Patent Grant
8297879
The present invention pertains to an apparatus and method for laying, leveling and compacting road aggregate material and, more particularly, for providing an apparatus and method for adjusting the height, width and pitch of the shoulder as well as accommodating the pivotal movement of the yaw, or rotational movement, between the truck and apparatus perpendicular to the length of the road and for the vertical rotation of the truck and apparatus parallel to the length of the road.
Most paved or concrete roadways in the U.S. are provided with shoulder regions consisting of granular aggregates such as gravel, sand, crushed rock, pebbles, crushed shells, crumbled waste rubber and other such materials or mixtures of materials as are readily available in local areas. After new roads are laid, or old roads refurbished, the road shoulders are laid down and compacted. Most often, this is accomplished using a dump truck to lay the aggregate in a strip next to the road. Then a grader is utilized to spread the aggregate evenly along the side of the road and slightly above the road surface. A compactor is then driven over the aggregate to compact the aggregate level with the road surface at one edge and pitching down and away from the road at the outside edge. The pitching of the aggregate away from the road surface allows for any rain, snow and other debris to flow away from the road surface for vehicle safety reasons. Finally, any aggregate remaining on the road is swept off the road and onto the shoulder.
Over the course of time, existing shoulders are subject to wind, rain, snow plowing, drivers driving on the shoulder and other conditions that cause the shoulders to deteriorate such that the shoulder needs to be repaired. The responsibility for road and shoulder maintenance and repair varies by area. Typically, a city, township or village is responsible for certain roadway areas within their boundaries while the counties and state are responsible for the other roadways and shoulders within the counties and states. The cost for purchasing graders and compactors can run into many hundred of thousands of dollars. For those counties and states that have a larger tax base to draw from, and where those areas have a greater amount of roadways to maintain, that cost may be justified. However, for most cities, townships and villages, those equipment purchasing costs cannot be justified as they only lay down and/or repair three (3) to five (5) miles of shoulder per year. The result is a wide range of alternatives for laying and/or maintaining road shoulders. Some smaller communities contract out the shoulder maintenance work to local contractors on a bidding process. Other villages and townships contract the work out to the county. Not including the cost of the aggregate, which costs between $4.25 and $5.25 per ton of material, the contracted costs, per mile of shoulder, varied between $3200.00 and $6383.00 in a local survey of nearby villages and townships. This amounts to between $9600.00 and $31,915.00 per year in taxpayer expense, depending upon the miles and bidding results. Others areas use their own dump trucks and a crew of employees to hand shovel and level the shoulders. Still others use their own snow plow trucks and snow plow blades to lay and level the shoulders. Neither of which are cost effective or easy to accomplish.
There have been other attempts at road shoulder working apparatus'. U.S. Pat. No. 7,789,587 to James discloses an apparatus for working up existing shoulder aggregate, leveling and then compacting the aggregate. However, any new aggregate material must be laid by a separate piece of equipment and the leveling and compacting device is not adjustable in width. As such, varying conditions, such as differing shoulder widths and mailboxes and roadway signs placed near the roadway cannot be accommodated. U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,185 to Foertsch discloses an asphalt spreader, and, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,612,774 to Dulin, is utilized to spread road shoulder aggregate. However, the '185 patent is also of a fixed width at either of two dimensions. Those being the width of the box if there is no baffle in place, or the distance between the bottom edge of the baffle and a sidewall of the box when the baffle is in place. Furthermore, while the '185 patent allows for straight vertical movement of the apparatus, there is no allowance for any pitch or width adjustment of the shoulder and no allowance for the yaw and vertical rotation of the apparatus relative to the truck when laying asphalt or aggregate. U.S. Pat. No. 4,571,119 to Jones et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,785 to Bergman have identical problems in that they are not width nor pitch adjustable, nor do they accommodate for any yaw and vertical rotation of the apparatus.
The exemplary embodiments of the present invention are directed towards the laying, working, grooming and compacting of roadway shoulders while providing for the yaw and vertical rotation of the laying and leveling apparatus relative to the truck and while providing for adjustments for the height, pitch and width of the shoulder. However, it is entirely feasible that the present invention could as easily be utilized for the laying of asphalt with variable heights, widths and pitch while accommodating the yaw and vertical rotation of the apparatus and the roadway relative to the truck.
According to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, there is provided a deployable retractable apparatus configured for demountably cooperating with a self propelled operator controlled machine, preferably a dump truck, for laying an aggregate material at an adjustable width to a roadway or roadway shoulder and spreading the aggregate at the appropriate height, width and pitch to the roadway. The compaction of the aggregate being accomplished by the tires of the self propelled operator controlled machine driven over the aggregate after the aggregate has been laid and leveled.
The apparatus being attached to a dump truck box that is equipped with conveyors or augers to move the aggregate towards an opening in the dump truck box. The apparatus can be mounted either to the rear of a backward dumping dump truck or to the front of a forward dumping dump truck. It can also be mounted in a forward or rearward facing position. In one of the rear mounted embodiments, a square steel bar is inserted horizontally and secured with a pin or fastener to the hitch receiver on the truck frame. If no hitch receiver is available, the apparatus can be secured by attaching a mounting plate to the square steel bar and then fastening the mounting plate to the truck frame. Secured to the square steel bar is a first steel support, shown as a channel, dropping vertically from the square steel bar. Pivotally attached to the lower end of the first steel support is the first end of a first hydraulic cylinder. The first hydraulic cylinder being operably connected to the dump trucks existing hydraulic and control systems, which are well known in the art. As is also well known in the art, the control systems are typically located in the cab of the truck. Pivotally connected to the square steel bar are two (2) frame support bars mounted on either side of the first steel support which is attached to the first square steel bar. The first steel support prevents the frame support bars from sliding horizontally on the square steel bar attached to the truck frame. The outer ends of the frame support bars ending proximate the outer rear tire of the dump truck. Approximately ¾ths down the frame support bars is a second steel support, also shown as a channel, fixed to the two (2) frame support bars to strengthen and maintain the rigidity of the frame support bar structure. A lower pivotal plate is mounted under the second steel support and the second end of the first hydraulic cylinder is pivotably attached to the lower plate.
Secured to the outer ends of the two (2) frame support bars is a connection plate, also shown as channel, through the center of which is a pivot hole. Attached to the pivot hole by a first pivot pin is a rectangular enclosure also shown as made of steel channel although plate, angle iron or tubing would work equally as well. On the rectangular enclosure at the top near both ends is a raised stop bar. This arrangement allows the rectangular enclosure to rotate in a left or right direction until one of the stop bars encounters the connection plate within the range allowed by the two raised stop bars when viewed from the side of the dump truck. In the alternative, the stop bars could be mounted to the connection plate and used to encounter the rectangular enclosure. In another embodiment, the connection plate could be equipped with a stop pin that resides in an enlarged hole in one surface of the rectangular plate. The rotational movement of the rectangular enclosure being constrained by the pin and the size of the enlarged hole.
On the forward and rearward sides of the rectangular enclosure there are second and third pivot holes, respectively. Pivotally mounted by pivot pins into these second and third pivot holes are a forward and rearward support plates extending downward. Fixedly attached to the support plates are an inner and outer runner, both of which are rounded in the front and rear for ease of following the roadway surface. When viewed from the rear of the truck, this arrangement allows for the runners to pivot in a left and right motion to relative to the roadway in relation to the truck. This also allows the leveling apparatus to be pivoted into a vertical position when the apparatus is being transported.
A support brace is fixed to the outer runner at one end of the support brace and to the first part of the leveling plate at the other end through vertically slotted holes in the support brace. There is a height adjusting plate with two through holes and a threaded rod attached to the top of the height adjusting plate. The threaded rod going through an adjusting bar that is fixed to the top of the support brace. A nut on the threaded rod allows a user to raise or lower the height adjusting plate, and thereby the first part of the leveling blade, as a means for adjusting the height of the leveling plate and thereby the height of the aggregate above the road. The aggregate is later compacted evenly with the road way. The support brace being taller than the runners and leveling plate in order to keep the aggregate onto the shoulder and off of the road. The first part of the leveling plate is mounted to the support brace and height adjusting plate at an obtuse angle to the runners with two fasteners, one fastener going through a lower through hole and the other fastener going through an upper horizontally slotted hole in the first part of the leveling plate. By loosening the two fasteners, the first part of the leveling plate can be rotated about the lower fastener and within the range defined by the upper horizontal slot in order to adjust the pitch of the leveling plate to a desired angle. The first part of the leveling plate is hinged proximate to where the support brace is attached to the first part of the leveling plate. There is at least one and preferably two fastening mechanisms, such as a bolt or the like mounted to the first part of the leveling plate.
The second part of the leveling plate has the same height as the first part of the leveling plate but also includes an elongated horizontal slot in the second part of the leveling plate which is adjustably engaged with the fastening mechanisms on the first part of the leveling plate. This allows the operator to adjust the width of the leveling plate assembly and thereby adjust the width of the shoulder being laid. At the outer end of the second part of the leveling plate there is a retaining plate hingedly attached to the outer end. A first adjustable pivotable telescoping length rod connects the outer end of the retaining plate to the inside end of the second part of the leveling plate to secure the position of the retaining plate. This arrangement allows for the adjustment and securing of the angle of the retaining plate to the first and second parts of the leveling plate. A second adjustable pivotable telescoping length rod connects the outside edge of the second part of the leveling plate proximate the front of the outer runner. This arrangement allows for the adjustment and securing of the angle of the leveling plates in relation to the runners.
During transportation of the apparatus, the hydraulics are activated which raises the frame support bars and the attached runners and leveling plates off of the ground surface. The operator then manually pivots the runners and leveling plates upward and secures them in place with a locking mechanism for transportation. In an alternative embodiment, a second hydraulic cylinder could be pivotably attached to the frame support bars and to the runners so that the operator could use the truck's existing hydraulics and controls to raise the runners and leveling plates to secure them in place for transportation.
Once at the work site, the operator lowers the runners and leveling plates and then lowers the frame support bars such that the runners are resting on the roadway. An auger or conveyor belt is mounted to the rear of the dump truck box for unloading the aggregate from the dump truck box. The operator then lowers a chute which is rotatably deployed beneath the auger or conveyor belt opening in order to accept the aggregate and direct the aggregates' deposition between the outer runner, the leveling plate assembly and the outer retaining plate. As aggregate fills the space, the operator slowly backs down the roadway depositing and leveling the aggregate. Once the aggregate is deposited and leveled, the apparatus is returned to its transportation mode and the operator drives the trucks tires over the aggregate to compact the aggregate. In the alternative, the leveling portion of the apparatus could be reversed such that the operator drives forward to lay and level the aggregate.
For areas that require a deeper fill of aggregate, the leveling assembly and retaining plate can be adjusted from an obtuse angle to an acute angle, with the retaining plate being repositioned more or less parallel with the runners. This position causes more material to be forced upward towards the road to allow for a greater amount of aggregate deposition nearer the road. The retaining plate keeps any loose aggregate up on the shoulder when laying the aggregate.
This apparatus allows for a one person operation for shoulder creation, maintenance and repair. For those communities with salting/sanding and snow plowing trucks, those same vehicles can be easily and quickly converted for shoulder placement, repair and maintenance as the salting and sanding dump trucks easily handle the aggregate as well. The end result being better roadway shoulders at less cost. It further provides for adjustable shoulder widths, adjustable shoulder heights, adjustable shoulder pitch, adjustable shoulder depth and allowance for the yaw and vertical rotation of the apparatus in relation to the roadway and truck while in operation.
Other features and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent to one skilled in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional features and advantages be included within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
A system and a method according to the invention will be described in more detail by means of a preferred embodiment with reference to the appended drawings in which:
Reference will now be made in detail to the description of the invention as illustrated in the drawings. Although the invention is described in connection with the drawings, there is no intent to limit the invention to the embodiment or embodiments disclosed therein. On the contrary, the intent is to include all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents included within the scope and spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims. However, the invention and its alternatives, modifications, derivatives and/or equivalents in other applications are meant to be included within the scope and spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims. For example, but without limitation, the invention has been described using channel, however, flat steel stock and/or angle iron can readily be substituted for channel. Similarly, the hitch bar could be solid or tubular and alternatives to the use of pivot pins, such as rotational sockets, and other means well known in the art, could be substituted without detracting from the form, intent and purpose of the present invention. Similarly, electrical servo-motors could be utilized in place of the hydraulic cylinders where the dump trucks do not have hydraulic systems and controls.
Referring to
There are two frame support bars 33 and 34. To a first end of each frame support bars 33 and 34, there is fixedly attached two horizontal open-ended tubes 35. The open-ended tubes 35 are slid over the hitch bar 30 such that the frame support bars 33 and 34 can rotate about the direction shown in
At the bottom end of the first support 36 there is a first flange 39 for rotatably connecting the first end of a first hydraulic cylinder 21. Shown in
In an alternative embodiment, there is a second hydraulic cylinder 24 rotatably connected at a first end to a flange 45 fixedly attached to the leveling portion 23 of the apparatus 20 as shown in
The second half of the distribution and leveling blade 61 is adjustably coupled to the first half of the distribution and leveling blade 58 by fasteners 62. The adjustability of the width “W” of the shoulder 18 is accomplished by loosening both telescoping rods 68 and 71 by loosening the telescoping rod set screws 69 and loosening the fasteners 62. The operator then repositions the second half of the distribution and leveling blade 61 to the desired width “W” and retightening the fasteners 62 through the elongated slot 63 in the first and second half of the distribution and leveling blades 58 and 61.
The second half of the distribution and leveling blade 61 is pivotably hinged 65 proximate the middle of the second half of the distribution and leveling blade 61, thereby creating an inner distribution and leveling blade 66 and an outer aggregate retention blade 67. Once the first half of the distribution and leveling blade 58 has been set to the desired angle 60, the angle 60 is adjustably fixed in place by a first telescoping rod 68 which is pivotally attached with a first pivot pin 70 and bracket 64 at a first end to the outer runner 51 and at a second end to the second half of the distribution and leveling blade 61 by a second pivot pin 70 and a bracket 64. The telescoping rod 68 is held in position by a set screw 69.
Similarly, the angle 72 of the inner distribution and leveling blade 66 and the aggregate retention blade 67 is adjustable by means of the hinge 65 and is adjustably held in place by a second telescoping rod 71 which is pivotally attached at a first end to the aggregate retention blade 67 by a third pivot pin 70 and bracket 64 and at a second end to the inner distribution and leveling blade 66 by a fourth pivot pin 70 and bracket 64.
As should be apparent from the description, in combination with the drawings, both angle 60 of the distribution and leveling blades 58 and 61 and the width “W” between the outer runner 51 and the aggregate retention blade 67 are adjustable. This arrangement provides for the creation of variable width shoulders (distance “W”) either by lengthening or shortening the first telescoping rod 68 or by repositioning the second half of the distribution and leveling blade 61 in relation to the first half of the distribution and leveling blade 58 by the fasteners 62. Furthermore, by changing the angle 60 to an acute angle by adjusting the first half of the distribution and leveling blade 58, the aggregate 17 is forced upward towards the outer runner 51 to provide for a deeper fill of aggregate 17 nearer the roadway 19.
In addition, the distribution blades 58 and 61 and the aggregate retention plate 67 can be set in a straight line for leveling in which event any excess aggregate 17 is pushed out past the shoulder 18.
In an alternate embodiment, as shown in
To convert the apparatus 20 from a rearward operating position to a forward operating position, the support brace 56 shown in
The method for adjustably laying, leveling and compacting a shoulder in accordance with the present invention will now be explained. If necessary, an operator first removes any salt or sand spreading devices and any un-needed equipment such as a snow plow or the like. The operator then installs the distribution and leveling apparatus 20, either by attaching the hitch bar 30 to the truck's 10 or 100 receiver 25 or by attaching the mounting flange 32 to the truck frame 26 at a suitable location. The operator then connects the hydraulic hoses 90, 91, 46 and 47 to the truck's hydraulic systems and controls. Hydraulic systems, connections and controls are well know in the art and most dump trucks 10 or 100 come pre-equipped with such hydraulics, connections and controls. The hydraulic controls typically being located in the cab of the truck 10 or 100. The operator then activates the hydraulic controls for the first and second hydraulic cylinders 21 and 24 to raise the distribution and leveling device 20 off of the road surface 19 and into its upright position for transportation and secures the apparatus 20 with the rod 97. If the second hydraulic cylinder 24 is not available, the operator manually raises the distribution and leveling portion 23 and secures it to the side of the dump truck 10 with the rod 97.
The operator then drives the dump truck 10 or 100 to an aggregate filling yard and fills the dump truck bed with aggregate 17. The operator then drives the dump truck 10 or 100 to the road where shoulder application or maintenance is required. The operator then un-secures the rod 97 and the distribution and leveling apparatus 20 and, by means of the dump trucks hydraulics or manually, deploys the distribution and leveling apparatus 20 to the roadway 19. The operator then positions the distribution and leveling apparatus 20 such that the outer runner 51 is near the edge of the roadway 19. Based upon the current shoulder 18 conditions, the operator can then adjust the distribution and leveling portion 23 in a variety of means. First, the operator can infinitely adjust the angle 60 of the leveling blades 58 and 61, within the limits of the telescoping rod 68, to the outer runner 51 to allow for a deeper or shallower aggregate 17 fill amount next to the road by adjusting the first telescoping rod 68. Then the operator can infinitely adjust the angle 72 of the aggregate retention blade 67, within the limits of the second telescoping rod 71, so as to keep the loose aggregate 17 up on the shoulder by adjusting the second telescoping rod 71. Next, the operator can infinitely adjust the bottom of the leveling blades 58 and 61 up or down, within the limits of the length of the horizontal slots 97 in the support brace 56, to create a greater or lesser amount of loose and leveled aggregate 17 above the road surface 19 by loosening the fasteners 57 and turning the nut 103 attached to the height adjusting plate 92 which in turn raises or lowers the leveling blades 58 and 61 to a desired height D. Next the operator can infinitely adjust the pitch “P” of the shoulder 18, within the limits of the horizontal slot 94 in the first half of the distribution and leveling blade 58, by pivoting the leveling blades 58 and 61 about the lower fastener 57 and within the limits of the upper slotted hole 94 and then tightening the fasteners 57 to maintain the pitch “P” and height “D” adjustments. Next, the operator can infinitely adjust for the width “W” of the shoulder 18, within the limits of the slot 63 in the second half of the distribution and leveling blade 61, the setting of the angle 60 between the outer runner 51 and the first and second distribution and leveling blades 58 and 61, and the setting of the angle 72 between the retention blade 67 and the second half of the distribution and leveling blade 61, by loosening the fasteners 62 and sliding the outer leveling blade 61 by the fasteners 62 running in the slot 63 either in closer or further away from the outer runner 51 and then tightening the fasteners 62.
Once suitably adjusted, the operator returns to the cab of the dump truck 10 or 100 and raises the dump truck bed to get the aggregate 17 flowing toward the auger or conveyor belt 15 that the dump truck's 10 or 100 come equipped with. By activating the auger or conveyor belt 15 with the controls already existing in the dump truck, the aggregate 17 is moved to an opening where the aggregate 17 falls out and onto the material applicator or chute 16 which directs the aggregate 17 into the space between the outer runner 51, the inner and outer leveling blades 58 and 61 and the aggregate retention blade 67. Once a suitable amount of aggregate 17 has been deposited, the operator slowing backs the truck 10 or 100 down the road continuously laying the aggregate 17. Meanwhile, the distribution and leveling portion 23 evenly distributes and levels the aggregate 17 based upon the adjustments made as provided above.
The curved surfaces 52 of the runners 50 and 51 allow the distribution and leveling portion 23 to operate smoothly over the road surface 19. The pivot point 80 between the third channel 38 and the inner frame structure 200 at channel 75 allows the runners 50 and 51 to rotate vertically within the limits of the stops 81 and 82 to account for varying road heights. The inner frame structure 200 cooperating with the vertical plates 53 and 54 allow the distribution and leveling portion 23 to rotate thereby allowing variation in the road surface linear irregularities running crosswise to the roads 19 direction. The rotation of the frame mounting portion 22 about the hitch bar 30 accommodates the rotational or yaw movement of the roadway 19 in relation to the truck frame 26. In an alternative embodiment, the distribution and leveling portion 23 could rotate within the limits created by the hole 202 and the pin 201 shown in
Once the aggregate is laid and leveled, the operator returns the distribution and leveling apparatus 20 to its upright position for transportation and secures the apparatus 20 with the rod 97 or other securing means well known in the art. The operator then directs the dump truck 10 or 100 onto the loose and leveled aggregate 17 and slowly drives over the aggregate using the truck tires 96 to compact the shoulder aggregate 17.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus 20 can be mounted on the right hand side, or passenger side, of the truck 10 or 100 in a forward leveling position. The operator then follows the procedures above for filing the dump truck 10 or 100 and setting the pitch, width, height and other adjustments described above. The operator then drives the truck 10 or 100 forward while depositing and leveling the aggregate 17 on the shoulder. Once the aggregate 17 is deposited and leveled, the operator backs the truck 10 or 100 up and slowly drives over the aggregate 17 with the truck's tires being utilized to compact the aggregate 17.
In an identical manner, asphalt could be laid, leveled and compacted to various widths, pitch and yaw or utilized to patch small areas or holes in the roadway 19. In a further embodiment, the runners 50 and 51 could have hardened edges or a carbide or other suitable material attached to the base of the runners 50 and 51 to reduce the wear on the runners 50 and 51 similar to snow plow blades.
For those areas with dump trucks 10 and 100, but without hydraulics, such as in the southern States where there is no need for salting and snow plowing, electrical servo-motors can be substituted for the hydraulics to accomplish the same movements provided by the hydraulic cylinders 21 and 24.
In compliance with the statute, the invention and method of operation has been described in language more or less specific as to the structural features. It is to understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, since the means and construction herein disclosed comprise a preferred form of putting the invention into practice. The invention is, therefore, claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the proper scope of the appended claims, appropriately interpreted in accordance with the doctrine of equivalents.
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|---|---|---|---|
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| 2188553 | Lathrop | Jan 1940 | A |
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