Spreader apparatus for vehicle

Abstract

A vehicle including a dump body and spreader for selectively dumping and spreading materials. The vehicle includes, at least, a chassis, a body, and a spreader apparatus with a belt mechanism. A hoist is provided which extends between the body and the chassis for pivoting the body about a hinge. A tailgate is located at the rear of the body wherein the tailgate is pivotably mounted to the body. The tailgate has an opening therein to permit material to flow therethrough from the dump body to an auger assembly. The auger assembly includes an auger, which directs material to an opening through which the material will fall into the spreader apparatus. The spreader apparatus includes a body with an inlet and outlet, a belt mechanism driven by a motor, a mounting mechanism to attach it to the vehicle. The belt is driven by a motor that is controlled by a control system located in the vehicle. The control system monitors vehicle speed and then runs the belt at a speed such that all materials dispensed from the spreader outlet will have a velocity proportional and opposite to that of the vehicle, or zero speed relative to the ground.

1 . A vehicle for selectively dumping and spreading material, the vehicle comprising: 
 a chassis;    a body secured to the chassis, the body having front and rear ends and first and second side walls;    a tailgate pivotally connected to the rear end of the body and having a closable opening therein to permit material to pass therethrough from the body;    a spreader apparatus comprising: 
 a mounting mechanism;  
 a housing having an inlet and outlet;  
 a belt disposed within the housing, the belt being in a loop around a drive pulley and an idler pulley; and  
 a drive motor operatively coupled with the drive pulley for driving the belt.  
   
   
   
       2 . The vehicle according to  claim 1  wherein the body is pivotally connected to the chassis at a hinge, the vehicle further comprising a hoist extending between the body and the chassis for pivoting the body about the hinge.  
   
   
       3 . The vehicle according to  claim 2 , the vehicle further comprising a conveyor system located within the body for transporting material towards, and past, the rear end of the body.  
   
   
       4 . The vehicle according to  claim 3 , the vehicle further comprising an auger assembly located below the opening of the tailgate, the auger assembly comprising: 
 an auger frame configured so that material entering the auger assembly will be channeled to the bottom of the auger assembly;    an auger located in the bottom of the auger assembly;    an opening in the auger assembly to permit material to fall therethrough to the spreader apparatus; and    a drive motor operatively coupled with the auger for driving the auger.    
   
   
       5 . The vehicle according to  claim 4 , the vehicle further comprising a control system that can monitor vehicle speed and independently control the speed of the belt, the conveyer, and the auger according to desired correlations with vehicle speed.  
   
   
       6 . The vehicle according to  claim 5  further comprising an actuator for moving the spreader over a predetermined range of travel about a first axis.  
   
   
       7 . The vehicle according to  claim 6  further comprising a second actuator for moving the spreader over a predetermined range of travel about a second axis.  
   
   
       8 . The vehicle according to  claim 7  further comprising a third actuator for moving a deflector shield about a third access such that the deflector shield may be brought into and out of the material discharge path from the spreader apparatus outlet.  
   
   
       9 . The vehicle according to  claim 8 , wherein the control system operates the speed of the belt at a speed equal to that of the vehicle so that material discharged by the belt from the outlet of the housing will have zero speed relative to the surface over which the vehicle is traveling.  
   
   
       10 . The vehicle according to  claim 9  further comprising a pre-wet application hose capable of spraying a liquid upon material leaving the spreader apparatus.  
   
   
       11 . A spreader apparatus for selectively dispersing material comprising: 
 a mounting mechanism for mounting the spreader apparatus to a vehicle;    a housing connected to the mounting mechanism, the housing having an inlet and outlet;    a belt disposed within the housing arranged in a loop around a drive shaft and an idler shaft; and    a drive motor operatively coupled with a drive shaft for driving the belt.    
   
   
       12 . The spreader apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the drive motor is controlled by a controller which monitors the speed of the vehicle to which the spreader is attached, the controller programmed to run the drive motor at a speed that will impart a speed to the belt that is equal and opposite to that of the vehicle.  
   
   
       13 . The spreader apparatus according to  claim 12  further comprising an actuator for moving the spreader over a predetermined range of travel about a first axis.  
   
   
       14 . The spreader apparatus according to  claim 13  further comprising a second actuator for moving the spreader over a predetermined range of travel about a second axis.  
   
   
       15 . The spreader apparatus according to  claim 13  further comprising a third actuator for moving a deflector shield about a third axis such that the deflector shield may be brought into and out of the material discharge path from the spreader apparatus outlet.  
   
   
       16 . The spreader apparatus according to  claim 9  further comprising a pre-wet application hose capable of spraying a liquid upon material leaving the spreader outlet.  
   
   
       17 . A method for reducing the post impact dispersion of material dispensed from a moving vehicle by expelling the material from the vehicle at a horizontal velocity that is equal to and opposite of the velocity of the vehicle, characterized by the following method steps: 
 dispensing material from a dump body into an auger assembly through an opening in a tailgate pivotably attached to the dump body;    transporting all material entering the auger assembly to the left side of the auger assembly through use of an auger situated at the bottom of the assembly such that the material will fall through an opening at the far left side of the auger assembly, wherein the auger speed is set by a controller that monitors vehicle speed and calculates the appropriate auger speed necessary to achieve a material flow rate that will ensure a desired material coverage density of the surface;    collecting the material dispensed from the auger assembly opening in an inlet of a spreader apparatus mounted below the auger assembly opening; and    using a belt mechanism within the spreader apparatus to impart upon the material entering the spreader apparatus a velocity that is proportional and opposite to that the vehicle is moving when the material is dispensed out of an outlet in the rear of the spreader, wherein the speed of the belt mechanism, which is driven by a motor, is set by the controller which calculates the motor speed necessary to ensure the material speed will be zero relative to the surface when it leaves the spreader outlet.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the discharge path of the spreader can be moved from left to right by use of an actuator that can rotate the spreader from left to right around an axis within a predetermined range of travel.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the material discharge may be manipulated between a narrow discharge and a broadcasting discharge by rotating a deflector shield into and out of the discharge path around a second axis.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the material leaving the spreader outlet is sprayed with a liquid dispensed from a pre-wet application hose.