This invention relates to a device for spreading granular and/or powdery material, for example, fertilizer, comprising a distribution member and drive means for the distribution member.

The object of the invention is to provide an advantageous device which can be easily controlled. According to the invention the drive means comprises a circulating, flexible member which runs over a wheel which is removable from an operative position in the drive means for replacement by another wheel. Owing to the flexible member and the replaceable wheel, the drive of the distribution member can be advantageously adjusted through the drive means in a manner such that the distribution member can be optionally driven with either one of at least two different speeds.

An advantageous embodiment is obtained when the flexible member is a belt or rope. A belt or a rope can be readily fitted and removed for replacing an exchangeable wheel around which the belt or rope passes. Moreover, a belt or a rope can be effectively used, for example, in agricultural machines without the mounting and dismounting operations for the belt or rope requiring complicated manipulations for exchanging the wheel. Particularly in agricultural machines a belt or a rope does not require specific precautions

to avoid soiling, and it is not excessibly liable to damage. A satisfactory structure is obtained when the flexible member is a V-belt.

In a preferred embodiment, the drive means comprises at least two adjacent flexible members passed around the exchangeable wheel or wheels.

An advantageous construction is obtained when the exchangeable wheel is slidably and releasably arranged on a shaft. At least one of the shafts of the wheels over which the flexible member runs may be provided with connecting means for connection to the power take-off shaft of a tractor or a similar prime mover. In this way the construction embodying the invention becomes particularly appropriate for use in agricultural implements.

The shaft provided with the connecting means for ^*" the power take-off shaft may be movably arranged on a machine frame and can be optionally fixed in one of at least two different positions relative to the frame. This enables the tension ©f the flexible member to be adjusted while maintaining the coupling with the power take-off shaft.

A device in accordance with the invention may have two distribution members coupled with one another by gear wheel transmission members which can be driven by the drive means. In this way a constant speed ratio between the two distribution members is maintained, and the drive to the distribution members can be effectively transmitted by the V-belt. An advantageous embodiment is obtained when the two distribution members are journalled each in a gear box, the two gear boxes being coupled with one another by a beam, which is preferably a hollow beam.

For a better understanding of the present invention and to show how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure i is a front view of a spreader; Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of drive means for distribution members of the spreader of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a view of the drive means taken in the direction of the arrow III in Figure 2.

The spreader shown in the Figures comprises a frame 1 provided with a hopper 2. The spreader also comprises two distribution members 3 and 4 arranged below the hopper.

The frame has attachment means 5 by which it can be coupled with the top arm of the three-point lifting device of a tractor. The frame also has attach¬ ment means 6 with which the lower arms of the three- point lifting device of a tractor or a similar vehicle can be coupled. The distribution members 3 and 4 are mounted on shafts 11 and 12 which are journalled in gear boxes 13 and 14 respectively. The gear boxes 13 and 14 are rigidly interconnected by a beam 15 which, in this embodiment, is a hollow, box-section beam. The hollow beam 15 is provided with supports 16 fastened, as is shown in Figure 1, to supporting beams 17 connected with a fastening plate 18. The fastening plate 18 is arranged between the two delivery spouts 19 and 20 of the hopper 2, below which are located the distribution members 3 and 4, as will be apparent from Figure 1. The distribution members 3 and 4 are rotatable about the axes 21 and 22 of the shafts 11 and 12, these axes constituting rotary axes for the distribution members. The rotary axes

21 and ^' 22 preferably extend vertically during operation or at least substantially perpendicular to the ground over which the spreader is travelling. The distribution members will thus move parallel to the surface over which the material is to be spread. The rotary axes 21 and 22 are located .in a common plane transverse of and preferably perpendicular to the normal direction

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of operative travel 25 of the device. In the illustra¬ ted embodiment, the rotary axes 21 and 22 coincide in a manner not shown in detail with the centre lines of the delivery, spouts 19 and 20. Each of the shafts 11 and 12 is provided with a bevel gear wheel 23 which is drivably in mesh with a bevel gear wheel 24. The two bevel gear wheels 24 in the respective gear boxes 13 and 14 are coupled together by a coupling shaft 26. The gear wheels 23 and 24 in the gear boxes 13 and 14 and the coupling shaft 26 constitute gear wheel transmission members which couple the distribution members with one another and maintain them in the.ir relative positions, thus ensuring equal rotation of the two distribution members ^" 3 and 4.

A horizontal wheel shaft 30 is journalled in the- gear box 13, his shaft 30 being at the same level as the coupling shaft 26. With respect to the direciton 25, the heel ^' shaft 30 projects from the gear box 13 to the rear. The ^" shaft 30 carries an exchangeable pulley wheel 31 having a hub 32. The hub 32 and the wheel shaft 30 are provided with interengaging splines so that the pulley wheel 31 :is prevented from rotating about the shaft 30, but can be slid along the shaft 30 and be slipped from and onto it. Displacement of the pulley wheel 31 is prevented by an easily operable fastening means, for example a quick-action clip 34 that can be quickly applied to and removed from the shaft 30. The hollow beam 15 is provided with two upwardly extending lugs 35 to which a shaft 36 is rigidly secured. A sleeve 37, provided with a carrying arm 38, is rotatable about the shaft 36. At the end of the carrying arm 38 away from the sleeve 37 there is a bearing 39 for a wheel shaft 40. On the wheel shaft 40 is arranged a pulley wheel 41. The pulley wheel 41 has a splined hub 42 which engages splines on the shaft

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40 so that the hub 42 and hence the pulley wheel 41 are slidable on the shaft 40 for mounting or removal, as the case may be. The pulley wheel 41 is rotatably coupled with the shaft 40 by the splines. Displacement of the pulley wheel 41 with respect to the shaft 40 is prevented by a quick-action clip 44 or another similar fastening member that can be operated without tools.

A shaft 45 is rotatably journalled in the arm 38 and has a tapped hole 46 receiving a screwthreaded end 47 of a screw spindle 48. The screw spindle 48 is rotatably journalled in a support 49 fastened to the gear box 14 and it can be rotated by means of a cranked portion 50 at one end. The screw spindle 48 is located at the same level as the hollow beam

15 and extends with the latter substantially horizon¬ tally in a direct-ion transverse of the direction 25.

The pulley wheels 31 and 41 are coupled with one another by flexible endless connecting members 51 and 52 in the form of two V-belts. These V-belts 51 and 52 are located side by side in grooves 53 and

54 in the integral pulley wheel 31 and in grooves

55 and 56 in the integral pulley wheel 41. The pulley wheels 31 and 41 shown in Figures 2 and 3 have diameters 57 and 58, the diameter 58 being twice the diameter 57.

For use, the spreader is attached to the lifting device of a tractor or a similar vehicle by coupling the fastening means 5 and 6 with the arms of the lifting device. A splined input end 59 of the shaft 40 is connected with an intermediate shaft, which is linked to a power take-off shaft of the tractor. Material to be spread is loaded into the hopper 2 from which, in operation, it is suppliedto the distribution members 3 and 4, which are rotated from the shaft 40. Drive for this purpose is transmitted from the tractor to the shaft 40 on which the pulley wheel 41 is rotatably

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fixed. The flexible transmission members 51 and 52 transmit the drive to the pulley wheel 31 from the pulley wheel 41 and hence to the shaft 30. The shaft 30 carries a bevel gear wheel 60 which is arranged in the gear box 13 and meshes with the gear wheel 24. The gear wheel 24 drives the gear wheel 23 so that the shaft 11 and the distribution member 3 are rotated about the rotary axis 21. From the gear wheel 24 in the gear box 13 the other gear wheel 24, in the gear box 14, is rotated via the shaft 26. Since this other gear wheel 24 is coupled with the other gear wheel 23 in the gear box 14, the shaft 12 and the distribution member 4 are also rotated. The distribution members 3 and 4 are thus rotated in the driection of the arrows 61 and 62, that is, in opposite senses with their adjacent sides moving in the travel direction 25.

The material supplied to the distribution members 3 and 4 is received from the delivery spouts 19 and 20 at a place such that each of the distribution members spreads-the material during travel on a strip of land extending equally on both sides, of the vertical plane 63 containing the longitudinal centre line of the device. In this way the two distribution members will simultaneously spread the material over the same area. The distribution members 3 and 4 are disposed . symmetrically with respect to each other and the supply of the material to the distribution members occurs symmetrically about the plane 63. Therefore the two distribution members will -spread the material symmetrically about the plane 63, which provides a very advantageous distribution pattern. Thanks to this symmetrical distribution by the two distribution members, in particular, on the same strips of land the width of the strips receving the material can be set by modifying the speed of rotation of the distribution members 3 and 4 about their rotary axes

21 and 22. This modification of the rotary speed can be simply carried out by varying the driving speed of the shaft 30 by replacing at least one of the pulley wheels 31 or 41 by a pulley wheel of different diameter or by interchanging •these pulley wheels.

In the illustrated embodiment, the two pulley wheels 31 and 41 can be readily removed from their shafts 30 and 40 respectively by removing the quick- action clips 34 and 44 so that the pulley wheels can be taken from the shafts or slipped onto them as the case may be. The speed of rotation of the distribution members can be varied in a simple manner by interchanging the pulley wheels 31 and 41 so that the pulley wheel 41 is on the shaft 30 and the pulley wheel 31 on the shaft 40.

In the illustrated embodiment the diameter of the- pulley wheel ^* 41 is twice that of the pulley wheel 31. When the pulley wheels are interchanged, from the positions shown, the speed of rotation of the distribution members, for the same speed of the shaft 40, is reduced to a quarter.

An advantageous embodiment is obtained when apart from the two pulley wheel 31 and 41, for example, two further pulley wheels are provided. For example, the pulley wheels 31 and 41 may have diameters of

90 to 180 rnrns respectively. By supplying two further pulley wheels which are, for example, 140 and 150 mms in diameter, any one of a large number of rotary speeds of the distribution members 3 and 4 may be chosen in a range, say, between 270 and 1080 rev/mih, the shaft 40 being driven from the power take-off shaft with 570 rev/min. With, a speed of 570 rev/min of the power take-off shaft the pulley wheels shown and the further pulley wheels of 140 and 150 mms can drive the distribution members at will with any one of the rotary .speeds of 270, 324, 347, 420, 450, 504, 574, 648, 694, 840, 900 or 1080 rev/min. The

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interchange of the pulley wheels 31 and 41 among one another or with the other pulleys can be carried out in a simple manner by releasing the quick-action clips 34 and/or 44 without using tools and by slipping a different pulley wheel on the axle 30 and/or 40 and remounting the clips 34 and/or 44.

In order to tension the belts 51 and 52 correctly when the pulley wheels are exchanged, the shaft 40 can be displaced in a direction substantially parallel to the line between the axes of the shafts 30 and 40. Owing to the horizontal position of the shaft 36 the shaft 40 is displaceable parallel to itself in a direction transverse of the direction 25. Adjustment of the shaft 40 is achieved by turning of the carrying arm 38 about the centre line of the shaft 36. This is done by turning the screw spindle 48 .which is rotat-able i the support 49, but not slid- able. The screwthreaded end 47 will then turn in the tapped hole 46 so that the arm 38 is turned about the pivotal shaft 36 ^* . Thus, by turning the cranked end portion 50 about the longitudinal axis of the screw spindle in one direction or the other the shaft 40 can be moved towards or away from the shaft 30 -in order to obtain the correct tension of the belts 51 and 52.

The screw spindle 48 is positioned so that the portion 50, serving as a handle, can be easily grasped from the side of the spreader. The belts 51 and 52 and the pulley wheels 31 and 41 of the illustrated embodiment are located, with respect to the direction 25, behind the transmission members accommodated in the hollow beam 15 and the gear boxes 13 and 14 so that the pulley wheels are easily accessible from the rear of the spreader, that is to say, the side opposite the side where the spreader is coupled by the fastening members 5 and 6 with the lifting device. The flexible members 51 and 52 and the pulley wheels

31 and 41 thus form parts of driving means located opposite the side of the device to be coupled with a prime mover of the device.

Although in the embodiment described two pulley wheels 31 and 41.are shown, it is possible, for example, for belt pulleys with belts or other discs with flexible members to be employed as alternatives. Such 'trans¬ missions, in particular V-belt transmissions can be easily employed, for example, in agricultural implements such as the fertilizer dispenser shown in the Figures. The belts 51, 52 and the pulley wheels 41 and 31 can be readily removed and remounted for an optional drive of the distribution members 3 and 4 with one of the various speeds. Whilst various features of the spreader that have been described, and that are illustrated in the drawings, will be' set forth in the following claims as inventive features, it is to be noted that the invention is not necessarily limited to these features and that it encompasses all of the features that have been described both individually and in various combinations.