US 12,246,337 B2Granted

Portable granular particle spreader

AssigneeCharles William Henry

InventorsCharles William Henry, Keith Zimmerman

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Abstract

A portable granular material spreader including an enclosure adapted to dispense granular material through an outlet, and a pressurized air source. A chamber has first, second, and third passageways, and containing a distributor therein, the first passageway in fluid communication with the outlet to receive the granular material by virtue of gravity from the outlet with the distributor controlling a flow rate of the granular material in the chamber, the second passageway in fluid communication with the pressurized air source, and the third passageway for discharging the granular material entrained in pressurized air from the pressurized air source. A conduit being in fluid communication with the second passageway and the enclosure, the conduit end being sufficiently distal from the outlet to not result in aerating the granular material proximate the outlet while preventing a reverse flow of the granular material at the outlet during operation of the spreader.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A portable granular material spreader comprising:

a sealable enclosure having an outlet, the enclosure adapted to dispense the granular material to the enclosure outlet;
a pressurized air source for providing pressurized air;
a body having a chamber containing a rotatable distributor, the chamber further comprising:
a first passageway configured to deliver granular material from the enclosure outlet to the chamber;
a second passageway configured to deliver pressurized air to the chamber;
and
a third passageway configured to discharge granular material entrained in pressurized air from the chamber;
and
a conduit configured to deliver pressurized air from the pressurized air source to the second passageway and to the enclosure, air pressure delivered to the enclosure being greater than air pressure delivered to the second passageway;
wherein the distributor interface with the chamber is configured to substantially inhibit air flow between the first passageway, the second passageway, and the third passageway when the distributor is not rotating thereby inhibiting dispensing of granular material from the spreader, and to allow air flow between the first passageway, the second passageway, and the third passageway when rotating, allowing controlled discharge of the granular material from the spreader.

7 more elements

A portable granular material spreader comprising:

a sealable enclosure having an outlet, the enclosure adapted to dispense the granular material to the outlet;
a pressurized air source for providing pressurized air;
a body having a chamber containing a rotatable distributor, the chamber further comprising:
a first passageway configured to deliver granular material from the enclosure outlet to the chamber;
a second passageway configured to deliver pressurized air to the chamber;
and
a third passageway configured to discharge granular material entrained in pressurized air from the chamber;
a conduit configured to deliver pressurized air from the pressurized air source to the second passageway and to the enclosure, air pressure delivered to the enclosure being greater in magnitude than air pressure delivered to the second passageway;
and
a wand-type distributor configured to receive granular material entrained in pressurized air from the third passageway and distribute the granular material;
wherein the distributor interface with the chamber is configured to substantially isolate the first passageway from the second passageway and the third passageway when the distributor is not rotating thereby inhibiting granular material flow into the chamber, and to allow air flow between the first passageway, the second passageway, and the third passageway when rotating, enabling gravity-assisted and air-driven delivery of granular material from the enclosure outlet to the enclosure and controlled discharge of the air-entrained granular material from the enclosure to the wand-type distributor.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.