GB2163633A

GB2163633A - Method and apparatus for spreading

Info

Publication number: GB2163633A
Application number: GB08521678A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Geoffrey Colin Godfrey
Original assignee: PRIOR SIMON
Current assignee: PRIOR SIMON
Priority date: 1984-09-01
Filing date: 1985-08-30
Publication date: 1986-03-05
Also published as: GB8521678D0

Abstract

Agricultural spreading apparatus 10 for spreading fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides and other materials in solid form (granules, powder or the like) comprises a central hopper 12, booms 14 and 16, a pair of rotatable spinning discs 18 and 20, and a pneumatic delivery mechanism to supply solid material from the hopper to the discs. The apparatus may be constructed so as to have an operating width of, say, 24 metres, to match that of liquid sprayers, whereby tram lines formed in the crop for the latter can be used also when treating the crop with solid (granular, powder, etc.) material. Oscillating spreaders may replace the discs. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Method and apparatus for spreading This invention relates to a method and apparatus for spreading agricultural and horticultural particulate materials. For example, one particular aspect of the invention relates to the spreading of agricultural fertilisers of the granular kind. The invention also relates to spreading many other kinds of particulate agricultural and horticultural materials such as pesticides and other chemical treatment materials.

A problem which arises in the case of presently available apparatus for spreading agricultural fertilisers is that the apparatus has a limited spreading width. Thus, for example, the well known tractor-mounted spinner broadcaster usually only covers a spreading width of about 12 metres. The same applies to other spreading apparatus for particulate materials and consequently the problem arises that the apparatus for spreading these solid particulate materials does not match up with the well-established wide width apparatus for spraying agricultural crops. Therefore, the tram-lines which are now widely provided in cereal and other crops during conventional drilling techniques are not compatible with both sets of apparatus.For example, if the tram-lines are provided at suitable intervals for the commonly available 24 metre liquid spraying apparatus, then when it comes to spreading granular or other solid materials later after the crop has become well established, it is necessary to introduce an additional set of tram-lines between each pair of tram-lines, thus resulting in considerable crop loss and reduced yield, with consequential financial implications for the farmer.

There is thus a need for a method and apparatus for spreading agricultural and horticultural particulate materials, of all particle sizes, which will enable the provision of such spreading apparatus offering greater spreading widths and consequently the ability to match, width for width, the wider liquid spraying apparatus which is currently available.

According to the invention there is provided a method of spreading agricultural or horticultural particulate materials comprising providing a boom and oscillating or rotating spreading means mounted on the boom and delivering said particulate material to the spreading means to effect spreading.

Preferably, two or more spaced spreading means are provided on the boom structure and the particulate material is delivered to each spreading means. The boom structure may be constructed in the form of two pivotable booms with the spreading means mounted in the region of the outer end of each boom.

Preferably, a single hopper is provided for the particulate material together with delivery means for the spreading means. The delivery means may comprise a pneumatic material conveying system.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided agricultural or horticultural particulate material spreading apparatus comprising a boom having mounted thereon rotatable or oscillatable spreading means and supply means to supply the particulate material to the spreading means.

Preferably, at least two spreading means are provided on the boom at spaced positions.

The boom structure may comprise a pair of booms extending laterally from a central portion of the apparatus. A single hopper for the particulate- material may be provided at the central portion of the apparatus together with supply means for supplying the particulate material to the spreading means. The supply means may comprise a pneumatic conveyor.

The invention also provides a method and apparatus for spreading agricultural or horticultural materials comprising any novel feature or concept or novel combination of features or concepts disclosed herein.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows, diagrammatically, a rear elevation view of spreading apparatus according to the invention, viewed in the direction of forward travel thereof and indicating the spreading width of the apparatus.

As shown in the drawing, spreading apparatus 10 comprises a central hopper 12, booms 14 and 16, and a pair of rotatable spinning discs 18 and 20.

Basically, the apparatus 10 is very similar in structure to a 24 metre liquid spraying apparatus, but with the two outer boom portions removed so that the total width 22 of the two booms 14, 16 is 12 metres.

The central hopper 12 is mounted on the frame (not shown) of the apparatus in place of the usual tank for the liquid to be sprayed.

Supply means for the particulate material is provided to deliver that material from hopper 12 to the spinning discs 18, 20. The supply means comprises a pneumatic delivery system driven by a fan (not shown) powered by the power-take-off drive of a tractor on which the apparatus 10 is mounted. The fan causes a blast of air to be delivered through pneumatic ducts connecting hopper 12 with the discs 18, 20. The particulate material is drawn into the ducts by a venturi effect. No further details of this supply means are believed to be necessary since these techniques are not new in the art.

Thus, a steady supply of particulate material is delivered to each of the spinning discs 18, 20. The latter are driven by hydraulic motors (not shown) or any other suitable drive means and serve to spread the material in the arcs 24, 26 over the spreading widths 28, 30 respectively, which overlap in the zone 32.

Discs 18, 20 may be driven and arranged to spread the material over spreading widths of 12 metres to 13 metres each, so that the total spreading width 34 of the apparatus is about 24 metres, this corresponding to the spraying width of many presently available conventional liquid sprayers.

Among the advantages of the apparatus described above are that it can be readily provided in a tractor-mounted form to fit many agricultural vehicles, The hopper can be provided in an easy-to-fill form, together with a grid. The metering system for delivering the particulate material from the hopper to the pneumatic supply system may comprise rollers or the like offering the accuracy of well known drill metering mechanisms. The apparatus is simple, robust and compact, with only one conveyor pipe taking the material along each boom. Half the working width of the apparatus can easily be shut off if desired. There is no danger of damaging the booms on hedges, trees, etc. because the ends of the booms are approximately 6 metres away from the edge of the spreading area.

Among modifications which could be provided in the above-described embodiment are the provision of jockey wheels at the boom ends to maintain constant boom height, and/or levelling devices of various sorts for otherwise maintaining operating height. The apparatus may be provided with skids whereby mounting and disconnection from the tractor is facilitated. Only a single boom could be provided, for example, with a change over mechanism whereby the boom could be swung from one side of the tractor to the other on successive bouts. Many other systems of driving the discs could be provided instead of a hydraulic drive. Other systems for delivering the particulate material to the discs could be provided, for example mechanical conveyors and the like, but this would make the apparatus heavier and probably more costly.

In the above-described embodiment, the details of the structure of the spinning discs 18, 20 can be based on conventional available spinner broadcaster technology, as indeed can the details of the delivery of the particulate material from the supply tube to the disc. No further description of these structures and their arrangement is therefore deemed necessary. Equally, instead of spinning discs, the latter could be replaced by the well known oscillating spout type of spreading mechanism and in that case also, the structure is well known, and no further description is felt to be necessary. The drives for the fans can be by means of hydraulic motors powered by the conventional tractor hydraulic supply, or in any other suitable way. The fan of the particulate material delivery system may likewise be driven hydraulically or directly and mechanically from the tractor p.t.o..

Claims

1. A method of spreading agricultural or horticultural particulate materials comprising providing a boom and oscillating or rotating spreading means mounted on the boom and delivering said particulate material to the spreading means to effect spreading.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein two or more spaced spreading means are provided on the boom structure, the method comprising the step of delivering said particulate material to each spreading means.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the boom comprisesrtwo pivotable booms with the spreading means mounted in the region of the outer end of each boom, the method comprising the step of delivering the particulate material to each spreading means to effect spreading.

4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein a single hopper is provided for the particulate material, the method comprising the step of delivering the particulate material from the hopper to the spreading means by delivery means.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein said delivery means comprises a pneumatic material conveying system, the method comprising the step of driving said system to effect such delivery.

6. Agricultural or horticultural particulate material spreading apparatus comprising a boom having mounted thereon rotatable or oscillatable spreading means, together with supply means to supply particulate material to the spreading means.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein at ieast two spreading means are provided on the boom at spaced positions.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the boom structure comprises a pair of booms extending laterally from a central portion of the apparatus.

9. Apparatus according to any one of claims 6, 7 or 8, wherein a single hopper for the particulate material is provided at a central portion of the apparatus together with supply means for supplying the particulate material therefrom to the spreading means.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said supply means comprises a pneumatic conveyor.

11. A method of spreading agricultural or horticultural particulate materials substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

12. Agricultural or horticultural particulate material spreading apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.