Battery-powered particulate spreader

A portable electric-powered device for spreading particulate material comprising:

• a housing;
• a reservoir for feeding particulate material to the housing;
• an inlet to the housing and an outlet at a front of the housing defining an air flow path therebetween from upstream to downstream;
• a blower located within the flow path for inducing an air flow from the inlet to the outlet;
• a valve for establishing selective communication between the reservoir and the flow path;
• control means for turning the blower on and off and for opening and closing the valve;
• and
• delay means for closing the valve before turning the blower off,
• wherein the control and delay means comprise:
• a switch movable between an ON and an OFF position for controlling electric current for turning the blower on and off;
• and
• a damper coupled to the switch for delaying movement of the switch between the ON and OFF positions.

A portable electric-powered device for spreading particulate material comprising:

• a housing;
• a reservoir for holding particulate material attachable to the housing;
• an inlet and an outlet at a front of the housing defining a flow path therebetween from upstream to downstream;
• a blower located within the flow path for inducing an air flow from the inlet to the outlet, the blower including a blower axis;
• a valve between the reservoir and the flow path;
• an agitator between the reservoir and the flow path;
• an agitator drive shaft offset from the blower axis and connected to the blower, which agitator drive shaft engages the agitator at a location offset from the agitator axis, the agitator comprising
• a first perimeter portion at a uniform radius from the agitator axis;
• and
• an arm engaging the agitator drive shaft and extending radially beyond the first perimeter portion;
• and
• means for coupling the agitator to the blower for rotational reciprocation about an agitator axis.

A portable electric-powered device for spreading particulate material comprising:

• a housing;
• a reservoir for holding particulate material;
• means for attaching the reservoir to the housing;
• an inlet to the housing and an outlet at a front of the housing defining a flow path therebetween from upstream to downstream;
• a blower, having a blower axis, located within the flow path for inducing an air flow from the inlet to the outlet, the flow path comprising a blower exhaust channel located between the blower and the outlet and encompassed by a channel wall;
• a particulate intake port in the channel wall below the reservoir and downstream from the blower;
• a valve for controlling flow of particulate material from the reservoir to the particulate intake port;
• a foil having a lift inducing surface facing the particulate intake port and extending substantially across the exhaust channel;
• a switch movable between an ON and an OFF position for turning the blower on and off;
• a trigger coupled to the switch;
• a lost-motion linkage coupled to the valve and to the trigger so that the trigger is movable between:
• a first trigger position wherein the valve is closed and the blower is off;
• a second trigger position wherein the valve is closed and the blower is on;
• and
• a third trigger position wherein the valve is open and the blower is on;
• a damper coupled to the switch for delaying movement of the switch between the ON and OFF positions comprising:
• a sleeve;
• a plug encompassed by the sleeve;
• a viscous liquid between the sleeve and the plug;
• and
• means for rotating the plug relative to the sleeve;
• and
• an agitator, rotationally reciprocable about an agitator axis, having a first perimeter portion at a uniform radius from the agitator axis and an arm extending radially beyond the first perimeter portion, the arm having a slot for engaging an agitator drive shaft, which agitator drive shaft is connected to the blower and offset from the blower axis.