Portable material spreader

Claim 1

A MATERIAL SPREADER FOR A VEHICLE HAVING A FRAME, WHEELS SUPPORTING SAID FRAME, AND A WAGON BOX HAVING A FLOOR AND OPPOSED SIDES MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENTS OF THE WAGON BOX AT THE REAR END OF SAID FRAME BETWEEN A HORIZONTAL POSITION AND AN INCLINED POSITION, SAID WAGON BOX HAVING A TAIL GATE PIVOTALLY CONNECTED AT ITS UPPER END TO THE REAR END OF EACH OF SAID SIDES FOR LIMITED OPENING AND CLOSING MOVEMENTS OF THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID TAIL GATE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE REAR END OF SAID WAGON BOX, SAID MATERIAL SPREADER COMPRISING, (A) A FEEDER FRAME INCLUDING OPPOSED SIDE WALLS, A REAR WALL, AND A CROSS-SECTIONALLY ARCUATE BOTTOM WALL, (B) MEANS FOR DETACHABLY MOUNTING SAID FEEDER FRAME TO SAID TAIL GATE WITHIN SAID WAGON BOX FOR COMMON OPENING AND CLOSING MOVEMENTS WITH SAID TAIL GATE AND WITH SAID REAR WALL IN FACE-TO-FACE RELATION TO THE TAIL GATE AND WITH SAID ARCUATE BOTTOM WALL OVERLYING SAID WAGON BOX FLOOR WHEN THE TAIL GATE IS CLOSED, (C) SAID ARCUATE BOTTOM WALL HAVING A FORWARD EDGE PORTION DISPOSED IN OVERLYING ENGAGEMENT TO A REAR EDGE PORTION OF SAID WAGON BOX FLOOR WHEN SAID TAIL GATE IS AT ITS LIMIT OF OPENING MOVEMENT, (D) SAID ARCUATE BOTTOM WALL FURTHER HAVING A DISCHARGE OPENING ADJACENT ONE END DISPOSED REARWARDLY OF SAID WAGON BOX FLOOR WHEN SAID TAIL GATE IS AT ITS LIMIT OF OPENING MOVEMENT, (E) MEANS COOPERATING WITH SAID REAR WALL AND ONE OF SAID WALLS TO PROVIDE A HOOD OVERLYING SAID DISCHARGE OPENING TO ISOLATE SAID DISCHARGE OPENING FROM THE WAGON BOX AND DEFINING AN OPENING SPACED FROM SAID DISCHARGE OPENING, (F) A GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED FEED AUGER CLOSELY OVERLYING SAID ARCUATE BOTTOM WALL AND INCLUDING A SHAFT JOURNALLED IN SAID FEEDER FRAME SIDE WALLS AND AN AUGER FLIGHT A PORTION OF WHICH PROJECTS GENERALLY RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM SAID SHAFT, SAID AUGER FLIGHT PORTION EXTENDING THROUGH SAID HOOD OPENING, SAID AUGER FLIGHT TERMINATING ABOVE THE CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID DISCHARGE OPENING, (G) SAID AUGER FLIGHT PORTION BEING CLOSELY RECEIVED IN SAID HOOD OPENING AND COOPERATING WITH SAID HOOD TO PREVENT PASSAGE OF MATERIAL TO SAID DISCHARGE OPENING WHEN SAID FEED AUGER IS INOPERATIVE, (H) A ROTARY SPREADER ELEMENT MOUNTED ON SAID VEHICLE FRAME INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID FEEDER FRAME AND IN UNDERLYING RELATION TO SAID DISCHARGE OPENING WHEN SAID TAIL GATE IS OPEN, TO RECEIVE MATERIAL DELIVERED THROUGH SAID DISCHARGE OPENING, (I) AND MEANS FOR IMPARTING ROTARY MOVEMENTS TO SAID FEED AUGER AND ROTARY SPREADER ELEMENT.