Patent Application
20070012799
The lawn care or landscape maintenance industry uses spreaders to apply products, such as fertilizer and other granulated material, to maintain and promote a healthy lawn, for example. Often the landscaper or lawn care worker must apply these products to a lawn in a climate that changes over the course of a calendar year. For example, in some geographic areas the spring season may have a climate with relatively low humidity and low temperatures compared to its summer season that may have a climate with relatively high humidity and high temperatures. The level of humidity typically affects the fertilizer or granulated material in the spreader such that the fertilizer or granulated material will clot or clump up in the spreader, thereby making it difficult for the material to pass through the spreader to be distributed onto a lawn. Often spreaders have a shut-off plate or control gate that controls the rate that a fertilizer is applied to a lawn. The shut-off plate is often attached, to and controlled by, a solenoid which may work in combination with a spring. However, it is often difficult to balance the rate of closure of the shut-off plate spring with the opening power of the solenoid in both in humid climates (where the fertilizer becomes sticky) and dry climates (where the fertilizer remains granular). In these situations, too much solenoid power, or too weak a spring, may prevent the spring from efficiently closing the shut-off plate in dry weather, while too little solenoid power, or too strong a spring, may not allow the shut-off plate to open properly in humid weather. Either situation may result in an improper amount of material being spread or applied. For that reason, spreaders having a solenoid and spring combination have not proven to be completely satisfactory, and improved means of operating a shut-off plate on spreaders is needed. It is desirable that a spreader be capable of delivering an accurate amount of fertilizer or other material with repeatable opening and closing of the shut-off plate in any environment.
One embodiment of the present disclosure includes a spreader for applying a granulated material or fertilizer where the spreader includes a control gate or shut-off plate operated by a metering rate control system that moves the control gate to facilitate an accurate application of fertilizer from the spreader to the lawn.
In another embodiment of the disclosure, the spreader is operated from a remote location with a remote control device controlling the metering rate control system. In other embodiments, the spreader is operated by a switch that is battery operated and may be foot or hand activated.
Related objects and advantages will become apparent from the description below.
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended, such alterations, modifications, and further applications of the principles of the disclosure being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the disclosure relates.
Referring to
In the embodiment shown in
As can be seen in
There is also shown a tab 42 to which control cables 48 and 49 are mounted for the purpose of moving and holding control gate 32 between open and closed positions. This assures that proper alignment of the various apertures is made, to allow for proper dispensing or dispersing of the material in hopper 24. Tab 42 and control gate 32 may rotate so as to provide for either full or partial alignment of the apertures 40 with the discharge ports or holes provided at the bottom of hopper 24, so as to control the rate of dispensing of the granular fertilizer or similar material during usage of spreader 22.
In the illustrated embodiment shown in
Metering rate control system 51 is illustratively shown as incorporating a potentiometer 60, or other suitable type of transducer, fastened to a second housing 62. Housing 62 is also supported by one or more of support brackets 30. Potentiometer 60 is connected to control gate 32 by cable 48 and operates via one or more switches 63. Switches 63 are illustratively shown as comprising electromechanical contact switches, but other types of switches would of course by equally acceptable. Potentiometer 60 allows a control unit 65 to collect information regarding the position of actuator 52 through a variable control linkage 64. Variable control linkage 64 is connected to control gate 32 via cables 48. Variable control linkage 64 and switches 63 allow control gate 32 to be properly positioned or regulated from a remote location via a handheld remote control device 67, or via a hand or foot-operated mechanism attached to vehicle 25, for example. Variable control linkage 64 receives a signal from potentiometer 60 that in turn provides a control signal to linear actuator 52 and motor assembly 54. A position sensor such as an encoder coupled to linear actuator 52 or to rod 50 may provide a position signal to control linkage 64. Variable control linkage 64 determines the stopping position of motor assembly 54 which translates to a controlled opening of control gate 32. Thus, metering rate control system 51 is able to accurately control the force produced by linear actuator 52 by controlling the stopping position of motor assembly 54 and thus the control gate displacement is able to be accurately determined and maintained. Metering rate control system 51 allows a user to accurately position control gate 32 to control the amount of fertilizer or other material that applied to a lawn surface, for example.
In another embodiment, monitor or feedback sensor circuit or system 69, shown in
While the disclosure has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the disclosure are desired to be protected.
This application claims priority from a Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/700,156, filed Jul. 18, 2005, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60700156 | Jul 2005 | US |
