Patent GB-496177-A (GB)
Title: An improved appliance for distributing farmyard manure and the like
IPC: A01C3/06
Filed: 1938-04-07
Abstract: 496,177. Distributers for manures. GREGORY, A. J. April 7, 1938, No. 10728. [Class 6 (i)] Manure is contained in a hopper 11 which consists of two side walls 14 and an end wall 15 which are moved over a stationary bottom 16 by pinions 28 driven by one of the land wheels and meshing with racks 21 fixed to the lower edges of the walls 14 of the hopper. The manure is thus pushed toward a rotary distributer 24 situated near the open end of the hopper. The pinions 28 are fast on a shaft 27 which projects transversely of the machine and carries two arms 29, 30 having ratchets at their upper ends and which are given an oscillating motion by rods 31, 32 connected to cranks or eccentrics 33, 34. The points of connection between the rods 31, 32 and arms 29, 30 can be adjusted by means of a series of bolt holes 35 in the arms. The eccentrics 33, 34 are rotatable with a sprocket 36 and one member 37 of a clutch, the other member 38 of which rotates with the axle of the land wheels and can be slid into and out of contact with the member 37. A chain 40 passing round the sprocket 36 rotates the distributer 24. The sliding member 38 of the clutch is operated through toggle mechanism and a hand lever 42 which can be held in the raised position by a lever 43 having a pin which engages under a projection 45 on the lever 42. Lever 43 is pivoted on a shaft 46 and has an extension 47 adapted to be engaged by a pawl 48 carried by the hopper. In the position of the parts shown in Fig. 1, the hopper is nearing the end of its forward movement towards the limbers 26 and the pawl 48 has engaged the extension 47. Further movement of the hopper causes the pawl 48 to move the lever 43 to disengage its pin from the projection 45, thereby allowing the lever 42 to fall and disengage the clutch members 37, 38 and automatically interrupt the drive to the hopper and distributer 24. After the hopper has been reloaded with manure, the drive is again rendered effective by raising the lever 42 and the pawl 48 and swinging the lever 43 till its pin engages the projection 45. The hopper is moved rearwardly along the frame 25 by ratchet wheels 49 and corresponding pawls on the arms 29, 30. Arm 29 carries a second ratchet wheel 51 and a pawl which drives the hopper forwardly. Mechanism for rendering one set of pawls inoperative when the other set is in operation is shown in Fig. 4, which illustrates the arrangement applied to one of the arms 29. The arm carries near its upper end a cam 54 on a shaft 53 which carries a finger 56 resting on a stop 57 carried by a stirrup 58 mounted freely on the shaft 27. The stirrup 58 has a curved arm 59, the upper end of which passes through an aperture in a carrier 61 pivoted at 62 on a lever 63, 64, the arm 64 of which is weighted. A member 65 pivoted at 66 to the carrier 61 normally prevents movement of the lever 63, 64, and in the position of the mechanism shown in Fig. 4 the pawl 50 on the arm 29 is in operative engagement with its ratchet wheel to move the hopper rearwardly. When the hopper has reached its rearmost position, a projection 67 on the hopper strikes the member 65 and moves it away from the upper end of the arm 59, thus allowing the lever arm 64 to fall and raise the arm 59, stirrup 58 and finger 56. The cam 54 is thus rotated and disengages the pawl 50 from its ratchet wheel and allows the pawl 52 to engage the ratchet wheel 51, thus reversing the direction of travel of the hopper. A handle 55, Fig. 2, enables the hopper to be moved manually if desired. Baffles may be carried at the rear end of the machine to deflect the falling manure into drills.