A spreader includes a frame having wheels mounted on an axle. A gear assembly on the axle is coupled with a shaft. A hopper is mounted on the frame and holds particulate that empties through an opening within the bottom wall. An impeller is mounted on the shaft and receives the particulate emptied from the hopper. A controlled-release assembly is mounted about the shaft and includes a drive housing secured to the hopper. The drive housing has a funnel opening to dispense the particulate therethrough. A transfer wheel within the drive housing is rotatably coupled to the shaft. When the shaft is rotating, the transfer wheel rotates whereby the particulate is delivered to the funnel. When the shaft is stationary, the transfer wheel is stationary whereby particulate is not delivered to the funnel.

A dry product spreader is provided that includes a bin that includes a bin discharge opening. The dry product spreader further includes a conveyor located at the bottom of the bin. The conveyor is capable of discharging dry product material from the bin through the bin discharge opening. The dry product spreader further includes a spinner assembly for spreading the dry product material and positioned to receive the dry product material from the bin discharge opening. The dry product spreader further includes a material conveyance system to displace dry product material received through the bin discharge opening before the dry product material reaches the spinner assembly. The dry product spreader further includes a distribution manifold configured to receive dry product material displaced by the material conveyance system. The distribution manifold is configured to return dry product material displaced by the material conveyance system to be spread by the spinner assembly.

A method for controlling an agricultural spreading machine during the discharging of spreading material on an agricultural area, comprising: using a conveyor belt of the spreading machine to feed the spreading material to be discharged along an idling section, which relates to a longitudinal section of the conveyor belt, wherein the idling section lies between a rate-setting plane, in which the feed rate of spreading material entering the idling section is set by a feed-rate-setting device of the spreading machine, and an ejection plane, in which the feed rate of spreading material leaving the idling section is ejected from the conveyor belt in the direction of a first and a second spreading disc.

A hand-operated spreader has a base, an assembly member, a feeding rudder, an adjusting member, a feeding cone and a container. The feeding cone has the effect of guiding along the cone through the conical body to prevent the feeding aperture from clogging due to moisture, accumulation or weight. The feeding rudder is mounted on the feeding opening of the assembly member and is driven by the rotating handle on one side, and the rotating handle may set the spreading direction along the limiting portions of the open end, which enables the feeding rudder to be reliably positioned via the limiting portion and prevent the feeding rudder from being unstable while improving the dropout accuracy of the discharged material.

An apparatus for broadcasting particulate or granular material over a ground surface involves a variable speed spinner and a material conveyor. The spinner is positioned generally horizontally below a discharge end of a material conveyor. The spinner has a disk having a generally radially disposed fin fixed to an upper side of the disk and radiating outwardly from a center of the disk. The spinner is positioned to receive material from the material conveyor at a location about half way along a length of the fin. In a method broadcasting particulate or granular material over a ground surface, the spinner is preferably rotated at a speed of 900 to 1,000 rpm. The apparatus and method provide for distribution of material over greater distances and can do so without pulverizing the material, creating a uniform pattern of distribution over a 50% wider swath.

A hand-operated spreader has a base, an assembly member, a feeding rudder, an adjusting member, a feeding cone and a container. The feeding cone has the effect of guiding along the cone through the conical body to prevent the feeding aperture from clogging due to moisture, accumulation or weight. The feeding rudder is mounted on the feeding opening of the assembly member and is driven by the rotating handle on one side, and the rotating handle may set the spreading direction along the limiting portions of the open end, which enables the feeding rudder to be reliably positioned via the limiting portion and prevent the feeding rudder from being unstable while improving the dropout accuracy of the discharged material.

An apparatus for broadcasting particulate or granular material over a ground surface involves a variable speed spinner and a material conveyor. The spinner is positioned generally horizontally below a discharge end of a material conveyor. The spinner has a disk having a generally radially disposed fin fixed to an upper side of the disk and radiating outwardly from a center of the disk. The spinner is positioned to receive material from the material conveyor at a location about half way along a length of the fin. In a method broadcasting particulate or granular material over a ground surface, the spinner is preferably rotated at a speed of 900-1000 rpm. The apparatus and method provide for distribution of material over greater distances and can do so without pulverizing the material, creating a uniform pattern of distribution over a 50% wider swath.

A method for compensating for wind effects on measured weights includes receiving initialization sensor values from a seed tender. An estimated discharge is generated based on the initialization sensor values. A weight sensor value from the seed tender is received after the initialization sensor values. The weight sensor value is compared to a threshold value corresponding to a value of the estimated discharge at a corresponding time. Based on the comparison, it is determined whether to transmit the weight sensor value or the threshold value to the seed tender controller.

A distribution machine, in the form of a spreader or a seed drill, includes a container carried by a support frame for receiving pulverent or particulate material to be distributed. An outlet opening is arranged on a floor of the container. A metering member is arranged downstream of the outlet opening. A ground distribution member is arranged downstream of the metering member. A displaceable part, such as a metering slide of the metering member or a device, adjusts the delivery point of the material to be distributed onto the distribution member. The displaceable part is operatively connected to, and actuated by, an output shaft of an electromotive rotary drive, a servomotor or a transmission output shaft of a transmission, arranged downstream of the electromotive rotary drive such that the exclusively rotational movement of the output shaft or of the transmission output shaft is transmissible to the displaceable part.

A particulate dispersing apparatus is provided that includes a vessel configured to contain particulate material having a ridge circumferencing an inside of the vessel, an insert having a similar shape as the vessel and when inserted into the vessel adapted to engage and removably attach to the ridge, and a dispersing mechanism that disperses the particulate material.