GB760556A - Improvements relating to apparatus for controlling and distributing mechanisms for manure spreaders - Google Patents

Abstract

760,556. Manure spreaders. SPERRY RAND CORPORATION. Nov. 1, 1954, No. 31520 /54. Class 6(1). A manure distributer of the rotary beater and slat-conveyer type is provided with a disengageable two-part clutch 35a, 35b in the drive to the beaters, the engagement of the parts being controllable by an arm 43, the conveyer-drive being through a pawl and ratchet mechanism of variable stroke, and the stroke-varying means being interconnected with the clutch-control arm 43 so that the clutch is disengaged at the position corresponding to maximum ratchet-stroke. The machine comprises a trailer 2 having an open rear end bridged by rotary spreaders 12, 13, 16 which are fed with manure by an endless slat-conveyer 7, the conveyer and spreaders being driven from the towing vehicle through a jointed shaft 24 and gearbox 28. From the gearbox a chain drive 33, 34 is taken to a sprocket 35a on the beater-shaft 14, the sprocket 35a being free on the shaft but having dogs to engage an axially-slidable element 35b keyed on the shaft. The ratchet-mechanism comprises a ratchet wheel 51 on a shaft 10 carrying conveyer-sprockets and rotatable by a pawl 52 on an arm 53 rotatable around the shaft by a pitman 59 connected to a crank-pin 61 on the sprocket 33. The effective stroke of the ratchet is variable by a pivoted baffle-plate 63 which can be moved to obturate various numbers of ratchet-teeth 51<SP>1</SP>. The plate is movable by a rod 70 connected to a lever and detent and is provided with a slot 75 in which slides the end of a rod 46 connected to the clutch-control arm 43 the arrangement being that the rod is moved to de-clutch the distributers when the baffleplate moves to expose the maximum number of ratchet-teeth, thus enabling the trailer body to be emptied rapidly after use.