ROTATING LIQUID DISTRIBUTOR FOR USE WITH A SPREADER FOR LIQUID MANURE, WATER OR OTHER LIQUIDS WITH OTHER COMPOUNDS ADDED

Abstract: A rotating liquid distributor, comprising a circular distributor housing (1), consisting of an upwardly open annular channel (1a), in whose bottom there are spaced outlet openings (2) at an even mutual distance. A supply pipe for liquid under pressure is centrally mounted in the distributor housing (1) and is connected to a vertical, rotatably mounted hollow rotor stem (5) with an upper transversal hollow rotor arm (6) with downwardly slanted nozzles (7), flush with the outlet openings (2) to produce a turning moment through the supply of liquid under pressure. Nozzle (7) is surrounded by a screen (8) with an upside down U-shaped cross section with sidewalls (8b) which extends down into the annular channel (1a) on each side of nozzle (7) in order to catch liquid splashed. A transporting means (9) which fills out the cross section of the annular channel (1a) is fastened by means of a draw bar (10) to rotor arm (6). Thereby any particle deposits in the annular channel will loosen and liquid leaks will be transported to and forced through the outlet openings (2). Accumulation of liquid in the lowest portion of the annular channel is avoided, through a slant position of the liquid distributor, and an even distribution of supply of liquid to the outlet openings is achieved. Thereby there is achieved even fertilization by using said liquid distributor with connected equipment when driven across uneven fields.

Description: ROTATING LIQUID DISTRIBUTOR FOR USE WITH A SPREADER FOR LIQUID MANURE, WATER OR OTHER LIQUIDS WITH OTHER COMPOUNDS ADDED. The present invention relates to a rotating liquid distributor of the type indicated in the preamble to the independent Claim 1, presented below. Such rotating liquid distributors for the distribution of liquids, possibly a liquid with a powder or other coarser particles added, such as liquid manure from livestock and possibly mixed with additional liquid, for instance water, are known from SE-8505255-3 (publication No. 457.404) . The rotating liquid distributor comprises, according to the publication, a round container divided into compartments which make up a wreath, and which has outlet openings from each compartment connected to outlet pipes or hoses. A rotor with outlet nozzles is centrally positioned in the container and is operated by means of outflowing hydraulic pressure from the nozzles, so that liquid is evenly distributed to the compartments. When the liquid distributor is in a slant position, the liquid will collect in the compartments and possibly flow over the inner, lowest wall of the compartments, at the greatest distance from the outlet openings. This may cause uneven distribution of the outflowing liquid through hoses/pipes to the spreader boom or hoses trailing behind a farm implement which comprises a manure container supplying liquid manure under pressure to the liquid distributor. From DE-3703743 C2 is known a rotating liquid distributor with a circular distribution house with peripherally spaced outlet openings connected to outlet hoses and with a driven rotor which supplies liquid under pressure to the outlet openings in the distributor housing. On account of leakage between the outlet opening of the rotor or the nozzle and the outlet opening, the distributor housing may be filled with liquid which, while the liquid distributor is in a slant position, may flow out of the other outlet openings, thereby causing an uneven liquid supply to the various outlet openings and hoses. From EP-0079018 is known a rotating liquid distributor with a circular distributor housing where the outlet openings are positioned in the side walls of the housing. A driven rotor with outlet openings/nozzles for liquid under pressure sprays the liquid into the outlet openings, connected to hoses which transport the distributed liquid to a spreader boom mounted at the rear of a farm implement, for instance a trailer with a manure container and a pump for supplying the liquid manure to the liquid distributor. Here too liquid may leak out between the rotor's nozzle opening and the outlet pipes in the distributor housing, thereby filling the distributor housing so that liquid may flow out uncontrolled through the outlet openings which at that moment are not covered by the nozzle openings of the rotor. This may also cause an uneven flow of liquid through the outlet openings and the hoses when the liquid distributor is in a slant position. The purpose of the present invention is to produce a rotating liquid distributor where said drawbacks with uneven liquid distribution to the outlet openings and the thereto connected hoses/pipes are removed, as well as to produce a rotating liquid distributor with a simpler construction of the distributor housing compared to a distributor housing which is divided into a number of compartments by means of radial partitions as shown in the above-mentioned SE- 8505255-3. According to the invention this has been achieved by means of the features that are evident from the description of the following independent claim 1, as well as the succeeding dependent claims. Thus a rotating liquid distributor is obtained where the liquid flow from the peripherally positioned outlet openings with connected hoses, remains as good as even when the liquid distributor is at a slant, which may happen when the liquid distributor is placed on a trailer with a manure container which supplies the liquid distributor with liquid manure under pressure, when said trailer is driven across a sloping terrain; needless to say, the same applies when the vehicle is driven down or up an incline. 10 The invention will be described in more detail in the following with reference to the drawing, which schematically shows the liquid distributor, and where 15 Fig. 1 shows a bird's-eye view of the liquid distributor, Fig. 2 shows a detail in cross section along line A-A, and Fig. 3 shows a detail in cross section along line B-B. 20 Fig. 1 shows the said a bird's-eye view of the rotating liquid distributor, comprising a circular distributor housing l with outlet openings 2 peripherally spaced in the horizontal bottom of the housing. Outlet openings 2 are 25 connected to slanting outlet pipes 3 which are placed adjacent to each other and which at the lower end 3a are connected to outlet nozzles 3b with a smaller cross- sectional area than outlet pipes 3. Centrally in the distributor housing there is placed a supply pipe 4 for the 30 supply of liquid/liquid manure under pressure from a tank, not shown, for instance on a trailer, which is connected to a vertical, rotatably mounted hollow rotor stem 5 with an upper transverse hollow rotor arm 6 which stretches across the distributor housing 1 and is equipped with a down-turned 35 nozzle 7 at each end. Nozzles 7 are flush with the outlet openings 2 and are placed at a slant in order- to produce a turning moment through the supply of a liqui-d under pressure, thereby rotating while at the same time distributing the outflowing liquid to said outlet openings 2. As can be seen from Fig. l, the distributor housing 1 comprises an open annular channel la with bottom lb and outer and inner side walls lc, Id. The outlet holes 2 are spaced at an even mutual distance in the bottom lb of the annular channel la. Nozzle 7 on the rotor arm 6 extends down between the sidewall lc, Id of the annular channel la. To nozzle 7 or the end portion of rotor arm 6a there is fastened a screen 8 with a U-shaped cross section with bottom 8a up and with its side walls 8b extending down into the annular channel la on each side of nozzle 7 which is led through the upward facing bottom 8a of screen 8. Screen 8 is elongated and curved in its longitudinal direction in order to fit into the circular annular channel la and extends over at least three outlet openings 2, (in Fig. 1 over approximately 7 outlet openings 2) . Screen 8 may be closed at at least one end or possibly both ends 8c,8d, whereby liquid leaks between nozzle 7 and outlet opening 2 will be caught by screen 8 and will be limited with regard to escape into annular channel la of closed ends 8c,8d of screen 8, so that the leaked liquid may flow down into outlet openings 2 which are spaced longitudinally in screen 8. Because sidewalls 8b of the screen extend almost down to bottom lb of annular channel la, and also are in close proximity to the outer and inner sidewalls lc,ld of annular channel la, they will function as a scraper and loosen and possibly break up deposits from particles from the liquid when the liquid consists of for instance liquid manure, which scrapings on account of the liquid flow from nozzle 7 may be transported by this flow down into outlet openings 2. When for instance screen 8 is closed at one end or both ends 8c,8d, these end walls will also function as scrapers and transporting means for particles and thereby facilitate further transport of these out through outlet openings 2. In case screen 8 is open at its ends 8c,8d, possibly only at its rear end 8d, there may be mounted a transporting means 9 behind screen 8 as illustrated in Fig. 3, which fills out the cross section of annular channel la and transports leaked liquid, if any, so that this flows out through outlet openings 2. This means that the transporting means 9 prevents accumulation of liquid in the lowest areas of annular channel la, in case the liquid distributor has an incline/is placed at a slant, whereby uneven distribution of liquid to outlet openings 2 is avoided. Thereby irregular fertilization of an uneven field, meadow, etc., is also avoided, as mentioned in the introduction. Transporting means 9 in the form of a rotatable roller which fills out the cross section of annular channel la is fastened to rotor arm 6 via a draw bar 10, as shown in Fig. 3. Outlet pipes 3 for outlet openings 2 are placed at a slant, flush with the inclined position of nozzle 7 as shown in Fig. 3, whereby is achieved the previously mentioned rotation of rotor arm 6, at the same time as liquid from nozzle 7 flows direct into said outlet pipe 3 via outlet openings 2. At their lower ends 3a, outlet pipes 3 are connected to hose connecting nozzles 3b with a smaller cross-sectional area than the cross-sectional area of outlet pipes 3. Outlet pipes 3 thus create chambers which are able to take up liquid leaks located under screen 8 or possibly are transported in the annular channel by means of transporting means 9. A more even outflow of liquid from said chamber is thereby achieved, through hose connecting nozzles 3b and the thereto coupled hoses 11 which lead the liquid/liquid manure mixture down to the ground, possibly to an outlet on a transverse boom mounted at the rear of the previously mentioned trailer, for an even distribution of liquid transversely to the direction in which the trailer is moving.

Claims: - 1 - P a t e n t C l a i m s 1. A rotating liquid distributor to be used together with a spreader for liquid manure, water or other liquid, possibly with other compounds added, comprising hoses which transport liquid from the liquid distributor to a spreader boom with outlet openings, mounted on the back of a farm implement, or to several parallel, trailing hoses from the spreader boom or the farm implement, which liquid distributor comprises a non-rotatable circular distributor housing (1) with outlets (2) peripherally spaced in the horizontal bottom of the housing and connected to outlet openings (3) , a supply house (4) , centrally positioned in the distributor housing, for the supply of liquid under pressure, and coupled to a vertical, rotatably mounted, hollow rotor stem (5) with an upper transversal/radial hollow rotor arm (6) which has at least one nozzle (7) , pointing downwards, flush with the outlet openings (2) to which said hoses are coupled, and which are placed at a slant to produce a turning moment when supplying liquid under pressure, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a t the distributor housing (1) comprises an annular channel (la) , open upwards, with bottom (lb) and outer and inner sidewalls (lc,ld), in which bottom (lb) the outlet openings (2) are spaced at an even mutual distance and between whose sidewalls (lc,ld) the nozzle/nozzles (7) extend downwards,, in that each nozzle (7) is surrounded by and connected to a screen (8) with a U- shaped cross-section with bottom (8a) up, and sidewalls (8b) which extend down into the annular channel (la) on each side of the nozzle (7) . 2. A rotating liquid distributor according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a t the screen (8) extends over at least three outlet openings (2) . 3. A rotating liquid distributor according to claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a t screen (8) is closed at least at one end (8c, 8d) . 4. A rotating liquid distributor according to any one of the preceding claims 1 - 3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a t a transporting means (9) positioned behind the screen, which extends down into the annular channel (la) and is connected by means of draw bar (10) to the rotor arm (6) . 5. A rotating liquid distributor according to claim 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a t transporting means (9) consists of a rotatable roller which fills out the cross section of the annular channel (la) , whereby the roller will be able to cut up remaining straw, etc., which may adhere to the edge of the outlet openings (2) or lay across these. 6. A rotating liquid distributor according to any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a t outlet openings (2) with outlet pipes (3) form chambers whose lower end (3a) are connected to hose coupling nozzles (3b) with a smaller cross-sectional area than the chambers. 7. A rotating liquid distributor according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a t the outlet pipes (3) of outlet openings (2) are placed at a slant flush with the slant position of the nozzles (7) . 8. A rotating liquid distributor according to any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a t - 9 ' - two diametrically mounted nozzles (7) , are placed at opposite ends of rotor arm (6) which extends across annular channel (la) .

Inventors: VASTVEIT KJELL, VASTVEIT, KJELL
Applicants: VASTVEIT KJELL, VASTVEIT, KJELL
Application year: 1992
Main classification: A01C23
IPC codes: A01C23