Patent Application
20100034627
None
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the delivery of hot mix asphalt for road bed construction and more particularly to an assembly and method for cleaning out conveyors, elevators, hoppers and other parts of material transport vehicles or other implements and devices associated with the delivery of hot mix asphalt to paving machines.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hot mix asphalt (HMA) is typically prepared off-site from a road bed undergoing construction or resurfacing, or other similar paving project. It is then transferred into a dump truck or other suitable conveyance before being delivered either directly into a paving machine, directly into to a material transport vehicle, or placed onto the road bed as a windrow ahead of, and to be advanced upon, by a material transport vehicle. Material transport vehicles are known in the art, as are methods for cleaning out the same. Not surprisingly, unused, old or dried material will inhibit the ability of the material transport vehicle and related equipment to effectively deliver HMA to a paving machine and such material must be removed, preferably while still warm. Material transport vehicles also need to be cleaned out in order to facilitate routine maintenance as well as repair. Such methods include utilizing scrapers or brushes, both of which are prone to fatigue and failure. Furthermore, accessing the interior of the vehicle while the HMA is hot, though necessary for easy material removal, is potentially quite hazardous for operators. Previous access panels were either small, difficult to release, or otherwise exposed operators to excessive risk.
It is a first object of the present invention to create a cleanout assembly that permits the convenient, safe, efficient and complete cleaning of material transport vehicles as compared to previous devices;
It is a further object of the present invention to create a cleanout assembly that is inexpensive to manufacture, easy to maintain and operate, and that can be retrofitted to existing material transport vehicles.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to create an improved method for cleaning unused, old or dried material such as HMA from a material transport vehicle.
The present invention is an improved material transport vehicle having an integrated assembly for cleaning out conveyors, elevators, hoppers and the like. The cleanout assembly comprises one or more detachable panels strategically located about the material transport vehicle so as to permit convenient and safe access to the components for removing unused, old or dried material. In a preferred embodiment, the cleanout assembly has detachable panels integrated into the various interconnected housings containing conventional vehicle components such as an elevator conveyor, a transport conveyor, a dump hopper and a re-mix hopper. The detachable panel or panels are integral with a surface of the housings, typically the lower surface thereof.
The lower surface of the transport conveyor housing, for example, proximate the discharge end of the material transport vehicle, preferably has an outer detachable panel and an inner detachable panel. The outer panel is hingedly attached at one end to the housing and may be lowered to the ground at the second end. The inner panel, also hingedly attached at one end, is closest the conveyor chain when closed and, when lowered, rests on and is supported by the outer panel. The usually bidirectional conveyor is actuated in either or both directions. As the conveyor passes over the void created by the lowering of the inner panel, loose or generally loose material falls by operation of gravity onto the inner panel where it can be removed by workers using shovels or other suitable hand tools or dislodged merely by driving the vehicle away from the pile.
Additional housings, such as those containing the elevator conveyor, the dump hopper and the re-mix hopper, may be provided with one or more detachable panels in a similar fashion. The panels are generally releasable from their respective housings by simply actuating a remote latch. All such panels are also wider than the prior art, preferably as wide as or substantially as wide as the housings themselves, thereby improving accessibility and at the same time improving safety.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated from the following description. The description makes reference to the accompanying drawings, which are provided for illustration of the preferred embodiment. However, such embodiment does not represent the full scope of the invention. The subject matter which the inventor does regard as his invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of this specification.
While the making and using of various embodiments of the present invention are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated that the present invention provides for inventive concepts capable of being embodied in a variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific manners in which to make and use the invention and are not to be interpreted as limiting the scope of the instant invention.
A material transport vehicle (MTV) such as a Weiler® Elevator (FIVE STAR INDUSTRIES, INC., Knoxville, Iowa) is typically used to transfer paving material such as hot-mix asphalt (HMA) from a dump truck or other conveyance to a conventional asphalt paving machine. Paving material is loaded into a first hopper of the MTV at an input end, delivered via an elevator to a second hopper, where it is mixed, agitated or simply maintained until needed, at which time it is delivered via a conveyor to a discharge end, usually to a paving machine.
Turning now to
In normal operation, elevating conveyor 18 is inclined, originating at dump hopper 16 which is at or near ground level. Dump hopper 16 is capable of tilting or pivoting about its point of connection with elevator conveyor 18 so as to more effectively deliver paving material thereto. Alternatively, dump hopper 16 may be configured with an open front end (opposite elevator conveyor 18) so as to receive paving material dumped onto the road bed such as in a windrow and deliver the same into elevator conveyor 18 as vehicle 10 advances. The end of elevating conveyor 18 opposite dump hopper 16 is situated at approximately 45° from vertical and terminates at re-mix hopper 20. Beginning from a point directly beneath re-mix hopper 20, transport conveyor 22 may extend horizontally such that transport conveyor 22 is level or substantially level with the ground. Transport conveyor 22 can be raised or lowered as it pivots vertically about its point of attachment with MTV 10 via a hydraulic lift cylinder or other mechanism that is conventional and known in the art.
As shown in
Lower surface 34 of transport conveyor housing 28 proximate discharge end 14 comprises a detachable outer panel 40 having an upward facing surface 42, a downward facing surface 44, a first end 46 and a second end 48. Detachable outer panel 40 is preferably rectangular and is preferably substantially the same width as, or only slightly narrower than, housing 28. First end 46 is releasably secured to housing 28, and means 50 is provided for releasing first end 46 from housing 28. Means 50 can be any conventional latch or latching apparatus, such as a 1500 lb. draw latch, and may include a remote actuator such as a lever or switch.
Second end 48 is hingedly attached to housing 28. This attachment can be via one or more conventional hinges, such as piano hinges, or any other attachment means 49 that permits detachable outer panel 40 to pivot downward from lower surface 34 of housing 28.
Lower surface 34 of housing 28 preferably includes detachable inner panel 52 as illustrated in
Second end 60 of detachable inner panel 52 is hingedly attached to housing 28. This attachment can be via one or more conventional hinges, such as piano hinges, or any other attachment means 61 that permits detachable inner panel 52 to pivot downward from lower surface 34 of housing 28. Second end 48 of detachable outer panel 40 and second end 60 of detachable inner panel 52 may share a common pivot axis or point of attachment about housing 28, but this is not required.
Detachable outer panel 40 has at least one support structure. Preferably, the support structure is composed of two roughly L-shaped tubular members 64. The long legs 65 of L-shaped tubular members 64 are secured along opposite sides of detachable outer panel 40 preferably by welding, while the short legs 66 of L-shaped tubular members 64 extend roughly perpendicularly from the plane defined by detachable outer panel 40. Ends 67 of short legs 66 of L-shaped tubular members 64 feature a flange 68 having an aperture 70, preferably located centrally therein. Precise centering of aperture 70 about flange 68 is not required.
When detachable outer panel 40 is in the closed (or up) position (
When detachable outer panel 40 is in the open (or down) position (
Retaining brackets 78 having apertures 80, preferably located centrally therein, are provided along the sides of detachable inner panel 52. Precise centering of aperture 80 about bracket 78 is not required. Flanges 68 on ends 67 of L-shaped tubular members 64 may be engaged with retaining brackets 78 and secured to the same using retaining pin 76 inserted through aperture 70 of flange 68 and aperture 80 of retaining bracket 78. For convenience, multiple retaining pins 76 may be provided; for example, pins may be secured to MVA 10 at or near each point of insertion (up and down positions), and retained in proximity by a chain or rope of sufficient length, as is well known.
When both detachable outer panel 40 and detachable inner panel 52 are in the closed (or up) position (
Referring back to
It will be appreciated that when detachable inner panel 52 is in the open or down position (
Turning to
Lower surface 88 of elevator conveyor housing 84, proximate dump hopper 16, comprises a detachable outer panel 90 having an upward facing surface 92, a downward facing surface 94, a first end 96 and a second end 98. Detachable outer panel 90 is preferably rectangular and is preferably substantially the same width as, or only slightly narrower than, housing 84. First end 96 is releasably secured to housing 84, and means 100 is provided for releasing first end 96 from housing 84. Means 100 can be any conventional latch or latching apparatus, such as a 1500 lb. draw latch, and may include a remote actuator such as a lever or switch.
Second end 98 is hingedly attached to housing 84. This attachment can be via one or more conventional hinges, such as piano hinges, or any other attachment means 99 that permits detachable outer panel 90 to pivot downward from lower surface 88 of housing 84.
As discussed above with respect to transport conveyor 22, and utilizing control means 82, elevator conveyor chain 86 may be advanced in one or both directions while detachable outer panel 90 is in the open (or down) position so as to optimize removal of material from elevator conveyor 18. Augers at the base of elevator conveyor 18 may also be selectively actuated to ensure optimal clean-out. Material that is not loose or that does not self-loosen as elevator conveyor 18 moves may be loosened and removed mechanically or manually from elevator housing 84, preferably by using safe practices. First end 96 of detachable panel 90 typically will not reach the ground in the open (or down) position, but this is not a limitation either way.
Dump hopper 16 is also provided with a clean-out assembly. Still referring to
Re-mix hopper 20 is also provided with a clean-out assembly. With respect to
In operation, MVA 10 is used in a conventional manner until such time that clean-out of one or more components is desired either at the end of a particular job or for routine maintenance or for repairs. MVA 10 is removed to a designated clean-out location or otherwise appropriate site. L-shaped tubular members 64 are disengaged from retaining brackets 72 by removing retaining pins 76. Means 50 is actuated, thereby releasing detachable outer panel 40, and panel 40 is lowered until second end 46 of panel 40 contacts the ground. L-shaped tubular members 64 are engaged with and secured to retaining brackets 78 using retaining pins 76 and means 62 is actuated, releasing detachable inner panel 52. Transport conveyor 22 is pivoted upward until detachable inner panel 52 roughly bisects the angle between transport conveyor 22 and detachable outer panel 40 (
Conveyor chain 30 is actuated in one or both directions. Loose material falls from conveyor chain 30 onto the upward facing surface 54 of detachable inner panel 52, and may be removed by workers using shovels, scrapers or other suitable tools. Material that does not fall merely by gravity may be loosened and freed from conveyor chain 30 by manual and/or mechanical means. Conveyor chain 30 is moved at least one complete rotation to ensure optimum material removal.
Once clean-out is complete, transport conveyor 22 is lowered until once again substantially level with the ground. Inner panel 52 is raised and secured by means 62. L-shaped tubular members 64 are disengaged from retaining brackets 78. Detachable outer panel 40 is raised and secured by means 50. L-shaped tubular members 64 are secured to retaining brackets 72.
Similarly, elevator conveyor 18 is cleaned by releasing the detachable outer panel 90 from the elevator housing 84 via means 100. Elevator conveyor chain 86 may be advanced in one or both directions and loose material falls onto the upward facing surface 92 of panel 90 and may be removed manually by shovels or other appropriate tools. Material that does not fall may be removed directly from conveyor chain 86. Detachable panel 90 is then engaged with elevator housing 84 and secured by means 100.
Clean-out of dump hopper 16 and re-mix hopper 20 does not necessarily involve the actuation of a conveyor, but both may be cleaned by releasing the respective detachable outer panels and removing material from the respective housings before re-securing the panel(s) to the housing(s). It will be appreciated that dump hopper 16 and re-mix hopper 20 may collect additional material during the cleaning of elevator conveyor 18, and as such it may be preferable to perform the clean-out of dump hopper 16 and re-mix hopper 20 subsequent to the clean-out of elevator conveyor 18. With regard to sequence, it may also be preferable to clean out transport conveyor 22 after other components as material may be dislodged from or through re-mix hopper 20 during the cleaning thereof, said material perhaps finding its way into transport conveyor 22. In addition to the conveyors, various augers such as those integral with elevator conveyor 18 and re-mix hopper 20 may be selectively actuated to ensure optimal material removal from the entire system of MTV 10. No limitation as to sequence is implied.
Thus, the present invention has been described in an illustrative manner. It is to be understood that the terminology that has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Furthermore, whereas the present invention has been described in relation to the drawings attached hereto, it should be understood that other and further modifications, apart from those shown or suggested herein, may be made within the spirit and scope of this invention.
