Spreader apparatus

Claim 1

IN A SPREADER APPARATUS FOR USE ON A VEHICLE THE COMBINATION OF: HOPPER MEANS ON THE VEHICLE FOR RECEIVING MATERIAL TO BE SPREAD; DISCHARGE MEANS FOR DISCHARGING MATERIAL FROM THE HOPPER MEANS AT A RATE CORRELATIVE WITH THE SPEED OF THE DISCHARGE MEANS; HYDRAULIC MOTOR MEANS FOR DRIVING THE DISCHARGE MEANS; CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTED TO THE HYDRAULIC MOTOR MEANS; PUMP MEANS CONNECTED TO THE CONDUIT MEANS TO SUPPLY FLUID UNDER PRESSURE THERETO; ENGINE MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID PUMP MEANS; REGULATOR MEANS HAVING AN OPERATOR ADJUSTABLE TO DIFFERENT POSITIONS TO INCREASE AND DECREASE THE FLOW OF FLUID TO SAID HYDRAULIC MOTOR MEANS FOR REGULATING THE SPEED OF THE HYDRAULIC MOTOR MEANS AND THEREBY CONTROLLING THE AMOUNT OF MATERIAL DISCHARGED BY THE DISCHARGE MEANS; AND CONTROL MEANS FOR MAINTAINING A PRESELECTED RATIO BETWEEN THE SPEED OF THE DISCHARGE MEANS AND THE SPEED OF THE SPREADER APPARATUS RELATIVE TO THE SURFACE BEING SPREAD AND INCLUDING: A FIRST SENSING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE SPEED OF THE DISCHARGE MEANS AND A SECOND SENSING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE SPEED OF THE SPREADER APPARATUS RELATIVE TO THE SURFACE BEING SPREAD, AND A THIRD SENSING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID FIRST AND SECOND SENSING MEANS FOR ADJUSTING SAID OPERATOR TO RESPECTIVELY INCREASE OR DECREASE THE FLOW OF FLUID TO SAID HYDRAULIC MOTOR MEANS AUTOMATICALLY ACCORDING TO WHETHER THE RATIO OF SAID SPEEDS IS BELOW OR ABOVE SAID PRESELECTED RATIO TO MODIFY THE SPEED OF THE HYDRAULIC MOTOR MEANS WHICH DRIVES THE DISCHARGE MEANS UNTIL THE PRESELECED RATIO IS ACHIEVED WHEREBY THE QUANTITY OF MATERIAL DISCHARGED BY THE DISCHARGE MEANS IS MAINTAINED SUBSTANTIALLY CORRELATIVE TO SAID RELATIVE SPEED AND A GENERALLY UNIFORM QUANTITY OF MATERIAL IS SPREAD ON THE SURFACE.