IES76281B2 - A dispensing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A dispensing apparatus (10) comprises a wheeled chassis (11). The chassis incorporates a floor (13) over which a container (15) having front and rear (16,17) and left and right side walls (18,19) is mounted. The container is connected by a pair of hydraulic rams (29,30,31,32) for the chassis. In use, the container is movable from a transport state, in which the container rests on the floor and in which material to be dispensed is retained within the container, to a dispensing state, in which the container is raised relative to said floor to allow material to be dispensed from under said container. .

Description

According to the present invention there is provided a dispensing apparatus comprising a wheeled chassis, said chassis incorporating a floor over which a container having front and rear and left and right side walls is mounted, said container being connected bylifting means to said chassis, the container being, in use, movable from a transport state, in which the container rests on said floor and in which material to be dispensed is retainable within the container, to a dispensing state, in which the container is raised relative to said floor to allow material to be dispensed from under said container.

Preferably, the container is movable from the transport state through an intermediate dispensing state in which the rear wall of the container is raised relative to said floor to a final dispensing state in which the front wall of the container is raised higher than the rear wall of the container relative to said floor.

Preferably, said floor has an inverted V-section.

Preferably, said lifting means comprises a first hydraulic ram connected between said chassis and said front wall and a second hydraulic ram connected between said chassis and said rear wall.

S7628 - 2 Preferably, a pair of link mechanisms are located adjacent respective sides of said chassis, each link mechanism being connected at one end to the rear of said container, said link mechanisms being interconnected for synchronous operation and to provide lateral stability to said container when raised to the dispensing state.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an elevation view of a dispensing apparatus according to the invention in a transport state; Figure 2 is an elevation view of the dispensing apparatus of Figure 1 of the drawings in an intermediate dispensing state; Figure 3 is an elevation view of the dispensing apparatus of Figure 1 in a final dispensing state; and Figure 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the dispensing apparatus of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings wherein similar numerals have been used to indicate like parts, there is shown a dispensing apparatus generally indicated at 10 according to the invention. The dispensing apparatus 10 comprises a chassis 11 including two horizontal spaced apart parallel longitudinal beams 12.

The beams 12 are joined at their ends by a front header section 14, different versions of which are shown in Figures 1-3 and Figure 4. The section 14 which projects upwardly from the beams 12. The header section extends forwardly from the chassis 12 and a pair of wheels 8, only one shown, are mounted on either side of the front of the header section 14. Similarly, a pair of wheels 9 are mounted on either side of the rear ends of the beams 12. The front of the header section 14 is provided with a hitch so that the apparatus 10 may be towed behind a vehicle. The rear of the beams 12 can be further provided with a hitch member so that more than one of the apparatus may be linked together and towed behind a vehicle .

An elongate floor section 13 having an inverted V-section straddles the beams 12. A container 15 is mounted over the floor section 13. The container has front and rear walls 16, 17 and left and right side walls 18, 19 respectively. The side walls 18, 19 are bent inwards towards their bottom 20 to define an upper wider section 22 and a lower narrow section 23 having an open bottom which fits onto the floor section 13.

A pair of link mechanisms 24 are located on opposite sides of the chassis 11. Each mechanism 24 comprises a first arm 25 mounted on a transverse axle 26 which extends through and projects from the sides of the beams 12. Each first arm 25 is pivotally connected to a second arm 27 whose distal end is welded to the rear wall 17 of the container 15.

A cross-member 28 straddles the beams 12 to the rear of the container 15. A first hydraulic ram has a piston which extends and retracts from a sleeve 30 under the remote control of an operator. The piston 29 is pivotally connected to the cross-member 28 between two flanges which project from the cross-member. The sleeve is pivotally connected to the rear wall 17 between two flanges which project from the rear wall.

A second hydraulic ram has a piston 31 which extends and retracts from a sleeve 32 again under the remote control of the operator. The piston 31 is pivotally connected to the header 14 between two flanges which project from the header. The sleeve 32 is pivotally connected to the front wall 16 between two flanges which project from the front wall.

In use, both pistons 29 and 31 are initially retracted so that the container 15 sits on the floor 13, in a transport state. The container 15 is filled with material, for example, pulverised peat, and then towed to a site where the material is to be dispensed.

When at a desired location, the operator actuates the first hydraulic ram, to extend the piston 29 by approximately 60cm and pivot the container 15 in the direction of the arrow A into an intermediate dispensing state, Figure 2. In the present embodiment, the link mechanisms 24 closely fit against respective sides of the beams 12, so that during the lifting operation the first arms 25 pivot synchronously and little lateral instability is experienced.

As the container is pivoted, a gap appears between the container 15 and the floor 13 towards the rear of the container. The pivoting action of the container causes material within the container to loosen and to be dispensed from either side of the chassis 12. It will be seen that the centre of gravity of the apparatus is not adversely affected during the dispensing operation and there is no tendancy for the apparatus to tip towards its rear.

Once a given amount of material has been dispensed, the second hydraulic ram is actuated to extend the piston 31 by approximately 120cm and pivot the container 15 in the direction of the arrow B into a final dispensing state, Figure 2. During this operation the second arms 27 pivot relative to the first arms 25 to compensate for the pivoting action of the container 15.

The remainder of the material in the container is thus dispensed and it will be seen that if the apparatus is being towed while dispensing the material, the wheels 9 will tend to flatten the drills of dispensed material formed on either side of the chassis 11. To enhance this effect, an apron (not shown) traversing wheels can be mounted on the underside of the chassis 11. The apron should be shaped to smooth dispensed material more evenly across the ground.

It will be seen that to dispense material from the apparatus according to the invention, substantially only the weight of the container 15 needs to be lifted by the hydraulic rams. It will be seem that contrary to other hopper type dispensing mechanisms it is the walls of the hopper rather than the base that moves. This enables the apparatus according to the invention to have a low profile and a corresponding low centre of gravity, making the apparatus inherently safer.

It will be seen that the dispensing apparatus can be incorporated in a self-propelled vehicle rather than being towed behind another vehicle as in the preferred embodiment.

It will also be seen that the floor 13 need not be fixed. In a variation of the embodiment, the floor 13 is formed in two parts hinged together towards their centre, so that they can pivot about an axis running parallel to the longitudinal axis of the apparatus. In the transport state, the two parts of the floor are co-planar to define a flat floor. The centre of the floor is connected to the container 15, so that when the container is raised, the centre of the entrained floor is raised to define a floor having an inverted V-section.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein which may be modified or varied without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (5)

CLAIMS :

1. A dispensing apparatus comprising a wheeled chassis, said chassis incorporating a floor over which a container having front and rear and left and right side walls is mounted, said container being connected bylift ing means to said chassis, the container being, in use, movable from a transport state, in which the container rests on said floor and in which material to be dispensed is retainable within the container, to a dispensing state, in which the container is raised relative to said floor to allow material to be dispensed from under said container.

2. A dispensing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the container is movable from the transport state through an intermediate dispensing state in which the rear wall of the container is raised relative to said floor to a final dispensing state in which the front wall of the container is raised higher than the rear wall of the container relative to said floor.

3. A dispensing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein said floor has an inverted V-section.

4. A dispensing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said lifting means comprises a first hydraulic ram connected between said chassis and said front wall and a second hydraulic ram connected between said chassis and said rear wall.

5. A dispensing apparatus as claimed in any previous claim wherein a pair of link mechanisms are located adjacent respective sides of said chassis, each link mechanism being connected at one end to the rear of said container, said link mechanisms being interconnected for synchronous operation and to provide lateral stability to said container when raised to the dispensing state.