GB2412647A - Granular dispenser assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to the provision of a granular dispenser assembly and granular dispensing apparatus. They include a casing 2 which has at least one entry aperture, 4 and at least one exit aperture 6 via which granules flow into and from the casing for dispensation. The movement of the granules in the casing is by rotation of at least one rotor 8 with granule holding pockets via the entry and exit apertures. The rotors provided are mounted on a drive rod via which the rotation is achieved. Engagement means are provided for the casing which can be selectively released to allow the selective insertion and removal of rotor and/or spacer components.

Description

24 1 2647 Granular Dispenser Assembly The invention to which this

application relates is to an assembly to allow the application of granules of, for example, agricultural chemicals or fertilizer or seeds, from a hopper or hoppers in which the granular material is stored.

The application of granules of material to allow the same to be spread evenly and efficiently over a given area such as, for example, a field with crops growing therein, is well known.

Typically, the granular material is located in a hopper and the hopper can either be manually carried or, more typically, is mounted on a tractor or other vehicle which can pass across the area onto which the granular material is to be dispensed.

The granular material can often be harmful and therefore it is important that the application of the granular material be as self contained as possible in that human intervention is minimised and therefore the need to contact the granular material is mlnlmlsea.

it is known to provide an assembly whereby one or a series of rotors are provided at the opening from the hopper to which the granular material is to be dispensed. The rotors have a rotational axis and around the periphery of the rotor, are provided a series of pockets, each of said pockets provided to carry a quantity of said granular material from a first side exposed to the hopper and at which the granular material enters the pockets, and by rotation, to a second side for dispensation of the goods from the apparatus at which the granular material leaves the pockets.

There are two known arrangements. A first arrangement is the provision of a typically cuboid cartridge system, the cartridge having located therein a series of rotors at spaced intervals and spaced apart by a series of spacers which are located between the rotors in a linear configuration. The rotors and spacers are located with respect to openings provided in the cartridge so as to allow the granular material to enter the pockets of the rotors, and then be dispensed from the same at the appropriate location.

An alternative system is to provide a casting at the aperture from the hopper through which the granular material is to be dispensed. The casting has an aperture located therein which allows the selective location of a series of rotors and spacer components. By the selective insertion of the rotors and spacers in the aperture, typically in the form of an elongate port, so the appropriate dispensation of the granular material can be achieved. In addition, a drive rod is required to be provided along the aperture which engages with the rotors and, when rotated, causes rotation of the rotors to allow the movement of the granular material from the first to the second position for dispensation.

A problem with this type of system is that the rotors are known to wear over time and may need replacement from time to time and, if the apparatus is to be used to dispense different types of granular material, then different rotors of a different size and/or pocket size can be required to be fitted to ensure that the granular material can be collected and moved between the first and second position and furthermore, that the correct dispensation of the granular material is achieved.

Conventionally, this requires that the components are separately removed from the casting, replaced and furthermore requires that the components are replaced in the correct configuration and, without the possibility of jamming. When one considers that this changeover can be required to take place on a farm, where conditions are not necessarily ideal then it will be readily appreciated that there is a potential for damage to the components and/or incorrect setting of the dispensation apparatus.

It will also be appreciated that the changeover can be time consuming.

In a further known system, there is provided a cartridge which is formed so as to be placed into the aperture in the port instead of the requirement to place individual components into said aperture. This cartridge is provided as a sealed unit in that the rotors and spacers are provided fitted therein at the time of purchase and cannot be selectively removed and/or replaced on site as the unit is sealed. Furthermore, the rotors and spacers are mounted and located on an elongate member having a channel therethrough. The channel is shaped and dimensioned so as to receive the drive rod therein such that the drive can be transferred from rotation of the drive rod via the elongate member and all of the rotors and spacer components in the cartridge are rotated.

A known problem with this system is that as the unit is sealed within an outer casing, with the ends of the same sealed by the provision of bearing assemblies, there is an immediate problem in that if any of the components wear, as the rotors are known to be prone to do, it is not possible to replace the same on site.

This therefore means that at the very least, the cartridge has to be sent back to the manufacturer or to a specialist engineer for opening and replacement of components but, more commonly, the cartridge is required to be discarded once the rotor assemblies have worn to a point where the same can no longer be accurate. Because of the need to discard the unit and hence incur the expenditure of buying a new unit to replace the same, it is found that these units may be used by the farmer for longer than would be desired. In the first instance, this means that there is a disadvantage to the farmer in that the worn rotors may not dispense the granular material with the level of accuracy required and, perhaps more importantly, because the rotor or other components are worn, the required seal between the rotor pockets and the outer casing, which is required to ensure that granular material does not leak in an uncontrolled manner from the hopper, is not achieved. this therefore means that there can be uncontrolled spillage of potentially harmful material from the hopper which can be environmentally damaging.

A further disadvantage is that because the spacers and rotor assembly are all required to rotate, the requirement to move the individual components can cause jamming between the components and the outer casing which in turn, can make the rotors more difficult to rotate.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a cartridge assembly for location in an existing casting and to provide the assembly in a manner which has the advantages of easy replacement and fitting and also ensures that the appropriate components are replaceable.

In a first aspect of the invention there is provided a granular dispensation assembly, said assembly provided with an outer casing, said outer casing dimensioned to fit into a port located at an aperture from which granular material is dispensed from a container, said casing having mounted therein in a linear configuration at least one dispensing rotor which receives quantities of said granules and which when rotated allows the controlled dispensation of granules from the same, and at least one spacer component and wherein said rotor is mounted on a drive rod which passes along the longitudinal axis of the said casing to provide rotational drive to the at least one rotor.

Typically, a plurality of rotors are provided and each is mounted on the common drive rod and typically a number of spacer components arc provided which are not mounted on the drive rod and therefore do not rotate during operation of the assembly.

Typically, each or a number of the spacer components are mechanically located with respect to the casing by releasable engagement means. By the release of the engagement means, so the components of the casing can be slidably removed from the casing through at least one opening at either end of the casing.

This therefore means that each of the components, including the rotors, can be selectively removed from the casing for replacement, repair or the like.

In one embodiment the engagement means, once secured in position to locate the spacers and hence rotors, are scaled or otherwise provided with means for indicating tampering or attempts to remove the engagement means. This therefore means that once the rotors and spacers have been set for a particular application procedure the same will be sealed and rendered tamper proof or tamper evident and therefore allow monitoring or tracing of the same such that any attempt to change or alter the rotor settings is readily apparent.. This can be important if, for example, a complaint is received about an item of food at the retail point and it is then desired to trace back along the food supply. By providing the tamper evident or tamperproof engagement means so the same can be subsequently audited and the possibility of over or under application of the granular material ruled out or in depending on whether there is evidence of tampering with the seal of the engagement means.

Typically, the external and internal cross sections of the casing are circular in cross section.

Typically, the engagement means locate with the spacers only and protrude through to the external wall of the casing. Thus, in the arrangement, the rotors are positioned directly on the drive rod and are laterally positioned by the adjacent spacers and/or casing end walls.

In one embodiment, the casing end walls include a bearing for the drive rod.

Typically, the rotors are positioned along the casing to match with the position of granular material entry and dispensation apertures provided in the casing. Typically the entry and dispensation apertures are spaced apart by 180 so as to allow the granular material which enters the rotor pockets to be moved through 180 dispensation from the rotor pockets.

In a further aspect of the invention there is provided granular dispensing apparatus, said apparatus including a container in which said granules to be dispensed are held, at least one aperture leading from the container to a port, said port including a casing fitted therein or formed integrally therewith, said casing having at least one rotor and at least one spacer, said casing having at least one entry aperture to allow the flow of granules from the container via said aperture in the container and said entry aperture in the casing into pockets in the at least one rotor, and an exit aperture spaced from the entry aperture such that rotation of the rotor is required to move the granules in said pockets from the entry aperture to the exit aperture for dispensation and wherein the casing includes engagement means which can be released to allow the selective removal from and insertion into the casing of spacer and/or rotor components.

In one embodiment the casing at least is rendered tamper evident such that an attempt to remove a rotor or spacer component is visually evident.

"Specific embodiments of the invention are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figurc 1 illustrates a perspective view of an assembly in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 illustrates a plan view from above of the assembly in accordance with the invention; Iiigure 3 illustrates a plan view from the base of the assembly in accordance with the invention; and Figure 4 illustrates the components which are provided internally of the assembly in an exploded diagram.

Referring to the Figures there is illustrated a perspective view of an assembly 1 in accordance with the invention. The assembly comprises a casing 2 which is substantially annular in cross section and has apertures at the top 4 and underside 6 to allow the entry of granules into the casing to the apertures 4 and the departure of the granules through the apertures 6 in a controlled manner. A series of rotors 8 are provided to collect the granules at the openings 4 and then move the granules by rotation of the rotors to a point of departure at the aperture 6.

The rotors are each provided with a series of pockets 10 which allow a quantity of granules to be carried therein as the rotor is rotated.

In order to ensure that the rotors are correctly positioned with respect to the apertures provided in the casing, the rotors are positioned by spacers 14 which are positioned to lie between the rotors, spacer 14' and between the rotor and end walls of the casing 2, spacers 14" and are mounted and secured onto the casing via releasable engagement means 16. The spacers and the rotors that are used for each granular dispensation can be selected and hence selectively positioned within the casing to match the required application parameters of particular chemicals, particular soil types and particular application ratios and therefore the apparatus as herein described, is adaptable and range taking during the life of the cartridge. The cartridge casing 2 is shaped to allow the same to be placed in the dispensing apparatus port which is currently designed to receive the rotor and spacer components separately and so the cartridge in accordance with the invention is adaptable and capable of being retrofitted to existing apparatus.

The rotors are provided with an aperture which passes therethrough and which is shaped so as to allow engagement with the drive rod 20. The drive rod, in this case, is of hexagonal cross section and while the same passes along the length of the casing as shown preferably only rotors to rotate so that the spacers remain in a constant position and it is only the rotors that are moved by the drive rod. This is found to allow the rotors to be more easily movable by the drive rod than would be the case if the rotors and spacer members were all rotated with respect to the casing.

Typically the rotors are positioned on the drive rod and the particular location of the same on the drive rod is determined by the spacers positioned adjacent thereto. Typically it is the spacers that are secured in position by engagement means such as screws into the casing. As the spacers are located and are fixed in position with respect to the casing, so the rotors, which are located between the spacers, are located in a position with respect to the casing and on the drive rod.

Figure 4 illustrates the components as herein described prior to positioning within the casing 2 and it will be readily appreciated that the components can be changed relatively easily such that, for example, if the rotors become worn, the same can be replaced rather than having to dispose of the entire cartridge.

For this reason, the cartridge casing itself can be made of a more robust material than would be used in with a disposable sealed unit and therefore the general quality of the product is improved as is the actual functioning of the product itself. l

Claims (1)

1. Claims 1 A granular dispensation assembly, said assembly provided with an

   outer casing, said outer casing dimensioned to fit into a port located at an aperture from which granular material is dispensed from a container, said casing having mounted therein in a linear configuration at least one dispensing rotor which receives quantities of said granules and which when rotated allows the controlled dispensation of granules from the same, and at least one spacer component and wherein said rotor is mounted on a drive rod which passes along the longitudinal axis of the said casing to provide rotational drive to the at least one rotor.

   2 An assembly according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of rotors are provided, each mounted on the common drive rod.

   4 An assembly according to claim 1 wherein a number of spacer components are provided.

   An assembly according to claim 1 wherein the at least one spacer is not mounted on the drive rod.

   6 An assembly according to claim 5 wherein the at least one spacer does not rotate during operation of the drive rod.

   7 An assembly according to claim 1 wherein the at least one spacer is mechanically located with respect to the casing by releasable engagement means.

   8 An assembly according to claim 1 wherein the assembly casing has an aperture at at least one end and engagement means which act to locate the spacer components and as a result the rotor components within the casing during use. (

   9 An assembly according to claim 8 wherein the release of the engagement means, allows the components of the casing to be removed from or inserted into the casing through said at least one opening.

   An assembly according to claim 9 wherein an aperture is provided at each end of the casing and the components can be slidably removed from or inserted into the casing via either end of the casing.

   11 An assembly according to any of the preceding claims wherein selected components can be selectively and individually removed from the casing for replacement, repair or the like and the said component or replacement component inserted back into the casing.

   12 An assembly according to claim 8 wherein the engagement means, once secured in position to locate the spacers and rotors, are sealed and/or provided with means for indicating tampering or an attempt to remove the engagement means.

   13 An assembly according to claim 8 wherein the engagement means locate with the spacers only and protrude through to the external wall of the casing.

   14 An assembly according to claim 13 wherein the at least one rotor is positioned on the drive rod and laterally positioned by the adjacent spacers and/or casing end walls.

   An assembly according to claim 1 wherein the casing end walls include a bearing for the drive rod.

   16 An assembly according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of rotors are provided on the drive rod and are positioned along r) the casing to match with the position of granular material entry and dispensation apertures provided in the casing.

   17 An assembly according to claim 16 wherein the entry and dispensation apertures are spaced apart by 180 so as to allow the granular material which enters the rotor to be held in pockets in the rotor and moved through substantially 180 prior to dispensation from the rotor pockets.

   18 Granular dispensing apparatus, said apparatus including a container in which said granules to be dispensed are held, at least one aperture leading from the container to a port, said port including a casing fitted therein or formed integrally therewith, said casing having at least one rotor and at least one spacer, said casing having at least one entry aperture to allow the flow of granules from the container via said aperture in the container and said entry aperture in the casing into pockets in the at least one rotor, and an exit aperture spaced from the entry aperture such that rotation of the rotor is required to move the granules in said pockets from the entry aperture to the exit aperture for dispensation and wherein the casing includes engagement means which can be released to allow the selective removal from and insertion into the casing of spacer and/or rotor components.

   19 Apparatus according to claim 18 wherein the casing at least is rendered tamper evident such that an attempt to remove a rotor or spacer component is visually evident.

   A granular dispensation assembly as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

   21 Granular dispensation apparatus as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.