US3735904A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Device for spreading, sowing or delivering powdered or granular material
Assignee: Herbert Vissers BV
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Filing: 1971-04-13
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Granted: 1973-05-29
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Expires: 1991-04-13
Abstract
Abstract The bed of powdered, granular or particulate material contained within the hopper-like body is assured of ultimate gravity discharge through a relatively small discharge opening in the body by providing a conveyer screw which displaces the material of the bed towards such opening so that the material tends to form a pile over such opening. Compaction of the material by the conveyer screw is minimized by so mounting the conveyer screw that its discharge end in particular tends to follow the level of the pile of material and therefore discharges material to the top of the pile. This is accomplished by mounting the conveyer screw so as to swing in a vertical plane about a pivot point remote from the opening and thereby leaving the discharge end of the conveyor screw free to assume a position in which it remains essentially uncovered by the material.
Inventors
- 👤 H Vissers
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 23:27
CPC Classifications
E; E01; E01C; E01C19/00; E01C19/12; E01C19/20; E01C19/201; E01C19/2015; A; A01; A01C; A01C15/00; A01C15/005; A01C15/006; A01C15/007; E01C2019/2055; E01C2019/207; E01C2019/208
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
168 words
A device for discharging particulate material comprising in combination: a trough-shaped storage hopper having a delivery end and a discharge opening at the lower part of said delivery end, said storage hopper being shaped to receive a bed of particulate material; a conveyer screw in said hopper, said conveyer screw having a discharge end within the delivery end of the hopper; means for driving said screw to convey material in said hopper toward the discharge end of the screw and the delivery end of the hopper; means for swingably supporting the end of said screw remote from its discharge end at a position within the hopper which is remote from said delivery end so that the discharge end of the screw may adjust vertically according to the level of the top surface of the bed of material and discharge material into an area adjacent the top surface of the bed where little or no material is found whereby to minimize the resistance to movement of the discharged material.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
168 words
A device for discharging particulate material comprising in combination: a trough-shaped storage hopper having a delivery end and a discharge opening at the lower part of said delivery end, said storage hopper being shaped to receive a bed of particulate material; a conveyer screw in said hopper, said conveyer screw having a discharge end within the delivery end of the hopper; means for driving said screw to convey material in said hopper toward the discharge end of the screw and the delivery end of the hopper; means for swingably supporting the end of said screw remote from its discharge end at a position within the hopper which is remote from said delivery end so that the discharge end of the screw may adjust vertically according to the level of the top surface of the bed of material and discharge material into an area adjacent the top surface of the bed where little or no material is found whereby to minimize the resistance to movement of the discharged material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
A device as defined in claim 1 including means for restraining the conveyer screw against sideward movement.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
A device as defined in claim 1 including means for temporarily fixing the vertical position of said discharge end of the screw.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
43 words
A device as defined in claim 1 including mechanism for spreading, sowing or delivering material from said discharge opening, a drive shaft directly connected with said mechanism, said conveyer screw being connected with said drive shaft through a selectively engageable and disengageable coupling.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
40 words
A device as defined in claim 1 including mechanism for spreading, sowing or delivering material from said discharge opening, a drive shaft directly connected with said mechanism, said conveyer screw being connected with said drive shaft through a slip coupling.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for swingably supporting said screw comprises a universal joint, said means for driving the screw being connected to said universal joint.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
187 words
A device for distributing particulate material uniformly over a surface, which comprises: a material-receiving body having hopper-like side walls and an elongate bottom wall portions provided with a discharge opening adjacent one end thereof for gRavity discharge of material through such opening; distributing means for uniformly distributing particulate material passing through said discharge opening; main drive means for continuously operating said distributing means as said body is travelled over the surface which receives the material; and Conveyer means for assuring that substantially the entirety of a bed of particulate material received in said body ultimately reaches said discharge opening for gravity flow therethrough, said conveyer means including a conveyer screw having an intake end located remote from said discharge opening and a discharge end located in the region above said discharge opening, means for driving said conveyer screw, and means for pivoting said conveyer screw adjacent its intake end to allow said discharge end thereof freely to rise and fall with the level of material in said body so as to pile material above said discharge opening and to deliver material to the top of such pile.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
187 words
A device for distributing particulate material uniformly over a surface, which comprises: a material-receiving body having hopper-like side walls and an elongate bottom wall portions provided with a discharge opening adjacent one end thereof for gRavity discharge of material through such opening; distributing means for uniformly distributing particulate material passing through said discharge opening; main drive means for continuously operating said distributing means as said body is travelled over the surface which receives the material; and Conveyer means for assuring that substantially the entirety of a bed of particulate material received in said body ultimately reaches said discharge opening for gravity flow therethrough, said conveyer means including a conveyer screw having an intake end located remote from said discharge opening and a discharge end located in the region above said discharge opening, means for driving said conveyer screw, and means for pivoting said conveyer screw adjacent its intake end to allow said discharge end thereof freely to rise and fall with the level of material in said body so as to pile material above said discharge opening and to deliver material to the top of such pile.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
44 words
A device according to claim 7 wherein said means for driving said conveyer screw comprises a shaft connected to said main drive means and a universal joint connecting said shaft to said intake end of said conveyer screw and constituting said means for pivoting.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
29 words
A device according to claim 8 wherein said means for driving said conveyer screw includes a coupling device for selectively connecting the conveyer screw to said main drive means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
A device according to claim 9 wherein said means for driving said conveyer screw also includes a clutch limiting the torque to said conveyer screw.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
A device according to claim 7 wherein said means for driving said conveyer screw includes a coupling device for selectively connecting the conveyer screw to said main drive means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
A device according to claim 11 wherein said means for driving said conveyer screw also includes a clutch limiting the torque to said conveyer screw.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
47 words
A device according to claim 7 including lever means rotatably engaging said discharge end of the conveyer screw and pivotally connected to said body for selectively raising said discharge end of the conveyer screw to maintain said discharge end exposed as material is introduced into said body.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
23 words
A device according to claim 13 including counterbalance means connected to said lever means for partially counterbalancing the weight of said conveyer screw.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
44 words
A device according to claim 14 wherein said means for driving said conveyer screw comprises a shaft connected to said main drive means and a universal joint connecting said shaft to said intake end of said conveyer screw and constituting said means for pivoting.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
29 words
A device according to claim 15 wherein said means for driving said conveyer screw includes a coupling device for selectively connecting the conveyer screw to said main drive means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
25 words
A device according to claim 16 wherein said means for driving said conveyer screw also includes a clutch limiting the torque to said conveyer screw.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
44 words
A device according to claim 13 wherein said means for driving said conveyer screw comprises a shaft connected to said main drive means and a universal joint connecting said shaft to said intake end of said conveyer screw and constituting said means for pivoting.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
29 words
A device according to claim 18 wherein said means for driving said conveyer screw includes a coupling device for selectively connecting the conveyer screw to said main drive means.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
25 words
A device according to claim 19 wherein said means for driving said conveyer screw also includes a clutch limiting the torque to said conveyer screw.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
191 words
A device adapted to be moved over the ground surface while discharging particulate material by gravity substantially uniformly on to the ground surface, comprising in combination: an elongate body having a generally trough-like section within which particulate material tends to repose and a discharge end section having a bottom opening and side walls tending to gravity-discharge particulate material to such opening, said trough-like section being elongate and leading to said discharge end section; a conveyor screw disposed in said trough-like section, having a discharge end located in the region above said bottom opening and having its opposite end adjacent the opposite end of said trough-like section; means connected to said opposite end of said conveyor screw to retain such opposite end in the lower region of said opposite end of the trough-like section while allowing said discharge end of the conveyor screw to swing vertically for continuous disposition adjacent the top level of a bed of material in said body; and shaft means for rotating said screw conveyor to deliver material reposing in said trough-like section toward said discharge end section and pile it in the region above said bottom opening.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
191 words
A device adapted to be moved over the ground surface while discharging particulate material by gravity substantially uniformly on to the ground surface, comprising in combination: an elongate body having a generally trough-like section within which particulate material tends to repose and a discharge end section having a bottom opening and side walls tending to gravity-discharge particulate material to such opening, said trough-like section being elongate and leading to said discharge end section; a conveyor screw disposed in said trough-like section, having a discharge end located in the region above said bottom opening and having its opposite end adjacent the opposite end of said trough-like section; means connected to said opposite end of said conveyor screw to retain such opposite end in the lower region of said opposite end of the trough-like section while allowing said discharge end of the conveyor screw to swing vertically for continuous disposition adjacent the top level of a bed of material in said body; and shaft means for rotating said screw conveyor to deliver material reposing in said trough-like section toward said discharge end section and pile it in the region above said bottom opening.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-05-28 | 1976-11-27 | 1977-05-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-05-28 | 1980-11-27 | 1981-05-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-05-28 | 1984-11-27 | 1985-05-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |