APRON DRIVE FOR A MANURE SPREADER

A drive system for a manure spreader having a wagon type body structure with a spreading mechanism mounted transversely the rear thereof and an apron conveyor disposed therein for conveying manure rearwardly into said spreading mechanism. The drive system comprises a propeller shaft mounted on one side of the spreader and having its rearmost end operatively connected to said spreading mechanism through a clutching device. Fixed to and axially spaced on said propeller shaft is a pair of sprockets that are drivingly interconnected to a pair of driven sprockets rotatively journalled on a second drive shaft which is spaced adjacent and extends generally parallel to said propeller shaft and is adapted to drive said apron conveyor. Each of said driven sprockets includes clutch dogs about their inner side which are adapted to engage clutch dogs on the outer sides of a clutch collar keyed to said second drive shaft intermediately between said driven sprockets and slideable therealong for selective engagement with the clutch dogs of the driven sprockets. The clutch collar is actuated by an actuating mechanism that is further operatively connected to said clutching device and particularly adapted to declutch the spreading mechanism without affecting the apron conveyor.