Spread Unit for Spreading Granular Material

Abstract

In a spread unit, a granular material, preferably anti-icing, arranged inside a hopper container, is fed towards a spread device by a feed assembly with a fixed support surface arranged in a position facing an outlet of the container and a belt dosing device arranged downstream of the fixed surface and on the outlet side for receiving the material from the fixed surface and dosing it before sending it to the spread device.

1 . A spread unit for spreading granular material, the unit comprising a collection compartment for said granular material, a lower outlet opening for the exit of the granular material from said collection compartment, conveying means adapted to receive said granular material flowing out from said lower outlet opening and feed it in a longitudinal direction; said conveying means comprise a fixed support surface arranged below said compartment and in a position facing said outlet opening to support the material contained in said compartment, transporting means to feed the material arranged on said fixed support surface in said longitudinal direction, and belt dosing means arranged downstream of the fixed support surface and of said opening in said longitudinal direction and adapted to receive the material arranged on said fixed support surface. 
     
     
         2 . The unit according to  claim 1 , characterised in that said dosing means comprise a mobile transport surface that moves in said longitudinal direction, and is substantially coplanar with said fixed support surface; said conveying means moving said material on said mobile transport surface. 
     
     
         3 . The unit according to  claim 1  or  2 , characterised in that said transport means and said mobile surface translate in said longitudinal direction at same translation speed. 
     
     
         4 . The unit according to  claim 3 , characterised in that said transport means extend above said mobile transport surface to define with said mobile surface at least one pocket adapted to house a defined portion of said material. 
     
     
         5 . The unit according to  claim 2 , characterised in that said dosing means comprise a motorised conveyor belt having a belt wound ringwise on two first end deviating rollers; a mobile delivery branch of said belt defining said mobile surface. 
     
     
         6 . The unit according to  claim 5 , characterised in that said transporting means comprise a motorised blade conveyor wound ringwise on two second end deviating rollers; at least one of said first rollers being arranged between said second rollers and the other of said first rollers extending downstream of said compartment. 
     
     
         7 . The unit according to  claim 5  or  6 , characterised in that one of said first rollers extends coaxially to one of said second rollers. 
     
     
         8 . The unit according to  claim 7 , characterised in that said blade conveyor comprises two drawing chains surrounding partially said motorised belt conveyor. 
     
     
         9 . The unit according to any of the preceding claims, characterised. by also comprising spreading means separate from said dosing means and arranged downstream of the dosing means to spread the material dosed by said dosing means. 
     
     
         10 . The unit according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that said compartment is defined by a container having a wall transversal to said longitudinal direction and provided with a through-opening, and in that said dosing means extend downstream of said container through said through-opening. 
     
     
         11 . The unit according to  claim 2 , characterised by also comprising grinding means arranged in a position facing said mobile transporting surface.