Abstract:
Disclosed is a system for distribution of granular salt or brine from a vehicle. The system includes an auger assembly of a pair of powered independently rotating flighted auger sections disposed in an auger box and receiving salt stored by the vehicle. Each auger assembly has a discharge end surrounded by a choke fitting closely thereto and located at opposite ends. The system also includes a pair of powered spinner assemblies. Each spinner assembly is located beneath an auger discharge end for receiving salt from each auger assembly. Each spinner throws salt operates independently and rotates in an opposite direction. When salt is to be thrown from only one of the spinner assemblies, both of said auger assemblies rotate in the same direction for feeding the spinner assembly that is throwing salt. Nozzles directed onto each operating spinner assembly sprays brine thereonto.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    None. 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH 
       [0002]    Not applicable. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    The present disclosure relates to roadway snow and ice control and more particularly to a system that employs two spinner assemblies and a dual auger assembly that feeds both spinner assemblies or just one of the spinner assemblies with salt or a mixture of salt and brine. 
         [0004]    A variety of commercial proposals involve spreading granular salt, brine, or brined salt on roadways for snow and ice control. Such proposals include, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. Re 33,835, 5,318,226, 5,988,535, 6,382,535 6,446,879, and 7,108,196. A related proposal for making brine is found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,736,153. 
         [0005]    Despite such advances in this art, inconsistence in salt spreader output from the dump truck, auger bypass, and inaccurate reporting of salt usage still exist. Considering that in a moderately severe winter, salt usage by the State of Ohio, for example, could exceed $100,000,000 annually, there is a strong drive to improve such salt roadway distribution. 
         [0006]    One method to decrease salt usage would be to enable salt spreader trucks to place light loads (say, 100 to 200 pounds/mile). Right now minimum accurate salt usage ranges from about 400 pounds/mile on up to 1,000 pounds/mile or more. 
         [0007]    Of course, additional improvements in the salt spreading operation could save additional governmental funds, as well as more reliably spread salt and brined salt on roadways for ice and snow control. 
         [0008]    It is to such improvements that the present disclosure is addressed. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY  
       [0009]    Disclosed is a system for distribution of granular salt and/or salt/brine mixture from a vehicle. The system includes an auger assembly of a pair of powered independently rotating flighted auger sections disposed in an auger box and receiving salt stored by the vehicle. Each auger assembly has an outer discharge end surrounded by a choke fitting closely thereto and located at opposite ends of the auger box. The system also includes a pair of powered spinner assemblies. Each spinner assembly is located beneath an auger discharge end for receiving salt from each auger assembly. Each spinner assembly throws salt independently and rotates continuously in an opposite direction. When salt is to be thrown from only one of the spinner assemblies, both of said auger assemblies rotate in the same direction for feeding the spinner assembly that is throwing salt. Nozzles directed at each spinner assembly can spray brine onto the spinner assemblies throwing salt. 
         [0010]    A method for distribution of granular salt or brine from a vehicle also is disclosed. Such method includes providing an auger assembly that includes a pair of powered independently rotating flighted augers disposed in an auger box and receiving salt stored by the vehicle, each auger assembly having a discharge end surrounded by a choke fitting closely thereto and located at opposite ends. Also provided is a pair of powered spinner assemblies, each spinner assembly disposed beneath an auger discharge end for receiving salt from each auger assembly, each spinner assembly throws salt independently and rotates in an opposite direction. Each auger assembly is engaged to feed salt to the spinner assemblies, the spinner assemblies distributing salt onto the roadway traversed by the vehicle. Nozzles spray brine onto each spinner assembly as they throw salt onto a roadway. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    For a fuller understanding of the nature and advantages of the present method and process, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is left elevational view of a truck outfitted with the dual salt spreader assemblies and other features disclosed herein; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is the rear elevational view of the truck of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a sectional view taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a sectional view taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4A  is a sectional view taken along line  4 A- 4 A of  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is a sectional view taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is a left elevational view like that of  FIG. 1 , but with the bed of the truck in a raised position; 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  is an overhead view of the truck of  FIG. 1  illustrating salt being spread from both spinner assemblies to cover 3 lanes of a roadway; 
           [0021]      FIG. 9  is a block diagram of a control circuit that may be employed for the salt truck of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 10  is a schematic of one of the relays illustrated in  FIG. 9 ; 
           [0023]      FIG. 11  is a schematic hydraulic diagram for the dual augers; 
           [0024]      FIG. 12  is a schematic hydraulic diagram for the dual spinners; 
           [0025]      FIG. 13  is schematic hydraulic diagram showing the components employed in the 6-bit hydraulic manifold for the salt spreader on the truck of  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0026]      FIG. 14  is an exemplary table of the disclosed six-bit manifold valve positions. 
       
    
    
       [0027]    The drawings will be described in greater detail below. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0028]    Referring initially to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a salt spreader or delivery truck,  10 , is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 6,382,535, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference. The &#39;535 truck will be substantially the same as present truck  10 , except for the use of the dual auger, dual spinner assemblies, and related items disclosed herein. To that end, a left side spinner assembly,  12 , and right side spinner assembly,  14  (see  FIG. 2 ), are mounted to the frame of truck  10  for dispensing salt housed within a bed,  16 , carried by truck  10  (or brine when truck  10  carries brine) for dispensing salt onto roadways during seasons where snow, ice, sleet, or other frozen or semi-frozen forms of precipitation make driving on such roadways dangerous. As will evident later in this description, the use of dual spinner assemblies  12  and  14  enable truck  10  to dispense salt onto 3 lanes of roadways and onto on/off ramps, which typically are wider than the width of roadway traffic lanes. The use of dual spinner assemblies  12  and  14  also enable truck  10  to dispense salt individually from either spinner assembly and to drive either to the far right or to the far left of a roadway or highway lane to dispense salt either to the left or to the right, respectively. Such flexibility of the disclosed salt spreading system disclosed herein makes truck  10  quite useful for municipalities, cities, states, airport, military, and federal government use to make roadway, runways, and the like safer for driving during winter months. 
         [0029]    The spreader assembly is removably affixed to bed  16  of truck  10  and does not interfere with use of the bed to conventionally unload material housed within bed  16 , as is illustrated in  FIG. 7 . A door,  18 , can drop down to access the interior of the auger box by moving latch assemblies,  20  and  22 , with door  18  pivoting about hinges,  24  and  26 . Motors,  28  and  30 , with associated solenoid valves,  32  and  34 , and manifolds,  31  and  33 , respectively, drive each auger section. Another pair of latches,  36  and  38 , permits a door on the bottom of the auger box to drop down for cleaning. 
         [0030]    Referring now to  FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  5 , an auger box,  40 , houses a pair of auger sections,  42  and  44 . The flights of each auger section  42  and  44  are oriented to drive material (say, salt) outwardly towards each spinner assembly  12  and  14 . Associated outwardly at the discharge ends of each auger section  42  and  44  are close fitting chokes,  46  and  48 , formed in 3 sections, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . The space between the choke and each flight is between about ⅛ and ¼ inch and ensure a reliable and consistent delivery of salt. The flights carried by each auger section are the same diameter. 
         [0031]    Much of the detailed auger description will be for auger section  44  for simplicity, as auger section  42  is identical. As seen in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , each auger section  42  and  44  is hollow. Disposed within each auger section  42  and  44  are hollow plastic tubes,  50  and  52  (e.g., PVC), that serve as spacers. A floating, solid rod,  54  (e.g., chrome plated), is disposed the length of both auger sections and serves as a stiffener for the auger sections. An end cap and bearing,  56 , abuts against the outer edge of hollow tube  50 . A similar end cap abuts against hollow tube  52 , but is not shown in the drawings. Bearings,  59  and  60 , are disposed between each hollow tube  50  and  52 , while bearings/bushings,  51  and  53 , are disposed at the interior ends of each auger section  42  and  44 . Grease fittings,  62 ,  64 , and  66 , are provided conventionally with an additional grease fitting located at the discharge end of auger section  42 , but is not shown in the drawings. Finally, a clamp shaft connector,  67 , clamps the motor shaft of motor  30  to auger section  44 . 
         [0032]    Spinner assembly  12  is fed salt from each auger section through an opening,  68 , located on the bottom of auger box  40  with a similar opening feeding spinner assembly  14 . A pair of brackets,  70  and  72 , attached to auger box  40  carry spinner assembly  12 . A rod,  73 , is carried by apertures in each bracket  70  and  72 . A sleeve,  78 , in turn is mounted around rod  73 , such that spinner assembly  12  rotates or pivots about sleeve  78  when bed  16  is raised to keep spinner assembly  12  in a vertical orientation. A candle lever dogleg plate,  76 , is connected to a C-channel,  79 , such as by welding, at its bottom end and to sleeve  78  at its upper end, again by welding. Candle lever dogleg plate  76  allows the sling flow of the salt to be unobstructed. A horizontal adjuster ring,  85 , for a sling wall,  84 , is mounted to the bottom of a C-channel,  79 , that secures a motor,  80 . There is a gap between pipe  78  and brackets  70  and  72  so spinner assembly  12  can be adjusted side-to-side and then locked in place with collars. Sling wall  84  can be secured in various locations to determine the throw of salt from spinner  82 , such as can be seen in  FIG. 6 , depending upon a variety of factors, including, for example, speed of truck  10 , rotational speed of spinner  82 , weight of salt being spun (primarily moisture content), and like factors. 
         [0033]    A nozzle assembly,  102 , sprays brine onto each spinner assembly with the brine flow controlled by a solenoid,  106 . When only one spinner assembly is throwing salt, brine is sprayed only onto that operating spinner assembly. 
         [0034]    In  FIG. 8 , spinner assembly  12  throws out a salt pattern,  88 , while spinner assembly  14  throws out a salt pattern,  90 . The arrows adjacent to each spinner assembly reveals that they rotate in opposite directions. When it is desired to throw salt from only one of these spinner assemblies, both auger sections rotate in the same direction and feed the chosen spinner assembly. 
         [0035]      FIG. 9  is a block diagram of a control circuit. When the power is turned on, both auger sections and both spinners are powered on. Three relays, CR 1 , CR 2 , and CR 3 , are associated with the three positions of rocker switch  92 . Poles  85 - 86  associated with relay CR 1  indicates the magnetic coils in conventional fashion.  FIG. 10  shows the relay bottom for a standard relay. Relay CR 1  goes to position  87  when system is on and position  87   a  is the off position. 
         [0036]      FIG. 11  is a schematic hydraulic diagram for the dual augers. The pressure side and return side are shown with the flow going through one of the augers and then in series to the other augers. It does not matter which auger is first in line. The control circuit in  FIG. 9  matches with hydraulic diagram in  FIG. 11  with respect to on/off indicated as solenoids {circle around (2)} and {circle around (3)}. Solenoids A and B control the spraying of brine. They can be shut off when only one spray assembly is being used. 
         [0037]      FIG. 12  is a schematic hydraulic diagram for the spinner assemblies. The spinners do not shut off, so the flow of hydraulic fluid continues so long as the spinner assemblies are on. 
         [0038]      FIG. 13  is schematic hydraulic diagram showing the components employed in the 6-bit hydraulic manifold for the salt spreader on the truck of  FIG. 1 . In particular, the 6-solenoid valves in combination with a 6-bit manifold,  232 , control flow rates. The motors for the augers are tied together so the flow is through the first motor and then the second motor in series. The same is true for the spinner motors, but only a 3-bit manifold,  246 , is used.  FIG. 14  displays an exemplary table,  94 , of the six-bit manifold valve positions used herein, as disclosed in commonly-assigned application Ser. No. 13/972,978, filed Aug. 22, 2013. 
         [0039]    While the device and method have been described with reference to various embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope and essence of the disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the disclosure without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but that the disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims. In this application all units are in the metric system and all amounts and percentages are by weight, unless otherwise expressly indicated. Also, all citations referred herein are expressly incorporated herein by reference.