A device in a sowing machine or a fertilizer distributor comprises a container for the material to be spread and spreading means to which the material is transferred from a feed-out device on the container. The quantity of the material can be varied by adjusting the feeding velocity of the feed-out device by means of an adjustment device driven by a drive means included in the machine. Between the feed-out device and the drive means (33) a gear box (29) with a plurality of transmissions (34,35,36) is arranged. The incoming shaft (31) of the gear box is driven by the drive means and the outgoing shaft (28) drives the feed-out device. The gear box comprises at least one freewheel transmission (36) acting between the incoming shaft and the outgoing shaft.
