GB2103175A - Improvements relating to recharging hoppers - Google Patents

Abstract

A mobile dump box 10 for recharging a hopper of a tractor-mounted fertilizer spreader comprises a chassis 12 for attachment to the tractor and mounted on wheels 22. The tow bar 14 is sufficiently long to enable the box 10 to clear the spreader when being towed behind the tractor. A hopper 42 containing reserve fertilizer is mounted for movement between a transport position (full line) and a discharge position (chain-dotted line) in which the hopper 42 discharges its contents into the spreader, movement being effected by rams 54 connected to the. hydraulic system of the tractor. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to re-charging hoppers This invention relates to mobile dump boxes for re-charging a hopper of a tractor-mounted agricultural implement such as a spreader for applying fertiliser in pelleted or granular form or a seed drill for sowing seeds.

The types of fertiliser spreaders in common use are trailed spreaders and tractor-mounted spreaders. A trailer spreader comprises a twowheeled chassis on which there is mounted an elongate hopper having a floor of V-shaped crosssection. A conveyor runs longitudinally along the bottom of the floor at the apex of the 'V' and in use feeds the fertiliser onto a spreading mechanism which is mounted at the rear of the spreader and which flings the fertiliser over a wide arc. As the track of the trailer wheels is determined by that of the tractor wheels and there are practical restrictions on the width and length of the hopper, capacity is gained by increasing its height. The resultant height makes it difficult to load manually, and mechanical loading aids such as loading scoops are complicated and expensive.To enable the hopper to have the maximum possible width it is extended over the wheels: this extension imposes a restriction on the size of the wheels (and this therefore increases the likelihood of soil damage due to excessive pressures being exerted on the ground, expecially in soft conditions).

Because of the corrosive nature of fertilisers depreciation is a major part of the running costs of all spreaders, but due to their mechanical complexity and high capital cost trailed spreaders are worse in this respect.

Most of the above-described drawbacks of the trailed spreader are overcome by the tractormounted, spreader. This comprises a hopper arranged to feed fertiliser directly into the spreading mechanism by gravity via a variable orifice which controls the application rake, and it is therefore mechanically simple and cheap. In the design of the trailed spreader there is a conflict between keeping the laden weight to an acceptable level with regard to soil damage and providing a capacity sufficiently great to reduce the need to re-load to acceptable intervals: the weight problem its far more acute with the tractormounted spreader as a spreader having a capacity of more than one ton render the tractor unstable, but soil damage is less likely due to the smaller load being borne by the large rear wheels of the tractor.

At a typical rate of application of three hundred-weight per acre a 1 tonne hopper may be emptied in 1 5 minutes. If a round trip of five miles then has to be made to re-charge the hopper from a central storage point and the maximum speed of the tractor is 15 mph, it will be seen that a high proportion of the total time needed to spread the fertiliser will be spent in travel between the field and the storage point which reduces the effective work rate.

According to the present invention the limited capacity of the tractor-mounted spreader is overcome by the provision of a mobile dump box for re-charging a tractor-mounted fertiliser spreader or seed drill, the dump box comprising a chassis having two wheels and a tow bar sufficiently long to enable the box to clear the spreader or drill when towed behind the tractor, a hopper for containing fertiliser or seed and mounted for movement between a transport position and a discharge position in which the hopper discharges into the tractor-mounted spreader, and actuating means for effecting said movement. Preferably the container is pivotally mounted on an elevated support and said movement is effected by hydraulic means.In use (in conjunction with for example a tractormounted fertiliser spreader), a tractor having the spreader mounted thereon and coupled to a dump box according to the present invention is driven to the field to which fertiliser is to be applied, with both the spreader and the dump box fully charged. At the field the dump box is uncoupled and the fertiliser spread in the usual way until the hopper of the spreader is empty. The tractor is then backed up to the uncoupled dump box which is connected to the hydraulic system of the tractor and the container raised sufficiently to re-charge the hopper of the spreader.

Although the invention may be carried out in a variety of ways, one particular embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a mobile dump box according to the present invention; with the hopper shown in a transport and a raised position; Figure 2 is a plan of the chassis and support mast; Figure 3 is a side elevation of the mast and part of the chassis; Figure 4 is a front elevation of the mast; and, Figure 5 is a front elevation of the hopper.

As shown in the drawings, a mobile dump box 1 0 comprises a generally T-shaped chassis 12 having a rolled, hollow-section main member 14 fitted at its front end with a hitch ring 1 6 and strand 18. and having welded across its rear end an axle 20 on end of which is mounted a wheel hub 22, the joint between the main member 14 and axle 20 being strengthened by two boxsection gussets 24.

Upstanding from a position towards the rear of the main member 14 is a mast 26 supported forwardly by two box-section gussets 28, 30 and flanked by two plate gussets 31 which not only afford lateral support to the mast 26 but also support respective hydraulic ram mounting brackets 32, 34. Welded to the upper end of the mast 26 are two cranked gusset plates 36, 38 which are apertured to receive a pin 40 providing a pivoted mounting for a hopper 42.

The hopper 42 is constructed with two support arms 44, 46, which are also apertured at their upper ends to receive the pin 40, and which support the sloping floors and the front, side and rear walls of a box 48 formed of welded sheet steel sections strengthened by struts, such as front section struts 49, ribs and gussets. Across the rear half of the top of the box a removabie grid 50 is positioned; and from the front half there extends a spout or chute 52 which is supported by the arms 44, 46.

Pivotal movement of the hopper 42 is effected by a pair of hydraulic rams 54, the lower ends of which are mounted in the brackets 32, 34 and the upper ends one on each side of a central ram support block 56 mounted on the front of the box 48.

To use the dump box 10 it is hitched by means of the hitch ring 16 to a tractor on which there is mounted a spreader (not shown), the hopper of which is aiready filled with fertiliser. The length of the main member 18 forward of the mast 26 leaves ample room for the spreader and the provision of a direct coupling to the tractor ensures that the spreader manufacturers' stipuiation that a trailer should not be towed from a spreader is not contravened. The box 48 is then charged when in the unloaded, transport position by slitting and emptying bags of fertiliser placed on the grid 50. After the dump box 10 has been towed to the work site it is left at the side of the field and spreading carried out in the usual way until the hopper of the spreader is empty.The tractor is then backed up to the parked dump box 10 and a hydraulic hose (not shown) to the rams 54 coupled to the tractor's hydraulic system via a connection on the spreader. With the front of the chassis 12 still supported by the stand 18, the rams 54 are actuated to raise the box 48 about the pin 40 to the raised position shown in Figure 1 until sufficient fertiliser passes down the chute 52 to re-charge the spreader. Subsequently the box 48 is lowered and the hydraulic hose disconnected to allow spreading to recommence.

It is envisaged that the dump box 10 could have a capacity of up to at least two tons thus effecting a great saving in travelling time and facilitating the use of the much cheaper mounted spreader as opposed to a trailer spreader.

Although the dump box according to the present invention has been described only in relation to receiving fertilisers and seed it may in fact also be used for agricultural dressings in powder or liquid form.

Claims (Filed on 9 July 1982) 1. A mobile dump box for re-charging a tractormounted applicator (which term includes means for applying powder- or liquid-form agricultural dressings, fertiliser spreaders and seed drills), the dump box comprising a chassis for attachment to the tractor and having two wheels and a tow bar sufficiently long to enable the box to clear the applicator when being towed behind the tractor, a hopper for containing material to be applied and mounted for movement between a transport position and a discharge position in which the hopper discharges its contents into the tractormounted applicator, and actuating means for effecting said movement.

2. A dump box as claimed in Claim 1, in which the chassis comprises an elevated support on which the hopper is pivotally mounted.

3. A dump box as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the actuating means include a hydraulic ram.

4. A dump box as claimed in Claim 1 and substantially as herein described.

5. A mobile dump box substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

6. A method of distributing liquid or particulate material using a tractor-mounted applicator, the method comprising driving to a work-site a tractor on which the applicator is mounted and having in tow a dump box according to the present invention, both the applicator and the dump box being charged with said material, uncoupling the dump box at the work-site, distributing the contents of the applicator, positioning the tractor by the uncoupled dump box and refilling the applicator therefrom.

7. A method as claimed in Claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described.

8. A method of distributing liquid or particulate material, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. The features as herein disclosed, or their equivalents in any novel selection.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (9)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. support the sloping floors and the front, side and rear walls of a box 48 formed of welded sheet steel sections strengthened by struts, such as front section struts 49, ribs and gussets. Across the rear half of the top of the box a removabie grid 50 is positioned; and from the front half there extends a spout or chute 52 which is supported by the arms 44, 46. Pivotal movement of the hopper 42 is effected by a pair of hydraulic rams 54, the lower ends of which are mounted in the brackets 32, 34 and the upper ends one on each side of a central ram support block 56 mounted on the front of the box 48. To use the dump box 10 it is hitched by means of the hitch ring 16 to a tractor on which there is mounted a spreader (not shown), the hopper of which is aiready filled with fertiliser. The length of the main member 18 forward of the mast 26 leaves ample room for the spreader and the provision of a direct coupling to the tractor ensures that the spreader manufacturers' stipuiation that a trailer should not be towed from a spreader is not contravened. The box 48 is then charged when in the unloaded, transport position by slitting and emptying bags of fertiliser placed on the grid 50. After the dump box 10 has been towed to the work site it is left at the side of the field and spreading carried out in the usual way until the hopper of the spreader is empty.The tractor is then backed up to the parked dump box 10 and a hydraulic hose (not shown) to the rams 54 coupled to the tractor's hydraulic system via a connection on the spreader. With the front of the chassis 12 still supported by the stand 18, the rams 54 are actuated to raise the box 48 about the pin 40 to the raised position shown in Figure 1 until sufficient fertiliser passes down the chute 52 to re-charge the spreader. Subsequently the box 48 is lowered and the hydraulic hose disconnected to allow spreading to recommence. It is envisaged that the dump box 10 could have a capacity of up to at least two tons thus effecting a great saving in travelling time and facilitating the use of the much cheaper mounted spreader as opposed to a trailer spreader. Although the dump box according to the present invention has been described only in relation to receiving fertilisers and seed it may in fact also be used for agricultural dressings in powder or liquid form. Claims (Filed on 9 July 1982)

1. A mobile dump box for re-charging a tractormounted applicator (which term includes means for applying powder- or liquid-form agricultural dressings, fertiliser spreaders and seed drills), the dump box comprising a chassis for attachment to the tractor and having two wheels and a tow bar sufficiently long to enable the box to clear the applicator when being towed behind the tractor, a hopper for containing material to be applied and mounted for movement between a transport position and a discharge position in which the hopper discharges its contents into the tractormounted applicator, and actuating means for effecting said movement.

2. A dump box as claimed in Claim 1, in which the chassis comprises an elevated support on which the hopper is pivotally mounted.

3. A dump box as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the actuating means include a hydraulic ram.

4. A dump box as claimed in Claim 1 and substantially as herein described.

5. A mobile dump box substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

6. A method of distributing liquid or particulate material using a tractor-mounted applicator, the method comprising driving to a work-site a tractor on which the applicator is mounted and having in tow a dump box according to the present invention, both the applicator and the dump box being charged with said material, uncoupling the dump box at the work-site, distributing the contents of the applicator, positioning the tractor by the uncoupled dump box and refilling the applicator therefrom.

7. A method as claimed in Claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described.

8. A method of distributing liquid or particulate material, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. The features as herein disclosed, or their equivalents in any novel selection.