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US 8,505,837 B2Granted
Tailgate spreader hopper fill status sensor
AssigneeMeyer Products, LLC
InventorMarty Warchola
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spreader assembly may include a hopper, an auger mechanism, a torque sensor that provides a signal based on a condition of the auger mechanism and, a controller that receives the signal from the torque sensor and determines a fill status of the hopper based on the signal from the torque sensor.
Claims20
A spreader assembly comprising:
- a frame that is attachable to an associated vehicle;
- a hopper supported to the frame and suitable to hold a material to be spread onto an associated ground surface;
- a spinner mechanism supported to the frame and comprising:
- (1) a spinner plate;
- (2) a motor;
- and, (3) a shaft that is rotatable by the motor to rotate the spinner plate to spread the material onto the associated ground surface;
- an auger mechanism comprising:
- (1) an auger;
- (2) a motor;
- and, (3) a shaft that is rotatable by the motor to rotate the auger to transfer the material from the hopper to the spinner plate;
- a sensor that provides a signal based on a condition of the auger mechanism, wherein the sensor is one of:
- (1) a torque sensor that detects the torque load placed on the shaft that is rotatable by the motor to rotate the auger;
- and, (2) a current sensor that detects the current draw placed on the motor that rotates the auger;
- and,
- a controller that:
- (1) receives the signal from the sensor;
- (2) determines a fill status of the hopper based on the signal from the sensor;
- and, (3) operates the auger mechanism based on the fill status of the hopper.
15 more elements
A spreader assembly comprising:
- a frame that is attachable to an associated vehicle;
- a hopper supported to the frame and suitable to hold a material to be spread onto an associated ground surface;
- a motor;
- a spinner mechanism comprising a spinner plate;
- an auger mechanism comprising an auger;
- a shaft to which the spinner plate and the auger are attached, wherein the shaft is rotatable by the motor to rotate the spinner plate to spread the material onto the associated ground surface and to rotate the auger to transfer the material from the hopper to the spinner plate;
- a sensor that provides a signal based on a condition of the auger mechanism, wherein the sensor is one of:
- (1) a torque sensor that detects the torque load placed on the shaft;
- and, (2) a current sensor that detects the current draw placed on the motor;
- and,
- a controller that:
- (1) receives the signal from the sensor;
- (2) determines a fill status of the hopper based on the signal from the sensor;
- and, (3) operates the auger mechanism based on the fill status of the hopper.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.