Patent Application
20100327087
This invention pertains to methods of spreading granular materials on the ground with a shoulder carried device. The apparatus is useful for melting snow on walkways and roadways.
Spreading salt for deicing is an important activity in cold-weather climates. While many mechanized devices have been developed, many individuals rely on simply cutting open a bag of salt, which is cumbersome.
Various devices have been developed to aid in the spreading of salt or other granular materials. An example is the device described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,477. The prior art devices, such as the invention of U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,477 (and the devices discussed in that patent) have various mechanical aids to assist in the dispensing of a particulate material. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,477 discloses an agitation means including a double ratchet assembly. The drawings include a member that appears to be an impeller. There remains a need in the art for a simpler device with no moving parts.
This invention is a shoulder mounted apparatus for spreading a granular material, including a hopper that is carried on the back of a person with at least one shoulder strap and a flexible hose with a nozzle for dispensing the material. A typical material for the inventive apparatus is granular salt for melting ice, but in an alternative aspect, lawn care products can be dispensed.
This invention includes a shoulder carried hopper designed to hold a free flowing granular material, such as salt for melting ice, grass seed, or fertilizer that can be dispensed from a flexible hose held in the hand of a person. A perspective view of the operation of the device in shown in
In another embodiment of this invention, the hopper may be employed to dispense a lawn care product, such as grass seed, fertilizer, lime, or a pesticide. In addition, other uses can be envisioned, such as in construction for spreading or sprinkling any powdered, particulate, or granular material. The only requirement is that the material be free flowing, because no mechanism is provided in this invention for aiding in the distribution or spreading of the material.
The hopper 10 of this invention is carried on the back of an operator (i.e., a person) with at least one and preferably two shoulder straps 20. In an embodiment, the hopper may be carried similar to a backpack on the back of the operator. An opening 30 at the top of the hopper permits material to be added. The bottom of the hopper has a flexible hose 40 attached, of sufficient length that the end can be comfortably carried in the hand of the operator.
In
By the term “flexible hose,” it is meant that the hose 40 can freely bend and be manipulated in the hands of the operator, without substantial narrowing of the interior diameter of the hose. Additionally, this term means that parts of the hose may be compressible, for example the distal end, to constrict the opening and allow the operator to modulate the flow of material coming out of the hose.
The distal end of the hose, that is, the end held in the hand of the operator, may have a nozzle 50 and a means for modulating the discharge of the granular material. The nozzle may comprise a simple diaphragm or flexible region that can be manually pinched off by the operator. In an alternative embodiment (illustrated in
As compared to the prior art, the instant invention is substantially less complex, and comprises no internal moving parts, such as ratchets, impellers, axles, levers, etc. (see U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,477). Instead, the instant invention relies purely on the flowability of the granular material being dispensed to propel the product out of the nozzle. Thus, the product is not forced out by any mechanically driven means except for the flow of gravity.
Because of the simplicity of this device, it can be manufactured as a disposable device, intended for single use and then discarded.
In other embodiments, it can be manufactured with a rigid or a flexible hopper. For example, a rigid hopper might be made from a lightweight plastic such as molded polyethylene. A flexible hopper might be made from flexible plastic, or a fabric, such as nylon or canvas. A flexible embodiment might include a frame to provide structural support.
