Apparatus for dispensing particulate material

Apparatus for spreading particulate material comprising:

• a frame;
• a hopper supported by the frame, the hopper having a lower gravity feed outlet aperture;
• a feed platform forming the base of said hopper and receiving material from said hopper through said feed outlet aperture, said feed platform having a material discharge edge for discharging the received material;
• means for reciprocating the feed platform with respect to said aperture, said means for reciprocating including means for moving said feed platform in a first direction so that said material discharge edge is moved relatively slowly in a direction away from the feed outlet aperture and means for moving said feed platform relatively fast in a direction opposite said one direction;
• an adjustable gate forming part of the hopper wall for controlling the size of said feed outlet aperture, the particulate material being dispensed from said hopper through said outlet aperture onto said feed platform, the particulate material falling from said material discharge edge of said feed platform to be spread as said feed platform reciprocates;
• and
• means for attaching said frame to a towing vehicle, said means for attaching including means for adjusting the inclination of the frame with respect to the towing vehicle so as to vary the rate of discharge from said hopper.