Spreading implements

Claim 2

A spreading implement comprising a frame, a container on said frame and a rotatable spreader supported below said container, said frame having coupling means for attaching the implement to the lifting hitch at the rear of a prime mover and transmission means for drivenly connecting a take off from said prime mover to said spreader to rotate same, said transmission means including a gear box with an input shaft connectable to the take off and an output shaft connected to said spreader, said shafts being mounted in said gear box to extend therefrom at angles to one another and retained in driving connection with one another, said connection comprising toothed pinions in mesh with one another and said shafts being rotatably journalled in ball bearings in said housing which bearings have diameters that are less than the maximum diameters of said pinions, said shafts extending from said box to enclose an angle less than 180* between them and said gear box being a single unit housing with only one access opening to the connection between said shafts, adjacent the meshed pinions and substantially opposite that side of the housing from which said shafts extend, said opening having a removable closing member whereby said pinions and shafts can be quickly and readily withdrawn through said opening.

Claim 3

An implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing is made of cast iron.

Claim 4

An implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said closing member is a cap that is retained in said access opening frictionally.

Claim 5

A spreading implement comprising a frAme, a container on said frame and a rotatable spreader supported below said container, said frame having coupling means for attaching the implement to the lifting hitch at the rear of a prime mover and transmission means for drivenly connecting a take off from said prime mover to said spreader to rotate same, said transmission means including a gear box with an input shaft connectable to the take off and an output shaft connected to said spreader, said shafts being retained in driving connection with one another by meshed toothed pinions, the longitudinal axes of said shafts enclosing an angle substantially 90* between them and said shafts being rotatably journalled in bearings releasably secured in said housing, said bearings having diameters less than the maximum diameters of the pinions, said gear box being a single unit housing with an access opening to the connection between said shafts adjacent the meshed pinions and substantially opposite that side of said housing from which said shafts extend, said opening facing said pinions and having a removable closing member whereby said shafts and pinions can be quickly and readily withdrawn through said opening.

Claim 6

A spreading implement comprising a frAme, a container on said frame and a rotatable spreader supported below said container, said frame having coupling means for attaching the implement to the lifting hitch at the rear of a prime mover and transmission means for drivenly connecting a take off from said prime mover to said spreader to rotate same, said transmission means including a gear box with an input shaft connectable to the take off and an output shaft connected to said spreader, said shafts being retained in driving connection with one another by meshed toothed pinions, the longitudinal axes of said shafts enclosing an angle substantially 90* between them and said shafts being rotatably journalled in bearings releasably secured in said housing, said bearings having diameters less than the maximum diameters of the pinions, said gear box being a single unit housing with an access opening to the connection between said shafts adjacent the meshed pinions and substantially opposite that side of said housing from which said shafts extend, said opening facing said pinions and having a removable closing member whereby said shafts and pinions can be quickly and readily withdrawn through said opening.

Claim 7

An implement as claimed in claim 4, wherein each pinion is detachably secured to one of said shafts with a corresponding key and retaining ring for ready disconnection.

Claim 8

A spreading implement comprising a frame, a container with outlet means on said frame and a rotatable spreader supported below said container, said frame having coupling means for attaching the implement to the lifting hitch at the rear of a prime mover and transmission means for drivenly connecting a take off from said prime mover to said spreader to rotate same, said transmission means including a gear box with an input shaft connectable to the take off and an output shaft connected to said spreader, said spreader comprising a horizontally extending spreading member welded to said output shaft and said spreading member having an inclined portion located below said outlet means, said shafts being mounted in driving connection in said gear box to extend therefrom at an angle less than 180* between them, said gear box being a single unit housing with an access opening to the driving connection between said shafts and substantially opposite that side of the housing from which said shafts extend, said opening facing the driving connection of said shafts and having a removable closing member, said shafts being rotatably journalled in bearings in said housing which bearings have diameters that are less than the maximum diameters of the driving connection between said shafts whereby said shafts can be moved through said opening to expose said bearings.

Claim 9

A spreading implement comprising a frame, a container with outlet means on said frame and a rotatable spreader supported below said container, said frame having coupling means for attaching the implement to the lifting hitch at the rear of a prime mover and transmission means for drivenly connecting a take off from said prime mover to said spreader to rotate same, said transmission means including a gear box with an input shaft connectable to the take off and an output shaft connected to said spreader, said spreader comprising a horizontally extending spreading member welded to said output shaft and said spreading member having an inclined portion located below said outlet means, said shafts being mounted in driving connection in said gear box to extend therefrom at an angle less than 180* between them, said gear box being a single unit housing with an access opening to the driving connection between said shafts and substantially opposite that side of the housing from which said shafts extend, said opening facing the driving connection of said shafts and having a removable closing member, said shafts being rotatably journalled in bearings in said housing which bearings have diameters that are less than the maximum diameters of the driving connection between said shafts whereby said shafts can be moved through said opening to expose said bearings.

Claim 10

An implement as claimed in claim 6, wherein said output shaft extends through a bottom opening in said container and an agitator is detachably connected to the upper end of said output shaft which extends inside the container.

Claim 11

An implement as claimed in claim 7, wherein said bottom opening is substantially greater in diameter than the diameter of said shaft.

Claim 12

A spreading implement comprising a frame, a container on said frame and a rotatable spreader supported below said container, said frame having coupling means for attaching the implement to the lifting hitch at the rear of a prime mover and transmission means for drivenly connecting a take off from said prime mover to said spreader to rotate same, said transmission means including a gear box with an input shaft connectable to the take off and an output shaft connected to said spreader, said shafts being mounted in said gear box to extend therefrom at angles to one another and retained in driving connection with one another, said output shaft extending through a bottom opening in said container and an agitator being detachably connected to the upper end of said output shaft inside said container, said agitator including a blade positioned adjacent the container bottom, and an upper detachable portion of said agitaTor being releasably connected to said blade to extend upwardly into the interior of said container, said gear box having an access opening to the connection between said shafts whereby said agitator can be detached and said shafts moved towards said opening.

Claim 13

A spreading implement comprising a frame, a container on said frame and a rotatable spreader supported below said container, said frame having coupling means for attaching the implement to the lifting hitch at the rear of a prime mover and transmission means for drivenly connecting a take off from said prime mover to said spreader to rotate same, said transmission means including a gear box with an input shaft connectable to the take off and an output shaft connected to said spreader, said shafts being mounted in said gear box to extend therefrom at angles to one another and retained in driving connection with one another, said output shaft extending through a bottom opening in said container and an agitator being detachably connected to the upper end of said output shaft inside said container, said agitator including a blade positioned adjacent the container bottom, and an upper detachable portion of said agitaTor being releasably connected to said blade to extend upwardly into the interior of said container, said gear box having an access opening to the connection between said shafts whereby said agitator can be detached and said shafts moved towards said opening.

Claim 14

An implement as claimed in claim 9, wherein said detachable portion comprises a central arm provided with laterally projecting arms, the central arm being pivotally connected to a coupling member that is releasably secured to said blade.

Claim 15

An implement as claimed in claim 10, wherein said agitator is connected to said output shaft by a quickly releasable bayonet coupling.

Claim 16

A spreading implement comprising a frame, a container on said frame and a rotatable spreader supported below said container, said frame having coupling means for attaching the implement to the lifting hitch at the rear of a prime mover and transmission means for drivenly connecting a take off from said prime mover to said spreader to rotate same, said transmission means including a gear box with an input shaft connectable to the take off and an output shaft connected to said spreader, said output shaft extending through an enlarged bottom opening in said container and said opening being surrounded by an upturned rim of the container bottom, an agitator being detachably connected to the upper end of said output shaft which extends inside the container and adjacent said upturned rim, the bottom of said container and a major portion of the side walls thereof being formed integrally with one another, said shafts being mounted in said gear box to extend therefrom at angles to one another and retained in driving connection with one another, said shafts extending from said housing to enclose an angle less than 180* between them and the gear box being a single unit housing with an access opening whereby said output shaft can be withdrawn through said enlarged opening upon disconnection of the agitator.

Claim 17

A spreading implement comprising a frame, a container on said frame and a rotatable spreader supported below said container, said frame having coupling means for attaching the implement to the lifting hitch at the rear of a prime mover and transmission means for drivenly connecting a take off from said prime mover to said spreader to rotate same, said transmission means including a gear box with an input shaft connectable to the take off and an output shaft connected to said spreader, said output shaft extending through an enlarged bottom opening in said container and said opening being surrounded by an upturned rim of the container bottom, an agitator being detachably connected to the upper end of said output shaft which extends inside the container and adjacent said upturned rim, the bottom of said container and a major portion of the side walls thereof being formed integrally with one another, said shafts being mounted in said gear box to extend therefrom at angles to one another and retained in driving connection with one another, said shafts extending from said housing to enclose an angle less than 180* between them and the gear box being a single unit housing with an access opening whereby said output shaft can be withdrawn through said enlarged opening upon disconnection of the agitator.

Claim 18

An implement as claimed in claim 12, wherein the bottom of said container has at least one outlet port which can be opened and closed to a chosen extent by at least one closing plate, said plate being retained in its operative position by a suspension ring secured to the container bottom to encircle said enlarged opening.

Claim 19

An implement as claimed in claim 13, wherein said suspension ring is rigidly secured to the container bottom and said closing plate is positioned between said bottom and a circlip mounted on said suspension ring.

Claim 20

A spreading implement comprising a frame, a container on said frame and a rotatable spreader supported below said container, said frame having coupling means for attaching the implement to the lifting hitch at the rear of a prime mover and transmission means for drivenly connecting a take off from said prime mover to said spreader to rotate same, said transmission means including a gear box with a generally horizontal input shaft connectable to the take off and an upright output shaft connected to said spreader, said shafts being mounted in said gear box to extend therefrom at angles to one another and retained in driving connection with one another, said shafts extending from said housing to enclose an angle less than 180* between them and said gear box being a single unit housing with an access opening to the connection between said shafts and substantially opposite said side of the housing from which said shafts extend, the mouth of said opening being contained in a plane midway between the axes of said shafts and having a removable closing member, said housing being mounted on a substantially horizontal portion of said frame, said portion comprising converging members that converge rearwardly with respect to the direction of travel, a supporting plate extending between said converging members and said housing being supported with its lower side on said plate, whereby said plate is mounted in front of said access opening relative to the intended direction of travel of the device.

Claim 21

A spreading implement comprising a frame, a container on said frame and a rotatable spreader supported below said container, said frame having coupling means for attaching the implement to the lifting hitch at the rear of a prime mover and transmission means for drivenly connecting a take off from said prime mover to said spreader to rotate same, said transmission means including a gear box with a generally horizontal input shaft connectable to the take off and an upright output shaft connected to said spreader, said shafts being mounted in said gear box to extend therefrom at angles to one another and retained in driving connection with one another, said shafts extending from said housing to enclose an angle less than 180* between them and said gear box being a single unit housing with an access opening to the connection between said shafts and substantially opposite said side of the housing from which said shafts extend, the mouth of said opening being contained in a plane midway between the axes of said shafts and having a removable closing member, said housing being mounted on a substantially horizontal portion of said frame, said portion comprising converging members that converge rearwardly with respect to the direction of travel, a supporting plate extending between said converging members and said housing being supported with its lower side on said plate, whereby said plate is mounted in front of said access opening relative to the intended direction of travel of the device.

Claim 22

An implement as claimed in claim 15, wherein said container is secured to a fastening support adjacent its bottom, said fastening support being rigidly connected to said frame.

Claim 23

An implement as claimed in claim 16, wherein said container is also secured to two further fastening supports located above said first-mentioned fastening support, said two further fastening supports being horizontally spaced apart from one another and being rigidly connected to a substantially horizontal beam of said frame.

Claim 24

An implement as claimed in claim 17, wherein said substantially horizontal beam of the frame is located at the top of a substantially vertical portion of said frame and said vertical frame portion being two upwardly convergent beams which carry a supporting member of said frame adapted to cooperate with the lower and first mentioned fastening support.

Claim 25

A spreading implement comprising a frame, a container on said frame and a rotatable spreader supported below said container, said frame having coupling means for attaching the implement to the lifting hitch at the rear of a prime mover and transmission means for drivenly connecting a take off from said prime mover to said spreader to rotate same, said transmission means including a gear box with an input shaft and an output shaft extending from said gear box, said container having a bottom with an outlet port and an enlarged opening for receiving the upper end of said output shaft in spaced relationship, and said opening being surrounded by an upturned rim of the container bottom, said spreader being connected to the output shaft and an agitator detachably connected to the upper end of said shaft and having a downwardly extending rim encircling the upturned rim and covering said opening, plates being secured to the bottom of said container and a ring underlying said plates with spring means bearing on same to secure said container and its port in fixed position with respect to the output shaft and the spreader.

Claim 26

A spreading implement comprising a frame, a container on said frame and a rotatable spreader supported below said container, said frame having coupling means for attaching the implement to the lifting hitch at the rear of a prime mover and transmission means for drivenly connecting a take off from said prime mover to said spreader to rotate same, said transmission means including a gear box with an input shaft and an output shaft extending from said gear box, said container having a bottom with an outlet port and an enlarged opening for receiving the upper end of said output shaft in spaced relationship, and said opening being surrounded by an upturned rim of the container bottom, said spreader being connected to the output shaft and an agitator detachably connected to the upper end of said shaft and having a downwardly extending rim encircling the upturned rim and covering said opening, plates being secured to the bottom of said container and a ring underlying said plates with spring means bearing on same to secure said container and its port in fixed position with respect to the output shaft and the spreader.

Claim 27

An implement as claimed in claim 19, wherein said container is a hopper having an upper substantially cylindrical portion and a lower portion of substantially inverted frustoconical configuration, said upper portion being detachably connected to said lower portion and the latter being secured to said top beam.

Claim 28

An implement as claimed in claim 20, wherein the two portions of said hopper are separable and said upper portion being positionable to surround said lower portion during transport and/or storage.