JP7554426B2 - Fertilizer spreader - Google Patents

Description

Article 30, paragraph 2 of the Patent Act applied. Performance test conducted at Toki Toshio's farm on April 9, 2020.

The present invention relates to a fertilizer spreader that spreads fertilizer on a farm field, and more specifically, to a fertilizer spreader that can also mix fertilizer near the hopper wall.

Generally, large fertilizer spreaders are configured to spread fertilizer on a field while being towed by a towing vehicle such as a tractor. The general structure of such a fertilizer spreader is explained using Figure 7.

In FIG. 7, reference numeral 2 denotes a horizontally long hopper towed by a towing vehicle such as a tractor (not shown), into which fertilizer can be poured. Reference numeral 4a denotes a mixing section that mixes the multiple types of fertilizer poured into the hopper 2, and uses an agitating blade 42a to mix the fertilizer uniformly. Reference numeral 5 denotes a spreading section provided at the bottom of the hopper 2, which drops the fertilizer from intermittent holes 26 provided in the bottom plate. When spreading fertilizer using such a fertilizer spreader, the fertilizer is poured into the hopper 2, mixed uniformly in the mixing section 4a, and then dropped from the holes 26 provided at the bottom of the hopper 2 (see, for example, the following patent document).

JP 2019-201563 A

However, mixing fertilizer in the hopper of such a fertilizer spreader has the following problems:

In other words, while hoppers are generally tapered so that the inner width narrows toward the bottom, the mixing section is configured to rotate impellers attached to a rotating shaft in the left-right direction. This means that the impellers cannot mix the fertilizer outside the rotation radius of the impellers, and there is also the problem that the fertilizer remaining on the inner wall must be cleaned after spreading.

To address this issue, the inner wall of the hopper could be made cylindrical to reduce the gap between the impeller and the inner wall, but not only would a gap inevitably be created, but there would also be problems with the impeller hitting the inner wall if the hopper were to become distorted due to shaking while traveling through a field.

The present invention was developed to address the above-mentioned issues, and aims to provide a fertilizer spreader that can mix fertilizer close to the inner wall of a tapered hopper when mixing the fertilizer in the hopper.

In other words, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a fertilizer spreader comprising a hopper configured in a tapered shape so that the inner width gradually narrows downward and containing fertilizer inside, a mixing section which mixes the fertilizer contained in the hopper, and a spreading section which spreads the fertilizer mixed in the mixing section towards a farm field, wherein the mixing section is configured with an agitator blade attached to a rotating shaft, the agitator blade is provided with a flexible abutment member which abuts against the inner wall of the hopper, and a bending member is attached to the rear end side in the rotational direction of the agitator blade and bent towards the inner wall of the hopper, and the flexible abutment member is sandwiched between the bent part and the agitator blade.

In addition, in such an invention, if a reinforcing member is attached to the front and rear of the hopper to prevent deformation of the hopper, a groove can be provided in the abutment member to avoid this reinforcing member.

This configuration allows the groove to avoid the reinforcing member, so the tip will not come into contact with the reinforcing member and become deformed.

According to the present invention , by rotating the flexible contact portion so as to slide against the inner wall of the hopper, it becomes possible to mix fertilizer close to the inner wall as well.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a fertilizer spreader showing an embodiment of the present invention. Schematic diagram showing the mixing section and the spreading section of the fertilizer spreader in the same configuration. FIG. 1 shows the stirring blades of the mixing section in the same embodiment. FIG. 1 shows the stirring blade and the contact member in the same embodiment. FIG. 13 shows grooves in the reinforcing member and the contact member of the hopper in the embodiment. FIG. 2 shows the spray unit in the same embodiment. FIG. 1 shows a conventional fertilizer spreader.

The cover opening and closing structure used in a fertilizer spreading device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The fertilizer spreading device in this embodiment is used while being towed by a towing vehicle such as a tractor, and as shown in FIG. 1, is configured with a hopper 2 that stores fertilizer, a mixing section 4 that uniformly mixes the fertilizer stored in the hopper 2, and a spreading section 5 provided below the hopper 2, and is characterized in that, as shown in FIG. 3, a flexible abutment member that abuts against the inner wall of the hopper is attached to the rear end of the mixing blade 42 provided in the mixing section 4, and this abutment member is brought into contact with the inner wall, so that the fertilizer near the inner wall can be mixed. This embodiment will be described in detail below.

The hopper 2 of the fertilizer spreading device is long and long, and is configured so that the fertilizer can be stored inside when the cover 3 is opened. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the hopper 2 is configured with an upper front plate 21f and an upper rear plate 21b that are arranged to face each other from the front to the rear, an intermediate inclined plate 22 below which the gap width in the front-rear direction gradually decreases downward, a lower inclined plate 23 that is arranged below the intermediate inclined plate 22 and further has a smaller gap width on the inside, and a bottom wall 24 and a bottom plate 25 that are arranged below the lower inclined plate 23 and surround the agitator 53 of the spreading section 5. In addition, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 5, the opening 20 at the top of the hopper 2 is provided with T-shaped reinforcing members 27 intermittently arranged in the left-right direction, and the reinforcing members 27 are used to prevent the hopper 2 from deforming.

The mixer 4 provided inside the hopper 2 mixes the fertilizer contained in the hopper 2 and allows the fertilizer to fall through the hole 26 (see Figure 6) in the bottom plate 25. The driving force from the tractor's PTO is transmitted to the transmission 6 (see Figure 2), which rotates the mixing blades 42 together with the rotating shaft 41 of the hopper 2.

The spreading section 5 provided at the bottom of the hopper 2 is designed to drop the fertilizer gathered in the center by the agitating blades 42 toward the field, and is configured with holes 26 (see FIG. 6) provided intermittently in the bottom plate 25, a shutter 51 that closes the hole 26, and a sliding mechanism that slides the shutter 51. This sliding mechanism slides the shutter 51 provided below the bottom plate 25 in the left-right direction, and the amount of spreading can be adjusted by overlapping the rectangular opening 51a with the hole 26 in the bottom plate 25. The spreading section 5 is also provided with an agitator 53, and the fertilizer can be dropped from the hole 26 by rotating the blades 54 provided on the rotating shaft 52.

In this configuration, the mixing section 4 for uniformly mixing the fertilizer is configured as follows:

First, the rotating shafts 41 are provided in pairs in the front-rear direction of the hopper 2, and are configured to be driven by the transmission 6 (see Figure 2) so that they rotate with their central portions facing upward.

Meanwhile, the agitating blades 42 are attached to the outer periphery of the rotating shaft 41 so as not to interfere with the agitating blades 42 attached to the rotating shafts 41 at the front and rear, and are configured to agitate and mix the fertilizer uniformly by the rotation. The agitating blades 42 are attached to the tips of two thin-plate-shaped arms 43 that have flat surfaces along the direction of rotation. If the front edge portions of the arms 43 are linear along the radial direction, when the rotating shaft 41 is rotated, the fertilizer will hit the linear front edge portions of the arms at the same time, and a large load will be applied to the rotating shaft 41. Therefore, in this embodiment, the shape is made to have a front edge portion that is curved so that the tip side lags behind the direction of rotation, and the load applied to the front edge portions of the arms 43 is distributed along the front edge.

The mixing blade 42 attached to the tip of this arm 43 is designed to uniformly mix the fertilizer contained in the hopper 2, and is composed of a front plate portion 42a and a rear plate portion 42b, which are made of a single thin plate-like member.

Of these, the front plate portion 42a is provided at the tip side in the rotation direction of the agitator blade 42, and is configured to have a convex edge portion 42e with a convexly curved central portion of the tip, as shown in FIG. 3. As a result, even if fertilizer hits the convex edge portion 42e, the weight of the fertilizer is dispersed along the curved edge, preventing a large load from being applied. Furthermore, by providing such a curved convex edge portion 42e, when the agitator blade 42 is rotated, the fertilizer that hits the edge of the convex edge portion 42e convects in a vortex, allowing the fertilizer to be mixed quickly.

On the other hand, the rear plate 42b provided behind the front plate 42a is formed so as to bend or curve from the front plate 42a toward the inside of the rotation center, and is configured in a substantially rectangular shape with both left and right sides parallel to each other. This shape increases the amount of fertilizer that can be scooped up by the inner surface of the mixing blade 42, making it easier to mix, and also ensures space to attach the arm 43 to the inner surface. When the rear plate 42b is bent or curved from the front plate 42a in this way, the front plate 42a of the mixing blade 42 is positioned close to the inner wall of the hopper 2, and the rear plate 42b is bent so as to be slightly away from the inner wall of the hopper 2. This configuration allows the fertilizer near the inner wall of the hopper 2 to be moved toward the center and mixed.

The rear end of the agitator blade 42 thus configured is provided with a flexible abutment member that abuts against the inner wall of the hopper 2, as shown in Figures 1 and 3.

The contact member 45 is made of a material that bends when it comes into contact with the inner wall of the hopper 2, and is made of a plate-shaped resin made of, for example, rubber or silicone. When the contact member 45 is provided at the rear end of the agitator 42, the rear end side of the agitator 42 is located a little away from the inner wall of the hopper 2, so the contact member 45 is attached from the rear end of the agitator 42 toward the inner wall of the hopper 2.

When the abutment member 45 is attached to the inner wall of the hopper 2 in this way, the abutment member 45 may be bent in advance and attached to the rear end of the agitator blade 42, but this increases the cost of forming the abutment member 45. Therefore, here, the abutment member 45 is configured to be flat, and a bending member 46 that is bent toward the inner wall of the hopper 2 as shown in Figure 4 is attached to the rear end side of the agitator blade 42. The abutment member 45 is then sandwiched between the bending member 46 and the agitator blade 42, and the abutment member 45 is forcibly bent by the bending member 46 so that it abuts against the inner wall of the hopper 2.

As shown in FIG. 4, the bending member 46 has a width equal to the edge of the rear end of the agitator blade 42, a front plate portion 46a that is arranged parallel to the rear plate portion 42b, and a rear plate portion 46b that is formed by bending the portion that protrudes from the rear end of the agitator blade 42. An abutment member is sandwiched between the bending member 46 and the rear plate portion 42b and fastened with bolts and nuts. The planar abutment member 45 is then bent by the rear plate portion 46b toward the inner wall of the hopper 2, and its tip is brought into contact with the inner wall of the hopper 2.

When the abutment member 45 is provided in this manner, it is made long enough to abut against the bent portion between the upper front panel 21f (upper rear panel 21b) and the intermediate inclined plate 22, or the bent portion between the intermediate inclined plate 22 and the lower inclined plate 23. However, if the abutment member 45 is made to have such a length, the tip of the abutment member 45 will abut against the reinforcing member 27 provided at the opening 20 of the hopper 2, and the abutment member 45 will abut against the edge of the reinforcing member 27, causing the tip to break or deform. Therefore, a groove 45a is provided in the part that abuts against the reinforcing member 27 to avoid abutment against the reinforcing member 27, as shown in Figures 3 and 5, thereby preventing breakage and deformation.

Next, we will explain the operation of mixing fertilizer using the fertilizer spreader 1 configured in this manner.

First, when adding fertilizer to the hopper 2, the cover 3 is opened and the bagged chemical fertilizer is added through the upper opening 20. At this time, the fertilizer is added evenly along the horizontal direction of the hopper 2, and other types of chemical fertilizer are added in the same way, one after the other from above. At this time, the added fertilizer is stored in the hopper 2 in layers.

After the fertilizer is added in this manner, the rotating shaft 41 of the mixing section 4 is rotated to mix the fertilizer evenly in the hopper 2.

When mixing fertilizer in this way, the pair of rotating shafts 41, one at the front and one at the back, are rotated so that their central portions face upward. Then, as the agitator blades 42 rotate, the fertilizer is scooped up and mixed by the agitator blades 42. At this time, the fertilizer is scooped up by the front plate portion 42a of the agitator blades 42, and the fertilizer is stirred while being collected inward by the inclined rear plate portion 42b.

When the agitator blade 42 is rotated in this manner, the abutment member 45 attached to the agitator blade 42 comes into contact with the inner wall of the hopper 2, and while bending so as to be sent in the direction of rotation, it lifts up the fertilizer near the inner wall. This allows the fertilizer near the inner wall to be mixed, and in particular, it allows the fertilizer that is retained in the bent portion between the upper front panel 21f (upper rear panel 21b) and the middle inclined plate 22, and in the bent portion between the middle inclined plate 22 and the lower inclined plate 23 to be mixed. At this time, if the amount of fertilizer is large and the resistance is high, the bent abutment member 45 releases the force along the direction of rotation, and when the remaining amount is small and the resistance is small, the abutment member 45 is returned to its bent state so that it abuts against the inner wall.

In addition, when the abutment member 45 comes into contact with the edge of the reinforcing member 27 while rotating, the groove 45a of the abutment member 45 can avoid the edge of the reinforcing member 27, preventing the abutment member 45 from breaking.

After mixing the fertilizer in this manner, the rotating shaft 52 of the agitator 53 of the spraying unit 5 is rotated, and the blades 54 attached to the rotating shaft 52 move the fertilizer toward the hole 26. The shutter 51 covering the hole 26 is then slid, and the amount of fertilizer sprayed is adjusted while adjusting the amount of overlap with the opening 51a of the shutter 51, causing the fertilizer to fall.

According to the above embodiment, the fertilizer spreader 1 includes a hopper 2 that is tapered so that the inner width gradually narrows downward and that stores fertilizer therein, a mixing section 4 that mixes the fertilizer stored in the hopper 2, and a spreading section 5 that spreads the fertilizer mixed in the mixing section 4 toward a farm field. The mixing section 4 includes an agitating blade 42 attached to a rotating shaft 41. The agitating blade 42 is provided with a flexible abutment member 45 that abuts against the inner wall of the hopper 2. The agitating blade 42 is provided with a bending member 46 that is attached to the rear end side in the rotation direction of the agitating blade 42 and bent toward the inner wall of the hopper 2. The flexible abutment member 45 is sandwiched between the bending member 46 and the agitating blade 42. Therefore , the flexible abutment member 45 can be brought into contact with the inner wall of the hopper 2, thereby mixing the fertilizer near the inner wall.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be implemented in various ways.

For example, in the above embodiment, the abutment member 45 is made of a single plate-shaped rubber or the like, but it can also be made of a brush- or broom-shaped abutment member. The vicinity of the tip of this brush- or broom-shaped abutment member is then abutted against the inner wall of the hopper 2, and the edge of the reinforcing member 27 is passed through the gap in the brush- or broom-shaped abutment member to prevent the abutment member from deforming due to the reinforcing member 27.

In the above embodiment, the hopper 2 is described as being polygonal, but the invention can also be applied to cylindrical hoppers. The invention is not limited to horizontally elongated hoppers, but can also be applied to inverted cone-shaped hoppers.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the abutment member 45 is attached to the rear end side of the agitator blade 42, but the abutment member 45 may be provided so as to stand up from the outer surface of the agitator blade 42 and abut against the inner wall of the hopper 2.

1... Fertilizer spreader 2... Hopper 25... Bottom plate 26... Hole portion 4... Mixing portion 42... Mixing blade 45... Contact member 45a... Groove 46... Bending member 5... Spraying portion 6... Transmission

Claims (2)

A hopper having a tapered shape in which the inner width gradually narrows downward and stores fertilizer therein;
A mixing unit that mixes the fertilizer contained in the hopper;
A spraying unit that sprays the fertilizer mixed in the mixing unit toward a farm field;
A fertilizer spreader comprising:
The mixing section is configured to include a stirring blade attached to a rotating shaft,
The stirring blade is provided with a flexible abutment member that abuts against the inner wall of the hopper,
A bending member is attached to the rear end side of the agitating blade in the rotation direction and bent toward the inner wall of the hopper, and a flexible abutment member is sandwiched between the bent part and the agitating blade.
A fertilizer spreader characterized by the above. The fertilizer spreader according to claim 1, wherein the contact member is configured with a groove to avoid a reinforcing member provided in the front-rear direction of the hopper.

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