| 摘要 |
A spreader for broadcasting fertilizer, seed or the like which is mounted on the rear of a tractor and has a hydraulic control for covering and uncovering a plurality of ports by closure members for feeding material from a hopper which includes such ports to an underlying rotatable spreading member. The actuating mechanism includes a hydraulic cylinder and plunger and a parallel tension spring whereby the cylinder, when supplied with hydraulic fluid under pressure, causes the plunger to extend outwardly to close the ports in a lower portion of the hopper which is cylindrical through a mechanical linkage coupling therewith. The spring tends to force the closure members to open the ports. The linkage coupling to the closure members includes a coupling arm which also functions to indicate relative to an arcuate leg of a supporting member with numbers thereon the amount that the ports are opened by the closure members. The same coupling arm is linked through an attached tag having limiting lugs to provide limited relative motion between it and a control arm to which the spring and hydraulic actuator are connected. The relative motion possible between the coupling arm and the control arm permits the engagement and disengagement of a resilient extension from a leg of the support member into a groove on a fastening member bolted to the end of the control arm whereby the hydraulic actuator can selectively free the control arm from being fastened thereby and by doing so also free the coupling arm so that the amount which the closure members cover the hopper ports is adjustable by the hydraulic actuator. Further, the portion of the hopper containing the ports is resiliently urged against the closure members by a spring connected to the closure members. Still further, by mechanical linkage including the arms of the supporting member, the entire lower portion of the hopper including the ports is turnable about a vertical axis to adjust the direction that the spreader broadcasts material relative to the tractor.
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