Apparatus for distributing or dispensing powdered or granular material

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING POWDERED OR GRANULAR MATERIAL, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A WHEELED AXLE ASSEMBLY 22-34, A HOPPER 3, A DISPENSING TROUGH FOR SAID HOPPER AND MOUNTED ON SAID AXLE ASSEMBLY AND HAVING INCLUDED DIVERGING BOTTOM WALLS (1A+1B) TERMINATING IN SPACED PARALLEL VERTICAL WALLS FORMING A RESTRICTED OUTLET, A DISTRIBUTING ROLLER 10 HAVING A COVERING OF SOFT RESILIENT MATERIAL IN CLOSING AND WIPING CONTACT WITH SAID OPENING, A HINGED MATERIAL SMOOTHING MEMBER 12 HAVING A CURVED METERING FACE CO-ACTING WITH THE SURFACE OF THE ROLLER FOR CONTROLLING THE AMOUNT OF MATERIAL DISCHARGED THEREBY, A TURNABLE FEED REGULATING MEMBER 20 MOUNTED ON THE OUTER FRONT SIDE WALL 1A OF THE HOPPER AND HAVING A CAM SLOT 17 ENGAGING WITH A PORTION OF THE SMOOTHING MEMBER 12 FOR SWINGING SAID SMOOTHING MEMBER RELATIVE TO THE SURFACE OF THE ROLLER TO ADJUST ITS CURVED FACE RELATIVE TO THE SURFACE OF THE ROLLER AND PERMIT A GREATER OR LESSER AMOUNT OF MATERIAL TO BE DISCHARGED BY THE ROLLER, A TUBE 22 FORMING AN INTERNAL PART OF SAID ROLLER, DRIVING ELEMENTS 24 IN THE ENDS OF SAID TUBE, FLANGES 25 ON SAID DRIVING ELEMENTS HAVING FRICTION FACES IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SIDE FACES OF THE WHEELS OF THE AXLE ASSEMBLY, AND MEANS FOR ENGAGING AND DISENGAGING SAID FRICTION FACES WITH THE GROUND WHEELS FOR TRANSMITTING AND INTERRUPTING THE DRIVE TO THE ROLLER 10.