Patent ID: 9585306
Date: 2017-03-07
CPC Classifications: A01C

Claim:
1. A fertilizer spreader attachment for a small framed truck that has a chassis, engine, drive train and wheels, the fertilizer spreader attachment comprising a frame having a front and a rear configured to mount on the chassis, a hopper mounted to the frame having an elongated bottom and a rear opening, left and right independently driven chains mounted to the frame, each with an upper run over the elongated bottom and exiting the rear opening in the hopper, the left and right driven chains being driven to transport the upper run of each chain rearwardly, and a divider between the left and right driven chains, left and right driven spinners mounted to the frame at the rear below rear ends of the left and right driven chains, respectively, and a control system comprising a GPS reader coupled to a computer memory and processor to compare where the fertilizer spreader attachment is as mounted on a truck with a stored electronic map of where granular fertilizer is needed and to output control signals to control the speeds of the left and right driven spinners and the left and right driven chains, the control signals driving the left chain and spinner independently of the right chain and spinner, so that the fertilizer spreader attachment can be mounted on a small framed truck, and as the truck traverses an area, fertilizer held in the hopper can descend by gravity onto the left and right driven chains, be transported on the chains rearwardly to fall off the left and right driven chains onto the left and right driven spinners, respectively, and be broadcast to the left and right of the fertilizer spreader attachment in separately controllable amounts.