# US 11,027,294 B2 · Airborne material spreading assembly and method for spreading material > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,027,294 B2 - Document ID: US11027294B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/964,605 - Filed: 2018-04-27 - Published: 2019-01-03 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-06-28 - Assignees: Conseiller Forestier Roy Inc. - Applicants: Conseiller Forestier Roy Inc. - Inventors: Antoine Roy; Johnny Guérin; Samuel Turcotte - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11027294B2 ## CPC - B05B 3/04: driven by the liquid or other fluent material discharged, e.g. the liquid actuating a motor before passing to the outlet - B05B 3/02: with rotating elements (electric spraying discharge apparatus characterised by having rotary outlet or deflecting elements B05B5/04) - B05B 3/025: {Rotational joints} - B05B 3/16: driven or controlled by the liquid or other fluent material discharged, e.g. the liquid actuating a motor before passing to the outlet {(comprising liquid driven rotors wherein the rotation of the outlet element is reversible B05B3/0432; the outlet elements being rotated by a deflecting element successively moved into the discharged jet by the action of a biasing means and out of the discharged jet by the discharged jet with the rotation of the outlet elements being reversible B05B3/0461)} - B05B 7/1404: {Arrangements for supplying particulate material} - B05B 12/087: {Flow or presssure regulators, i.e. non-electric unitary devices comprising a sensing element, e.g. a piston or a membrane, and a controlling element, e.g. a valve} - B05B 13/005: {mounted on vehicles or designed to apply a liquid on a very large surface, e.g. on the road, on the surface of large containers} - B64D 1/16: Dropping or releasing powdered, liquid, or gaseous matter, e.g. for fire-fighting (jettisoning fuel B64D37/26) - B05B 12/08: responsive to condition of liquid or other fluent material {to be} discharged, of ambient medium or of target {; responsive to condition of spray devices or of supply means, e.g. pipes, pumps or their drive means} - B64D 1/12: Releasing - B64U 2101/45: for releasing liquids or powders in-flight, e.g. crop-dusting - B64U 2201/20: Remote controls - B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D) - B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT - B64U: UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR ## Abstract A spreading assembly is provided. The spreading assembly comprises a spreadable material container, a spreading mechanism, and a motor. The spreading mechanism is rotatably mounted to a bottom section of the material container and can disperse the spreadable material 360° around the spreading assembly. The motor is operatively connected to the spreading mechanism to engage same in rotation. The spreading assembly comprises a coupling assembly to engage the spreading assembly with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to transport the spreading assembly while it operates. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A spreading assembly for dispersing spreadable material, the spreading assembly comprising: a spreadable material container defining a container interior volume and having at least one material outlet opening in material communication with the container interior volume and through which the spreadable material contained in the container interior volume can exit; a spreading mechanism rotatably mounted to the spreading container and including a dispersion tube having at least a section extending outwardly of the spreadable material container, the dispersion tube having at least one inlet aperture being in material communication with the container interior volume to allow a flow of the spreadable material between the container interior volume and the dispersion tube, the dispersion tube having at least one outlet aperture through which the spreadable material can exit the dispersion tube and be dispersed in an area surrounding the spreading assembly and an inner channel in material communication with the at least one material outlet opening; and a motor operatively connected to the dispersion tube of the spreading mechanism to engage the dispersion tube in rotation; and wherein the inner channel of the dispersion tube is configured to retain the spreadable material therein when the spreading mechanism is not engaged in rotation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The spreading assembly according to claim 1, wherein the spreadable material container comprises a coupling assembly engageable with an unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”). ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The spreading assembly according to claim 2, wherein the coupling assembly comprises a spreader attachment secured to the spreading assembly, a UAV attachment secured to the UAV and an attachment coupler connecting the UAV attachment and the spreader attachment together and defining at least one pivot axis between the UAV attachment and the spreader attachment in order to maintain the spreading assembly in a substantially upright position. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The spreading assembly according to claim 2, wherein the spreadable material container comprises a lid having at least one inlet opening through which the spreadable material can be fed into the container interior volume, and wherein the coupling assembly is connected to the lid. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The spreading assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one material outlet opening is defined in a bottom portion of the spreadable material container. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The spreading assembly according to claim 5, wherein the bottom portion of the spreadable material container is tapered inwardly to direct the spreadable material towards the at least one material outlet opening. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The spreading assembly according to claim 1, wherein the spreading mechanism is rotatable about 360 degrees to spread the spreadable material in an area surrounding the spreading assembly. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The spreading assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one outlet aperture comprises two outlet apertures disposed at opposite ends of the dispersion tube. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The spreading assembly according to claim 8, wherein a distance between a nadir of the dispersion tube and one of the outlet apertures is between about 3 cm and about 100 cm. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The spreading assembly according to claim 1, wherein the dispersion tube is V-shaped. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The spreading assembly according to claim 10, wherein the V-shaped dispersion tube defines an inner angle between about 60 degrees and about 179 degrees. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The spreading assembly according to claim 11, further comprising a shaft operatively connected to the motor, the shaft extending within the container interior volume and being operatively connected to the dispersion tube at a nadir thereof. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The spreading assembly according to claim 12, wherein a lower section of the shaft extends through the material outlet opening with a diameter of a section of the shaft extending through the material outlet opening being smaller than a diameter of the material outlet opening to allow the spreadable material contained in the container interior volume to exit through the material outlet opening and flow into the dispersion tube. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The spreading assembly according to claim 13, further comprising a flow adjustment mechanism adapted to control the rate at which the spreadable material exits the container interior volume and flows into the dispersion tube. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The spreading assembly according to claim 14, wherein the lower section of the shaft is threaded, and wherein the flow adjustment mechanism comprises a set screw operatively engaged with the dispersion tube and extending within the lower section of the shaft to selectively displace the dispersion tube with respect to the spreadable material container by rotation thereof. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The spreading assembly according to claim 12, wherein the motor and shaft comprise a protective shell secured to the spreadable material container and extending through the container interior volume, the protective shell surrounding and isolating a bottom portion of the motor and a section of the shaft from the spreadable material contained in the container interior volume. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The spreading assembly according to claim 16, wherein the protective shell comprises at least one shell opening defined in a lower section thereof to allow the spreadable material contained in the container interior volume to flow therethrough and into the material outlet opening of the spreadable material container. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The spreading assembly according to claim 16, wherein the shaft comprises at least one shaft stabilizer mounted within the protective shell, along the shaft, to stabilize movements of the shaft, the at least one shaft stabilizer comprising at least one bearing surrounding the shaft and contacting the protective shell. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The spreading assembly according to claim 1, wherein the inner channel of the dispersion tube has a diameter between about 1 cm and about 20 cm. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The spreading assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a control assembly operatively connected to the motor to control same and the control assembly comprises an electronic speed controller (ESC) operatively connected to the motor for controlling same, and a power source operatively connected to the ESC to supply power thereto and being in data communication with a command transceiver to receive a control signal therefrom. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) An unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”) for dispersing a spreadable material over a field, the UAV comprising the spreading assembly according to claim 1, and wherein the UAV comprises a UAV controller operatively connected thereto to control same. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) A method for spreading spreadable material in an area, the method comprising the steps of: providing a spreading assembly according to claim 1; coupling the spreading assembly to an unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”); and remotely controlling the UAV and the spreading assembly via remote control to spread the spreadable material.