US 5,632,342 AGranted

Lawn seeder

OwnerBryan N. Knoblich, Joann Valerani-Knoblichinventors

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Abstract

A lawn spreader composed of a cylindrical drum mounted to a user-operable handle assembly. Along the surface of a drum are a plurality of spaced-apart spike arrays with a plurality of aperture arrays interposed therebetween. A door at one end of the drum allows for deposit of granular materials, such as grass seed, within the drum. A paddle array within the drum is rotatable therein so as to open or close selected apertures of the aperture arrays. Upon drum rotation, as urged by the user on the handle assembly, the spikes first indent the earth with the grass seed then falling through the open apertures and into and between the resulting indentations in the earthen surface therebetween. The smooth surface of the drum then tamps the deposited seeds into the earthen surface. The spikes are preferably releasably attached to the cylindrical drum so that various types of spikes can be used.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A device for spreading a granular material on an earthen surface comprising:

a drum having first and second end walls with an exterior surface spanning therebetween;
a handle assembly;
means for mounting said handle assembly to said drum;
a plurality of protuberances extending from said exterior surface, said protuberances indenting the earthen surface upon rotatable movement of said drum along the earthen surface;
a plurality of apertures on said exterior surface, said apertures communicating with a drum interior;
means on said drum for deposit of the granular material into said interior of said drum;
said drum rotatable upon user exertion on said handle assembly, the granular material in said drum interior for flow through said apertures onto the indentations made by said protuberances;
means for regulating said material flow through said apertures comprising:
a plurality of paddles extending between said end walls of said drum;
means for mounting said paddles within said drum and adjacent said apertures between a first user selectable position with said paddles covering said apertures and a second position with said paddles uncovering said apertures, said paddles at said first position precluding said flow of the granular material through said apertures, said mounting means comprising:
a ring rotatably mounted within said drum about an imaginary longitudinal axis of said drum, an end of each of said paddles connected to said ring;
a lever attached to said ring;
a slot in said drum with said lever extending therethrough, whereupon movement of said lever through said slot rotates said ring and said paddles attached therethrough between said first and second paddle positions.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.