PLATE COMPACTOR

Abstract

A plate compactor includes a base, a vibration mechanism coupled to the base, a compacting plate coupled to the base and configured to be vibrated in a vertical direction by the vibration mechanism, and a non-stick coating on a surface of the compacting plate. The compacting plate is configured to compact a work surface. The non-stick coating is configured to prevent a buildup of material on the compacting plate.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to walk-behind construction equipment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many types of construction equipment, such as plate compactors and roller compactors, are used during the application of asphalt to apply a surface finish to the asphalt.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides, in one aspect, a plate compactor including a base, a vibration mechanism coupled to the base, a compacting plate coupled to the base and configured to be vibrated in a vertical direction by the vibration mechanism, and a non-stick coating on a surface of the compacting plate. The compacting plate is configured to compact a work surface. The non-stick coating is on the surface that engages the work surface during compacting. The non-stick coating is configured to prevent a buildup of material on the compacting plate.

The present invention provides, in another aspect, a plate compactor including a base, a handle coupled to the base, the handle configured to be engaged by an operator to guide the plate compactor along a work surface, a vibration mechanism coupled to the base, a compacting plate coupled to the base, and a ceramic coating disposed on a portion of the compacting plate that engages the work surface. The vibration mechanism includes an electric motor and an eccentric shaft coupled to the electric motor to be driven by the electric motor. The compacting plate is configured to be vibrated in a vertical direction by rotation of the eccentric shaft.

The present invention provides, in yet another aspect, a compacting plate for a type of walk-behind construction equipment. The compacting plate including a bottom surface configured to be in facing relationship with a work surface to be compacted. The compacting plate further including a forward-facing surface coupled to the bottom surface, a rearward-facing surface coupled to the bottom surface opposite the forward-facing surface, and a non-stick coating applied to the bottom surface.

Other features and aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is top perspective view of a plate compactor in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is bottom perspective view of the plate compactor of FIG. 1.

Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a type of walk-behind construction equipment, illustrated as a vibratory plate compactor 10, includes a base 14, a vibration mechanism 18 mounted upon the base 14, and a frame 22 coupled to the base 14 via vibration damping elements (e.g., rubber bushings, not shown). The vibration mechanism 18 includes an electric motor 26 (e.g., a brushless DC electric motor) and an eccentric shaft 30 driven by the motor 26 via a belt or chain drive 34. Alternatively, the motor 26 may directly drive the eccentric shaft 30 without an intervening belt or chain drive 34. The base 14 includes a compacting plate 38 such that rotation of the eccentric shaft 30 by the motor 26 induces a vibrating motion on the compacting plate 38 in a vertical direction. In the illustrated embodiment, a pad 16 is coupled to the compacting plate 38 to protect pavers and the like during compacting. The vibratory plate compactor 10 further includes a handle 42 coupled to opposite sides of the frame 22 to permit an operator to guide the vibratory plate compactor 10 along a work surface. As an operator guides the vibratory plate compactor 10 along a work surface, the compacting plate 38 is driven to vibrate in the vertical direction to apply a compacting force to the work surface.

With reference to FIG. 2, the compacting plate 38 is illustrated as a unitary plate having an approximately flat bottom surface 46 configured to be in facing relationship with the work surface, a forward-facing surface 50, a rearward-facing surface 54, and transition surfaces 58, 62 connecting the bottom surface 46 to the forward-facing surface 50 and the rearward-facing surface 54, respectively. The surfaces 46, 50, 54, 58, 62 are formed by applying bends to the unitary plate 38 to achieve the desired shape. However, in other embodiments, the surfaces 46, 50, 54, 58, 62 of the compacting plate 38 may be separately formed and rigidly connected (e.g., by welding). In either embodiment, the compacting plate 38 is formed of a sufficiently strong metal to withstand repeated impacts with a work surface.

During use of the vibratory plate compactor 10, the work surface is formed by a material to be compacted. As the vibratory plate compactor 10 is guided over the work surface, the material may build up on the compacting plate 38 over time and negatively affect a surface finish applied by the compacting plate 38. In other words, buildup of material on the compacting plate 38 may result in the bottom surface no longer being flat. This can cause a compacted work surface to have inconsistencies such as depressions.

For example, when compacting hot mix asphalt, the asphalt may build up on the bottom surface of the compacting plate 38. Traditionally, the asphalt is prevented from building up on the compacting plate 38 by regular application of liquids, such as water, diesel fuel, or other release agents, to the compacting plate 38 by an operator. This process of applying liquids is time consuming and may be inconsistently performed across operators. Therefore, it is desirable to have a compacting plate 38 that prevents the buildup of material without the need for an operator to apply a release agent.

The compacting plate 38 of the present disclosure includes a non-stick coating that prevents the need for an operator to regularly apply a release agent to prevent buildup of the material being compacted. In particular, the non-stick coating is a ceramic coating applied to the base metal substrate of the compacting plate 38. The non-stick ceramic coating of the illustrated embodiment is applied to each of the surfaces 46, 50, 54, 58, 62. However, in other embodiments, the non-stick ceramic coating may be applied to only some of the surfaces 46, 50, 54, 58, 62. For example, the non-stick ceramic coating may be applied to only the bottom surface 46, or the coating may be applied to the bottom surface 46 and the forward-facing surface 50. The ceramic coating has a sufficiently high hardness value such that it can compact the work surface and has a sufficiently high impact resistance to withstand extended use. Furthermore, the ceramic coating has a sufficiently high temperature resistance so that materials such as hot mix asphalt can be compacted without negatively affecting the coating or the coating being worn off of the plate 38. In some embodiments, the non-stick coating is a Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coating, rather than a ceramic coating.

In the illustrated embodiment, the ceramic coating has a hardness to sufficiently resist abrasive wear and gouging. For example, the ceramic coating may have a pencil hardness of between 5 H and 9 H. In particular, it is desirable for the ceramic coating to have a pencil hardness of between 8 H and 9 H. Furthermore, the ceramic coating has a temperature resistance rated for at least 400 degrees Fahrenheit for four hours and more desirably has a temperature resistance rated for at 750 degrees Fahrenheit for four hours.

The non-stick coating has been described in relation to a vibratory plate compactor 10 and, in particular, to a compacting plate 38. However, as will be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art, the non-stick coating alternatively can be utilized with other walk-behind construction equipment (e.g., a roller compactor).

Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments, variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of one or more independent aspects of the invention as described.

Various features and advantages of the disclosure are set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A plate compactor comprising: a base;a vibration mechanism coupled to the base;a compacting plate coupled to the base and configured to be vibrated in a vertical direction by the vibration mechanism, the compacting plate configured to compact a work surface; anda non-stick coating on a surface of the compacting plate that engages the work surface during compacting, the non-stick coating configured to prevent a buildup of material on the compacting plate.

2. The plate compactor of claim 1, wherein the non-stick coating is a ceramic coating.

3. The plate compactor of claim 1, wherein the non-stick coating has a pencil hardness of between 5H and 9H.

4. The plate compactor of claim 3, wherein the pencil hardness is between 8H and 9H.

5. The plate compactor of claim 1, wherein the surface that engages the work surface during compacting is a bottom surface configured to be in facing relationship with the work surface, wherein the compacting plate further includes a forward-facing surface and a rearward-facing surface, and wherein the non-stick coating is applied to the bottom surface.

6. The plate compactor of claim 5, wherein the non-stick coating is applied to the forward-facing surface.

7. The plate compactor of claim 1, wherein the non-stick coating includes polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

8. The plate compactor of claim 1, wherein the non-stick coating has a temperature resistance rated for at least 400 degrees Fahrenheit for four hours.

9. A plate compactor comprising: a base;a handle coupled to the base, the handle configured to be engaged by an operator to guide the plate compactor along a work surface;a vibration mechanism coupled to the base, the vibration mechanism including an electric motor and an eccentric shaft coupled to the electric motor to be driven by the electric motor;a compacting plate coupled to the base, the compacting plate configured to be vibrated in a vertical direction by rotation of the eccentric shaft; anda ceramic coating disposed on a portion of the compacting plate that engages the work surface.

10. The plate compactor of claim 9, wherein the ceramic coating is a non-stick coating.

11. The plate compactor of claim 9, wherein the ceramic coating has a temperature resistance rated for at least 400 degrees Fahrenheit for four hours.

12. The plate compactor of claim 11, wherein the ceramic coating has a temperature resistance rated for at least 750 degrees Fahrenheit for four hours.

13. The plate compactor of claim 9, wherein the compacting plate includes a bottom surface configured to be in facing relationship with the work surface, wherein the compacting plate further includes a forward-facing surface and a rearward-facing surface, and wherein the ceramic coating is applied to the bottom surface.

14. The plate compactor of claim 13, wherein the ceramic coating is applied to the forward-facing surface and the rearward-facing surface.

15. The plate compactor of claim 14, wherein the ceramic coating has a pencil hardness of between 5H and 9H.

16. The plate compactor of claim 15, wherein the ceramic coating has a pencil hardness of between 8H and 9H.

17. A compacting plate for a type of walk-behind construction equipment, the compacting plate comprising: a bottom surface configured to be in facing relationship with a work surface to be compacted;a forward-facing surface coupled to the bottom surface;a rearward-facing surface coupled to the bottom surface opposite the forward-facing surface; anda non-stick coating applied to the bottom surface.

18. The compacting plate of claim 17, wherein the compacting plate is formed as a unitary plate.

19. The compacting plate of claim 17, wherein the non-stick coating is applied to the forward-facing surface and the rearward-facing surface.

20. The compacting plate of claim 17, wherein the non-stick coating is a ceramic coating.