HEATED ASPHALT STORAGE UNIT

• US 3,577,976 A
• Filed: 07/23/1969
• Issued: 05/11/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Anton H. Heller
• Original Assignee: Anton H. Heller
• Inventors: Heller, Anton H.
• Application Number:
  US04/844,090
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• US Class Current: 126/343.50A
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/745 blowing or injecting heating, cooling or other conditioning fluid inside the container
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/10 Apparatus or plants for premixing or precoating aggregate or fillers with non-hydraulic binders, e.g. with bitumen, with resins, i.e. producing mixtures or coating aggregates otherwise than by penetrating or surface dressing; Apparatus for premixing non-hydraulic mixtures prior to placing or for reconditioning salvaged non-hydraulic compositions E01C19/08, E01C19/21, E01C21/00, E01C23/065 take precedence

Abstract

A unit for storing and maintaining asphalt at an elevated temperature as is necessary to facilitate making road repairs with this material, even in cold weather. Instead of applying heat insulation to the walls defining the asphalt storage compartment in an attempt to minimize heat loss therethrough, the storage compartment is enveloped within a body of heated air flowing at a controlled rate and the outer wall bounding the passage for this convection flowing heated air is insulated against heat loss. Thus, what would be an impractical insulated wall construction, both from the standpoint of the thickness and cost, in order to effectively minimize heat loss from a stationary heated body, such as the stored asphalt, is rendered well within practical requirements when it is applied and used for the continuously moving body of heated air. The enveloping heated air results in an optimum heat gradient about the heated asphalt and thus minimizes heat loss therefrom.

Claims

1. A heated asphalt storage unit comprising an enclosing outer wall construction bounding a comparatively large first internal volume having at least one venting aperture in an upper portion thereof, a partially enclosing inner wall construction bounding a second internal volume of a lesser extend than said first internal volume of a lesser extent than said first internal volume serving as a heated asphalt storage compartment and having a prescribed operative position within said first internal volume of said outer wall construction, said operative position including the orientation of the upper portion of said inner wall construction in facing relation to said venting aperture and the remainder thereof in a clearance position from said enclosing outer wall construction so as to define an airflow passage therebetween and also the delineation by said inner wall construction of a portion of said first internal volume which is remote from said venting aperture as a heating chamber, heating means operatively disposed within said heating chamber effective to cause the continuous convection flow of heated air between said heating chamber and said venting aperture through said airflow passage, door means closing the top of said heated asphalt storage compartment, atmospheric vent means in said door means to assure a continuous flow of heated air from said heating means to the atmosphere and a consequent heating of all the walls of said compartment, and heat insulation along the side of said outer wall construction bounding said airflow passage effective to minimize heat loss from said continuous convection flow of heated air, whereby an optimum elevated temperature is maintained in said air flowing about said inner wall construction so as to minimize heat loss from heated asphalt within said storage compartment.

2. A heated asphalt storage unit as defined in claim 1 wherein said inner wall construction has a centrally located angularly oriented pair of walls delineating said heating chamber from said asphalt storage compartment, each said angularly oriented wall contributing to gravity movement of said heated asphalt to an exit opening of said storage compartment.

3. A heated asphalt storage unit as defined in claim 1 wherein the total extent of said one or more venting apertures of said outer wall construction is of comparatively small size so as to restrict the movement of said heated air from said asphalt storage compartment, whereby said heated air accumulates within said storage compartment and contributes to maintaining the elevated temperature of said storage asphalt.

4. A heated asphalt storage unit as defined in claim 1 wherein said heating means is an infrared burner and includes means for adjusting the burning rate thereof, whereby the expansion and thus flow rate of heated air produced by said burner is a function of the burning rate thereof.