GB2178287A

GB2178287A - Expeller reel

Info

Publication number: GB2178287A
Application number: GB08519252A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Andrew Munroe
Original assignee: Kidd Farm Machinery Ltd
Current assignee: Kidd Farm Machinery Ltd
Priority date: 1985-07-31
Filing date: 1985-07-31
Publication date: 1987-02-11
Also published as: GB8519252D0

Abstract

An expeller reel for use in a manure spreader or any other agricultural machine adapted to discharge manure or other material as the machine is traversed over the ground, comprises a rotatable shaft (10) on which is mounted a plurality of axially spaced discs (11) to form between said discs a plurality of axially spaced reel sections, each pair of adjacent discs (11) being interconnected by a plurality of generally radially extending, circumferentially spaced paddles (12) which are arranged so that the inner end of each paddle (12) is spaced from said rotatable shaft (10), the paddles (12) in each section being disposed so that they are staggered, when looking in an axial direction, from the paddles (12) of the or each adjacent section. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Expeller reel This invention relates to a discharge device in the form of an expeller reel which is intended for use in a manure spreader or any other agricultural machine adaptedto discharge manure or other material asthe machine is traversed over the ground. Such a dis charge device (especiallywhen used in a manure spreader) has to be effective when driven at such a rotational speed which, on the one hand, will not be sic high as to lead to excessive power consumption and, on the other hand, will not beso low asto cause the expeller reel to become clogged with manure which should be discharged.

Hitherto, various designs, involving for example swinging paddles orfixed blades or scoops have been used but many of these designs have been unsatisfactory in use for a variety of reasons and accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved form ofexpelier reel which acts inan efficient and reliable mannerto discharge material (including sticky or heavy material) which hasto be distributed without however consuming an excessive amount of power.

In accordance with the invention there is provided an expeller reel for use ion a manurespreaderorany other agricultural machine adapted to discharge manure or other material as the machine is traversed overthe ground, said expeller reel comprising a rotatable shaft on which is mounted a plurality of axially spaced discs to form between said discs a plurality of axially spaced reel sections, each pair of adjacent discs being interconnected buy a plurality of generally radially extending, circumferentially spaced paddles which are arranged so that the inner end of each paddle is spaced from said rotatable shaft, the paddles in each section being disposed sothatthey arestaggered,when looking in an axial direction,from the paddles of the or each adjacent section.

Conveniently, each paddle is arranged in its section so that its outer end (which may be oftoothed formation) projects beyond the periphery ofthe two discs defining the associated section.

The invention will now be more particularly de scribed with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a perspective view of one example of an expeller reel constructed in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the drawing there is shown therein a reel which in use is intended to be mounted in a manurespreaderoranyotheragricultural machine which is adapted to discharge manure or other material onto ground overwhich the machinewould be traversed and for this purpose the machine would ordinarily be towed by a n ag ricu Itu ral tractor. The reel as seen in the drawing includes a rotatable shaft 10 which in use would be drive by power actuated means such asforexamplethe powertake-off mechanism of the tractor and conveniently said shaft extends, when the reel is mounted in the machine, in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis ofthe machine so that the reel is adapted to discharge material from the machine in a generally sideways direction.The machine itselfwould also be provided with a wheeled body which servesto contain the material which is to be distributed over the ground and there would also be provided feeding mechanism such as an auger or conveyor belt which is arranged to direct material towards an opening in or adjacent which the aforesaid reel is disposed, the auger or conveyor belt being also driven in use from powertake-off mechanism ofthe tractor.

On the aforesaid rotatable shaftthere is mounted a plurality of generally circular axially spaced discs which thus form between them a plurality of axially spaced reel sections.

In each of such sections there are provided a plurality of generally radially extending, circumferentially spaced paddles 12 so that each paddle interconnects a pair of adjacent discs. Furthermore as will be seen from the drawing the paddles in each reel section are "staggered", when looking in an axial direction, from the paddles of the or each adjacent section. Such staggering has the effect of evening the load on the reel as it is rotated in use.

As will be seen from the drawing each of said paddles 12 is arranged so that is inner end is radially spaced from the central rotatable shaft 10so that a gap isformed between said shaft and the inner end of each paddle. The outer end of each paddle 12 is of toothed form as indicated by reference numeral 13 and furthermore this outer toothed end projects laterally outwards beyond the peripheries of the aforementioned discs 11. Conveniently each paddle is formed along its opposite sides with a pair offlanges indicated in the drawing by reference numerals 14 and 15 andtheseflanges are secured as by means of bolts to the adjacent discs 11 although it is of course to be understood that the paddles can be secured in any other convenient manner as for example by means of welding or rivetting.

The above described construction in which there are gaps provided betweentheshaft 10 andthe innerend ofthe paddles allows a certain amount of radial "slippage" ofthe manure or other material being distributed to take place and this of itself maintains a generally smaller size of the material which is thrown outwardlyfrom the machine on rotation of the reel without having to increase the speed of rotation and this of course means thatthe power absorbed bythe reel will not be excessively large.

1. An expeller reel for use in an agricultural machine adapted to discharge materials as the machine is traversed overthe ground, said expeller reel comprising a rotatable shaft on which is mounted a plurality of axially spaced discs to form between said discs a plurality of axially spaced reel sections, each The drawing originally filed was informal and the print here reproduced is taken from a later filed formal copy.

The claims were filed later than the filing date within the period prescribed by Rule 25(1) of the Patents Rules 1982.

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

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Expeller reel This invention relates to a discharge device in the form of an expeller reel which is intended for use in a manure spreader or any other agricultural machine adaptedto discharge manure or other material asthe machine is traversed over the ground. Such a dis charge device (especiallywhen used in a manure spreader) has to be effective when driven at such a rotational speed which, on the one hand, will not be sic high as to lead to excessive power consumption and, on the other hand, will not beso low asto cause the expeller reel to become clogged with manure which should be discharged. Hitherto, various designs, involving for example swinging paddles orfixed blades or scoops have been used but many of these designs have been unsatisfactory in use for a variety of reasons and accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved form ofexpelier reel which acts inan efficient and reliable mannerto discharge material (including sticky or heavy material) which hasto be distributed without however consuming an excessive amount of power. In accordance with the invention there is provided an expeller reel for use ion a manurespreaderorany other agricultural machine adapted to discharge manure or other material as the machine is traversed overthe ground, said expeller reel comprising a rotatable shaft on which is mounted a plurality of axially spaced discs to form between said discs a plurality of axially spaced reel sections, each pair of adjacent discs being interconnected buy a plurality of generally radially extending, circumferentially spaced paddles which are arranged so that the inner end of each paddle is spaced from said rotatable shaft, the paddles in each section being disposed sothatthey arestaggered,when looking in an axial direction,from the paddles of the or each adjacent section. Conveniently, each paddle is arranged in its section so that its outer end (which may be oftoothed formation) projects beyond the periphery ofthe two discs defining the associated section. The invention will now be more particularly de scribed with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a perspective view of one example of an expeller reel constructed in accordance with the invention. Referring to the drawing there is shown therein a reel which in use is intended to be mounted in a manurespreaderoranyotheragricultural machine which is adapted to discharge manure or other material onto ground overwhich the machinewould be traversed and for this purpose the machine would ordinarily be towed by a n ag ricu Itu ral tractor. The reel as seen in the drawing includes a rotatable shaft 10 which in use would be drive by power actuated means such asforexamplethe powertake-off mechanism of the tractor and conveniently said shaft extends, when the reel is mounted in the machine, in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis ofthe machine so that the reel is adapted to discharge material from the machine in a generally sideways direction.The machine itselfwould also be provided with a wheeled body which servesto contain the material which is to be distributed over the ground and there would also be provided feeding mechanism such as an auger or conveyor belt which is arranged to direct material towards an opening in or adjacent which the aforesaid reel is disposed, the auger or conveyor belt being also driven in use from powertake-off mechanism ofthe tractor. On the aforesaid rotatable shaftthere is mounted a plurality of generally circular axially spaced discs which thus form between them a plurality of axially spaced reel sections. In each of such sections there are provided a plurality of generally radially extending, circumferentially spaced paddles 12 so that each paddle interconnects a pair of adjacent discs. Furthermore as will be seen from the drawing the paddles in each reel section are "staggered", when looking in an axial direction, from the paddles of the or each adjacent section. Such staggering has the effect of evening the load on the reel as it is rotated in use. As will be seen from the drawing each of said paddles 12 is arranged so that is inner end is radially spaced from the central rotatable shaft 10so that a gap isformed between said shaft and the inner end of each paddle. The outer end of each paddle 12 is of toothed form as indicated by reference numeral 13 and furthermore this outer toothed end projects laterally outwards beyond the peripheries of the aforementioned discs 11. Conveniently each paddle is formed along its opposite sides with a pair offlanges indicated in the drawing by reference numerals 14 and 15 andtheseflanges are secured as by means of bolts to the adjacent discs 11 although it is of course to be understood that the paddles can be secured in any other convenient manner as for example by means of welding or rivetting. The above described construction in which there are gaps provided betweentheshaft 10 andthe innerend ofthe paddles allows a certain amount of radial "slippage" ofthe manure or other material being distributed to take place and this of itself maintains a generally smaller size of the material which is thrown outwardlyfrom the machine on rotation of the reel without having to increase the speed of rotation and this of course means thatthe power absorbed bythe reel will not be excessively large. CLAIMS

pair of adjacent discs being interconnected by a plurality of generally radially extending, circum ferentially spaced paddles which are arranged so that the inner end of each paddle is spaced from said rotatable shaft, the paddles in each section being disposed so thatthey are staggered, when looking in an axial direction,from the paddles ofthe or each adjacent section.

2. An expeller reel as claimed in Claim 1 for use in a manurespreaderwhich isadaptedto discharge manuretherefrom.

3. An expeller reel as claimed in Claim 1 and 2, wherein each paddle is arranged in its section so that its outer end projects beyond the periphery of the two discs defining the associated section.

4. An expeller reel as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the outer wend of each paddle is of toothed formation.

5. An expeller reel as claimed in Claim 1 which is substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.