Flail type material spreader with axially rotatable container

Claim 1

A MATERIAL SPREADER COMPRISING: A WHEELED CARRIAGE; A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL CONTAINER, SAID CONTAINER HAVING FRONT AND REAR END WALLS AND A LONGITUDINAL WALL THAT HAS GENERALLY PARALLEL FIRST AND SECOND MARGINS WHICH DEFINE A DISCHARGE OPENING EXTENDING AROUND APPROXIMATELY 90* OF ITS CIRCUMFERENCE; AN UNLOADER SHAFT ON THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE CONTAINER; FLEXIBLE FLAILS SPACED ALONG SAID SHAFT TO FLING MATERIAL LATERALLY FROM THE CONTAINER THROUGH SAID OPENING WHEN THE SHAFT IS ROTATED; MEANS MOUNTING THE CONTAINER ON THE CARRIAGE FOR ROTATION ABOUT SAID LONGITUDINAL AXIS TO VARY THE POSITION OF THE OPENING; ADJUSTING MEANS MOVABLE BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND LIMIT POSITIONS AND CONNECTED TO THE CONTAINER TO ROTATE THE LATTER ON ITS AXIS BETWEEN A FIRST LIMIT POSITION IN WHICH THE FIRST MARGIN OF THE LONGITUDINAL WALL IS SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE HORIZONTAL MEDIAN PLANE OF THE CONTAINER AND THE SECOND MARGIN OF SAID WALL IS SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE VERTICAL MEDIAN PLANE OF THE CONTAINER SO AS TO POSITION THE DISCHARGE OPENING ON ONE SIDE OF THE LONGITUDINAL VERTICAL MEDIAN PLANE OF THE CONTAINER AND A SECOND LIMIT POSITION IN WHICH SAID FIRST MARGIN IS SUBSTANTIALLY IN SAID VERTICAL MEDIAN PLANE AND SAID SECOND MARGIN IS SUBSTANTIALLY IN SAID HORIZONTAL MEDIAN PLANE SO AS TO POSITION SAID OPENING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID VERTICAL PLANE, THE PORTION OF SAID LONGITUDINAL WALL WHICH IS ABOVE THE HORIZONTAL MEDIAN PLANE IN EACH LIMIT POSITION PROVIDING AN INTEGRAL MATERIAL DIRECTING HOOD; AND REVERSIBLE POWER TRANSMISSION MEANS ON AN END WALL OF THE CONTAINER, WHEREBY THE UNLOADER SHAFT MAY BE CAUSED TO ROTATE SO THAT THE FLAILS APPROACH THE DISCHARGE OPENING FROM ABOVE IN EITHER POSITION OF SAID OPENING.