Salt spreader attachable to earth moving equipment

Abstract

A salt spreader for distributing a material includes a bucket including a front surface, a rear surface, and first and second side surfaces. The front and rear surfaces tend toward one another at a base of the bucket, and the bucket includes first and second ejection ports in the base. The salt spreader further includes a separator positioned in a center of the bucket parallel to the first and second side surfaces, and first and second covers within the bucket extending downwardly from the first and second side surfaces, respectively, toward the separator.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A salt spreader for distributing a material comprising:
 a bucket including:
 a front surface and a rear surface, wherein the front and rear surfaces tend toward one another at a base of the bucket; 
 first and second side surfaces; and 
 the base including first and second ejection ports; 
   first and second covers within the bucket extending downwardly from the first and second side surfaces, respectively, wherein the first and second ejection ports are located under the first and second covers, respectively, and   a salt grate mounted within a cavity of the bucket formed by the front surface, rear surface, and first and second side surfaces.   
     
     
         2 . The salt spreader of  claim 1 , wherein the base includes a front wing connected to the front surface and a rear wing connected to the rear surface. 
     
     
         3 . The salt spreader of  claim 2 , wherein the base further includes a bottom surface spanning the front wing and the rear wing. 
     
     
         4 . The salt spreader of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 one or more gussets, each gusset extending along a height of an external side of the front surface.   
     
     
         5 . The salt spreader of  claim 4 , wherein each gusset extends below the base of the bucket. 
     
     
         6 . The salt spreader of  claim 1 , further including an attachment mechanism mounted on the rear surface of the bucket, the attachment mechanism configured to secure the salt spreader to a front of an earth moving equipment. 
     
     
         7 . The salt spreader of  claim 1 , further including first and second spinner shields within the bucket. 
     
     
         8 . A method of distributing a material comprising the steps of:
 providing a salt spreader comprising:
 a bucket including:
 a front surface and a rear surface, wherein the front and rear surfaces tend toward one another at a base of the bucket; 
 first and second side surfaces; and 
 the base including first and second ejection ports; 
 
 first and second covers within the bucket extending downwardly from the first and second side surfaces, respectively, wherein the first and second ejection ports are located under the first and second covers, respectively, and 
 a salt grate mounted within a cavity formed by the front surface, rear surface, and first and second side surfaces; and 
   loading the material into the bucket; and   guiding the material toward at least one of the first and second ejection ports.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein at least a portion of the material passes through at least a portion of the salt grate before reaching the at least one of the first and second ejection ports. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the base further includes a front wing connected to the front surface and a rear wing connected to the rear surface. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the base further includes a bottom surface spanning the front wing and the rear wing. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the salt spreader further comprises:
 one or more gussets, each gusset extending along a height of an external side of the front surface.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein each gusset extends below the base of the bucket. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the salt spreader further includes an attachment mechanism mounted on the rear surface of the bucket, the attachment mechanism configured to secure the salt spreader to a front of an earth moving equipment. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the salt spreader further includes first and second spinner shields within the bucket.