Patent Application
20140338234
The present invention relates generally to vehicles for use in moving and/or removing earthen materials from a surface.
It has been recognized that it would be advantageous to develop an adjustable conveyor system capable of transporting the road debris from the cutting edge of the scraper and place the debris in a direction perpendicular from the path of the cutting edge.
The invention provides a system for the removal of material from a roadbed, the system having a movable vehicle with a cutting plate where the cutting plate has a cutting edge for scraping material from a roadbed where a first conveyor system transports the debris material away from the cutting edge and delivers the debris to a second conveyor system which then deposits the debris material laterally from a distal end of the second conveyor to a location remote from the movable vehicle.
In accordance with a more detailed aspect of the present invention, the system includes multiple conveyors, a first conveyor which removes debris directly from the cutting plate and a second, perpendicular from the first, which receives debris from the first conveyor and transports the debris laterally away from the path of the vehicle, the second conveyor having an ability to adjust the lateral distance and direction of its discharge point. The second conveyor having a concave shape to better contain the debris material in a horizontal plane.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description which follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which together illustrate, by way of example, features of the invention; and, wherein:
Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated, and specific language will be used herein to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended.
As used herein, the singular forms “a” and “the” can include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a conveyor” can include one or more of such conveyors.
As used herein, the terms “attached,” “coupled,” fixed,” etc., can be used to describe a condition in which two or more components are coupled to one another in such a manner that they function as intended: that is, the force required to uncouple the components is sufficiently large such that the components will remain attached to one another during the service for which they were designed. In some embodiments of the invention, various components can be “permanently” coupled to one another: in such a case, the components are coupled to one another such that some deformation of one or both of the components, or the fasteners used to couple the components, will occur if the components are uncoupled from one another. One example of such a coupling can occur when two or more components are welded, bonded or otherwise adhered to one another.
In other aspects, various components can be “removably” coupled to one another such that they can be separated without causing permanent deformation of the components, or the fasteners used to couple the components. One example of such a coupling can occur when two or more components are bolted to one another (in which case, removal of nuts coupled to bolts can result in uncoupling of the components without damaging the nuts or the bolts), or when a pin is used to secure one or more components in position relative to each other, or when two or more components are slidably insertable one within another to provide a telescoping relationship.
Directional terms, such as “vertical,” “horizontal,” “upper,” “lower,” etc., are used herein to describe relative positions of various components. It is to be understood that such usage is an effort to most clearly describe, and, where applicable, claim, the features of the invention and is not be to limiting unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Such directional terms are used in a manner that will be readily understood by one of ordinary skill in the art having possession of this disclosure.
As used herein, the term “substantially” refers to the complete or nearly complete extent or degree of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. As an arbitrary example, an object that is “substantially” enclosed would mean that the object is either completely enclosed or nearly completely enclosed. The exact allowable degree of deviation from absolute completeness may in some cases depend on the specific context. However, generally speaking the nearness of completion will be so as to have the same overall result as if absolute and total completion were obtained. The use of “substantially” is equally applicable when used in a negative connotation to refer to the complete or near complete lack of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. As another arbitrary example, a composition that is “substantially free of” an ingredient or element may still actually contain such item as long as there is no measurable effect thereof.
As used herein, the term “about” is used to provide flexibility to a numerical range endpoint by providing that a given value may be “a little above” or “a little below” the endpoint.
As used herein, a plurality of items, structural elements, compositional elements, and/or materials may be presented in a common list for convenience. However, these lists should be construed as though each member of the list is individually identified as a separate and unique member. Thus, no individual member of such list should be construed as a de facto equivalent of any other member of the same list solely based on their presentation in a common group without indications to the contrary.
Numerical data may be expressed or presented herein in a range format. It is to be understood that such a range format is used merely for convenience and brevity and thus should be interpreted flexibly to include not only the numerical values explicitly recited as the limits of the range, but also to include all the individual numerical values or sub-ranges encompassed within that range as if each numerical value and sub-range is explicitly recited. As an illustration, a numerical range of “about 1 to about 5” should be interpreted to include not only the explicitly recited values of about 1 to about 5, but also include individual values and sub-ranges within the indicated range. Thus, included in this numerical range are individual values such as 2, 3, and 4 and sub-ranges such as from 1-3, from 2-4, and from 3-5, etc., as well as 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, individually.
This same principle applies to ranges reciting only one numerical value as a minimum or a maximum. Furthermore, such an interpretation should apply regardless of the breadth of the range or the characteristics being described.
In addition, the present technology includes the ability to discharge this material away from the vehicle. This is advantageous for a number of reasons. For example, as shown in
The cutting plate 300 can include a cutting edge 310 which engages the surface and scrapes or cuts away an amount of material resulting in a quantity of debris material (not shown in this view), which is deposited onto the top surface 320 of the cutting plate 300. Conventional scraper systems simply form this cutting plate into a wedge shape, which functions similar to plow to push the debris material to the side edges of the cutting plate (and thus the vehicle) as the vehicle moves in a forward direction, e.g., to the right in
In contrast, the present apparatus of
The ability to adjust the paddles 120 into contact with the feeder plate 330 and the top surface of the cutting plate 320 becomes particularly advantageous when mud, sand or other small particle debris is being removed from the roadbed surface, as the mud or sand can be scraped up the feeder plate 330 and off the top surface of the cutting plate 320. The drive motor (shown schematically by example behind 130) for the first conveyor system 100 is preferably reversible to allow the operator to selectively discharge material toward the cutting edge 310 upon the event that something jambs the first conveyor system.
The debris can be discharged from the channel formed between the conveyor 100 and the feeder plate 330 to a second conveyor system 200, which is positioned orthogonally to the first conveyor system 110 in this embodiment. The feeder plate 330 can alternately include side rails 410 which can aid in maintaining the debris on the feeder plate as the debris moves up the feeder plate. The second conveyor system can include a belt/endless track 210 for conveying the debris laterally to a side of the vehicle.
The second conveyor system belt 210 can be supported by drive wheels 230 and a frame 256. The top side of the belt 210 can be formed into concave shape to better contain the debris while conveying the debris to the remote location. The concave shape may be achieved by having concave drive wheels 230 instead of right-angled cylinders. The frame supporting the drive wheels can also be provided with an adjustment assembly 240 which can adjust the conveyor laterally with respect to the vehicle. When the conveyor is discussed herein as being laterally adjustable relative to the vehicle, it is understood that the point of discharge of material from the conveyor can be adjusted laterally away from and nearer to the vehicle. In other words, the point of discharge (e.g., the extreme end of the conveyor 210) can be adjusted in either direction 720 or 730, shown in
As shown schematically for exemplary purposes in
While the forgoing examples are illustrative of the principles of the present invention in one or more particular applications, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications in form, usage and details of implementation can be made without the exercise of inventive faculty, and without departing from the principles and concepts of the invention. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the claims set forth below.
Priority is claimed of and to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/817,210, filed Apr. 29, 2013, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61817210 | Apr 2013 | US |
