Turfco Manufacturing, Incorporated

Terry Bondeson

Vernon J Worrel

A cantilevered leaf spring suspension is disclosed for two separate pairs of wheels (16) which are independently sprung from each other via free ends of respective leaf springs (20) cantilevered from a cross beam (18) of the frame (12) of the top dresser (10). Each of the free ends of the leaf springs (20) includes axle blocks (24) with longitudinally mounted shafts (26) about which the wheels (16) pivot from side to side to match the terrain and more evenly distribute the mass of the hopper (30). Further, a snubber bar (29) includes a free end for abutting the leaf spring (20) intermediate the cross beam (18) and the free end of the leaf spring (20) for limiting the vertical travel of the leaf spring (20).

Cantilevered leaf spring assembly

A top dresser (10) is disclosed in a first preferred form including a discharge gate (56) of a pusher (44) movably mounted in a hopper (30) for forcing material forward towards a rotating, cylindrical, dispensing drum (66) as the top dresser (10) is being pulled forward. The pusher (44) is slideably mounted by slides (50) secured to ears (48) extending between the sides (36) and the bottom (34) of the hopper (30) and slideable on tubular rails (52) positioned on the outside of the hopper (30). The pusher (44) is moved by expandable and contractable actuators (58, 60) pivotally mounted by their opposite ends to the frame (12) and the pusher (44) in a non-parallel, crossing manner. The drum (66) includes corrugated sheeting (70) around its periphery for gripping the material in the hopper (30) and drawing it under a metering gate (72) and a rotating brush (74) which propels the material onto the ground. The top dresser (10) is movably supported by four wheel assemblies each having a pair of wheels (16) rotatable about an axle (28) of a block (24) pivotable about stub shafts (26) pivotally mounted to the free end of a cantilevered mounted leaf spring (20). In an alternate form, a top dresser (100) is disclosed including an endless conveyor (140) including the corrugated sheeting (70) in the form of an endless belt passing around spaced, parallel rollers (148, 160) and beneath a hopper (136) for dispensing the material from the hopper (136) onto the ground and through the end of the hopper (136).

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Woodbury, MN, United States of America

Terry Bondeson