A vehicle mounted spreader for spreading materials such as sand, salt, or other granular chemicals onto snow and ice covered road surfaces comprises a hopper for containing the material to be spread, a spinner for spreading the material, a conveyor for conveying the material from the hopper to the spinner, a vehicle speed sensor, a load sensor, and a controller programmed with an intended density of material (e.g., pounds per acre) and desired width of coverage; within the controller the vehicle speed sensor measurement and load sensor inputs are processed to generate outputs to control the speed of the conveyor and spinner, to both control the rate of material distribution and the pattern of material distribution to approach the intended density and width.

A vehicle mounted spreader for spreading materials such as sand, salt, or other granular chemicals onto snow and ice covered road surfaces comprises a hopper for containing the material to be spread, a spinner for spreading the material, a conveyor for conveying the material from the hopper to the spinner, a vehicle speed sensor, a load sensor, a road condition sensor, and a controller programmed with an intended density of material (e.g., pounds per acre) and desired width of coverage; within the controller the vehicle speed sensor measurement and load and road sensor inputs are processed to generate outputs to control the speed of the conveyor and spinner, to both control the rate of material distribution and the pattern of material distribution to approach the intended density and width. A vehicle mounted sprayer for spreading liquid treatment material for treatment or pre-treatment of road surfaces comprises a plurality of tanks for containing main brine material to be spread, a hot mix tank supplying hot mix, a mix valve for mixing the main brine and hot mix, pumps for controllably delivering main brine and hot mix to the mix valve, and a flow sensor for measuring the flow rate of liquid treatment material. In this case the controller determines the intended density and flow rate of liquid based on sensor inputs.

A salt spreader for distributing a material includes a bucket including a front surface, a rear surface, and first and second side surfaces. The front and rear surfaces tend toward one another at a base of the bucket, and the bucket includes first and second ejection ports in the base. The salt spreader further includes a separator positioned in a center of the bucket parallel to the first and second side surfaces, first and second spinner mounts attached to the base of the bucket under the first and second ejection ports, respectively, first and second spinners rotatably mounted atop of the first and second spinner mounts, respectively, an auger positioned adjacent to the base of the bucket, and first and second covers within the bucket extending downwardly from the first and second side surfaces, respectively, toward the separator.

Skid-steer type power unit engageable with an implement using an attachment assembly including an attachment frame and a hitch. An arcuate frame member is located forwardly of the attachment frame and is engaged therewith in such a way that the frame member pivots about a vertical axis located forwardly of the frame member and generally centrally positioned relative to the attachment frame. The frame member pivots in response to actuation of a hydraulic cylinder. The power unit includes a system for transferring weight of the implement rearwardly onto the power unit. A belt-drive power-take off system on the power unit powers the implement's operation. An underbelly drop spreader is located between the front and rear wheels of the power unit and a brine delivery system distributes brine from nozzles located rearwardly of the rear wheels. A unique control panel permits operation of all systems on the power unit and implement.

A snow plow is pivotally mounted to a tractor by a compound mount allowing for multiple blade positions. The mount has an inner portion pivotally mounted about a first horizontal axis to the front of the tractor and an outer portion pivotally mounted about a vertical axis to the inner portion. The plow blade is pivotally mounted about a second horizontal axis to the outer portion. Deicer nozzles spray liquid and a spreader distributes salt and other materials in front of the front wheels of the tractor.

Handheld spreaders and methods of operating the same. The spreader can include a cup to hold particulate material and having an open upper end, a scoop assembly provided proximate the open upper end of the cup and including a scoop for directing particulate material being dispersed from the cup, and a sifter assembly removably coupled to the scoop assembly for metering an amount of the particulate material being dispersed from the cup. When the sifter assembly is removed from the scoop assembly, the scoop remains attached to the cup to direct particulate material being provided into the cup via the open upper end. The method can include opening the cup by removing the sifter assembly from the scoop assembly, placing particulate material into an open interior of the cup, closing the cup by replacing the sifter assembly, and dispersing the particulate material through the sifter assembly.

Handheld spreaders and methods of operating the same. The spreader can include a cup to hold particulate material and having an open upper end, a scoop assembly provided proximate the open upper end of the cup and including a scoop for directing particulate material being dispersed from the cup, and a sifter assembly removably coupled to the scoop assembly for metering an amount of the particulate material being dispersed from the cup. When the sifter assembly is removed from the scoop assembly, the scoop remains attached to the cup to direct particulate material being provided into the cup via the open upper end. The method can include opening the cup by removing the sifter assembly from the scoop assembly, placing particulate material into an open interior of the cup, closing the cup by replacing the sifter assembly, and dispersing the particulate material through the sifter assembly.

A deicing and snow melting device, for lowering the melting point of ice and snow, comprises of a plurality of pellets including an active ingredient. Each pellet of the plurality of pellets has at least an underside and a topside. The active ingredient is selected from the group consisting of chloride salts, organic compounds, alcohols or mixtures thereof. A base comprising a water-soluble sheet is joined to either one of the underside or topside of each pellet of the plurality of pellets. The base may define at least one hole through a top surface and bottom surface of the base allowing for easy dispersion of the active ingredient.

A vehicle mounted spreader and components thereof. The material spreader includes a mount and a spreader assembly. The mount is mountable to a vehicle such as an ATV, UTV, truck, and/or the like. The spreader assembly is mountable to the mount thereon. A user may change the speed at which material is dispersed from the spreader assembly.

Skid-steer type power unit engageable with an implement using an attachment assembly including an attachment frame and a hitch. An arcuate frame member is located forwardly of the attachment frame and is engaged therewith in such a way that the frame member pivots about a vertical axis located forwardly of the frame member and generally centrally positioned relative to the attachment frame. The frame member pivots in response to actuation of a hydraulic cylinder. The power unit includes a system for transferring weight of the implement rearwardly onto the power unit. A belt-drive power-take off system on the power unit powers the implement's operation. An underbelly drop spreader is located between the front and rear wheels of the power unit and a brine delivery system distributes brine from nozzles located rearwardly of the rear wheels. A unique control panel permits operation of all systems on the power unit and implement.