~ure 9 i a section. taken of B-B in Figure 5.
Re~errtng first ~o Fsg~Lre 1 of the drawings. there is ~how~ schemaiically a road.gritter device according io the inve~tion whlch is de~ignated generail~ bg reference 10, and ~hich ~orms a unit whi.ch can be mounted onto a lo~ding platform 11 of any~.suitable truck for use durin~ the ~inter mont~s. b~t which can be dismounte.d 2~d.kept in siora~e during the remainder of the ye~r, there~ rele~si~g the ~r~ck for ot~er dut.ies. Ho~ever. as an alte~na~i~e. ~he de~ice lO may be oonstructed ~s an..integr~1 part of a specially desi~ned venicie~ In either situat-lon. the device lQ will be operated in order to distri~ute gritter material over the surface of.a road when required. This gritter material wIll usually comprise a~ ture: o~ a ~salt' which ser~es to mel~ icy patches o~ the roa~. and grit or sand ~terial which will improve tyre adhesion with the road surface4 1 -~ The de~ice lO compr1ses a hopper body I~ which ~s assembled from a number o~ separately formed plates. ~t least some of wh~ch are made of~rigid plastics materi21 and w~ich are relessably coupied ~ogether for r~placement whcn re~uired. . Con~en.iently. the entire wal-l structure of the hopper body 12 is assemble~ from separately.~ormed pl~tes ,l of rigid plas~ics material whioh are releasably coupled ' ~
to~ether. O~e pr~ctical em~odiment of hopper body is-shown, in ~ore detall in F~ures 2 to 4. -~
A ~iinn~r d~sc assembl~ 13 is pr~vi~ed ~hi~h oomprises a ~pinner di~c 14 ~~h is rotat ble in a subst~ntially horizont 1 p}ane i order to distribute lateraliy gritter ma~eridl suppli~d thereto from the hoppe~ body 12.
~n endless c~n~eyor 15 ha~in~ an-endless con~eyor b~nd 7 16 which runs through a longitudinal d~ cn~r~e slot formed ' in ~he bottom of .the hopp~r body 12, and.con~eys grI~ter O
material fro~ the hopper ~ody.12 to the spi~ner disc 14. A
~h~e~ of plsstics ~terial 17 is arran~ed ~elow the con-~yor 15 nd is intendet tc =i~iel~ the loadin~ tform 1~ ~f the truck from contact with any ~rro.~ive ma~eri~
present in t~e .gr~tter material The spinner d1sc 14 ls carried at the lower ~nd of a vertical shaft 18 which is ~riven so t~at gritter ma~eriall fa}ling onto ~he spinner disc 14 is d~schsr~ed laterally by centrif~gal action The upper surface of the spi~ner dlsc.
~4 may hP ~ro~idod ~i~h ~ dLle radla~ln~ ~uide arms to promote the dischar~in~ action applied ~o the gritter ma~erial.
The separately formed plztes ~rom which th~ hopp~r hn~y 1~ 4~0m~ lu~e Or any suItable rigid plasti~S ~at.~r;AI T.rhi~h o~n ui~h~t~ Ll~ arduous ~d~t.ians to whloh the hop~r ~ody will be e~posed. and one preferred material is a ri~id pL~stics m~terial s~ppt Ied by Macpherson Polymers under the tra~e mark POLYE~EIE~ ;~B74/206. The er~dless bal~d 16 of the co~sveyor 15 ~ay be forme~ of e~astomeric material, or of plastic-~ , m~t~ri21. such as POLYE~{ER 28741206, and serYes to conYey, the ~ritter material to the Spinner disc assembly I3~ Any, oomponents of ~he con~eyor I5 ~ich are li~ble to become e~posed i~ serviee to the ac~io~ of ~he eorrosi~e salt present in ~he grit~er materlal may also be oonstructed of ela~to~eric or pl~stics material. such components including drive rollers ~nd any idler rollers which may be provided.
The spinner disc 14 is also made of rigid plastics m~terial~ and æo a~so ~ay ~e the carrying s~aft 18. so tha~
tkese components will not be adversel~ ~ffec~ed by the Aritter mat~ri~
~ ~ure 1 ie a s~hematic ill~stratlon of a road gritter de~ice 10 whlch form a uni~ or asæem~l~ wh~ch is readily ', mountable on. or can ~e dismounted from ~ loadin~ platform i ~f any suit2~1e tru~k. Alternati~eiy. ~he device 10 can bel fabricated as an irte~r21 part of a specially deslgned roadi gri tter vehlcle. I
De~ailed s~r~ t~ral fea~-ures of one praeticle construction o~ hopper ~ody 12 ls shown in ~igures ~ to 4. i / 7 v ~ .I~Y
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,_~,(~3 1 in ~hicn reference A aenotes upp~r.side panel5. re~erencelB
low~r sl~e p~nels. re~erence C:side-support.panels.
reference D end bo~to~ corner panels. ref~rence E end top~
corner panels and reference F fro~ end centre panels~
Figures S to 9 illustrate det~iled co~ponent parts of a rigld support frame for c2rrying ~he ~opper ~ody -'~

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Claims

1. A road gritter device which forms part of. or is adapted to be mounted on a transport vehicle. and which is operable to distribute gritter material over the surface of a road when required. in which the device comprises:
a hopper body for gritter material which is assembled from a plurality of separately formed plates. at least some of which are made of rigid plastices material and which are releasably coupled together for replacement when required:
a spinner disc which is rotatable is a substantially horizontal plane in order to distribute laterally gritter material supplied thereto from the hopper? and.
an endless conveyor arranged to convey gritter material from the hopper to the spinner disc.

2. A road gritter device which forms part of. or is adapted to be mounted on a transport vehicle. and which is operable to distribute gritter material over the surface of a road when required. in which the device comprises:
a hopper body for gitter material;
a spinner disc which is rotatable in a substantially horzontal plane in order to distribute laterally gritter material supplied thereto from the hopper. the disc being made of a rigid plastics material: and.
an endless conveyor arranged to convey gritter material from the hopper to the spinner disc.

3. A road gritter device which forms part of, or is adapted to be mounted on a trasport vehicle, and which is operable to distribute gritter material over the surface of a roac when required, in which the device comprises:
a hopper body for gritter material which is assemble from a plurality of separately formed plates. at least some of which are releasably coupled together for replacement when required;
a spinner disc which is rotatable in a substantially horizontal plane in order to distribute laterally gritter material supplied thereto from the hopper; and.
an endless conveyor arranged to convey gritter material from the hopper to the spinner disc. an endless conveyor band of the conveyor being made of plastics or elastomeric material.

4. A road gritter device according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, in which the hopper body is entirely fabricated from separately formed sheets or plates of rigid plastics material which are releasably coupled together.

5. A road gritter device according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, in which the spinner disc is carried at the lower end of a rotatable vertical shaft.

6. A road gritter device according to Claim 5. in which the entire disc is made of rigid plastics material.

7. A road gritter device according to Claim 5 to 6.
in which the carrying shaft is made of rigid plastics material.

8. A road gritter device according to any one of Claims 1 to 7. in which the endless conveyor band, drive rollers and idle rollers of the endless conveyor are made of plastics material.

9. A road gritter device according to any one of Claims 1 to 8. in which the device is formed as a demountable assembly which can be installed on a loading platform of a truck.

10. A road gritter device according to Claim 9 and mounted on the loading platform of a truck, in which an underlying sheet of plastics material is arranged below the gritter device and between the device and the loading platform.

11. A road gritter device according to Claim 4. in which additional rigidity is given to the hopper body by provision of a rigid supporting frame which engages the upper edge margins of the side walls of the hopper body.

12. A road gritter device according to Claim 11. in which the supporting frame is fabricated from metal sections. and a mesh screen is supported by this frame through which the gritter material can be loaded.

13. A road gritter device according to any one of Claims 1 to 12. in which the interior of the hopper body is provided with a spreader frame arranged near the lower part of the hopper body so as to bear part of the load of the gritter material. and to facilitate discharge of the material from the lower part of the hopper body onto the underlying endless conveyor.