Patent ID: 7654476

Claim:
A spreader for broadcasting particulate materials comprising: a container for holding materials to be dispensed; means connected to said container for facilitating movement of said container in a direction of travel; a rotatable plate mounted to said container for receiving dispensed material from said container and for distributing said material; a mechanism for rotating said plate; a moveable deflector connected to said container for controlling the pattern of distribution of said material; an integral, one-piece mounting track attached to said container for blocking the distribution of material in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of said container; said mounting track supporting said deflector; a section of said mounting track having an arcuate shape in top plan view, said section of the mounting track overlapping at least a portion of said deflector; the deflector being structured and dimensioned to rotate relative to the mounting track about a generally vertical axis through the plate; the portion of the deflector overlapped by the mounting track having an arcuate shape in top plan view congruent with the arcuate shape of the section of the mounting track overlapping the deflector; and the section of the mounting track overlapping the deflector and the portion of the deflector overlapped by the mounting track each having an arcuate profile in an elevational cross-section view taken perpendicular to the arcuate shape of the section of the mounting track overlapping the deflector.