Material spreader apparatus

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION, (A) STORAGE MEANS FOR STORING PARTICULATE MATERIALS, (B) ENDLESS TYPE CONVEYOR MEANS FOR CONVEYING MATERIAL FROM SAID STORAGE MEANS AND HAVING (1) A DISCHARGE SPROCKET DISPOSED OUTSIDE SAID STORAGE MEANS, (2) A PLURALITY OF SPACED FLIGHTS MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT OVER SAID DISCHARGE SPROCKET IN THE MANNER OF AN ENDLESS TYPE CONVEYOR TO ADVANCE SAID MATERIAL TOWARD SAID DISCHARGE SPROCKET, AND (3) MEANS FOR RETAINING SAID MATERIAL ON SAID CONVEYOR MEANS UNTIL ADVANCED TO SAID DISCHARGE SPROCKET, (C) MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID FLIGHTS FOR MOVEMENT AT A GENERALLY UNIFORM RATE, (D) STRIKE-OFF MEANS FOR MAINTAINING THE THICKNESS OF MATERIAL CONVEYED TO A GENERALLY UNIFORM PRESELECTED HEIGHT ABOVE THE CONVEYOR FLIGHTS, (E) SPREADER MEANS DISPOSED UNDER SAID DISCHARGE SPROCKET OF SAID CONVEYOR MEANS TO SPREAD SAID MATERIAL, (F) MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID SPREADER MEANS FOR SPREADING, AND (G) A MATERIAL FLOW APPARATUS, COMPRISING, (1) A GENERALLY RIGID FLOW BOARD DISPOSED CROSSWISE OF SAID CONVEYOR APPARATUS AND EXTENDING FROM A POINT OVERLYING THE OUTER TERMINUS OF SAID DISCHARGE SPROCKET OF SAID CONVEYOR MEANS TO A POINT ADJACENT TO THE UPPERMOST POINT OF SAID DISCHARGE SPROCKET WHEREBY SAID MATERIAL ABOVE THE CONVEYOR FLIGHTS FLOWS OVER SAID FLOW BOARD IN A GENERALLY UNIFORM MANNER WHEN IMPELLED BY SAID CONVEYOR MEANS, (2) MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID FLOW BOARD FOR UNDULATORY MOVEMENT IN A DIRECTION GENERALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID CONVEYOR MEANS TO RIDE OVER SAID MOVING FLIGHTS, AND (3) MEANS FOR GUIDING SAID FLOW BOARD OVER SAID MOVING FLIGHTS.