Hydraulically operated push-off manure spreader

In a manure spreader having a box open at its rear end for discharge of animal waste contained therein, said box having vertically disposed side walls extending lengthwise of the box with inwardly opening fore-and-aft extending tracks, said box further having a floor structure extending between the lower edges of the side walls with opposite fore-and-aft extending edges seated respectively in the tracks, the floor structure being composed of a rear lower horizontal portion having opposite surfaces, means mounting the rear lower portion mounted on the rear part of the box so that either of said opposite surfaces may face upwardly, and an upper horizontal portion supported to move lengthwise of the box from a front extension of the rear portion to a rear overlying relation to the rear portion and slidably carried on the latter, said floor portions having upper plastic surfaces so that animal waste may slide easily between the respective front and rear edges of the floor portions, a vertically extending push-off supported to shift lengthwise of the front floor portion between its front and rear ends;

• power means on the spreader for shifting the front floor portion rearwardly on the rear floor portion to its overlying position and the push-off rearwardly with respect to the front portion to the latter's rear edge;
• and transversely spaced parallel and fore-and-aft extending rails mounted on the upper surface of the rear floor portion and engaging the underside of the front floor portion for retaining the underside of the front portion out of engagement with the upper plastic surface of the rear floor portion as it moves between its front extension and overlying positions with respect to the rear floor portion.