GB2064374A - Dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

A dispenser (1) for particulate material, such as for example fertilizer material in grain form, or seeds, comprises a housing (2) which is portable so that it can be carried in the hand of a person in the manner of a gun and which includes a rotatable member (8) which on rotation flings the material fed onto it radially outwardly. The material is allowed to flow from a bag (15) by operating a sliding gate (16), which also operates a switch controlling a battery- operated electric motor driving the member (8). The material falls slightly behind the axis of rotation so that it is flung forward.

Description

SPECIFICATION Dispenser This invention relates to a dispenser and more particularly a dispenser for particulate material such as for example fertilizer in grain form, seeds, etc.

The method of dispensing such particulate materials by hand suffers from the disadvantage that the material often is not evenly distributed over the area being treated.

It is known to dispense such materials from a vehicle with a ground engaging wheel adapted to drive a rotatable disc on to which the material is fed from a suitable hopper or the like. Apart from the fact that such arrangements are usually relatively expensive, they also suffer from the disadvantage that they can only dispense the material while the vehicle is in motion.

Furthermore they can only distribute the material evenly in all directions at the same concentration and they can accordingly not cope with instances where it is required to distribute the material in a different concentration in only part of the area being treated.

It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a dispenser with which the aforesaid disadvantages may be overcome or at least minimised.

According to the invention a dispenser for particulate material is provided which is portable so that it can be carried in the hand of a person in the manner of a gun and which includes a rotatable member which on rotation flings particulate material fed onto it radially outwardly.

It will be appreciated that with this arrangement material fed onto the rotating member will be evenly distributed over a particular area if the operator were to point the dispenser in one direction and then slowly move himself in the same direction. If a heavier concentration of the particulate material in a particular part of the area is required, the operator simply points the dispenser in the direction of such part and then keeps stationary until the required amount of material has been dispensed.

Further according to the invention the dispenser includes means for rotating the member.

Still further according to the invention the means comprises an electrically driven motor.

Preferably the electrical power for the motor is provided by one or more dry cell batteries carried on the dispenser.

It will be appreciated that with this arrangement a fully self contained portable dispenser is provided.

Further according to the invention the dispenser includes means for feeding the material from a suitable reservoir onto the rotatable member.

Preferably the feeding means is so arranged that substantially all the material fed onto the member is flung in a direction away from the person operating the dispenser.

Thus, for example applicant has found that by feeding the material onto the member to a position located slightly behind its axis of rotation and on the down stream side of the centre line extending parallel to the direction in which the dispenser is pointed, the material is flung forward of the dispenser in an arc extending over approximately 90 100 and having as its centre line the general direction in which the dispenser is pointed.

Preferably the feeding -means comprises an elongated circuit.

The rotatable member is preferably in the form of a disc and preferably includes one or more radially extending vanes.

These vanes, which facilitate the propulsion of the material by the disc, may be of any suitable configuration in plan and side view and may, for example, be straight, curved, tapered, stepped, etc. Also, if required different segments of the disc may extend at different planes relative to the general horizontal plane of the disc.

Applicant has found that a disc and vanes of such configuration cause the material to be distributed in different planes thus ensuring a more random distribution.

Further according to the invention the dispenser includes a reservoir for containing the particulate material, the reservoir being adapted to be releasably secured to the upper end of the conduit constituting the material feeding means.

The reservoir may for example comprise a suitable bag or the like which may be strapped to the body of the person operating the dispenser.

Further according to the invention the dispenser includes a sliding gate adapted to open or to close off the bottom outlet of the conduit.

Preferably the sliding gate includes an aperture which lines up with the bottom outlet of the conduit when the gate is moved to the 'open' position.

Preferably one or more annular inserts are provided which are adapted to be received releasably in turn in the bore of the aperture in the sliding gate the bores of the various inserts being of different diameter.

It will be appreciated that employing inserts of different bore sizes the flow rate of the material passing onto the disc may be regulated. Since the particle size of the material being dispensed will also influence such flow rate, different inserts may accordingly be employed for different types of materials.

Stili further according to the invention the sliding gate is also adapted to switch on the electric current to the motor when the gate is moved to the 'open' position.

Preferably the arrangement is such that on movement of the sliding gate from the 'closed' to the 'open' position the current is switched on prior to the bottom outlet of the conduit being opened.

This not only ensures that the disc is already rotating when material starts to fall onto it but also that when the gate is moved from the opened to the closed position the outlet of the conduit is closed off before the motor is switch off in this way ensuring that no material remains on the disc after the dispensing operation is ceased.

Still further according to the invention means is provided for varying the speed of rotation of the disc.

Such means may for example comprise a suitable rheostat or the like incorporated in the electric circuit which can be operated by means of a rotatable knob or the like on the dispenser.

If required, part of the rear end of the disc may be surrounded by a shield adapted to prevent material from being flung in the direction of the operator, the arrangement being such that material striking the shield is reflected either back onto the disc for proper distribution by the disc or otherwise merely reflected forward onto the area being treated.

Also, if required, the dispenser may include a waste trap and container for receiving material which is not properly distributed by the disc.

It will be appreciated that the various components of the dispenser such as the reservoir, disc, housing for the motor etc. may be of any suitable material. Applicant has however found that by having these components from a suitable synthetic resinous material the dispenser not only is relatively light but also relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a dispenser according to the invention; and Figure 2 is a side elevational view of a dispenser according to the invention shown partly in section.

In this embodiment of the invention the dispenser 1 includes a substantially U-shaped body 2 which is hollow and which is moulded from a suitable synthetic resinous material.

One limb of U-shaped body 2 defines a housing 3 for an electrically operated motor 4 and two dry cell batteries 5. The rear end of housing 3 includes a sliding gate 6 through which batteries 5 may be loaded into or removed from housing 3.

Motor 4 includes a drive shaft 7 which passes through an aperture in the upper face of housing 3 and to the free end of which disc shaped member 8 is secured.

Member 8, which is slightly tilted in the forward direction, includes a plurality of axially extending vanes 9.

The other limb of U-shaped body 2 includes a vertically extending nozzle 10 the bore 11 of which defines a conduit through which the particulate material to be dispensed can pass. The upper end of nozzle 10 includes an annular cutaway zone defining a spigot 12 over which the lower end 13 of a funnel shaped connecting element 14 may be slidably received in a manner to allow rotational movement between element 14 and nozzle 10. Element 14 has its upper end releasably secured to the outlet of a bag 1 5 which is of flexible material, such as for example canvas or the like, and which serves as reservoir for the particulate material to be dispensed.

The said other limb of U-shaped body 2 also includes a transversely extending slot into which a sliding gate 16 is received for movement between two extreme positions. Gate 1 6 includes an aperture which is adapted to move into alignment with the bore 11 of nozzle 10 when gate 16 is moved to the ohe extreme or 'opened' position.

The aperture in gate 1 6 is adapted to receive releasably an annular material distributing insert 1 7. A plurality of such inserts with bores of different diameters are provided some of which 18, 1 9 and 20 are stored for subsequent use on the underside of a platform 21 which is integral with body 2 and is located directly below disc 8 where it serves the purpose of screening disc 8 off from below.

Gate 1 6 also operates a switch in the electrical circuit, the arrangement being such that when gate 16 is moved from the 'closed' to the 'opened' position the said switch is actuated to put motor 4 into operation prior to gate 1 6 reaching the 'opened' position.

The location of nozzle 10 relative to disc 8 is such that material discharged from its bore 11 falls in the direction of arrow 22 onto disc 8 in a position which is located slightly behind the axis of rotation of disc 8 and on the down stream side of the centre line passing through the plane of disc 8.

The said second limb of U-shaped body 2 also includes on its upper face an aperture through which a finger operatable knob 23 may be rotated, the knob being associated with a rheostat 24 included in the electrical circuit 25 of the dispenser and by means of which the amount of electrical power passed to motor 4, and hence the speed of rotation of disc 8, may be controlled.

In operation bag 1 5 is filled with the particulate material, say fertilizer in grain form, and then secured, as for example by means of straps or the like, to the body of the operator.

The operator then grips the upper limb of Ushaped body 2 by hand and holds it in the manner of a gun in front of him while his thumb engages knob 23. With his other hand he then slides gate 1 6 from the 'closed' to the 'opened' position.

During this movement gate 1 6 actuates the said switch causing disc 8 to rotate. The required speed of rotation can then be set by the proper turning of knob 23. When gate 1 6 has moved to the fully 'opened' position the fertilizer grains pass from bore 11 of nozzle 10 through the bore of insert 1 7 onto disc 8. Disc 8 flings the fertilizer grains forward in an arc extending over approximately 90--1000 having as its centre line the direction in which gun 1 is pointed.

The operator is at liberty to either keep dispenser 1 pointed in one direction while remaining stationary, or moving in the same direction, or alternatively to rotate dispenser 1 relative to the operator so that it is pointed in different directions.

It will accordingly be appreciated that the dispenser according to the invention not only provides a fully self contained hand operable portable arrangement but also one by means of with which the concentration at which the material is dispensed over a particular area can be varied at will.

It will be further appreciated that there are many variations in detail possible with a dispenser according to the invention without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Thus, for example, instead of the electrically operated motor 4, a hydraulically or pneumatically operated motor may be employed. Also, instead, of the satchel 1 5 a small rigid wall container may be employed as reservoir.

Claims (22)

1. A dispenser for particulate material which is portable so that it can be carried in the hand of a person in the manner of a gun and which includes a rotatable member which on rotation flings particulate material fed onto it radially outwardly.

2. The dispenser of claim 1 including means for rotating the member.

3. The dispenser of claim 2 wherein the means comprises an electrically driven motor.

4. The dispenser of claim 3 wherein the electrical power for the motor is provided by one or more dry cell batteries carried on the dispenser.

5. The dispenser of any one of the preceding claims including means for feeding the material from a suitable reservoir onto the rotatable member.

6. The dispenser of claim 5 wherein the feeding means comprises an elongated conduit which is so directed that the material fed onto the member is flung in a direction away from the person operating the dispenser.

7. The dispenser of any one of the preceding claims wherein the material fed to the member is allowed to fall onto the member in a position slightly behind its axis of rotation and on the down stream side of the centre line lying in the plane of the member.

8. The dispenser of any one of the preceding claims wherein the rotatable member is in the form of a disc which includes one or more radially extending vanes.

9. The dispenser of any one of the preceding claims including a reservoir for containing the particulate material.

10. The dispenser of claim 9 wherein the reservoir comprises a bag which may be stapped to the body of the person operating the dispenser.

1 The dispenser of claims 9 or 10 wherein the reservoir is rotatable relative to the rest of the dispenser.

12. The dispenser of any one of claims 6 to 11 including a sliding gate adapted to open or to close off the bottom outlet of the conduit.

13. The dispenser of claim 12 wherein the sliding gate includes an aperture which lines up with the bottom outlet of-the conduit when the gate is moved to the 'open' position.

14. The dispenser of claim 13 including one or more annular inserts which are adapted to be received releasably in the aperture in the sliding gate, the bores of the various inserts being of different diameter.

1 5. The dispenser of any one of claims 12 to 14 wherein the sliding gate is also adapted to switch on the electric current to the motor when the gate is moved to the 'open' position.

1 6. The dispenser of claim 1 5 wherein the arrangement is such that on movement of the sliding gate from the 'closed' to the 'open' position the current is switched on prior to the outlet in the conduit being opened.

17. The dispenser of any one of the preceding claims including means for varying the speed of rotation of the rotatable member.

18. The dispenser of claim 17, in Sc far as it is dependent on any one of claims 3-16, wherein the means comprises a suitable rheostat or the like incorporated in the electric circuit which can be operated by means on the dispenser.

1 9. The dispenser of any one of the preceding claims wherein the rotatable member is surrounded by a shield adapted to prevent material from being distributed by the member in a direction towards the operator.

20. The dispenser of any one of the preceding claims including a waste trap and container for receiving material which is not properly distributed by the rotatable member.

21. The dispenser of any one of the preceding claims wherein the various components of the dispenser, such as the reservoir, disc, housing for the motor etc. are of a suitable synthetic resinous material.

22. A dispenser for particulate material substantially as herein described and as illustrated in the drawing.