US 6,871,762 B1Granted

Dispenser for ice-thawing and other granulated materials

OwnerPaul E. Crippsinventor

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A container for storage, dispensing, and spreading of ice-thawing materials for use around doorways, walkways, and other entrances where people walk and ice can form. It includes a storage hopper safe from the weather elements, a rotary dispenser drum which dispenses a pre-measured amount of ice-melt material or other granulate such as sand to a spreader try which can be removed and used to spread material where needed. The storage hopper has a discharge hole in the base that matches the hole in the rotary drum dispenser. The drum dispenser is a hollow drum suspended in air where the hole meets the hole in the hopper. The drum is secured in place by the ends which protrude through either the outside of the hopper wall or the unit container wall, the drum can be rotated manually or mechanically to place the hole either on top for filling of tube or on the bottom for discharging the materials from the tube. The spreading tray has a fill area to receive the material from the tube and a sifter area for dispersing the material, the tray can be removed by use of the handle and replaced to refill by rotating drum hole back to top position and then back to bottom position.

A system for storing, dispensing and dispersing granular ice thawing material comprising:

a) a dispenser container comprising;
(i) a system housing unit having weather-proof sidewalls and bottom;
housing a material transfer area;
(ii) a hopper for storing granular ice thawing material, with an outlet positioned at the bottom of said hopper, allowing said granular ice thawing material to exit through said outlet by gravity feed;
(iii) a spreader tray guide positioned in said material transfer area and below said hopper;
(b) a weather-proof lid covering said hopper, with a peaked top to allow moisture run-off;
(c) a removable spreader tray comprising;
(i) a container sized to fit within the said spreader tray guide;
(ii) a spreading tray sifting area located at one end, covered with a mesh screen, with a sieve size to allow said granular ice thawing material to disperse at a regulated rate when said spreader tray is removed from said dispenser container and is gently shaken over area where said granulated ice melting material is required;
(iii) a spreader tray loading area, located on top of said container, large enough to accept said ice thawing material without undue spillage;
(iv) a handle located at opposite end of said container from said spreader tray sifting area, used for inserting or removing of said spreader tray from said dispenser container, and for holding said spreader tray while dispersing said granular ice melting material over walk areas where desired
(d) a dispenser drum for transferring said granular ice thawing material from said hopper outlet to said spreader tray, said dispenser drum comprising;
(i) a rotatably mounted hollow cylinder, positioned directly below said hopper, and above said spreader tray and,
(ii) with a dispenser drum opening matching a size of said hopper outlet, and wherein said dispenser drum is in a loading position, the said dispenser drum opening is aligned with said hopper outlet, allowing said granular ice melting material to gravity feed into said dispenser drum until said dispenser drum is full, and wherein said dispenser drum is in an unloading position, the said dispenser drum opening is aligned with said spreader tray loading area, allowing said granular ice melting material to gravity feed into said spreader tray until said dispenser drum is empty.

11 more elements

Abstract

Claims8