Adjustable Width Trail Paver
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An adjustable width trail paver comprising a prime mover, an adjustable width paver, moveable and controllable materials conveyor, a controller, a base mold, and a trimmer; the control having pivot, tilt, raise, and fold features to move or control the materials conveyor around obstacles along the path to be paved; a prime mover with hydraulically telescoping frame; an adjustable width paver having interchangeable molds or hydraulically expanding pressure compensated side plates; and, methods for achieving continuous paving near or around obstacles along a path to be paved utilizing the adjustable width trail paver.
-
Citations
84 Claims
-
1-64. -64. (canceled)
-
65. A trail paver for paving a trail between obstacles, comprising:
-
(a) a prime mover, having at least a first side, a second side, a front, and a rear; (b) a paving former, wherein said paving former includes at least one of a slip form paver, a paving mold, or a paving pan; (c) a coordinating turn module connected to said rear of said prime mover and connected to said paving former for coordinating and operatively turning said paving former together with or in relation to said prime mover, wherein said coordinating turn module comprises at least;
a pivoting connection member, for pivotally connecting said paving former to said prime mover;
a steering drive, for coordinating or steering the pivoting of said paving former;
a detector, for detecting one or more angles at which the paving former is pivoted; and
one or more stabilizing member for maintaining the paving former at least at an angle parallel with the surface being paved;(d) a material hopper with an input and an output, said hopper output associated with said paving former for feeding paving material into said paving former; (e) a paving material conveyor for delivering paving material to said material hopper input; (f) a paving material conveyor drive for controllably and operatively moving said paving material conveyor around obstacles such that paving material may be supplied to said trail paver from at least said first and said second side and said paving material conveyor may be moved to a position avoiding an obstacle as said trail paver continuously paves past said obstacle; and (g) a processor configured for;
processing an amount of paving material received;
determining one or more paving dimensions based on the amount of paving material received;
determining when additional paving material will be necessary using the one or more paving dimensions, ensuring sufficient paving material is available for continuous paving; and
communicating a signal indicating additional paving materials will be necessary, wherein the signal is communicated before a need for additional paving material arises. - View Dependent Claims (66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71)
-
-
72. A trail paver for paving a trail between obstacles, comprising:
-
(a) a frame having a first side, a second side, a front, and a rear; (b) a prime mover for steering and moving said frame between obstacles along an area to be paved in a paving direction; (c) an adjustable width paver having a width substantially equal to said frame; (d) a coordinating turn module for coordinating and operatively turning said adjustable width paver together with or in relation to said prime mover, wherein said coordinating turn module comprises at least;
a pivoting connection member, for pivotally connecting said adjustable width paver to said prime mover;
a steering drive, for coordinating or steering the pivoting of said adjustable width paver; and
, a mounting assembly having a width substantially equal to said frame and having one or more parallel stabilizing member for maintaining the adjustable width paver at least at an angle parallel with a surface being paved and one or more vertical stabilizing member for maintaining a vertical center axis of the adjustable width paver substantially orthogonal to the surface being paved, said mounting assembly attached to the rear of said frame;(e) a material hopper having an input, an output, and a detector, said hopper output associated with said adjustable width paver for feeding paving material into said adjustable width paver, said hopper detector being operably connected to a computer for detecting amounts of paving material recieved; (f) a moveable and controllable paving material conveyor for delivering paving material to said material hopper input, wherein said paving material conveyor can be moved or controlled around obstacles such that paving material may be supplied to said trail paver from at least said first side and said second side and said paving material conveyor may be moved to a position avoiding an obstacle as said trail paver paves past said obstacle; and (g) a computer having at least a processor and a memory, the processor and the memory having programmable instructions configured to determine at least a first filling interval, a first paving interval, a second filling interval, and a second paving interval, wherein a difference between the first and second filling intervals or the first and second paving intervals is operably determined based on at least an amount of paving material received, discharged, or needed for one or more paving dimension. - View Dependent Claims (73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83)
-
-
84. A method for paving a trail around or between obstacles using an adjustable width trail paver comprising:
-
receiving paving material into a receiving hopper, the receiving hopper is in communication with a material conveyor, the material conveyor is in communication with a discharge hopper; configuring said discharge hopper to receive paving material from said material conveyor, and discharge paving material to a pivotable paving material former; moving said material conveyor around an obstacle that is in the path of the trail to be paved, wherein said moving of said material conveyor includes rotation, elevation, tilt, and fold movement; configuring said discharge hopper and said material conveyor to continuously pave while said material conveyor is moved around an obstacle that is in the path of the trail to be paved; receiving paving material into a paving material former to form a paved trail of widths from one meter to four meters; moving said pivotable paving material former to increase the radius of curvature being paved, including pivoting said pivotable paving material former from one degree (1°
) to forty-five degrees (45°
) towards either side of a frame of the trail paver; andexpanding laterally said pivotable paving material former hydraulically, or utilizing paving pan inserts to laterally expand said paving material.
-
Specification