Patcher system and associated methods

• US 20080031688A1
• Filed: 08/30/2006
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Essentra Specialty Tapes, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Essentra Specialty Tapes, Inc.
• Inventors: Gilchrist, Robert A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,481,601 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 404/108
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/06 Devices or arrangements for working the finished surface working freshly laid paving E01C19/42 - E01C19/44, E01C23/02; mining picks E21C35/18; Devices for repairing or reconditioning the surface of damaged paving; Recycling in place or on the road

Abstract

A patcher system for patching a paved surface includes a remotely controllable arm attachable to a vehicle and a patching material dispensing subsystem disposed on the remotely controllable arm. The patcher system may be part of a mobile patcher system which additionally includes a vehicle, a patching material distribution subsystem disposed on the vehicle, and a control subsystem. A software product may include instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform steps for controlling the patcher system.

Claims

1. A patcher system for patching a paved surface, comprising:

a remotely controllable arm attachable to a vehicle; and

a patching material dispensing subsystem disposed on the remotely controllable arm.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the remotely controllable arm is operable to move the patching material dispensing subsystem relative to the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the patching material dispensing subsystem comprises an aggregate dispensing nozzle and an emulsion dispensing nozzle.

4. The system of claim 3 further comprising an aggregate distribution subsystem in fluid communication with the aggregate dispensing nozzle and an emulsion distribution subsystem in fluid communication with the emulsion dispensing nozzle.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the aggregate distribution subsystem comprises a blower, a venturi, and a hopper.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the emulsion distribution subsystem comprises an emulsion storage tank and an emulsion line.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a control subsystem operable to control operation of the remotely controllable arm.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the control subsystem is operable to control operation of the patching material dispensing subsystem.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the control subsystem comprises a hydraulic control subsystem.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the control subsystem comprises an electric control subsystem.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the electric control subsystem comprises a user control subsystem.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the user control subsystem comprises a joystick.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the user control subsystem is in communication with an aggregate distribution subsystem and an emulsion distribution subsystem.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein a user may control one or more operating states of the aggregate distribution subsystem and the emulsion distribution subsystem via the user control subsystem.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the electric control subsystem comprises an informational display.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the electric control subsystem comprises a microcontroller.

17. The system of claim 7, wherein the control subsystem is operable to prevent inadvertent movement of the remotely controllable arm and inadvertent operation of the patching material dispensing subsystem.

18. A mobile patcher system for patching a paved surface with patching material, comprising:

a vehicle;

a remotely controllable arm attached to the vehicle, the remotely controllable arm operable to extend from an exterior of the vehicle;

a patching material dispensing subsystem disposed on the remotely controllable arm;

a patching material distribution subsystem disposed on the vehicle, the patching material distribution subsystem in fluid communication with the patching material dispensing subsystem;

a control subsystem for controlling the mobile patcher system; and

a user control subsystem disposed within a passenger compartment of the vehicle, to control user controllable operations of the mobile patcher system.

19. A method of patching a paved surface, comprising:

positioning a vehicle having a remotely controllable arm proximate to an area of the paved surface to be patched;

positioning the remotely controllable arm such that a patching material dispensing subsystem disposed on the remotely controllable arm is proximate to the area of the paved surface to be patched; and

causing patching material to be injected from the patching material dispensing subsystem to the area of the paved surface to be patched.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the steps of positioning and causing are controlled via a user control subsystem disposed in a passenger compartment of the vehicle.

21. A software product comprising instructions, stored on computer-readable media, wherein the instructions, when executed by a computer, perform steps for controlling a patcher system for patching a paved surface, comprising:

instructions for determining a current position of a joystick;

instructions for determining if a trigger of a user control subsystem is activated;

instructions for determining if a remotely controllable arm has reached at least one maximum position;

instructions for determining if further movement of the remotely controllable arm would result in the remotely controllable arm exceeding at least one maximum position; and

instructions for routing signals corresponding to the current position of the joystick to actuators associated with the remotely controllable arm.

22. The software product of claim 21 further comprising instructions for controlling an aggregate distribution subsystem, an emulsion distribution subsystem, and at least one rotational energy source.

23. The software product of claim 21 further comprising instructions for controlling an informational display.