Flail type material spreader

Claim 2

In a material spreader of the type which has a container generally in the form of the bottom half of a cylinder with parallel end walls, a shaft journalled on the axis of said cylinder, flexible flails on said shaft, and means for driving said shaft so the flails discharge material over a first side of said container, a spreader upper structure comprising, in combination: an upper side panel surmounting the second side of said container, said upper side panel having a plurality of angularly related planar portions all of which lie outside but closely adjacent to a cylindrical projection of said half a cylinder, the two uppermost of said portions defining a side and top of a recess which is open toward the first side of the container and forming a rigidifying beam; upper end panels surmounting the end walls, said upper end panels having nearly horizontal top edges; means connecting said upper end panels to said upper side panel; opposed pivot bosses on the end panels which extend into said recess; a cover which includes a pivot tube journalled on said pivot bosses, a sheet metal body which has a first marginal portion secured to said pivot tube, a plurality of angularly related planar body portions all of which lie outside of but closely adjacent to said cylindrical projection, a free marginal body portion having angularly related parts defining a pocket which is close to the apex of the container and which is open toward the first side of the container, and parallel upright flanges at the ends of said cover which project beyond the open side of said pocket; interengaging means on the cover end flanges and on tHe upper end panels to support the cover in closed position; a cover extension pivotally mounted on the projections of the cover end flanges outside the pocket, said cover extension including a tube which is below said pivotal mounting and partly within said pocket in spaced relationship to the cover parts that define the pocket, a sheet metal body which has a first marginal portion secured to the upper part of said tube, a plurality of angularly related planar body portions including a marginal portion forming an upstanding flange, and parallel upright end plates including means resting on the top edges of the end panels when the cover extension is closed, and lever means at an end of the spreader for moving said cover extension and said cover between their closed and open positions, said cover extension being rotatable by said lever means on its pivotal mounting to an open position resting on the upper webs of the support brackets, and the cover being rotatable on the pivot bosses by said lever means, when the cover extension is open, to an open position inclined outwardly from the vertical.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 in which the pivot bosses for the cover pivot tube are in a horizontal plane which is substantially below the apex of the cylindrical projection.

Claim 4

The combination of claim 1 in which the axis of the pivot bosses for the cover pivot tube is at an angle of no more than about 45* above a horizontal plane through the axis of the spreader shaft.

Claim 5

The combination of claim 1 in which the first marginal portion of the cover body has a central notch in its margin, and a U-shaped center strap loosely embraces the pivot tube, said strap having a lower leg beneath and secured to a planar portion of the upper side panel and having an upper leg extending through said notch, overlying and secured to the portion of the upper side panel which defines the top of the recess.

Claim 6

The combination of claim 1 in which the upper end panels have integral side flanges in facing relationship to the end portions of one of the upper side panel portions, and the means connecting the upper end panels to the upper side panel engage said integral side flanges.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 1 which includes flat plates secured in facing relationship to the inner surfaces of the upper end panels in the planes of the cover end flanges, and in which the pivot bosses are integral with said plates.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 1 which includes a pair of upstanding support members secured to and extending inwardly from the cover end flanges adjacent the tube, said support members being part of the interengaging means that supports the cover in closed position, and the cover extension resting on said support members in open position.

Claim 9

In a material spreader of the type which has a container generally in the form of the bottom half of a cylinder with parallel end walls, a shaft journalled on the axis of said cylinder, flexible flails on said shaft, and means for driving said shaft so the flails discharge material over a first side of said container, a spreader upper structure comprising, in combination: an upper side panel surmounting the second side of the container and lying wholly outside but closely adjacent to a cylindrical projection of said half a cylinder; upper end panels surmounting the end walls, said upper end panels having nearly horizontal top edges; means connecting said upper end panels to said upper side panel; opposed pivot bosses on the end panels outside said cylindrical projection and close to the top of the upper side panel; a cover which includes a pivot tube journalled on said pivot bosses, a sheet metal body which has a first marginal portion secured to said pivot tube, a plurality of angularly related planar body portions all of which lie outside of but closely adjacent to said cylindrical projection, a free marginal body portion having angularly related parTs defining a pocket which is close to the apex of the container and which is open toward the first side of the container, and parallel upright flanges at the ends of said cover which project beyond the open side of said pocket; interengaging means on the cover end flanges and on the upper end panels to support the cover in closed position; a cover extension pivotally mounted on the projections of the cover end flanges outside the pocket, said cover extension including a tube which is below said pivotal mounting and partly within said pocket in spaced relationship to the cover parts that define the pocket, a sheet metal body which has a first marginal portion secured to the upper part of said tube, a plurality of angularly related planar body portions including a marginal portion forming an upstanding flange, and parallel upright end plates including means resting on the top edges of the end panels when the cover extension is closed, and lever means at end of the spreader for moving said cover extension and said cover between their closed and open positions, said cover extension being rotatable by said lever means on its pivotal mounting to an open position, and the cover being rotatable on the pivot bosses by said lever means, when the cover extension is open, to an open position inclined outwardly from the vertical.

Claim 10

In a material spreader of the type which has a container generally in the form of the bottom half of a cylinder with parallel end walls, a shaft journalled on the axis of said cylinder, flexible flails on said shaft, and means for driving said shaft so the flails discharge material over a first side of said container, a spreader upper structure comprising, in combination: an upper side panel surmounting the second side of the container and lying wholly outside but closely adjacent to a cylindrical projection of said half a cylinder; upper end panels surmounting the end walls, said upper end panels having nearly horizontal top edges; means connecting said upper end panels to said upper side panel; opposed pivot bosses on the end panels outside said cylindrical projection and close to the top of the upper side panel; a cover which includes a pivot tube journalled on said pivot bosses, a sheet metal body which has a first marginal portion secured to said pivot tube, a plurality of angularly related planar body portions all of which lie outside of but closely adjacent to said cylindrical projection, a free marginal body portion having angularly related parTs defining a pocket which is close to the apex of the container and which is open toward the first side of the container, and parallel upright flanges at the ends of said cover which project beyond the open side of said pocket; interengaging means on the cover end flanges and on the upper end panels to support the cover in closed position; a cover extension pivotally mounted on the projections of the cover end flanges outside the pocket, said cover extension including a tube which is below said pivotal mounting and partly within said pocket in spaced relationship to the cover parts that define the pocket, a sheet metal body which has a first marginal portion secured to the upper part of said tube, a plurality of angularly related planar body portions including a marginal portion forming an upstanding flange, and parallel upright end plates including means resting on the top edges of the end panels when the cover extension is closed, and lever means at end of the spreader for moving said cover extension and said cover between their closed and open positions, said cover extension being rotatable by said lever means on its pivotal mounting to an open position, and the cover being rotatable on the pivot bosses by said lever means, when the cover extension is open, to an open position inclined outwardly from the vertical.

Claim 11

The combination of claim 8 in which the pivot bosses for the cover pivot tube are in a horizontal plane which is substantially below the apex of the cylindrical projection.

Claim 12

In a material spreader of the type which has a container generally in the form of the bottom half of a cylinder with parallel end walls, a shaft journalled on the axis of said cylinder, flexible flails on said shaft, and means for driving said shaft to the flails discharge material over a first side of said container, a spreader upper structure comprising, in combination: an upper side panel surmounting the second side of said container, said upper side panel having a lower portion which is inclined from the vertical slightly toward said first side, a first longitudinal bend separating said lower portion from an intermediate portion which is at an obtuse angle to the lower portion in a plane substantially tangent to a cylindrical projection of said half a cylinder, a second longitudinal bend separating said intermediate portion from an outwardly projecting portion, said second bend being in a horizontal plane which is substantially below the apex of the projection of the cylinder, and a third longitudinal bend separating said outwardly projecting portion from a marginal portion which is generally parallel to the intermediate portion, said last two named portions defining a recess outside the projection of the cylinder and forming a rigidifying beam; upper end panels surmounting the end walls, said upper end panels having nearly horizontal top edges which are inclined slightly downwardly from the first side toward the second side of the container, and having side flanges in facing relationship to the end portions of the upper side panel lower portions; means securing said side flanges to said upper side panel lower portions; opposed pivot bosses on the end panels which extend into said recess; a cover which includes a pivot tube journalled on said pivot bosses, a sheet metal body which has a first marginal portion secured to the lower part of said pivot tube with a central notch in said margin, two body portions joined by a very shallow bend, each of said body portions being substantially in a plane tangent to the projection of the cylinder, and a free marginal portion having an outwardly projecting part and a flange part substantially at right angles to one another, said parts forming a pocket which is outside and substantially at the apex of the projection of the cylinder, and parallel upright flanges at the ends of said cover which project beyond said pocket; sheet metal plates seCured in facing relationship to the inner surfaces of the upper end panels, the pivot bosses being integral with said plates; a U-shaped center strap loosely embracing the pivot tube, said strap having a lower leg beneath and secured to the intermediate portion of the upper side panel and an upper leg extending through the central notch in the cover body margin, overlying and secured to the marginal portion of said upper side panel; a pair of upstanding support brackets secured to the cover end flanges adjacent the tube, said support brackets having outturned lower webs that rest upon the upper end panels when the cover is closed, and said brackets having inturned upper webs; a cover extension pivotally mounted on the projections of the cover end flanges beyond the pocket, said cover extension including a tube which is below said pivotal mounting and partly within said pocket in spaced relationship to the cover parts that define the pocket, the bottom part of said tube being substantially tangent to the projection of the cylinder and substantially at the apex thereof, a sheet metal body which has a first margin secured to the part of said tube which is uppermost when the cover extension is closed, a first body portion extending slightly downwardly from said first margin when the cover extension is closed, a second body portion at a large obtuse angle to said first body portion and nearly parallel to the plane of the top edges of the upper end panels, and a marginal portion forming a flange, parallel upright end plates, and cover extension support flanges which are secured to the cover end plates and rest upon the top edges of the end panels when the cover extension is closed; and lever means at an end of the spreader for moving said cover extension and said cover between their closed and open positions, said cover extension being rotatable by said lever means on its pivotal mounting to an open position resting on the upper webs of the support brackets, and the cover being rotatable on the pivot bosses by said lever means, when the cover extension is open, to an open position inclined outwardly from the vertical and retained in said position by said linkage means.

Claim 13

In a material spreader of the type which has a container generally in the form of the bottom half of a cylinder with parallel end walls, a shaft journalled on the axis of said cylinder, flexible flails on said shaft, and means for driving said shaft to the flails discharge material over a first side of said container, a spreader upper structure comprising, in combination: an upper side panel surmounting the second side of said container, said upper side panel having a lower portion which is inclined from the vertical slightly toward said first side, a first longitudinal bend separating said lower portion from an intermediate portion which is at an obtuse angle to the lower portion in a plane substantially tangent to a cylindrical projection of said half a cylinder, a second longitudinal bend separating said intermediate portion from an outwardly projecting portion, said second bend being in a horizontal plane which is substantially below the apex of the projection of the cylinder, and a third longitudinal bend separating said outwardly projecting portion from a marginal portion which is generally parallel to the intermediate portion, said last two named portions defining a recess outside the projection of the cylinder and forming a rigidifying beam; upper end panels surmounting the end walls, said upper end panels having nearly horizontal top edges which are inclined slightly downwardly from the first side toward the second side of the container, and having side flanges in facing relationship to the end portions of the upper side panel lower portions; means securing said side flanges to said upper side panel lower portions; opposed pivot bosses on the end panels which extend into said recess; a cover which includes a pivot tube journalled on said pivot bosses, a sheet metal body which has a first marginal portion secured to the lower part of said pivot tube with a central notch in said margin, two body portions joined by a very shallow bend, each of said body portions being substantially in a plane tangent to the projection of the cylinder, and a free marginal portion having an outwardly projecting part and a flange part substantially at right angles to one another, said parts forming a pocket which is outside and substantially at the apex of the projection of the cylinder, and parallel upright flanges at the ends of said cover which project beyond said pocket; sheet metal plates seCured in facing relationship to the inner surfaces of the upper end panels, the pivot bosses being integral with said plates; a U-shaped center strap loosely embracing the pivot tube, said strap having a lower leg beneath and secured to the intermediate portion of the upper side panel and an upper leg extending through the central notch in the cover body margin, overlying and secured to the marginal portion of said upper side panel; a pair of upstanding support brackets secured to the cover end flanges adjacent the tube, said support brackets having outturned lower webs that rest upon the upper end panels when the cover is closed, and said brackets having inturned upper webs; a cover extension pivotally mounted on the projections of the cover end flanges beyond the pocket, said cover extension including a tube which is below said pivotal mounting and partly within said pocket in spaced relationship to the cover parts that define the pocket, the bottom part of said tube being substantially tangent to the projection of the cylinder and substantially at the apex thereof, a sheet metal body which has a first margin secured to the part of said tube which is uppermost when the cover extension is closed, a first body portion extending slightly downwardly from said first margin when the cover extension is closed, a second body portion at a large obtuse angle to said first body portion and nearly parallel to the plane of the top edges of the upper end panels, and a marginal portion forming a flange, parallel upright end plates, and cover extension support flanges which are secured to the cover end plates and rest upon the top edges of the end panels when the cover extension is closed; and lever means at an end of the spreader for moving said cover extension and said cover between their closed and open positions, said cover extension being rotatable by said lever means on its pivotal mounting to an open position resting on the upper webs of the support brackets, and the cover being rotatable on the pivot bosses by said lever means, when the cover extension is open, to an open position inclined outwardly from the vertical and retained in said position by said linkage means.

Claim 14

The combination of claim 9 in which the axis of the pivot bosses for the cover pivot tube is at an angle of no more than about 45* above a horizontal plane through the axis of the spreader shaft.