AUTOMATED PAVING MACHINE

• US 3,743,432 A
• Filed: 08/09/1971
• Issued: 07/03/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Billy R. Lee
• Original Assignee: Billy R. Lee
• Inventors: Lee, Billy R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Byers, Jr., Nile O.
• Application Number:
  US05/170,109
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 94/46,44,45,5P
• US Class Current: 404/84.1
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/4873 Apparatus designed for railless operation
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 2301/16 Laterally slidable screeds

Abstract

A compact self-propelled paving machine whose hopper, for receiving asphalt or other paving material therein, discharges the paving material rearwardly of the supporting drive wheels of the machine and directly upon the surface to be paved. The drive wheels, as well as motive means and drive mechanism connecting the motive means to the drive wheels, are so compactly arranged that the hopper substantially entirely overlies the same. Such compact construction facilitates positioning a standard size dump truck, or a larger so-called tandem-wheel dump truck, in such close proximity to the hopper that the paving material can be dumped directly from the truck bed into the hopper and discharged from the lower portion of the same hopper directly upon the surface to be paved, thereby obviating the need for intervening conveyor means for transferring the dumped paving material to the point at which it is discharged onto the surface to be paved. The machine also includes distributing augers, discharge gate means, a vertically movable screed and extensible and retractable screed extensions, all of which, in addition to the drive mechanism for the drive wheels, are automatically controlled by an operator at a convenient centralized location on the machine during the paving operation.

Claims

1. A self-propelled paving machine comprising a frame, a plurality of substantially axially aligned drive wheels supporting said frame for movement over a surface to be paved, motive means carried by said frame, drive mechanism connecting said motive means to said drive wheels and also carried by said frame, a hopper carried by saId frame and adapted to receive paving material therein, a lower portion of said hopper rearwardly of said drive wheels having a discharge opening therein for discharging paving material from said hopper onto the surface to be paved, a substantially vertically movable main screed carried by said paving machine and positioned rearwardly of said hopper for smoothing and compacting the paving material during movement of the machine over the surface to be paved, a screed extension carried by at least one side portion of said screed, power means for extending and retracting said screed extension relative to said main screed, manually operable control means operatively connected to said power means for controlling the same, a substantially vertically disposed shield plate carried by and positioned adjacent the outer end of said screed extension, said hopper having side wall means provided with a side delivery opening therein adjacent said screed extension, and a rotary auger in said lower portion of said hopper for forcing paving material therein outwardly through said side delivery opening and against said shield plate to be smoothed and compacted upon said surface by said screed extension.

2. A structure according to claim 1, including drive means drivingly connected to said rotary auger for rotating the same and including means responsive to predetermined compaction of paving material against said shield plate by said auger for stopping rotation of said auger.

3. A self-propelled paving machine comprising a frame, a plurality of substantially axially aligned drive wheels supporting said frame for movement over a surface to be paved, motive means on said machine, drive mechanism connecting said motive means to said drive wheels and carried by said frame, a hopper carried by said frame and adapted to receive paving material therein, a lower portion of said hopper rearwardly of said drive wheels having a discharge opening therein for discharging paving material from said hopper onto the surface to be paved, a truck engaging means carried by a front portion of said frame and adapted to engage a rear portion of the truck for pushing the same during a paving operation, a lip mounted for vertical movement on a forward portion of said paving machine, and a manually controlled fluid operated ram interposed between said frame and said lip for raising and lowering said lip into and out of engagement with a lower surface of a portion of the truck overlying said lip and causing said lip, when raised, to engage said lower surface under pressure such that said lip will apply braking force to the truck to prevent the rear portion thereof from moving away from said truck engaging means during a paving operation.

4. A compact self-propelled paving machine comprising a frame, a plurality of drive wheels supporting said frame for movement over a surface to be paved, motive means carried by said machine, drive mechanism connecting said motive means to said drive wheels and carried by said frame, a hopper carried by said frame and substantially completely overlying said drive mechanism and said drive wheels, a lower portion of said hopper rearwardly of said drive wheels having a discharge opening therein for discharging paving material from said hopper onto the surface to be paved by gravity, said drive mechanism and said drive wheels being compactly arranged whereby the rear portion of a conventional dump truck may overly a front portion of said hopper and paving material may be dumped from the truck to gravitate directly from the truck toward said discharge opening, said hopper comprising substantially upright rear end wall means and spaced side wall means, a lower wall means defining the bottom of said hopper and including a downwardly and rearwardly inclined bottom panel extending between said spaced side wall means, said bottom panel extending over and across said drive wheels with its lower rear edge spaced forwardly from said rear end wall means to define said discharge openinG therebetween, said lower wall means further comprising a receptor adapted to receive thereover a lower rear portion of a truck bed, said receptor including a bottom panel normally occupying a substantially horizontal position, means pivotally supporting a rear portion of said receptor for vertical pivotal movement relative to said inclined bottom panel, and manually controlled power means operatively associated with said motive means for raising said receptor about its pivot whereby any paving material deposited thereon may be caused to gravitate toward said discharge opening when the truck bed is removed from over said receptor.

5. A structure according to claim 4, wherein said manually controlled power means for raising said receptor comprises a fluid-operated pump means driven by said motive means, a fluid-operated ram interposed between said frame and said receptor and connected to said pump means, and manually operable valve means interposed in a fluid pressure circuit between said ram and said pump means for controlling the flow of fluid pressure to said ram.

6. A compact self-propelled paving machine comprising a frame, a plurality of drive wheels supporting said frame for movement over a surface to be paved, motive means carried by said machine, drive mechanism connecting said motive means to said drive wheels and carried by said frame, a hopper carried by said frame and substantially completely overlying said drive mechanism and said drive wheels, a lower portion of said hopper rearwardly of said drive wheels having a discharge opening therein for discharging paving material from said hopper onto the surface to be paved by gravity, said drive mechanism and said drive wheels being compactly arranged whereby the rear portion of a conventional dump truck may overly a front portion of said hopper and paving material may be dumped from the truck to gravitate directly from the truck toward said discharge opening, said hopper comprising a lower wall means defining the bottom of said hopper, means pivotally supporting the rear portion of said lower wall means for angular movement about a pivot axis adjacent said discharge opening and extending substantially parallel with said drive wheels, and means operatively associated with said motive means for pivoting said lower wall means about said pivot axis to vary the angular position of said lower wall means.

7. A compact self-propelled paving machine comprising a frame, a plurality of drive wheels supporting said frame for movement over a surface to be paved, motive means carried by said machine, drive mechanism connecting said motive means to said drive wheels and carried by said frame, a hopper carried by said frame and substantially completely overlying said drive mechanism and said drive wheels, a lower portion of said hopper rearwardly of said drive wheels having a discharge opening therein for discharging paving material from said hopper onto the surface to be paved by gravity, said hopper comprising substantially upright rear end wall means and spaced side wall means, a lower wall means defining the bottom of said hopper and including a downwardly and rearwardly inclined bottom panel extending between said spaced side wall means, said bottom panel extending over and across said drive wheels with its lower rear edge spaced forwardly from said rear end wall means to define said discharge opening therebetween, said drive mechanism and said drive wheels being compactly arranged whereby the rear portion of a conventional dump truck may overly a front portion of said hopper and paving material may be dumped from the truck to gravitate directly from the truck toward said discharge opening, and means pivotally connecting the rear lower portion of said inclined bottom panel to said frame along an axis rearwardly of and substantially parallel to the axis of said drive wheels whereby said lower wall means may be tilted upwardly about the pivot point of said bottom panel to facilitate access to said drive mechanism and said drivE wheels therebeneath.

8. A structure according to claim 7, wherein said motive means comprises an internal combustion motor on a front portion of said frame, a fluid reservoir carried by a front portion of said frame, and pump means driven by said internal combustion motor, all normally positioned under said lower wall means, said drive mechanism including hydraulic motor means drivingly connected to said drive wheels, fluid conduit means connecting said pump means to said reservoir and said hydraulic motor means, control valve means in said conduit means between said pump means and said hydraulic motor means, and said hopper lower wall means further comprising means integral with and projecting forwardly from said inclined bottom panel and normally overlying said internal combustion motor and said reservoir to shield the same from paving material deposited on said lower wall means and whereby said lower wall means also may be tilted upwardly to facilitate access to said internal combustion motor and said reservoir.

9. A compact self-propelled paving machine comprising a frame, a plurality of drive wheels supporting said frame for movement over a surface to be paved, motive means carried by said machine, drive mechanism connecting said motive means to said drive wheels and carried by said frame, a hopper carried by said frame and substantially completely overlying said drive mechanism and said drive wheels, a lower portion of said hopper rearwardly of said drive wheels having a discharge opening therein for discharging paving material from said hopper onto the surface to be paved by gravity, said drive mechanism and said drive wheels being compactly arranged whereby the rear portion of a conventional dump truck may overly a front portion of said hopper and paving material may be dumped from the truck to gravitate directly from the truck toward said discharge opening, rotary auger means disposed in said lower portion of said hopper to aid in laterally distributing the paving material received thereon for discharge through said opening, additional manually controlled drive mechanism carried by said frame and connecting said motive means to said auger means for rotating the same, said rotary auger means comprising a pair of first and second substantially axially aligned augers each extending throughout substantially one-half of the width of said hopper, a fluid pressure pump means driven by said motive means, and said additional manually controlled drive mechanism comprising first and second fluid-operated motors communicatively connected to said pump means, and means drivingly connecting said first and second fluid-operated motors to the respective first and second augers independently of each other.

10. A compact self-propelled paving machine comprising a frame, a plurality of drive wheels supporting said frame for movement over a surface to be paved, motive means carried by said machine, drive mechanism connecting said motive means to said drive wheels and carried by said frame, a hopper carried by said frame and substantially completely overlying said drive mechanism and said drive wheels, a lower portion of said hopper rearwardly of said drive wheels having a discharge opening therein for discharging paving material from said hopper onto the surface to be paved by gravity, said drive mechanism and said drive wheels being compactly arranged whereby the rear portion of a conventional dump truck may overly a front portion of said hopper and paving material may be dumped from the truck to gravitate directly from the truck toward said discharge opening, screed means mounted for substantially free vertical movement on said frame and positioned rearwardly of said discharge opening in said hopper for smoothing and compacting the paving material as said paving machine moves over the surface to be paved, said screed means comprising a main screed extending widthwise of and being of substantially the same length as the width of said hopper, a screed extension mounted on at least oNe side portion of said main screed for inward and outward movement relative thereto, manually controlled fluid-operated means for selectively imparting predetermined inward and outward movements to said screed extension, a sled member proximate to the outer end of said screed extension and movable inwardly and outwardly therewith, manually operable adjustment means for raising and lowering said sled member relative to said screed extension whereby said sled member may serve to define the corresponding edge of the material being spread, and said adjustment means including means pivotally connecting a medial portion of said sled member to said screed extension and arranged to permit movement of said sled member about a substantially horizontal axis whereby the position of said sled member about its axis may vary in accordance with the surface over which it is moving in engagement therewith without being encumbered by said screed extension and said screed and without distrubing the position of said screed to any substantial degree when the sled member rides over a relatively small projecting irregularity in its path.

11. A self-propelled paving machine for cooperating with an automotive truck having a dump body for transporting paving material and for delivering paving material from the rearward end of the dump body, the paving machine comprising:

a main frame, wheel means mounted on said frame for supporting said frame on a surface to be paved, drive means mounted on said frame and operatively connected with said wheel means for propelling the paving machine along the surface to be paved, hopper means mounted on said frame for containing paving material to be applied and including wall means for defining a transverse slot through which paving material passes onto the surface to be paved, and coupling means mounted from said frame in predetermined spaced relation to said hopper means for coupling together the paving machine and a truck and thereby for enlarging the effective capacity of said hopper means by the addition thereto of the effective capacity of the dump body of the truck, and coupling means comprising;

pushing means for engaging the truck forwardly of the rearward end of the dump body and for limiting forward movement of said hopper means beneath the dump body by pushing the truck upon forward movement of the paving machine, pivotal means mounted at a forward edge of said hopper means for movement between a retracted position withdrawn from engagement with any overlying portion of a truck and an extended position in engagement with any overlying portion of a truck for restraining the truck against forward movement otherwise removing the dump body from above said hopper means, and means for resiliently biasing the pivoted means toward the extended position, said coupling means and said hopper means cooperating for positioning said hopper means to underlie the rearward end of the dump body of a truck and to extend from a point forwardly thereof to a point rearwardly thereof during delivery of paving material from the dump body into said hopper means, whereby paving material may be delivered from the dump body of a truck to which said paving machine is coupled by said coupling means simultaneously with passage of paving material through said hopper means and onto the surface to be paved.

12. A self-propelled paving machine for cooperating with an automotive truck having a dump body for transporting paving material and for delivering paving material from the rearward end of the dump body, the paving machine comprising:

a main frame, wheel means mounted on said frame for supporting said frame on a surface to be paved, motive means mounted on said frame for supplying motive power to the paving machine, drive means mounted on said frame and operatively connected with said motive means and said wheel means for propelling the paving machine along the surface to be paved, hopper means mouNted on said frame for receiving and containing paving material to be applied, said hopper means overlying said wheel means and including a generally vertical stationary rear wall having a predetermined transverse width, spaced apart side walls extending perpendicular to said rear wall at the side edges thereof, and bottom wall means extending between and cooperating with said rear wall and said side walls, said bottom wall means comprising a trailing portion and a leading portion, each of said portions having a width substantially the same as said rear wall and being mounted for pivotal movement relative thereto about a common transverse axis spaced forwardly of said rear wall, said trailing portion extending rearwardly from said transverse axis and defining with said rear wall a transverse slot through which paving material passes onto the surface to be paved, and said leading portion extending forwardly from said axis to underlie paving material delivered from a truck, first manually controlled fluid pressure operated means operatively connected with said motive means and said trailing portion for imparting angular movement thereto about said axis and thereby varying the width of the transverse slot defined between said rearward wall and said trailing portion, and second manually controlled pressure fluid operated means operatively connected with said motive means and said leading portion for imparting angular movement thereto about said axis and thereby for aiding gravitational flow of paving material received from a truck toward said transverse slot.