VEHICLE MOUNTED SPREADER
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.
1 . A material spreader usable with a user-operated All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) or Utility-Terrain Vehicle (UTV) to spread material, the material spreader comprising:
a mount configured to mount to the ATV or UTV;
a spreader assembly comprising:
a base;
a hopper supported by the base and including an interior configured to hold a supply of the material, the hopper having an inlet through which material can be delivered to the interior and an outlet through which material can exit the interior;
a thrower supported by the base and configured to spread the material from the hopper onto a surface over which the ATV or UTV moves;
a control system including a power source and a motor operatively connected to the thrower;
a flow rate assembly configured to control a flow rate at which the material flows to the thrower, the flow rate assembly including:
gate passage structure configured to permit material to flow therethrough;
a flow adjustor moveable with respect to the gate passage structure to change a degree of openness of the gate passage structure; and
a gate moveable with respect to the gate passage structure and the flow adjustor, the gate being moveable between a closed position and an open position, the gate when in the closed position preventing flow of material from the hopper to the thrower, and the gate in the open position permitting flow of material from the hopper to the thrower through the gate passage structure.
2 . The material spreader of claim 1 , wherein the flow adjustor is configured to move with respect to the gate passage structure to different selectable preset positions corresponding to respective different degrees of openness of the gate passage structure permitted by the flow adjustor.
3 . The material spreader of claim 1 , wherein the flow rate assembly further comprises flow adjustor engagement structure configured to maintain the selected preset position of the flow adjustor.
4 . The material spreader of claim 3 , wherein the flow adjustor engagement structure comprises at least one keeper, and wherein the flow adjustor comprises a retainer configured to engage the at least one keeper.
5 . The material spreader of claim 4 , wherein the at least one keeper is a first keeper, the flow adjustor engagement structure comprises a second keeper different from the first keeper, the first and second keepers configured to correspond with respective first and second preset positions of the flow adjustor, the flow adjustor configured to permit a greater flow area through the gate passage structure when in the second preset position than when the flow adjustor is in the first preset position.
6 . The material spreader of claim 5 , wherein the flow rate assembly comprises a pivot axis, the flow adjustor is configured to pivot about the pivot axis to move the flow adjustor to the first or the second preset positions, and the gate is configured to rotate about the pivot axis to move between the open and closed positions.
7 . The material spreader of claim 5 , wherein the gate passage structure includes a first opening and a second opening, the first and second openings positioned to be in registration with each other to permit material from the hopper to flow through the first opening and then the second opening.
8 . The material spreader of claim 7 , wherein the gate passage structure includes an upper gate passage portion and a lower gate passage portion, and the flow adjustor and gate are located between the upper and lower gate passage portions.
9 . The material spreader of claim 3 , wherein the flow adjustor engagement structure is supported by the gate passage structure.
10 . The material spreader of claim 1 , wherein the gate passage structure comprises an upper gate passage portion, and the flow adjustor is arranged below the upper gate passage portion.
11 . The material spreader of claim 3 , wherein the flow adjustor engagement structure comprises a set of keepers, each keeper of the set being associated with a different preset position of the flow adjustor.
12 . The material spreader of claim 11 , further comprising a plurality of indicators, the plurality of indicators associated with respective keepers to indicate a degree of openness of the gate passage structure when the flow adjustor is in preset positions corresponding to the respective keepers.
13 . The material spreader of claim 1 , wherein the flow adjustor comprises a handle engageable by a hand of a user to move the flow adjustor to change a degree of openness of the gate passage structure.
14 . The material spreader of claim 1 , wherein the gate comprises a handle configured to move the gate between the open and closed positions, the handle being configured to be reachable by a driver sitting in a driver seat of the ATV or UTV when the material spreader is mounted on the ATV or UTV.
15 . A material spreader usable with a user operated All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) for spreading material, the material spreader comprising:
a mount configured to mount to the ATV;
a spreader assembly comprising:
a base;
a hopper supported by the base and configured to hold a supply of the material;
a thrower supported by the base and configured to spread the material from the hopper to a surface over which the ATV moves;
a flow rate assembly configured to control a rate of flow at which the material flows to the thrower;
a control system including a power source and a motor operatively connected to the thrower; and
a user interface operatively connected to the control system, the user interface includes at least one actuator configured to permit the user to adjust a speed of the motor and turn the motor on and off.
16 . The material spreader of claim 15 , wherein the at least one actuator comprises a first actuator including a variable resistor configured to increase or decrease electrical current supplied to the motor.
17 . The material spreader of claim 16 , wherein the variable resistor is a Rheostat.
18 . The material spreader of claim 15 , wherein the at least one actuator is supported by the base.
19 . The material spreader of claim 15 , further comprising an actuator housing supported by the base, the actuator housing supporting the at least one actuator and housing electronics of the control system.
20 . The material spreader of claim 19 , wherein the actuator housing comprises a waterproof seal configured to prevent moisture from entering the actuator housing.