Multifunctionnal spreading device

Abstract

A multifunctional spreading device comprising a main body, a conveying assembly and a screed assembly. The main body has a hopper including first and second lateral hopper walls and front and rear hopper walls, with a hopper outlet defined between lower ends of the hopper walls and a conveying assembly receiving cavity defined below the hopper outlet, between a first side wall and a second side wall each having a support structure projecting therefrom. The conveying assembly has an outer frame, sized and shaped to fit within the conveying assembly receiving cavity, with opposed frame walls each including an abutment member projecting therefrom and configured to abut onto the corresponding support structure to support the conveying assembly inside the conveying assembly receiving cavity. The screed assembly is mounted to the main body and extends laterally therefrom to engage and smooth aggregate material being discharged from the conveying assembly.

1 . A multifunctional spreading device for spreading aggregate material, the device comprising:
 a main body comprising:
 a hopper sized and shaped to receive the aggregate material, the hopper comprising a first lateral hopper wall, a second lateral hopper wall, a front hopper wall and a rear hopper wall, the front hopper wall and rear hopper wall extending between the first lateral hopper wall and the second lateral hopper wall at opposed ends of the hopper, each one of the first lateral hopper wall, the second lateral hopper wall, the front hopper wall and the rear hopper wall having a lower end and a hopper outlet, the hopper outlet being defined between the lower ends of the first lateral hopper wall, the second lateral hopper wall, the front hopper wall and the rear hopper wall; and 
 a conveying assembly receiving cavity defined below the hopper outlet and being configured to receive the aggregate material discharged from the hopper outlet, the conveying assembly receiving cavity being defined between a first side wall and a second side wall each having a support structure projecting therefrom towards the inside of the conveying assembly receiving cavity; 
   a conveying assembly having an outer frame sized and shaped to fit within the conveying assembly receiving cavity, the outer frame comprising opposed frame walls spaced apart from one another and each comprising an abutment member projecting outwardly therefrom, the abutment members each being configured to abut onto the corresponding support structure of the first side wall and the second side wall defining the conveying assembly receiving cavity to support the conveying assembly inside the conveying assembly receiving cavity; and   a screed assembly mounted to the main body and extending laterally therefrom to engage and smooth aggregate material being discharged from the conveying assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The multifunctional spreading device of  claim 1 , wherein the conveying assembly comprises at least one of an auger assembly and a conveyor assembly. 
     
     
         3 . The multifunctional spreading device of  claim 1 , wherein each support structure comprises a series of roller cams mounted to the corresponding one of the first side wall and a second side wall. 
     
     
         4 . The multifunctional spreading device of  claim 3 , wherein the series of roller cams are arranged in a substantially horizontal row. 
     
     
         5 . The multifunctional spreading device of  claim 1 , wherein the front hopper wall of the hopper is selectively pivotable between a lowered configuration and a raised configuration. 
     
     
         6 . The multifunctional spreading device of  claim 5 , wherein a lower section of the front hopper wall is connected to a frame of the main body by at least one hinge, with at least one linear actuator being mounted between the frame of the main body and a rear surface of the front hopper wall. 
     
     
         7 . The multifunctional spreading device of  claim 1 , wherein the screed assembly comprises a screed plate comprising an attachment plate and a foldable plate extending below the attachment plate, each one of the attachment plate and foldable plate having a substantially vertical forward section and a substantially horizontal rearward section extending rearwardly from the substantially vertical forward section, the screed plate further comprising folding actuators extending between the substantially horizontal rearward sections of the attachment plate and the foldable plate, at opposed longitudinal end sections thereof, to perform mechanical deformation of the foldable plate. 
     
     
         8 . The multifunctional spreading device of  claim 7 , wherein the substantially vertical forward section of the foldable plate comprises substantially vertical cut outs extending substantially along the width of the substantially vertical forward section. 
     
     
         9 . A multifunctional spreading device for spreading aggregate material, the device comprising:
 a main body comprising a hopper sized and shaped to receive the aggregate material, the hopper comprising a first lateral hopper wall, a second lateral hopper wall, a front hopper wall and a rear hopper wall, the front hopper wall and rear hopper wall extending between the first and second lateral walls at opposed ends of the hopper, with each one of the first lateral hopper wall, second lateral hopper wall, front hopper wall and rear hopper wall having a lower end and a hopper outlet being defined between the lower ends of the first lateral hopper wall, the second lateral hopper wall, the front hopper wall and the rear hopper wall; and   a conveying assembly positioned below the hopper outlet and receiving the aggregate material discharged from the hopper outlet, the conveying assembly extending along a longitudinal axis of the main body and conveying the aggregate material towards a discharged end thereof, to discharge the aggregate material onto a ground surface; and   a screed assembly mounted to the main body and extending laterally therefrom, the screed assembly comprising a screed plate engaging and smoothing the aggregate material being discharged from the conveying assembly, the screed plate comprising an attachment plate and a foldable plate extending below the attachment plate, the screed plate further comprising folding actuators extending between the attachment plate and the foldable plate, at opposed longitudinal end sections thereof, to perform mechanical deformation of the foldable plate.   
     
     
         10 . The multifunctional spreading device of  claim 9 , wherein each one of the attachment plate and the foldable plate have a substantially vertical forward section and a substantially horizontal rearward section extending rearwardly from the substantially vertical forward section, with the folding actuators extending between the substantially horizontal rearward section of the attachment plate and the foldable plate. 
     
     
         11 . The multifunctional spreading device of  claim 10 , wherein the substantially vertical forward section of the foldable plate comprises substantially vertical cut outs extending substantially along the width of the substantially vertical forward section. 
     
     
         12 . The multifunctional spreading device of  claim 9 , wherein the folding actuators are linear actuators and comprise at least one of a manual linear motion actuator and a hydraulic cylinder. 
     
     
         13 . The multifunctional spreading device of  claim 9 , wherein the main body further comprises a conveying assembly receiving cavity defined below the hopper outlet and receiving the aggregate material discharged from the hopper outlet, the conveying assembly receiving cavity being defined between a first side wall and a second side wall each having a support structure projecting therefrom towards the inside of the conveying assembly receiving cavity, and wherein the conveying assembly comprises an outer frame, sized and shaped to fit within the conveying assembly receiving cavity, the outer frame comprising opposed frame walls spaced apart from one another and each comprising an abutment member projecting outwardly therefrom, the abutment members each being configured to abut onto the corresponding support structure of the first and second side wall defining the conveying assembly receiving cavity to support the conveying assembly inside the conveying assembly receiving cavity. 
     
     
         14 . The multifunctional spreading device of  claim 13 , wherein the conveying assembly comprises at least one of an auger assembly and a conveyor assembly. 
     
     
         15 . The multifunctional spreading device of  claim 13 , wherein each support structure comprises a series of roller cams mounted to the corresponding one of the first side wall and a second side wall. 
     
     
         16 . The multifunctional spreading device of  claim 15 , wherein the series of roller cams are arranged in a substantially horizontal row. 
     
     
         17 . The multifunctional spreading device of  claim 9 , wherein the front hopper wall of the hopper is selectively pivotable between a lowered configuration and a raised configuration. 
     
     
         18 . The multifunctional spreading device of  claim 17 , wherein a lower section of the front hopper wall is connected to a frame of the main body by at least one hinge, with at least one linear actuator being mounted between the frame of the main body and a rear surface of the front hopper wall.