GB2406322A - Spreader for particulate material - Google Patents

Abstract

A container 12 for distributing horticultural particulate material has a generally rectangular cross section, a handle 2 on one wider side of the container, and a particulate distribution means 8 wholly or substantially along the opposing side of the container 12. The distribution means 8 preferably includes baffle plates to alter the path of the material, which is discharged through two or more passageways.

Description

e * * ë - e 1 Horticultural Spreader 3 The present

invention relates to a spreader for 4 distributing particulate material for horticultural use.

7 Any person having a garden or the like desires to 8 keep the grass in the best of conditions. For this 9 reason, there are many available fertilizers, pesticides, seeds and other particulate or finally 11 divided materials which are desired to be evenly 12 spread and distributed on to the soil or grass or 13 other vegetation for improving the grass quality, 14 density or killing weeds, mosses, etc. 16 Traditionally, spreading devices such as those shown 17 in US4304344 and GB2175482A have been used as 18 separate wheeled apparatus for distributing such 19 granular materials. However, the increase in the popularity of gardening has lead to such particulate 21 materials being delivered directly from their 22 packaging container. This provides convenience to c . c c c.

. . . . 1 the user in not having to have separate equipment 2 for spreading the material, and convenience to the 3 manufacture by providing a directly usable product.

However, packaging containers are now designed to 6 contain and directly spread their contents onto 7 lawns, gardens etc. and they generally have a 8 rectangular shape, having a width narrower than its 9 length as shown for reference in figure 1.

Hitherto, any handle is on the side of the "width" 11 at one end, and any spreader is on the width side at 12 the other end. However, the spread of material from 13 the container is limited by the extent of the width 14 of the container.

16 It is an object of the present invention to provide 17 a container with the greater ability to spread.

19 Thus, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a horticultural 21 particulate container having a generally rectangular 22 cross section, which container has a handle on one 23 length side of the container, and a particulate 24 distribution means wholly or substantially along the opposing length side of the container.

27 Thus, the container is able to spread its material 28 along or across a greater extent than is possible 29 for width-based openings.

31 The handle may have any suitable size, shape or 32 design. Preferably the handle is integral with the a c \ eee.e 1 container, more preferably integrally formed with 2 the container. Between the handle and the container 3 there may be an indentation or aperture adapted to 4 provide ease of grip and use by a user.

6 The container may be made of any suitable material, 7 including but not limited to one or more of 8 plastics, metal, cardboard and the like.

9 Preferably, the container is wholly or substantially formed by a single moulding process such as blow, 11 injection or rotational moulding.

13 According to one embodiment of the present 14 invention, the container is adapted to be hand held and used. Alternatively, the container could be 16 adapted to be conjoined with a transport mechanism.

18 According to another embodiment of the present 19 invention, the container includes a lid. The lid may be separable or integral with the container, and 21 at least part of the lid is preferably moveable 22 between a closed position adapted to close and seal 23 the container, and an open position adapted to allow 24 exit of the container material.

26 According to another embodiment of the present 27 invention, the distribution of the material in the 28 container is partly, wholly or substantially carried 29 out through at least a part of the lid. Thus the lid, or at least a part of it, forms the particulate 31 distribution means. A part of the distribution 32 means may include one or more passageways, a c a a a a he a ee 1 preferably two or more, adapted to provide passage 2 of the particulate material in the container from 3 the body of the container.

Preferably, the lid is formed from two or more 6 parts, at least two of which parts provide at least 7 some of the passage for the flow of material out 8 from the container.

According to another embodiment of the present 11 invention, the particulate distribution means 12 includes one or more baffle plates adapted to alter 13 the path of the particulate material exiting the 14 container. In this way, it is intended to increase the spreadability of the particulate material 16 exiting the container.

18 According to a second aspect of the present 19 invention, there is provided a method of distributing a horticulture particulate material 21 across an area using a container as hereinbefore 22 defined, wherein the particulate material exits the 23 container wholly or substantially from or along a 24 length of the container.

26 Preferably the method involves the exit of the 27 particulate material through two or more 28 passageways. More preferably, the path of the 29 material is defected after the spouts by one or more baffle plates.

e C e .e ee ace e e e . ë e 1 An embodiment of the present invention will now be 2 described by way of example only, and with reference 3 to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a reference drawing for the present 6 invention; 8 Figure 2 is a perspective view of a container 9 according to one embodiment of the present inventions; 12 Figures 3a and 3b are front and side view of the 13 container of Figure 2; Figure 4 shows a top outline view of the container 16 in Figure 2; 18 Figure 5 is a perspective view of a first part of 19 the lid in Figure 4; 21 Figures 6a and 6b show plan and perspective views of 22 a second part of the lid of the container in Figure 23 4; Figures 7a and 7b show plan and perspective views of 26 a third part of the lid of the container in Figure 27 4; and 29 Figure 8 shows a perspective view of the container in use.

: : : : : : : * 4 , 1 Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a reference 2 drawing to indicate the terms "width" and "length" 3 in relation to a generally rectangular container.

Figures 2, 3a and 3b show a horticulture particulate 6 container having a generally rectangular cross 7 section, which container has a handle 2 on one side 8 of the length of the container, a container body 12, 9 and a lid 4.

11 The lid 4 is shown in more detail in Figures 4-7b.

12 The lid in Figure 4 is made from three parts, a lid 13 housing 6 shown in Figure 5, a spout plate 8 shown 14 in Figures 6a and 6b, and the top spreader lid plate 10 shown in Figures 7a and 7b.

17 The lid housing 6 is designed to fit on the general 18 body of the container 12 and remain in conjunction 19 therewith, and to provide a housing for the other lid parts 8, 10. The lid housing 6 includes a 21 slotted aperture 14 through which the particulate 22 material in the body of the container 12 can pass.

23 The lid housing 6 also includes two holes 16, for 24 housing the rotating studs 18 on the spout plate 8.

26 The spout plate 8 has two main passageways 18 or 27 'spouts' through which the particulate material from 28 the body of the container 12 and passing through the 29 aperture 14, can flow. At the end of each spout 18, is a baffle plate 20 adapted to divert the 31 particulate material exiting the passageways 18 32 outwardly.

# a aa a * a e a # a a c # a ##a c a # C a # a a a # #e e- a 1 Figures 7a and 7b show a top lid plate 10 adapted to 2 conjoin with and fit over the spout plate 8 using 3 clips 22. The combined spout plate 8 and top plate 4 10 provide a width 23 for distribution of the particulate matter therefrom which is virtually the 6 same as the length of the container, as well as 7 allowing material to flow out from their sides 24.

8 This is enhanced by the design of the aperture front 9 wall 25 on the top plate 10.

11 Figure 8 shows the container of the present 12 invention in use. The spout plate 8 and conjoined 13 top plate 10 have been rotated approximately 90 14 from alignment with the lid housing 6. Particulate material can then pass from the container body 12, 16 through the aperture 14, spouts 18, and be spread by 17 the baffle plates 20.

19 Whilst the rate and spread of particulate material will depend upon the width and size of the spouts 18 21 and the distribution of the baffle plates 20, it is 22 generally intended to have a feed rate that is in 23 and around 35gms per square metre, for a typical 24 lawn feed, weed and moss killer particulate material.

26 The container of the present provides a wider spread 27 path than distribution by the width of the container 28 only, and by providing a wider spread, the user 29 requires less time and effort to cover an area than is currently required. Preferably, the present 31 invention provides a spread width which could be 32 from 600-800mm spread, whereas prior art containers # q 1 8 # '. r C . 1 generally have a maximum spread of 400-450mm. Thus, 2 the present invention provides an almost double 3 spreadwith.

Claims (1)

1 Claims 3 1. A container for distributing horticultural 4 particulate

material having a generally rectangular cross section, which container has a 6 handle on one length side of the container, and 7 a particulate distribution means wholly or 8 substantially along the opposing length side of 9 the container.

11 2.A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the 12 handle is integrally formed with the container.

14 3.A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the container is wholly or substantially 16 formed by a single moulding process such as 17 blow, injection or rotational moulding.

19 4.A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the container is adapted to be hand held 21 and used.

23 5.A container as claimed in any preceding claim, 24 wherein the container is adapted to be conjoined with a transport mechanism.

27 6. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, 28 wherein the container includes a lid which may 29 be separable or integral with the container.

31 7. A container as claimed in clam 6, wherein at 32 least part of the lid is moveable between a 1 closed position adapted to close and seal the 2 container, and an open position adapted to allow 3 exit of the container material.

8. A container as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, 6 wherein the lid, or at least a part of it, forms 7 the particulate distribution means, such that 8 the distribution of the material in the 9 container is partly, wholly or substantially carried out through at least a part of the lid.

12 9.A container as claimed in claim 8, wherein the 13 lid is formed from two or more parts, at least 14 two of which parts provide at least some of the passage for the flow of material out from the 16 container.

18 10. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, 19 wherein a part of the distribution means includes one or more passageways, preferably two 21 or more, adapted to provide passage of the 22 particulate material in the container from the 23 body of the container.

11. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, 26 wherein the particulate distribution means 27 includes one or more baffle plates adapted to 28 alter the path of the particulate material 29 exiting the container.

31 12. A container substantially as herein described 32 with reference to the accompanying drawings.

2 13. A method of distributing a horticulture 3 particulate material across an area using a 4 container as claimed in any of claims 1 to 12, wherein the particulate material exits the 6 container wholly or substantially from or along 7 a length of the container.

9 14. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the Method involves the exit of the particulate 11 material through two or more passageways.