SEALANT DEPLOYING APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 20110182664A1
• Filed: 01/21/2011
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tiberbond Pty., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Tiberbond Pty., Ltd.
• Inventors: Brodie, Stephen John
• Application Number:
  US13/011,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20110182664A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 404/107
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/098 and working the surface of the filling or applying particulate material thereto, e.g. smoothing, gritting

Abstract

There is disclosed a road crack repair system for mounting on a vehicle. The system includes a sealant applicator that is positionable in front of the vehicle, the sealant applicator having a sealant outlet for discharging a molten sealant product above a crack in a road surface, and a trowel that is adjacent the sealant outlet and is arranged to contact the road surface and spread sealant product into and over the crack; a vessel within which to store a molten sealant product, and a conduit for delivering sealant product from the vessel to the sealant outlet; a support that is arranged to support the applicator in front of the vehicle with the trowel in contact with the road surface; and a control system that is operable by an operator to displace the applicator along road surface to follow a crack with advancement of the vehicle in a forward direction.

Claims

1. A road crack repair system for mounting on a vehicle, the system comprising:

a sealant applicator that is positionable in front of the vehicle, the sealant applicator having a sealant outlet for discharging a molten sealant product above a crack in a road surface, and a trowel that is adjacent the sealant outlet and is arranged to contact the road surface and spread sealant product into and over the crack;

a vessel within which to store a molten sealant product, and a conduit for delivering sealant product from the vessel to the sealant outlet;

a support that is arranged to support the applicator in front of the vehicle with the trowel in contact with the road surface; and

a control system that is operable by an operator to displace the applicator along road surface to follow a crack with advancement of the vehicle in a forward direction.

2. A road crack repair system according to claim 1, wherein the applicator has a leading end and a trailing end, the sealant outlet is positioned forwardly of the trailing end, and at least part of the trowel is positioned behind the sealant outlet such that as the applicator is moved forwardly with the leading end encountering an exposed crack first, sealant is discharged from the outlet in front of the trowel.

3. A road crack repair system according to claim 1, wherein the trowel is in the form of a ring, and, in use, the sealant outlet discharges sealant product into the ring to form a reservoir of molten sealant product that is then spread into and over the crack by displacement of the ring.

4. A road crack repair system according to claim 3, wherein the applicator includes a reservoir heater for heating sealant within the reservoir.

5. A road crack repair system according to claim 2, wherein the applicator may include one or more air jets that each direct an air stream in front of the leading end of the trowel for blowing loose debris out of the crack.

6. A road crack repair system according to claim 2, wherein the applicator is movable transversely and longitudinally with respect to the vehicle, and is also rotatable, such that the applicator can be moved along a crack and orientated with its leading end toward the section of crack to be sealed.

7. A road crack repair system according to claim 1, wherein the support is a frame on the applicator is mounted, the frame being mountable to the front of the vehicle.

8. A road crack repair system according to claim 7, wherein the frame comprises:

a transverse rail on which the applicator is mounted; and

a pair of longitudinal arms that support the transverse rail and, in use, extend forwardly from the vehicle.

9. A road crack repair system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first actuator for displacing the applicator a transverse direction with respect to the vehicle, and

one or more second actuators for displacing the applicator longitudinally with respect to the vehicle.

10. A road crack repair system according to claim 1, further comprising a third actuator for rotating the applicator about an axis that is approximately perpendicular to the road surface when the trowel is in contact with a road surface.

11. A road crack repair system according to claim 1, further comprising a fourth actuator for displacing the trowel along an axis that is approximately perpendicular to the road surface when the trowel is in contact with a road surface.

12. A road crack repair system according to claim 1, further comprising a surfactant discharge system that includes one or more spray nozzles that, in use, each spray a surfactant onto one of the road surface in front of one of the vehicle'"'"'s tyres, or directly onto the tyres.

13. A road crack repair system according to claim 9, wherein the control system is operable to control any one or more of:

operation of the first actuator to displace the applicator transversely with respect to the vehicle;

operation of the or each second actuator to displace the applicator longitudinally with respect to the vehicle; and

discharge of molten sealant product from the sealant outlet.

14. A road crack repair system according to claim 13, wherein the control system is operable to automatically rotate the applicator with displacement of the applicator relative to the vehicle such that the leading end of the applicator is orientated in the same direction as the displacement of the applicator.

15. A vehicle for repairing a road surface comprising a road crack repair system mounted on the vehicle, the system comprising:

a sealant applicator that is positionable in front of the vehicle, the sealant applicator having a sealant outlet for discharging a molten sealant product above a crack in a road surface, and a trowel that is adjacent the sealant outlet and is arranged to contact the road surface and spread sealant product into and over the crack;

a vessel within which to store a molten sealant product, and a conduit for delivering sealant product from the vessel to the sealant outlet;

a support that is arranged to support the applicator in front of the vehicle with the trowel in contact with the road surface; and

a control system that is operable by an operator to displace the applicator along road surface to follow a crack with advancement of the vehicle in a forward direction.