GB1573209A - Side discharge farm manure spreaders - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS TO SIDE DISCHARGE FARM MANURE SPREADERS (71) I, ARCHIBALD WATSON KIDD, of Seend Close, Seend, Melksham, Wiltshire, a British Subject, and ARCHIE KIDD LIMITED, of Roundway, Devizes, Wiltshire, a British Company, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- This invention relates to side-discharge farm manure spreaders.

Existing machines of the side-discharge type suffer from the defects that the chains take too much torque to start, thus causing undue wear and tear on the tractor. In addition the handle mechanism for opening and shutting the top door (which needs to be used when filling) is usually quite difficult to operate.

The object of the invention is to improve the performance of the machine.

According to this invention there is provided a side-discharge manure spreader comprising an elongate manure container, a horizontal rotor in the container, a plurality of chains suspended from said rotor and hammers on the ends of the chains, those chains nearest the ends of the rotor being more heavily weighted than those at the centre of the rotor. Preferably the hammers are graduated in weight from the heaviest nearest the ends of the rotor to the lightest nearer the centre of the rotor.

One form of manure spreader made according to this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the spreader with the top cover in the closed position; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic elevation of the rotor and flails; Fig. 3 is a detail view of one swinging flail; and Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are views of the rear panel showing the top cover operating handle.

Referring to the drawings and first to Fig.

1, the main structure of the machine of one-piece form made by welding the body 2 drawbar 4 and axle housings 6 together into one complete fabrication. The body 2 has a continuous steel wall from A to B (formed from two steel sheets welded together). The end panels 8 are solidly welded in position with only one hole 10 in each end for the rotor shaft 12 (except for a drain hole in the back end panel) and the drawbar 4 is formed by welding a sheet steel channel to the underside of the body 2 thus forming a large and very stiff box section integral with the body itself. The drawbar 4 extends along underneath the body.

Referring to Fig. 2 the rotor tube 12 is somewhat stiffer than normally encountered, care is taken at the ends of the rotor 12 to prevent muck getting through the end panels 8 to the main bearings. For this purpose there are provided flinger rings 13. The bearings carrying the rotor are fixed to stiffening ribs 14 welded on the outside of the end panels 8 and the bearings not shown are placed well away from the end panels so that there is a length of clear shaft between the point where the shaft emerges through the hole 10 in the end panel and the point at which it enters the sleeve of the bearing. In this way any muck which manages to get past the flinger ring 13 on the inside of the machine will now be faced by a length of horizontal travel before it can reach the bearing. Further to make this transit difficult, we fix an outer sealing ring 16 at each shaft end. For convenience of manufacture these rings are fixed to the end panels 8 and operate on a short cylindrical length of the shaft at which the clearance can be kept to a minimum, even should there be any end float.

In addition we fix the bearings, which are of the plummer block type, in a vertical or horizontal-overhead attitude, so that there is no ledge on which muck can build up, which would be the case if the plummer blocks were mounted in the normal upright position.

It will be seen that these measures not only give rise to a construction in which there are no boltheads or other projections on the inside of the end panels, thus avoiding jamming of the end beaters in the presence of solids, but in addition we provide a sealing and bearing system which reduces the risk of muck entering and damaging the ball bearings.

Referring now to the flails on the rotor 8, at each end of the rotor 8 there is a partly rigid and partly flail type assembly. the purpose of which is to start the muck flowing, after which the chain flingers successively take over the task. Unless carefully designed these assemblies offer great resistance to motion and call for excessive starting torque from the tractor, which is deleterious. In our construction there is a rigid longer arm 18 of each assembly which taper from base to tip with a substantially flat surface 20 on the side facing the adjacent end panel 8 but having a rounded face 22 on the opposite, inward-facing side. Other shapes are possible but a sharp leading edge is advantageous. This reduces the risk of solids jamming behind the arm 18 and also, because of the shape offers a minimum of resistance to movement consistent with flinging ability and the desirability of introducing a slightly inward direction of flight to the manure as well as the more preponderant outwardly radial or tangential direction.

On the side of the rotor 8 opposite to the rigid flail 18 there is provided a swinging flail 24 provided at the end of a fixed arm 26. The remaining flails on the rotor 8 are of the chain type.

A difficulty with chain-flinger type spreaders is that with muck of a certain soft consistency, such as slurry, there is a tendency for only the end beaters and possibly the first chain at each end to operate for quite a long time after commencement of spreading and then more or less suddenly all the rest of the chains will come out altogether. This phenomenon gives rise to unevenness of spread from the first state to the second state.

To combat this we provide a plurality of chains 28 with weighted ends which are varied from heavier weights on the chains at the ends of the rotor to less heavy weights nearer the centre of the rotor 8. Thus the end chains are fitted with very heavy weights 30 possibly say numbers one and two from each end. Then chains three and four from each end are fitted with heavy, but not quite such heavy weights 32 on their outer ends, and possibly chains five and six from each end are fitted with weights 34 not necessarily so heavy but still heavier than those on all the remaining chains.

By thus effecting a graduation in the weights, and consequently in the centrifugal force generated, this change-over phenomenon described above can be reduced or eliminated and a more even spread produced.

The weights 30, 32, 34 each of which is a head or hammer of rectangular form each with two holes 35 are each fixed to the end of a chain 28 by means of a rivetted head 36 on the end of a U-shaped link 38 at the free end of the chain. The legs of the U are passed through the holes 35. The heads 36 have a slight taper 40 to engage with a corresponding counter sink 42 in the face of the weight. The ends of the loop 38 are heated red hot, pressed to shape and cooled. Rivetting can be substituted by welding if preferred.

A hinged top cover 44 is provided for filling purposes. This is opened by a handle shown in Figs. 4-6. Fig. 4 shows the cover in its closed position and Fig. 6 in its most open position.

A bar 46 fixed to the free end portion of the cover 44 is pivoted at 48 to the end of a cranked handle 50 which in turn is pivoted at 52 to a shackle 54 the other end of which is pivotably fixed at 56 to the end panel 8 of the body 2. Two fixed stops 58 and 60 are provided on the end panel. The operation of the handle is as follows. In order to open the cover 44 the handle 50 is pulled downwards from the position shown in Fig. 4, the handle moving about the pivot 52. This continues until the position shown in Fig. 5 is arrived at. Upon continued pull on the handle, both shackle 54 and handle 50 move about the fixed pivot 56 and the pivot 52 moves away from its original position bearing on the stop 60. Finally the position shown in Fig. 5 is reached where the cover is fully open. For closing the cover the operation is of course reversed. It will be seen that the leverage is increased during the hard work part of the stroke and during the remainder of the stroke the second pivot comes into effect which reduces the leverage, thus tending to equalize the effort required throughout.

To minimise weight we employ stub axles for the wheels fixed to pyramid-shaped sheet metal housings. These housings not only present a smooth pleasing appearance, but also present easily cleanable surfaces which in any case do not readily allow build-up of muck.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. Side discharge manure spreader comprising an elongate manure container. a horizontal rotor in the container, a plurality of chains suspended from said rotor and hammers on the ends of the chains those

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (6)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. is no ledge on which muck can build up, which would be the case if the plummer blocks were mounted in the normal upright position. It will be seen that these measures not only give rise to a construction in which there are no boltheads or other projections on the inside of the end panels, thus avoiding jamming of the end beaters in the presence of solids, but in addition we provide a sealing and bearing system which reduces the risk of muck entering and damaging the ball bearings. Referring now to the flails on the rotor 8, at each end of the rotor 8 there is a partly rigid and partly flail type assembly. the purpose of which is to start the muck flowing, after which the chain flingers successively take over the task. Unless carefully designed these assemblies offer great resistance to motion and call for excessive starting torque from the tractor, which is deleterious. In our construction there is a rigid longer arm 18 of each assembly which taper from base to tip with a substantially flat surface 20 on the side facing the adjacent end panel 8 but having a rounded face 22 on the opposite, inward-facing side. Other shapes are possible but a sharp leading edge is advantageous. This reduces the risk of solids jamming behind the arm 18 and also, because of the shape offers a minimum of resistance to movement consistent with flinging ability and the desirability of introducing a slightly inward direction of flight to the manure as well as the more preponderant outwardly radial or tangential direction. On the side of the rotor 8 opposite to the rigid flail 18 there is provided a swinging flail 24 provided at the end of a fixed arm 26. The remaining flails on the rotor 8 are of the chain type. A difficulty with chain-flinger type spreaders is that with muck of a certain soft consistency, such as slurry, there is a tendency for only the end beaters and possibly the first chain at each end to operate for quite a long time after commencement of spreading and then more or less suddenly all the rest of the chains will come out altogether. This phenomenon gives rise to unevenness of spread from the first state to the second state. To combat this we provide a plurality of chains 28 with weighted ends which are varied from heavier weights on the chains at the ends of the rotor to less heavy weights nearer the centre of the rotor 8. Thus the end chains are fitted with very heavy weights 30 possibly say numbers one and two from each end. Then chains three and four from each end are fitted with heavy, but not quite such heavy weights 32 on their outer ends, and possibly chains five and six from each end are fitted with weights 34 not necessarily so heavy but still heavier than those on all the remaining chains. By thus effecting a graduation in the weights, and consequently in the centrifugal force generated, this change-over phenomenon described above can be reduced or eliminated and a more even spread produced. The weights 30, 32, 34 each of which is a head or hammer of rectangular form each with two holes 35 are each fixed to the end of a chain 28 by means of a rivetted head 36 on the end of a U-shaped link 38 at the free end of the chain. The legs of the U are passed through the holes 35. The heads 36 have a slight taper 40 to engage with a corresponding counter sink 42 in the face of the weight. The ends of the loop 38 are heated red hot, pressed to shape and cooled. Rivetting can be substituted by welding if preferred. A hinged top cover 44 is provided for filling purposes. This is opened by a handle shown in Figs. 4-6. Fig. 4 shows the cover in its closed position and Fig. 6 in its most open position. A bar 46 fixed to the free end portion of the cover 44 is pivoted at 48 to the end of a cranked handle 50 which in turn is pivoted at 52 to a shackle 54 the other end of which is pivotably fixed at 56 to the end panel 8 of the body 2. Two fixed stops 58 and 60 are provided on the end panel. The operation of the handle is as follows. In order to open the cover 44 the handle 50 is pulled downwards from the position shown in Fig. 4, the handle moving about the pivot 52. This continues until the position shown in Fig. 5 is arrived at. Upon continued pull on the handle, both shackle 54 and handle 50 move about the fixed pivot 56 and the pivot 52 moves away from its original position bearing on the stop 60. Finally the position shown in Fig. 5 is reached where the cover is fully open. For closing the cover the operation is of course reversed. It will be seen that the leverage is increased during the hard work part of the stroke and during the remainder of the stroke the second pivot comes into effect which reduces the leverage, thus tending to equalize the effort required throughout. To minimise weight we employ stub axles for the wheels fixed to pyramid-shaped sheet metal housings. These housings not only present a smooth pleasing appearance, but also present easily cleanable surfaces which in any case do not readily allow build-up of muck. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. Side discharge manure spreader comprising an elongate manure container. a horizontal rotor in the container, a plurality of chains suspended from said rotor and hammers on the ends of the chains those

chains nearest the ends of the rotor being more heavily weighted than those at the centre of the rotor.

2. Side discharge manure spreader according to claim 1. wherein the hammers are graduated in weight from the heaviest nearest the ends of the rotor to the lightest nearer the centre of the rotor.

3. Side discharge manure spreader according to claim 2 wherein the hammers each have two holes engaged by the legs of a U-shaped member suspended from the end of a chain the protruding ends of the U being secured on the underside of the said weight by rivetting or welding.

4. Side discharge manure spreader according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a rigid flail is provided on the rotor at each end between the first chains and the end of the rotor said rigid flail being tapered and having a substantially flat surface facing the adjacent end of the rotor and a convex opposite face.

5. Side discharge manure spreader according to claim 1, having a hinged top cover openable and closable by an operating handle pivotted through a shackle on one end panel of the body of the spreader, the said handle and shackle providing a differential pivot effect whereby the leverage is increased during the hard work part of the stroke.

6. Side discharge manure spreader substantially as described with reference to the drawings.