Improvements in Machines or Carts for Spreading Sand, Ashes, Salt, or other substances over the Surface of the Ground.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 16th May, 1898
Complete Specification I oft 16th Fah 1800 Accented 16th Mov
1000
Improvements in Machines or Carts for Spreading Sand, Ashes, Salt,
or other substances over the Surface of the Ground.
1, ROBERT WADSWORTH, of the Sanitary Implement Works, Thomas Street,
Halifax, in the County of York, Sanitary Implement Manufacturer, &c., do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention has reference to machines for spreading grit &c. over the surface
of the ground for which Letters Patent were granted to me Sept. 5th 1888,
No. 12,815, Dec. 27th 1889, No. 20,773 and Feby. 24th 1891, No 3292, and
relates.
Firstly: To a means for "disturbing or agitating" the sand or other matter
which may be in the body, or part of the machine for holding the same.
Secondly: To means for dropping grit in front of the propelling wheels of
these machines when required.
Thirdly To an improved method for altering and setting the outlet shutter
or feed regulator in these machines by which the quantity of matter to be
sprinkled over the ground can be varied, to much or little as required.
In carrying out my improvements I make use of a similar shaped body cr
receptacle for holding the sand or other matter, as described in my previous
specifications iz.:-A body with the sides sloping on each side and a channel
or gutter between same lengthwise, with an endless travelling web or conveyor
to form the bottom of the channel, which when in motion carries the matter io
be spread out of the body and drops it on to a revolving disc at the tail end of
the machine, by which the same is spread or sprinkled over the ground.
It has been found with moist sand that the endless web in these machines
carries away the portion of sand bearing immediately upon same, and leaves a
hollow space over the web, and until the sand in the machine is probed with
a stick or shovel, the endless web ceases to convey any sand on to the revolving
disc.
To obviate this, and to remove some of the weight from the endless web, when
dry sand is used, I mount an iron bar lengthwise in bearings at a suitable
height above the endless web, which may be round from end to end, or roul
at the ends and flat in the middle, the front end of which passes through the
front end of the machine to the outside, on which I place a lever of a suitable
length to reach to the near side of the machine, to which a reciprocating motion
is imparted by suitable gearing connected to the endless web front end axle.
On the top of the said iron bar, in the inside of the machine, I secure a piece.
of timber of a suitable strength, width and length, to protect the endless web.
the upperside of which is of conical shape, and has along the middle several
prongs fixed thereon, and when the machine is put in motion for spreading sand
or other matter, the iron bar with the conical piece of timber and iron prongs,
which constitutes the "agitator," will be constantly making a side way see saw
motion.

page_text: When prefered the lever can be left free, instead of being connected by gearing
to the endless web front end axle, so that 'the driver or attendant can move the
agitator" at intervals by hand.
As a modification, instead of the conical piece of timber previously described,
the iron bar which I describe as being mounted in bearings lengthwise with the
body of the machine, may be a little stronger and have a number of projecting
prongs thereon.
Also instead of a reciprocating motion been imparted, a rotary
motion may be imparted by having suitable gearing connected to the endless
web front end axle.
For dropping grit in front of the propelling wheels of these machines, I make
a hole on each side of the body, or part of the machine containing the sand or
other kind of grit, and I connect to each a spout of suitable length to drop grit
immediately in front of the periphery of the wheels.
To each of the spouts I apply a lid which can be instantly opened or closed
from the near side of the machine by means of small cranks and levers and a
coupling rod.
When the roads are greasy after a slight shower of rain or arising from damp
foggy weather, or when slippery through frost and snow, it has been found
necessary to spread grit in front of the propelling wheels of these machines to
keep them rotating, as unless this is done the wheels slide instead of rotating
and the machines then do not work.
My improved method for altering and setting the shutter which regulates
the quantity of matter coming out of the body of these machines when working,
consists of a lever working on a stud which is connected by its inner end to the
sliding shutter by a coupling rod and is made to catch into a rack at the outer
or handle end, which is fixed so that the teeth of same point upwards.
To the end of the lever which is coupled to the shutter, I connect a spiral
spring, which as the shutter is closed pulls against the lever, which has the
effect of keeping the handle end of the lever tight in the rack and the shutter then
is held in position and cannot move either up or down until the lever is released
from the rack.
When prefered the spiral spring can be connected to the lever on the reverse
side of the stud, in which case the spring would pull down instead of pulling up
as in the above case.
I am aware there is no novelty in a lever and rack arrangement for opening
a shutter, but what I claim as new is the combination and application of the
lever, rack and spiral spring in the manner above described by which the outlet
shutter of these machines can be regulated and held in position.
May 14th 1898
Improvements in Machines or Carts for Spreading Sand, Ashes, Salt,
or other substances over the Surface of the Ground.
I, ROBERT WADSWORTH, of the Sanitary Implement Works, Thomas Street,
Halifax, in the County of York, Sanitary Implement Manufacturer, &c., do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention has reference to machines for spreading grit &c. over the surface
of the ground, for which Letters Patent were granted to me Sept. 5th 1888,

page_text: No. 12,815, Dec. 27th 1889, No. 20,773 and Feby. 24th 1891, No. 3292 and
relates.
Firstly: To a means for disturbing or agitating" the sand or other matter
which may be in the body or part of the machine for holding the same.
Secondly To means for dropping grit in front of the propelling wheels of
these machines when required.
Thirdly To an improved method for altering and setting the outlet shutter
or feed regulator in these machines, by which the quantity of matter to be
sprinkled over the ground can be varied to much or little as required.
In carrying out my improvements, I make use of a similar shaped body er
receptacle for holding the sand or other matter, as described in my previous
specifications viz.:-A body with the sides sloping on each side and a channe!
or gutter between same lengthwise, with an endless travelling web or conveyor
to form the bottom of the channel, which when in motion carries the matter to
be spread out of the body and drops it on to a revolving disc at the tail end of
the machine, by which the same is spread or sprinkled over the ground.
It has been found with moist sand that the endless web in these machines
carries away the portion of the sand bearing immediately upon same and leaves a
hollow space over the web and until the sand in the machine is probed with
a stick or shovel, the endless web ceases to convey any sand on to the revolving
disc.
To obviate this and to remove some of the weight from the endless web when
dry sand is used, I mount an iron bar lengthwise in bearings at a suitable.
height above the endless web, which may be round from end to end, or round
at the ends and flat in the middle, the front end of which passes through the
front end of the machine to the outside, on which I place a lever of a suitable
length to reach to the near side of the machine, to which a reciprocating motion
is imparted by suitable gearing connected to the endless web front end axle.
On the top of the said iron bar, in the inside of the machine, I secure a piece
of timber of a suitable strength, width and length to protect the endless web,
the upperside of which is of prismatic shape and has along the middle several
prongs fixed thereon and when the machine is put in motion for spreading sand
or other matter, the iron bar with the prismatic piece of timber and iron prongs,
which constitutes the "agitator," will be constantly making a side way see-saw
motion.
When preferred the lever can be left free, instead of being connected by gearing
to the endless web front end axle, so that the driver or attendant can move the
agitator" at intervals by hand.
si
As a modification, instead of the prismatic piece of timber previously described.
the iron bar which I describe as being mounted in bearings lengthwise with the
body of the machine, may be a little stronger and have a number of projecting
prongs thereon.
Also instead of a reciprocating motion been imparted, a rotary
motion may be imparted by having suitable gearing connected to the endless
web front end axle.
For dropping grit in front of the propelling wheels of these machines, I make
a hole on each side of the body or part containing the sand or other kind of grit
and I connect to each a spout of suitable length to drop grit immediately in
front of the periphery of the wheels.
To each of the spouts I apply a lid which can be instantly opened or closed
from the near side of the machine by means of small cranks and levers and a
coupling rod.
When the roads are greasy after a slight shower of rain, or arising from damp
foggy weather, or when slippery through frost and snow, it has been found
necessary to spread grit in front of the propelling wheels of these machines to
keep them rotating, as unless this is done the wheels slide instead of rotating
and the machines them do not work.

page_text: My improved method for altering and setting the shutter which regulates
the quantity of matter coming out of the body of these machines when working,
consists of a lever working on a stud which is connected by its inner end to the
sliding shutter by a coupling rod and is made to catch into a rack at the outer
or handle end, which is fixed so that the teeth of same point upwards.
To the end of the lever which is coupled to the shutter, I connect a spiral
spring, which as the shutter is closed pulls against the lever which has the
effect of keeping the handle end of the lever tight in the rack and the shutter then
is held in position and cannot move either up or down until the lever is released
from the rack.
When preferred the spiral spring can be connected to the lever on the reverse
side of the stud, in which case the spring would pull down instead of pulling up
as in the above case.
I am aware there is no novelty in a lever and rack arrangement for opening
a shutter, but what I claim as new is the combination and application of the
lever, rack and spiral spring to these machines, in the manner above described
by which the outlet shutter can be regulated and held in position.
The accompanying drawings illustrate my improvements, Fig. 1 is a side
elevation of a machine for spreading sand, ashes &c., fitted with my device for
disturbing or agitating the contents of the machine and Fig. 2 is a plan of same.
Fig. 3 is a detail view of the disturber or agitator." In all the figures the
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts:A is the iron bar mounted
lengthwise in bearings B and C, on the front end of which a lever D is placed,
and with a coupling rod E it is connected to one end of an L crank F, which is
mounted on a stud G, fixed to the side of the body underframe H. Another
coupling rod I, connects the L crank to a toothed wheel J. mounted on the side
of the underframe H and which gears into another toothed pinion wheel K.
The pinion wheel K is keyed on the end of the axle or spindle L which carries
the front end of the endless web or conveyor M, used in these machines for
conveying the sand or other matter out of the body on to the revolving disc N.
When the machine is set in motion the endless travelling web imparts motion
to the two toothed wheels and from these a see-saw motion is imparted to the
"disturber or agitator P.
As a modification instead of the L crank F above referred to, a chain wheel
might be substituted with a stud on, on which the end of the coupling rod E
might be placed, and instead of the pinion wheel K, a chain wheel could be
placed on the endless web spindle L and by a small chain belt the two chain
wheels could be geared together and motion imparted to the disturber" thereby.
Fig. 4 is a front end elevation of one of these machines fitted with hoppers or
spouts for dropping grit in front of the propelling wheels, Q are the hoppers
which communicate with the inside of the body R. S, S. are small lids or shutters
which by small levers T. T, and the cross coupling rod U can be opened much
or little as desired or held closed. On the inner sides of the small lids S, S, a
loop is placed to which is coupled a rod with prongs V, V, and by working the
cross rod the hoppers can be kept from choking. Fig. 5, is a detail view of
my improved method for altering and setting the shutter or feed regulator used
on these machines at the tail end, for regulating the quantity of matter being
carried by the endless web from the body on to the revolving disc. A² is the
shutter which works in the slides B2, B2. C2 is a lever which works on the
stud D3 by which the shutter A can be raised or lowered. E is a rack with
the teeth pointing upwards in which the lever C is held tight whichever tooth
it may be placed in, by the spiral spring F2.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1st. The application of a "disturber or avitator" to the inside of the hodiar

page_text: of machines for spreading sand or other substances over the surface of the
ground, substantially as and for the purposes herein described.
2nd. The means employed for dropping grit in front of the propelling wheels
of these machines, substantially as and for the purposes herein described.
3rd. The method of adjusting, setting and holding the sliding shutter, used
in these machines, for regulating the quantity of matter passing from the body
on to the distributor, substantially as herein described and shown by the
drawings.
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