Fertilizer distributor

Claim 1

A DISTRIBUTOR COMPRISING A HOPPER INCLUDING UPSTANDING SIDE WALLS INTERCONNECTED BY AN UPWARDLY OPENING PARTIAL CYLINDRICAL BOTTOM WALL, A CONSTANT DIAMETER SCREW-TYPE CONVEYOR SHAFT DISPOSED OVER AND CLOSELY EMBRACED BY SAID BOTTOM WALL AND JOURNALED FOR ROTATION ABOUT ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID SIDE WALLS HAVING OUTLET OPENING MEANS FORMED THEREIN WITH WHICH ONE END PORTION OF SAID SCREW-TYPE CONVEYOR SHAFT IS REGISTERED, DRIVE MEANS DRIVINGLY CONNECTED TO SAID CONVEYOR SHAFT, AND DOWNWARDLY OPENING PARTIAL CYLINDRICAL BAFFLE MEANS DISPOSED OVER AND CLOSELY EMBRACING THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID CONVEYOR SHAFT AND MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT IN SAID HOPPER AXIALLY OF SAID SHAFT, SAID BOTTOM WALL AND BAFFLE MEANS SUBSTANTIALLY ENCLOSING THE PORTION OF SAID SHAFT DISPOSED IN A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL DELIVERY CHAMBER DEFINED BETWEEN SAID BOTTOM WALL AND SAID BAFFLE MEANS AND COACTING WITH A PORTION OF AT LEAST TWO OF SAID HOPPER SIDE WALLS TO FORM A DISCHARGE OPENING ADJACENT SAID OTHER END PORTION OF SAID SHAFT BETWEEN SAID CHAMBER AND THE PORTION OF SAID HOPPER DISPOSED ABOVE SAID BAFFLE MEANS, WHICH OPENING MAY BE VARIED IN SIZE IN RESPONSE TO SHIFTING OF SAID BAFFLE MEANS AXIALLY OF SAID SHAFT, SAID SCREW SHAFT INCLUDING HELICAL SCREW THREADS DEFINING A HELICAL DISCHARGE PATH THEREBETWEEN THAT PROGRESSIVELY DECREASE IN CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA FROM SAID ONE END OF SAID SHAFT TOWARD THE OTHER END THEREOF, SAID SHAFT INCLUDING AN ECCENTRICALLY DISPOSED CRANK PIN, AN UPRIGHT AGITATOR SHAFT HAVING ITS LOWER END JOURNALLED ON SAID CRANK PIN AND PROJECTING UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID DISCHARGE OPENING AND INTO THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID HOPPER DISPOSED ABOVE SAID BAFFLE MEANS, AND MEANS IN THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID HOPPER SLIDABLY GUIDING AN UPPER END PORTION OF SAID AGITATOR SHAFT.