DK2354309T3

DK2354309T3 - Scatter device for winter service vehicles

Info

Publication number: DK2354309T3
Application number: DK10197273.5T
Authority: DK
Inventors: Paul Rosenstihl
Original assignee: Küpper-Weisser GmbH
Priority date: 2009-12-29
Filing date: 2010-12-29
Publication date: 2016-11-14
Also published as: EP2824238A1; EP2354309A3; DE102010029142A1; PL2354309T3; EP2354309A2; EP2824238B1; HRP20161360T1; LT2354309T; HUE033605T2; LT2824238T; ES2599066T3; PL2824238T3; ES2630105T3; EP2354309B1; HUE031672T2; DK2824238T3; HRP20170977T1; PT2354309T

Description

The invention relates to a spreader for winter service vehicles with which de-icing materials can be distributed on road surfaces, as well as components for the operation of such a spreader and a logistics method for these components.

Winter service spreaders are known either as so-called attachment devices, which are mounted on loading beds of lorries, or as a fixed part of a winter service vehicle.

Until recently either dry salt or wet salt was spread in winter road clearance. In wet salt spreading the salt is wetted with liquid when it is spread, i.e. salt and liquid are distributed jointly. The liquid is normally a salt solution, so-called "brine", which is mixed with the salt to be spread either on the distributing plate or on the path to the distributing plate.

In order to produce the brine fresh water is often pumped through underground rock salt deposits in order to dissolve the salt in the water. There is however also brine that can be obtained from natural sources. The brine is then transported either in tankers to commercial customers, or so-called saline salt or common salt is obtained by evaporating the brine, from which the customers then regenerate brine. Saline salt can however also be obtained by evaporating sea water and used for the production of the brine required for the winter service applications.

The brine is contained on the spreader in an extra tank, which for example is mounted on the side of the spreading material container in which the gritting salt is stored. A normal spreader with a capacity of 5 m3 gritting salt has such an extra tank with a tank volume of for example 2260 I.

Recently instead of dry salt and wet salt spreading often pure brine is "spread", i.e. sprayed on the road surface. In order to spray a standard spreading distance of ca. 50 km with pure brine, a tank volume of ca. 8000 I is required. The extra volume must therefore be provided by a brine tank with a volume of ca. 5700 I. For this purpose cascade tanks are used, i.e. for example four conventional brine tanks are coupled to one another in a cascade arrangement.

On account of the available structural length of the lorries that can be used for winter road clearance the desired volume cannot always be achieved. The centre of gravity of such a construction with for example three extra tanks means that in certain circumstances either the front axle or the rear axle is overloaded.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a spreader for winter service vehicles and a winter service vehicle equipped with such a spreader that is suitable both for dry salt spreading and brine spreading and preferably also for wet salt spreading, without however the aforementioned weight distribution problems.

This object is achieved by a spreader with the features of the independent claim 1. Advantageous arrangements and developments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims. Subordinate claims relate to correspondingly adapted components for a spreader according to the invention.

Accordingly a spreader according to the invention for winter service vehicles includes in a conventional way a spreading material container for containing solid de-icing materials to be spread and a spreading device, in particular a rotating distributing plate, that can be functionally coupled to the spreading material container, for spreading the solid de-icing materials contained in the spreading material container when the winter service vehicle is on the road. A spraying device for spraying liquid de-icing materials in pure form is also included. According to the invention the brine tank that can be functionally coupled to the spraying device is however now formed by the spreading material container itself. Accordingly the spreading material container is arranged so that instead of just being used as a spreading material container it can also be used as a brine tank, and the spreader is correspondingly arranged so that liquid de-icing materials held in the spreading material container can be fed to the spraying device.

The weight distribution problems described in the introduction do not occur in the spreader according to the invention. Irrespective of whether the spreader is used for spreading dry salt or for spreading or spraying a pure salt solution, the centre of gravity of the solid and liquid de-icing materials to be spread is always located in a central position of the spreading material container and therefore on or as a rule in front of the rear axle of the vehicle. Expensive extra tanks, in particular cascade tanks, can therefore be dispensed with.

However, an extra tank or several extra tanks can be provided as before in a conventional way for holding liquid, in particular brine, for wet salt spreading. Accordingly the extra tank is coupled or can be coupled functionally to the spreading device in order to supply the spreading device with at the same time liquid from the extra tank in addition to solid de-icing materials from the spreading material container. The extra tank can however, as is already the case in the prior art, also be additionally connected to the spraying device for the purpose of pure brine spreading.

In this way a spreader is created that combines the three different conventional spreading methods, namely dry salt spreading, wet salt spreading and pure brine spreading. Preferably the spreader is then designed so that in the case of pure brine spreading brine from the spreading material container as well as brine from the extra tank can be sprayed. EP 579 311 A describes a spreader according to the pre-characterising part of claim 1.

According to the invention the brine contained in the spreading material container is not fed directly to the spraying device but to an extra tank, which in turn is coupled or can be coupled to the spraying device. Such extra tanks are nowadays already a normal part of a winter service spreader, as was already explained in the introduction. Their normal function consisted in the past of mixing, for the purposes of wet salt spreading, brine with the gritting salt supplied from the spreading material container. The extra tank or tanks are however nowadays alternatively used for pure brine spreading.

The advantage of supplying the brine contained in the spreading material container not directly to the spraying device but instead filling the extra tanks that as a rule are already present, is that already existing spreaders can be upgraded without any problem. In particular these extra tanks already have an optimally designed pumping system for conveying brine. The principle of refilling or topping up the extra tank or tanks with the brine held in the spreading material container can be applied in the case where the brine is stored in a separate liquid tank inserted into the spreading material container, and also in the case where the brine is stored "loose" in the suitably sealed spreading material container. In both cases the brine can be transferred from the spreading material container and/or the liquid tank housed therein into the extra tank or tanks coupled to the spraying device, for example by means of a feed pump, for example a submersible pump, and a corresponding conveying hose.

The system is preferably arranged so that the aforementioned pump is activated if a predetermined liquid level in an extra tank is not reached. This can easily be realised by means of a float gauge in the extra tank and a controller connected to the float gauge and to the pump. Other control systems are also conceivable.

Instead of the use of a pump it is also conceivable to pressurise the liquid volume and then simply open an excess pressure valve if brine is to be transferred to the extra tank. For this purpose the liquid tank housed in the spreading material container can for example be formed like a bag and weighed down from above with an appropriate weight.

The spreader can according to an alternative embodiment not according to the invention be arranged so that either the spreading device or the spraying device can be functionally coupled as desired to the spreading material container, depending on which functionality is specifically required. In particular it may be convenient for this purpose to extract the gritting salt and the brine from the spreading material container via the same transport path.

In order in this case to be able to serve as a brine tank, the spreading material container must be formed suitably liquid-tight. In this connection the conveying device via which the solid de-icing materials are normally supplied from the spreading material container to the spreading device can be a problem. Normally a conveyer belt or one or more screw conveyors are used as conveying devices. These convey the solid de-icing materials from the spreading material container normally to a downpipe or a chute of the spreading device, through which the de icing materials are then fed under the force of gravity for example to a rotating distributing plate.

In connection with the present invention it is advantageous to use as conveying device not a conveyor belt but instead one or more screw conveyors. These can as a whole be manufactured from a corrosion-resistant material that withstands the aggressiveness of the salt solution, and the screw conveyor bearings can also be made water-tight without major technical effort and expenditure.

In principle it is of course conceivable to seal the spreading material container reliably with respect to the conveying device, whether the latter is a conveyor belt or a screw conveyor, if the spreading material container is to be converted to a brine tank, for example by means of a sealing plate over the conveying device, so that the brine would have to be extracted from the spreading material container via another, separate transport path than that used for the gritting salt. For a simple conversion process it is however less complicated and therefore preferred if the interface that serves for the conversion of the spreading material container to a brine tank is arranged in the transport path to the spreading device and is preferably subordinate to the conveying device. Accordingly an interface -preferably subordinate to the conveying device - between the spreading material container and the spreading device is adapted so that it can optionally also be used as an interface between the spreading material container and the spraying device, namely if the spreading material container is to be used as brine tank. Ideally this interface lies in the region of the downpipe (or chute) leading to the distribution plate, in particular preferably at the upper end of the downpipe, i.e. preferably directly at the outlet end of the conveying device.

In this connection it is advantageous to design the spreading device so it can be displaced or swivelled, so that by displacing or swivelling at least part of the spreading device the interface can be released for use as an interface between the spraying device and the spreading material container. With such a construction the spreader can be converted quickly and easily between the dry salt spreading and wet salt spreading modes and pure brine spreading.

The conversion from dry salt spreading to pure brine spreading is accomplished by connecting a liquid line leading to the spraying device, to the released interface via an associated attachment pipe. Also the suction pipe is advantageously installed in a displaceable or swivelable manner, so it can be moved quickly and easily into its position attached to the interface. For this, the interface or the sealing surface of the suction pipe cooperating with the latter has a seal that can withstand the hydrostatic pressure of the spreading material container when completely filled with brine.

Conventional spreading material containers are filled from above and are accordingly open at the top. The opening surface is normally significantly larger than other horizontal cross-sections through the spreading material container.

This is because on the one hand the gritting salt should be fed under the force of gravity to the centrally arranged spreading material conveyor at the lowermost level. I On the other hand the large filling opening facilitates the rapid filling through a protective grating. Owing to the filling of the spreading material container through the protective grating agglomerations of spreading material are broken up. Also, the spreader according to the invention is advantageously equipped with such a protective grating.

In the case of pure brine spreading the protective grating is replaced by a removable cover, with which the upper opening of the spreading material container can be completely covered, so that during travel no liquid can spill over from the spreading material container. Such a cover can be provided with suitable seals and can preferably be fastened to the spreading material container with quick-release fasteners.

It is particularly preferred if the cover has splash guard walls that protrude from the cover and extend into the spreading material container. In this way sudden weight displacements of the brine in the spreading material container, for example during braking, acceleration, rapid turning and sharply cambered road surfaces, are prevented. Accordingly it is advantageous to provide the splash guard walls both in the longitudinal direction and the transverse direction (referred to the predetermined travel direction of the spreader).

According to a further embodiment, not in accordance with the invention, the gritting salt and the brine are not removed from the spreading material container via the same transport path. Instead, in addition to the outlet opening for the spreading material a separate liquid outlet opening is provided, through which the brine contained in the spreading material container can be fed to the spraying device via a separate transport path when the spreading material container is used as brine tank.

This embodiment offers the advantage that an interface between the spreading device and the spreading material container, which could possibly be used as an interface between the spraying device and the spreading material container, is not necessary. The structural expenditure associated with this can thus be avoided.

Instead, it simply has to be ensured that the brine contained in the spreading material container does not flow out through the spreading device. This can be achieved in many ways. For example, in a simple way a sealing plate can be inserted into the spreading material container over the spreading material conveying device.

However, instead of this a separate liquid tank can advantageously be housed or inserted into the spreading material container. This liquid tank has a liquid connection with which the liquid tank can be coupled to the aforementioned liquid outlet opening of the spreading material container. The term "coupling" should be understood broadly in this connection and includes the case in which the liquid connection of the liquid tank is simply led outwardly through the liquid outlet opening, or conversely for example a hose connection leading through the liquid outlet opening of the spreading material container is attached to the liquid connection of the liquid tank housed in the spreading material container. In order to prevent gritting salt passing through the liquid outlet opening of the spreading material container when the spreading material container is not used as a brine tank, the liquid outlet opening can be closed from the inside or outside, for example by means of a simple flap or a simple slider, which preferably can be actuated from outside the spreading material container.

The use of the aforementioned liquid tanks that contain the brine and are housed in the spreading material container, offers apart from the fact that additional seals do not have to be provided on the spreading device, the particular further advantage that the loading of the spreading material vehicle can be accomplished very quickly by replacing an empty liquid tank by a full liquid tank. For this purpose the liquid tank to be housed in a spreading material container is preferably suitably adapted, in particular as regards its dimensions. Thus, the liquid tank should have a substantially triangular, trapezoidal or generally funnel-shaped vertical cross-section so that it can be housed in conventional spreading material containers with optimal utilisation of the space. Such a liquid tank can comprise several separate chambers or preferably chambers connected to one another. It is however also possible to use several of these liquid tanks in series in the spreading material container.

For the optimal handling of the liquid tanks these preferably have transporting elements for lifting the liquid tank. Preferably the transporting elements are designed in order to transport the liquid tanks by means of a forklift truck. The transporting elements accordingly have the tine spacing of conventional forklift trucks. In this connection it is particularly advantageous to attach the transporting elements to an upper side of the liquid tank, so that the liquid tank can easily be lowered from above into the spreading material container. Instead of a forklift truck a crane can of course also be used. For this, it is convenient to provide a centrally arranged transporting element, for example an eye for the crane hook, on the upper side of the liquid tank.

Such liquid tanks can easily be stored, for example in shelf warehouses, and can be removed from storage as required to replace an empty liquid tank.

Overall an optimised logistics process is provided in this way for the transportation of liquid de-icing materials (brine) for winter service use. To this end a number of liquid tanks are filled with liquid de-icing materials at a de-icing material supplier, for example directly at a saltworks, and delivered to a de-icing material customer, for example to an authority responsible for winter road clearance. The liquid tanks remain with the customer until the liquid de-icing materials are consumed, and are then returned to the di-icing materials supplier. The essential feature in this logistics process is that the liquid tanks provided by the de-icing materials supplier not only remain with the consumer, but in addition during winter service use are carried on a winter service vehicle of the customer.

It is particularly advantageous if the liquid tanks are substantially formed by a flexible shell or envelope. The inner volume of the shell decreases to almost zero when the liquid tanks are empty. Conversely, the volume of the liquid tanks increases when the shell is filled with liquid de-icing material. This has the advantage that the space needed to store the empty liquid tanks is minimised and also the transportation of the empty liquid tanks back to the de-icing materials supplier is less complicated.

The invention is illustrated hereinafter with the aid of a preferred embodiment and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows an isolated spreader according to a first exemplary embodiment, not according to the invention, in a perspective but schematic view with the spreading device swivelled out,

Fig. 2 shows the spreader of Fig. 1 with the spreading device in the spreading position,

Fig. 3 shows in a perspective exploded representation a protective grating and a cover plate for the spreading material container of the spreader according to Figs. 1 and 2,

Fig. 4 shows a spreader according to a second exemplary embodiment, not according to the invention,

Fig. 5 shows a spreader according to a third exemplary embodiment, not according to the invention,

Fig. 6 shows a spreader according to a fourth exemplary embodiment, according to the invention, and

Fig. 7 shows a spreader according to a fifth exemplary embodiment, according to the invention.

In Fig. 1 a top-mounted spreader 1 is illustrated as a structure on a loading surface of a lorry. A spreading material container 3, which has a funnel-shaped cross-section, is mounted on a welded carrier frame 2, so that de-icing materials contained in the spreading materials container collect at the conically tapering base of the spreading material container 3. A screw conveyor on the base of the spreading material container transports solid de-icing materials, in particular gritting salt, from the spreading material container 3 to an outlet 4, through which the de-icing materials can then fall under the force of gravity into the downpipe 5 of a spreading device 6 and through the downpipe 5 onto a distributing plate 7 of the spreading device 6.

In the representation illustrated in Fig. 1 the spreading device 6 is however illustrated swivelled out about a rotation axis 8 from an "interface" 9. The interface 9 is formed as a flange, to which the spreading device 6 can be coupled when the spreader 1 is to be employed for spreading solid de-icing materials using the spreading device 6, as is illustrated in fig. 2. Two extra tanks 10 for liquid, in particular for a salt solution, are provided in order to mix the dry de-icing materials falling through the downpipe 5 with a suitably metered amount of liquid for this case. This procedure takes place in a manner known per se via a suction line 15.2 using a suitably controlled pump 16. The mixing site need does not have to be be in the downpipe itself, but the mixing can - differently to the case shown in Fig. 2 - take place for example also only at the lower end of the downpipe 5 on the distributing plate 7.

Further extra tanks 10 can be provided for example in front of the spreading material container 3. In particular the extra tanks 10 can be designed significantly smaller in favour of an enlargement of the content of the spreading material container 3, as is illustrated in Fig. 1. If several extra tanks 10 are provided for mixing liquid de-icing materials, then these are connected to one another via lines.

The spreading device 6 can be stopped in any unfolded position and arranged so that in the unfolded state it occupies as little additional space as possible behind the spreader 1. With the unfolded spreading device 6 the spreader 1 can be used to "spread" or spray pure brine. For this, instead of the spreading device 6 the attachment pipe 14 of a suction line 15.1 is coupled to the flange or the "interface" 9, and the spreading material container 13 is used to hold liquid deicing materials, in particular pure brine. By means of a suitably controlled pump 16 the brine can then be fed from the spreading material container 3 through the suction line 15.1 to a spraying device 17 - shown purely schematically in Fig. 1 -and in this way distributed on road surfaces.

In the same way as the spreading device 6 can be swivelled out about a rotation axis 8 from the interface 9, also the attachment pipe 14 of the suction line 15 can be swivelled about a rotation axis 18. Instead of swivelling out the whole spreading device 6 - or optionally also only displacing it - also only part of the spreading device 6, for example a section of the downpipe 5, can be swivelled out or displaced. Also, the attachment pipe 14 can be designed to be displaceable instead of swivellable.

The attachment pipe 14 seals the interface 9 in a liquid-tight manner and has for this purpose corresponding sealing elements, for example an O-ring seal, which can withstand the hydrostatic pressure built up by the brine in the spreading material container 3. Also the bearings of the (not illustrated) screw conveyor on the base of the spreading material container 3 should be suitably protected by means of suitable seals, for example lip seals, against the inflow of the aggressive salt solution.

The function of pure brine spreading, as illustrated in Fig. 1, and pure dry salt or wet salt spreading, as illustrated in fig. 2, can be achieved with a single pump 16 and suitable valves 11.1 and 11.2. By means of the valve 11.1 formed as a three-way valve 11.2 (e.g. ball valve) the spreading material container 3 used as brine tank and the extra containers 10 can be connected on the suction side to the pump 16 for the pure brine spreading. The valve 11.2 (e.g. ball valve), also formed as a three-way valve and controlled by the pump 16, is for this case adjusted so that it connects the pump 16 to the spraying device 17. The valves can be adjusted either manually or automatically in a controlled manner with an electric motor with the aid of a proximity switch on the attachment pipe 14.

The three-way valve 11.1 has a T-branching and the three-way valve 11.2 has an L-branching, so that by suitable valve adjustment, as illustrated in Fig. 2, a changeover can be made from pure brine spreading to pure wet salt spreading.

For this purpose the three-way valve 11.1 with T-branching simply also connects the two extra tanks 10 on the suction side to the pump 16 and the three-way valve 11.2 with L-branching connects the pump 16 to the spreading device 6. If dry salt is to be spread, i.e. without mixing with brine from the extra tanks 10, either the pump 16 can be switched off or, preferably, in addition the three-way valve 11.2 is turned so that the line path from the pump 16 to the spraying device 17 and also to the spreading device 6 is interrupted.

On the other hand it is also possible to bring the three-way valve 11.2 from the position illustrated in Fig. 2 into a position in which it connects the pump 16 to the spraying device 17. Then dry salt can be spread by means of the spreading device 6 and also pure brine can be spread by means of the spraying device 17. A wet salt spreading via the spreading device 6, i.e. with simultaneous addition of brine from the extra tanks 10, and the distribution of pure brine via the spraying device 17, is not possible with the arrangement illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. However, within the scope of the invention it is also possible to ensure this functionality by suitably modifying the system, for example by other or additional directional valves and/or additional lines and/or line branchings and/or by one or more further pumps.

In order to fill dry de-icing materials in the spreading material container 3 a protective grating 12 is provided, which can be placed on supporting elements 13 of the spreading material container 3. This is illustrated in Fig. 3. The filling of the spreading material container 3 then takes place through the protective grating 12, so that lumps of spreading material are broken up when passing through the protective grating 12.

In the case where the spreader is used to spread pure brine the protective grating 12 can be removed from the spreading material container 3 and replaced by a cover 19, in order to prevent the brine spilling over from the spreading material container during travel. The cover 19 is securely fixed to the spreading material container 3 by quick-release closures 20. The quick-release closures 20 are here formed as levers and have latch elements that can be brought into a locked engagement position with the spreading material container by turning the levers.

As a variant from the purely basic representation according to Fig. 1 the cover 19 can also be placed in a sealing manner on the outer walls of the spreading material container or can be reliably sealed in another way with respect to the wall of the spreading material container 3, so that neither can brine escape from the spreading material container 3 nor can dirt or rain enter the spreading material container 3. In this case a ventilation opening 21 is provided on the cover 19.

The cover 19 is provided on its lower side with securely welded metal sheets in the longitudinal direction 22 and transverse direction 23. These metal sheets act as splashguard walls and prevent sudden changes in the weight distribution of the brine in the spreading material container in the event of sudden accelerations.

Fig. 4 shows a second exemplary embodiment, which essentially differs from the first exemplary embodiment in that the gritting salt and the brine are not removed from the spreading material container 3 via the same transport path. Instead, to remove the brine a separate liquid outlet opening 30 is provided, to which the suction line 15.1 is attached. A sealing plate 31 is inserted into the spreading material container 3 above the (not illustrated) spreading material conveying device, whether it is a screw conveyor device or a conveyor belt. By means of sealing lips on the circumference of the sealing plate 31 it is ensured that the brine cannot otherwise leak from the spreading material container and in particular cannot escape via the spreading device 6. A sealing effect is ensured by the weight of the brine on the sealing plate 31. An additional clamping by means of clamping levers or other means (not illustrated) can enhance the sealing action.

Fig. 5 shows a third exemplary embodiment, which essentially differs from the second exemplary embodiment according to fig. 4 in that the brine is not contained directly in the spreading material container 3, but instead a liquid tank 40 is housed in the spreading material container 3 in order to hold the brine. The liquid tank 40 can be filled with brine via a filling pipe 42.

Handles 41 for transportation are provided on the upper side of the liquid tank in a spacing matching the tine spacing of forklift truck forks. A further handle is centrally provided in order to transport the liquid container 40 if necessary with a single crane hook.

The liquid container 40 has a liquid attachment (here not visible), which cooperates with the liquid outlet opening 30. For example, this could be a simple-to-use bayonet connection. Ideally the liquid outlet opening 30 cooperates with the liquid attachment of the liquid container 40 however so that the suction line 15.1 can be attached via the liquid outlet opening 30 to the liquid attachment of the liquid tank 40. The liquid tank 40 can then be inserted from above into the spreading material container 3 and afterwards the suction line 15.1 can be attached through the liquid outlet opening 30 of the spreading material container 3 to the liquid attachment of the liquid tank 40, for example by means of a quick-release connector.

Figs. 6 and 7 show respectively a fourth and fifth exemplary embodiment, which essentially differs from the second and third exemplary embodiments in that the brine held in the spreading material container 3 is not fed directly to the spraying device 17 but first of all to an extra tank 10.

For this, a suction pump 51 installed over a filling pipe of the extra tank 10 pumps out through a hose 50 dipping into the spreading material container 3 the brine contained therein and discharges it into the extra tank 10. Instead of the suction pump 51 an immersion pump can also be provided at the correspondingly other end of the hose 50. The filling state of the extra tank 10 is monitored by means of a float gauge 52 arranged in the extra tank 10. As soon as the filling state falls below a predetermined level this is signalled by the float gauge 52 to a control device C, which then brings the pump 51 into operation. The respective switched- on duration of the pump 51 can be determined in many different ways, for example depending on the output of the pump over a predetermined time period, or can be terminated when an upper liquid level in the extra tank 10 detectable by the float gauge 52 is reached. Instead of the electronic control C a purely mechanical way of activating and deactivating the pump 51 can also be realised, for example if the float gauge 52 is formed as a part of the pump 51 and projects through the filling pipe of the extra tank 10 into the extra tank 10.

The fifth exemplary embodiment according to Fig. 7 differs from the fourth exemplary embodiment according to Fig. 6 again simply in the fact that the brine is not directly contained in the spreading material container 3, but instead a liquid tank 40 is inserted into the spreading material container 3 in order to contain the brine. Accordingly the hose 50 is attached to the filling pipe 42 of the liquid tank 40, and a hose extension 50a extends from the filling pipe 42 into the liquid tank 40. Alternatively it is possible to form the hose 50 and the hose extension 50a as one piece and to guide it through the filling pipe 42 to the floor of the filling tank 40.

Preferred exemplary embodiments, not according to the invention, are described in the following paragraphs, though the invention is however defined in the claims. 1. Spreader (1) for winter service vehicles, comprising a spreading material container (3) for containing solid de-icing materials to be spread, a spreading device (6) that can be functionally coupled to the spreading material container (3) for spreading solid de-icing materials contained in the spreading material container, a brine tank for containing liquid de-icing materials, and a spraying device (17) that can be functionally coupled to the brine tank for spraying liquid de-icing materials contained in the brine tank, characterised in that the spreading material container (3) is arranged so that instead of being used as a spreading material container it can also be used as the brine tank, and that the spreader (1) is arranged for this intended use so that liquid de-icing materials contained in the spreading material container can be supplied to the spraying device (17). 2. Spreader according to paragraph 1, characterised in that optionally either the spreading device (6) or the spraying device (17) can be functionally coupled to the spreading material container (3) that can be used as brine tank. 3. Spreader according to paragraph 2, characterised in that it includes at least one screw conveyor for conveying solid de-icing materials from the spreading materials container (3) to the spreading device (6). 4. Spreader according to paragraph 2 or 3, characterised in that an interface (9) between the spreading device (6) and the spreading material container (3) is adapted so that it can optionally be used as an interface between the spraying device (17) and the spreading material container (3). 5. Spreader according to paragraph 4, characterised in that the spreading device (6) or a part of the spreading device (6) is displaceable or swivellable, in order to be able to release the interface (9) for use as an interface between the spraying device (17) and the spreading material container (3). 6. Spreader according to paragraph 4 or 5, characterised by a line (15) leading to the spraying device (17) with an attachment pipe (14), which is adapted to be attached to the interface (9). 7. Spreader according to paragraph 6, characterised in that the attachment pipe (14) can be displaced or swivelled into its position attached to the interface (9). 8. Spreader according to one of paragraphs 2 to 7, characterised by a removable cover (19) for completely covering an upper opening of the spreading material container (3). 9. Spreader according to paragraph 8, characterised in that splash guard walls (212, 23) protrude from the cover (19), which dip into the spreading material container (3) when the cover (19) covers the upper opening of the spreading material container. 10. Spreader according to paragraph 8 or 9, characterised by a protective grating (12) that can replace the cover (19). 11. Spreader according to one of paragraphs 2 to 9, characterised by at least one extra tank (10) for containing liquid de-icing materials, which can be functionally coupled to the spreading device (6) so that in addition to solid de-icing materials from the spreading material container (3) liquid from the extra tank (10) can at the same time be fed to the spreading devic (6). 12. Spreader according to paragraph 11, characterised in that it is configured in the case of pure brine spreading to spray brine from the spreading material container (3) as well as brine from the extra tank (10). 13. Spreader according to paragraph 11 or 12, characterised in that it is configured to spread simultaneously dry de-icing materials from the spreading material container (3) by means of the spreading device (6) and also to spray pure brine from the extra tank (10) by means of the spraying device (17). 14. Spreader according to one of paragraphs 1 to 3, characterised in that the spreading material container (3) has a liquid outlet opening (30) separate from a spreading material outlet opening, which is functionally coupled or can be coupled to the spraying device (17). 15. Spreader according to paragraph 14, characterised by a liquid tank (40) that can be inserted into the spreading material container (3) with a liquid connection for coupling to the liquid outlet opening (30). 16. Spreader according to paragraph 1, characterised by at least one extra tank (10) for containing liquid de-icing materials, which is functionally coupled or can be coupled to the spraying device (17), wherein the spreader is configured so that liquid de-icing materials can be transferred from the spreading material container (3) useable as brine tank to the extra tank (10). 17. Spreader according to paragraph 16, characterised by a pump for conveying liquid de-icing materials from the spreading material container (3) useable as brine tank to the extra tank (10). 18. Spreader according to paragraphs 16 or 17, characterised by one or more liquid tanks (40) that can be inserted into the spreading material container (3), for containing the liquid de-icing materials to be transferred to the extra tank (10). 19. Logistics process for the transportation of liquid de-icing materials for winter service road clearance, comprising a number of liquid tanks (40) for containing the liquid de-icing materials, wherein the liquid tanks are filled by liquid de-icing materials by a de-icing material supplier and are delivered to a de-icing materials customer, characterised in that the liquid tanks remain with the customer until the liquid de-icing materials are consumed by the de-icing materials customer, and are then transported back to the de-icing materials supplier, wherein the liquid tanks are designed so that they can be carried on a winter service vehicle during winter service road clearance. 20. Liquid tank (40) for containing liquid de-icing materials on a winter service vehicle for winter service road clearance, in particular for a spreader according to one of paragraphs 15 or 18 and/or for a logistics process according to paragraph 19, characterised in that the liquid tank is adapted so that it can be inserted into a spreading materials container (3) of a spreader (1) for winter service vehicles. 21. Liquid tank according to paragraph 20, characterised in that the inner volume of the liquid tank is defined by a flexible shell and can be increased by filling the shell with liquid de-icing material. 22. Liquid tank according to paragraph 20 or 21, characterised by transporting elements (41) for transporting the liquid tank by means of a forklift truck or crane. 23. Liquid tank according to one of paragraphs 20 to 22, characterised by a pump for conveying liquid de-icing materials from the liquid tank. 24. Winter service vehicle, comprising a spreader (1) according to one of paragraph 1 to 18.

Claims

A winter service vehicle spreading apparatus (1), comprising - a spreading material container (3) for receiving solid thawing substances to be dispersed, - a spreading device (6) operably linkable to the spreading material container (3) for spreading solid thawing substances received in a spreading material container, for receiving liquid thawing substances and - a spraying device (17) functionally coupled to the brine container for spraying liquid thawing substances received in the brine container, wherein the spreading material container (3) is adapted to be used as a brine container instead of the spreading material container (1). ) is thus adapted for this purpose that liquid thawing substances received in the dispersing material container can be supplied to the spraying device (17), wherein the dispersing apparatus has at least one additional container (10) for receiving liquid thawing substances. Nons which are functionally coupled or coupled to the spraying device (17), characterized in that the spreading apparatus is adapted so that liquid thawing substances from the spreading material container (3) useful as a brine container can be transferred to the additional container (10).

The spreading apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a pump (51) for transporting liquid thawing substances out of the spreading material container (3) which can be used as a brine container into the additional container (10).

The spreading apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, comprising one or more liquid containers (40) which can be inserted into the spreading material container (3).

The spreading apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the inner volume of the liquid container (40) is defined by a flexible casing and can be expanded by filling the casing with liquid thawing substance.

The spreading apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the liquid container (40) comprises transport elements (41) for transporting the liquid tank (40) by means of a forklift or crane.

The dispersing apparatus according to any of claims 3 to 5, comprising a pump (51) for transporting liquid thawing substances out of the liquid container (40).

A winter service vehicle comprising a spreader (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6.