Patent Application
20110176868
The present invention generally relates to road paving equipment, and more particularly relates to pavers, and even more particularly relates to pavers with a capability for remixing hot mix asphalt (HMA) material placed in the hopper onboard the paver.
In the past, road paving equipment designers have endeavored to improve the functionality of road pavers. U.S. Pat. No. 6,007,272 is an example of an improved paver with mixing capabilities. While such improvements have been made to remixing capabilities of pavers, they remain a single use machine. Most paving contractors will have a paver, a road widener and some means for transferring the mix to the paver and road widener, all of which are independent machines.
While these approaches of using independent pavers, road wideners and mix transfer machines, etc. have been used extensively in the past, they do have some drawbacks. First of all, they require significant investment. Secondly, they require considerable space for storage and transportation.
Consequently, there exists a need for improved methods and systems for deploying multiple paving equipment tools.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method for deploying multiple paving equipment tools in an efficient manner.
It is a feature of the present invention to utilize a blind-mateable multi-use paving tractor.
It is an advantage of the present invention to reduce the cost of deploying a group of paving tools.
It is another advantage to permit multiple paving equipment tools to be easily coupled to a multi-use paving tractor.
It is yet another advantage to permit reduced costs in coupling several paving tools to a multi-use paving tractor on a job site.
The present invention is an apparatus and method for deploying multiple paving tools, designed to satisfy the aforementioned needs, provide the previously stated objects, include the above-listed features, and achieve the already articulated advantages. The present invention is carried out in a “wasted time-less” manner in a sense that the time needed to couple and uncouple multiple paving hoppers, remixing equipment and propulsion mechanisms for a group of road paving tools, has been greatly reduced.
Accordingly, the present invention is a system and method including a paving tractor with a capability for readily connecting and disconnecting a road paving tool thereto.
The invention may be more fully understood by reading the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, in conjunction with the appended drawings wherein:
Now referring to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like matter throughout, and more specifically referring to
A pull arm 103 is shown coupled to the tractor 100. Preferably, a pull arm 103 is disposed on each side of the tractor. Pull arm 103 may include a quick connector 1032 disposed on or near a rear end 1031 of the pull arm 103. Pull-arm quick connector 1032 could be numerous types of connectors, such as a butt plate with holes for receiving bolts or pins, a channel for receiving an insert dropped in from above, a male or female connector, etc. Pull arm quick connector 1032 may have additional connectivity capability beyond structural connections, such as electric connections, hydraulic hose connections, etc. In any case, it is preferred that pull arm quick connector 1032 provide for the ability to add or remove attachments very quickly and while in the field. Preferably, no welding or powered tools, other than those receiving power from the multi-use paving tractor 100 and a lift used to move the attachment, would be necessary. Hydraulic cylinders 1034 and 1035 or other mechanism for manipulating pull arm 103 between various raised and lowered positions are also shown. In a preferred arrangement, the pull arm 103 can be raised or lowered to engage tool attachments, discussed in detail below. While it may be preferred to utilize dual pull arms 103 on each side, it should be understood that a centrally disposed pull arm or group of centrally disposed pull arms could be used as well. The pull arm 103 is preferably movable, but it should be understood that it could be a simple fixed connection point disposed on the tractor 100. An upper link 104 could be another connection between the tractor 100 and tool attachments. Upper link 104, if hydraulically extendable and retractable, could be used to connect, position and otherwise manipulate any tool attachment coupled to pull arm 103. (Note that the upper link 104 may not be used on some attachments, such as the screed.) An upper link 104 may be disposed on either side of the tractor 100, or a single upper link could be used as well. Appropriate driver controls 125 may be included to assist in the manipulation of pull arm 103 and upper link 104.
A more detailed understanding of the present invention can be achieved by now referring to
In this preferred embodiment, swinging slat conveyor 209 is a vertically and radially adjustable conveyor which can be swung to the right or the left upon swinging slat conveyor pivot support 211, which can be a hinge or other pivot support. Swinging slat conveyor 209 includes a swinging slat conveyor interior chain assembly 208 and a swinging slat conveyor raising mechanism 210 which can be disposed on one pull arm 103 or one side of the multi-use paving tractor 100, or it can have one on each side of multi-use paving tractor 100 or attached to right and left pull arms 103. Swinging slat conveyor raising mechanism 210, if mounted to a side of multi-use paving tractor 100, can both raise swinging slat conveyor 209 and swing swinging slat conveyor 209 right and left as needed. Swinging slat conveyor raising mechanism 210 can be a hydraulic cylinder, a cable/winch system or other system for lifting and swinging the swinging slat conveyor 209.
Swinging slat conveyor pivot support 211 is preferably a support for pivoting about a horizontal axis and a vertical axis. A rotational coupling or independent orthogonal pivots could be used to enable swinging slat conveyor 209 to be both raised and swung as needed.
An even more detailed understanding of the present invention may be achieved by now referring to
Now referring to
The term “frame raise capability” is a name given to the well-known capability to raise the rear of a paver as is found in Cedarapids, Inc. products. The raising may be a combined vertical and horizontal displacement as when pivoting along an arc or primarily a vertical translation of the paving tractor.
Pull arm 103 contemplates an adjustment of location of connection to the tool attachment by one or more hydraulic arms. The frame raise capability, which is not shown or discussed in detail, but well understood in the industry, involves lifting, raising or pivoting the entire rear end of the chassis and superstructure of a paver or in this case, a multi-purpose tractor, with respect to the ground or some forward located pivot point. System 600 includes the tractor 601, with the frame raise capability, as well as a structural support 602, which is attached to the multi-use tractor 601 and is raised when the frame raise mechanism is operated. Structural support 602 is preferably permanently attached to the tractor 601, but other non-permanent attachment arrangements could be used as well. Structural support 602 has voids therein for receiving self-centering cones therein. The structural support 602 may be permanently attached to the tractor mount system 610, including a sturdy tractor mounting plate 612 which has cone-receiving holes 614 therein for receiving therethrough the self-centering cones 624. Holes 614 may be made to have a diameter to match a diameter of self-centering cones 624. Tractor mounting plate 612 may have mounting bolts 616 extending therethrough for mating with mounting nuts 628 on the back side of tool mounting plate 622. Tool mounting plate 622 has self-centering cones 624 mounted thereon. Numerous other suitable quick connecting and/or blind mateable connection points and connection schemes could be substituted, so long as they facilitate quickly connecting attachments to a paving tractor having frame raise capabilities. The blind-mateable connection as shown in
The term “blind mateable” is used herein to describe a capability for mating two structural components without requiring an exact alignment being made by an operator or other person assisting in the mating. “Blind mateable” suggests that once the two structural members are brought into a crude alignment, they can be brought into minute alignment without more precise alignment maneuvers or adjustments occurring.
Structural support 602 and tractor mounting plate 612 may either singly or in combination form a connection point which is rigidly attached to the rear end of the paving tractor 601.
The system 600 could operate as follows: The tractor 601 with structural support 602 and tractor mounting plate 612 attached thereto, could be steered to back up to a tool attachment. The frame raise capability of the tractor 601 could be used to generally match the height of the tractor mounting plate 612 to the tool mounting system 620 with tool mounting plate 622; the self-centering cones 624 would enter the holes 614 at any location within the hole, including locations off center. This would be considered a crude alignment done by the operator. As the tractor backs up farther, the tool and/or paving tractor will automatically experience slight relative motion to better align the holes 614 with the self-centering cones 624. By the time the shorter bolts reach the tool mounting plate, they are made to be registered with the holes therein where tool mounting bolts 626 can be mounted thereon. This would be considered minute alignment. This process of blind mating the attachment to the tractor facilitates quick and relatively easy alignment and, therefore, attachment of tool attachments to the tractor 601.
Now referring to
When attachment 700 is detached from paving tractor 601, it requires support to remain in the desired attach and detach orientation.
A second elevator support member 710 is shown disposed below the second elevator 708 and pivotal around a support pivot point 712. Support member 710 is preferably extendable by removing a retractable support portion 714, shown in the fully retracted and stowed position. When deployed, the retractable support portion 714 extends to the ground and is adjustable in length by insertion of a pin into one of a plurality of variable positioned adjustment holes (not shown). In alternate embodiments, other structures could be used, such as a hydraulic cylinder or a suitable substitute.
Upper connection members 718 are coupled to a portion of a paving tractor 601 via connectors 716. In one embodiment, the length of the connection members 718 can be adjusted by turning the connectors 716 which are coupled to the connection members via threaded connections. In alternate embodiments, a hydraulic cylinder could be used or a suitable substitute.
The attachment 700 is also coupled to the paving tractor 601 via blind mateable connector 720 which includes a centering cone 722 and a plurality of connection bolts 724.
The attachment 700 is stabilized with a front support member 730 having a retractable stand 732 (shown in the fully retracted and stowed position) which is held in place via a pin 734. A hydraulic cylinder or a suitable substitute could be used if desired.
In operation, the apparatus and method of the present invention as described in
Firstly, a multi-use paving tractor 601 is provided which accepts HMA in a hopper and mixing apparatus and transports it rearward via conveying shaft.
One of several attachments, such as HMA mix transfer tool attachment 700, right- or left-sided road widener attachment 300 or paver screed 518 could be attached to the multi-use paving tractor 601, depending upon the needs at the time. The combination is then deployed and used on a road. The attachment then is removed and replaced with another of the several attachments, and the new combination is used. Numerous road-paving tools can be deployed on one job without the need for redundant components.
The HMA transfer tool attachment could be detached from the paving tractor 601 as follows:
The paving tractor 601, which has a frame raise capability, has the frame raise in a center position. The attachment 700 is lowered hydraulically to a low position slightly above a point of contact with the ground. The support members 710 and 730 are deployed by lowering the retracted members 714 and 732 respectively. Pins are placed therein so as to minimize their distances from the ground.
The frame raise feature is lowered so as to allow the attachment 700 to rest on the ground.
The connectors 716 are disconnected from the paving tractor 601. All hydraulic and electrical connections are disconnected.
The bolts 724 are removed and the tractor 601 pulls away from the attachment 700.
The process is reversed to couple the attachment 700 to the paving tractor 601.
A screed could be attached in a similar manner. In an alternate embodiment, a screed could be blind-mateably coupled to a spreading screw section which is itself blind mateable with a tractor 601. Details of such a multi-stage modular attachment scheme is described in the above-referenced patent application entitled “Multi-stage modular road paving equipment and method of manufacture and sales,” application No. 60/743,657 filed on Mar. 22, 2006.
Throughout the above description, HMA is described as the material to be used. It should be understood that the present invention is directed to any type of road surface. It is believed that recycled asphalt products could be used, cold mix asphalt, and even in certain applications with any appropriate modifications, concrete could be the paving material. Hopper and mixing apparatus 101 may comprise a rectangular box or an angled rectangular or circular bin or any shaped container and material mixing and transfer apparatus which is suitable for the paving material being used.
It is thought that the method and apparatus of the present invention will be understood from the foregoing description and that it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construct steps, and arrangement of the parts and steps thereof, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of their material advantages. The form herein described is merely a preferred exemplary embodiment thereof.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 12268741 | Nov 2008 | US |
| Child | 13074614 | US | |
| Parent | 11382441 | May 2006 | US |
| Child | 12268741 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 10605249 | Sep 2003 | US |
| Child | 11382441 | US |
