Desegregation System

• US 20090324332A1
• Filed: 06/26/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Weiler and Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Weiler and Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Hood, William A., Huizer, Tate
• Granted Patent: US 7,785,034 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 404/113
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/00 Machines, tools or auxiliary devices for preparing or distributing paving materials, for working the placed materials, or for forming, consolidating, or finishing the paving surface stabilisation E01C21/00; apparatus specially adapted for reconditioning or repairing paving E01C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 2301/06 Windrow pickup
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 30/30 in transportation, e.g. on roads, waterways or railways

Abstract

A desegregation system for use with hot mix asphalt, warm mix or with any material that will flow and which includes pieces of material of various sizes and for which uniform mixture is important. The system is substantially within a hopper having a material inlet and a material outlet and includes an auger section having a plurality of flights near a first end of an auger shaft and another, counter-handed section near the other end of the auger shaft. The system preferably has a parallel, interlaced pair of right handed auger sections mounted near corresponding ends of separate shafts and a second pair of parallel interlaced auger sections, left-handed, mounted near the opposite and corresponding ends of separate shafts.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

12. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein said diverter further comprises at least one cut out area on said outer boundary through which at least one auger moves desegregated hot mix asphalt.

14. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

21. (canceled)

22. (canceled)

25. (canceled)

26. (canceled)

27. A device for desegregating a hot mix asphalt mixture said device comprising:

a) a hopper with an open top that serves as a material inlet through which said hot mix asphalt mixture enters, and a bottom surface with a material outlet through which said mixture exits;

b) a desegregation system positioned substantially within said hopper comprising means for augering said mixture and means for diverting said mixture;

c) means for transporting said mixture to said material inlet;

d) said means for augering comprises a first auger shaft having a mid portion, a second auger shaft having a mid portion, said first and second auger shafts positioned generally parallel in said hopper beneath said open top, at least one right handed auger flight mounted on one end of said first auger shaft and at least one right handed auger flight mounted on one end of said second auger shaft forming a first pair of augers;

e) said means for augering further comprising at least one left handed auger flight mounted on an opposite end of said first auger shaft and at least one left handed auger flight mounted on said opposite end of said second auger shaft forming a second pair of augers wherein said first pair of augers and said second pair of augers are spaced apart by said mid portion of said first shaft and said mid portion of said second shaft; and

f) said means for diverting comprising a diverter positioned generally between said material inlet and said material outlet and positioned perpendicular to said augering means to overlie said mid portion of said first auger shaft and said mid portion of said second auger shaft, said diverter comprising a tent shaped structure with slanted sides and a raised midsection whereby said material inlet is positioned closer to said midsection of said diverter than to the outer boundaries of said slanted sides for diverting said mixture toward said means for augering.

5. The device as claimed in claim 27, wherein one of said first pair of augers or said second pair of augers comprises at least two closely interlaced flights.

6. The device as claimed in claim 27, wherein said first pair of augers comprises at least two interlaced flights, and said second pair of augers comprises at least two closely interlaced flights.

7. The device as claimed in claim 27, wherein said means for diverting is vertically positioned below said material inlet and above said mid portion of said first auger shaft and said mid portion of said second auger shaft.

9. The device as claimed in claim 27, wherein said diverter comprises outer boundaries and a midsection, said outer boundaries spaced on opposite sides of said midsection and further from said material inlet than said midsection.

10. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein said midsection of said diverter comprises a ridge oriented generally perpendicular to the axes of said first auger shaft and said second auger shaft.

11. The device as claimed in claim 10, wherein said outer boundaries of said diverter comprise at least two edges and said diverter further comprises at least one cut out in at least one of said two edges through which at least one of said augers moves said desegregated mixture.

13. The device as claimed in claim 10, wherein said diverter further comprises at least one cut out area on said outer boundary, each said cut out area vertically positioned between said material inlet and one of said first auger shaft and said second auger shaft.

23. A method for using the device claimed in claim 27 for desegregating a hot asphalt mixture comprising:

a) activating said means for augering at a first speed;

b) allowing said mixture to flow at a first rate into said at least one material inlet and be diverted into said means for augering by said means for diverting;

c) adjusting said first rate and said first speed to maintain a fill level of said means for augering of between about ¼ and

about ¾

for optimal desegregation of said mixture; and

d allowing desegregated mixture to exit said material outlet.

24. A method for using the device claimed in claim 27 for desegregating a hot asphalt mixture comprising:

a) activating said means for augering at a first speed;

b) allowing said mixture to flow at a first rate into said at least one material inlet and be diverted into said means for augering by said means for diverting;

c) adjusting said first rate and said first speed to maintain a fill level of said means for augering of between about ¼ and

about ½

for allowing the mixture to become desegregated in said means for auguring; and

d) allowing said desegregated mixture to exit said at least one material outlet.