Material-handling apparatus

Abstract

<p>A combination spreader and loader apparatus for handling fertilizer has a box open at the front end and tiltable for movement to a horizontally extended unloading position and to a forwardly tilted loading position wherein the front edge of the box bottom wall is engage able with the ground surface. An endless and reversibly operated upright conveyer 'mean‘s, pivotally supported at the front end of the box, ‘has material engaging members thereon movable closely adjacent to the bottom wall. With the conveyer operated in one direct-and in an upright position to close the box front end, and with the box in the loading position, material scraped up by the front edge of the bottom wall is loaded into the box between the lower end of the conveyer and the bottom wall. When the box is in an unloading position and the conveyer means is reversely operated and pivoted rearwardly into the box against the material therein, the material is unloaded be tween the lower end of the conveyer means and the box bottom wall. The conveyer means has flexible side portions and flexible material engaging members for wiping engagement with the box side walls and bottom wall, respectively, to hold the material in the box.</p>