Apparatus for applying seamless flooring material

• US 5,427,470 A
• Filed: 07/26/1993
• Issued: 06/27/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Leemac Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Leemac Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: McKim, Alan M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Britts, Ramon S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LISEHORA, JAMES
• Application Number:
  US08/097,369
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 404/101, 404/108, 404/110, 404/111, 404/118, 404/128, 56/14.9, 56/15.7, 172/677, 222/164, 222/168, 222/608, 222/612
• US Class Current: 404/110
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 7/023 Steering turntables
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 9/00 Steering deflectable wheels not otherwise provided for steering positon indicators B62D15/02
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/185 for both depositing and spreading-out or striking-off the deposited mixture laying-down the materials and consolidating them, or finishing the surface, E01C19/48
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 21/248 used by an operator walking behind the trowel, i.e. walk-behind power trowels

Abstract

An applicator for applying seamless flooring material to a subfloor is disclosed. The preferred embodiment includes a chassis steerably mounted on wheels which are propelled by hydraulic motors in series. A dispensing hopper on a frame is towed behind the chassis from a shaft on a steering column and enabled to move in three dimensions independent of the chassis. The hopper is supported by hopper wheels with an axle directly above a screed blade which distributes the flooring material dispensed out of the hopper. The height of each side of the hopper is independently adjustable on each side by screw-threaded rods and is not disrupted by lifting the hopper out of operation.

Claims

1. An applicator for applying seamless flooring material to a subfloor, comprising:

a steerable motorized chassis mounted on chassis wheels;

a hopper frame;

a dispensing hopper mounted on said hopper frame, said hopper having an opening for dispensing flooring material, a screed blade for distributing flooring material positioned rearwardly of said opening, and hopper wheels with an axle above said screed blade for supporting said hopper; and

an elongated rod interconnecting said chassis and said hopper frame for towing said hopper on said hopper frame behind said chassis, said elongated rod having a first end hingedly and pivotally attached to said chassis and a second end swivelably connected to said hopper frame to permit said hopper mounted on said hopper frame to move independently of said chassis and to swivel in a plane normal to a subfloor, to hinge in a plane normal to said subfloor and perpendicular to the plane of swiveling and to pivot in a plane parallel to the subfloor.

2. The applicator of claim 1, wherein said hopper has two sides, each side of said hopper having an adjustable screw-threaded rod which engages a screw-threaded block which bears against said axle for independently adjusting the elevation of said side of said hopper when rotated.

3. The applicator of claim 2, including a jacking system positioned rearwardly of said chassis, said jacking system engaging an arcuate jacking bar appended to said hopper frame for returnably lifting said hopper.

4. An applicator for applying seamless flooring material to a subfloor, comprising:

a steerable motorized chassis mounted on chassis wheels,

a hopper frame,

a dispensing hopper mounted on said hopper frame, said hopper having an opening for dispensing flooring material, a screed blade for distributing flooring material positioned rearwardly of said opening, and hopper wheels with an axle above said screed blade for supporting said hopper,

an elongated rod interconnecting said chassis and said hopper frame for towing said hopper on said hopper frame behind said chassis, said elongated rod having a first end hingedly and pivotally attached to said chassis and a second end swivelably connected to said hopper frame to permit said hopper mounted on said hopper frame to move independently of said chassis and to swivel in a plane normal to a subfloor, to hinge in a plane normal to said subfloor and perpendicular to the plane of swiveling and to pivot in a plane parallel to the subfloor,

a goose neck tongue connecting said first end of said elongated rod to said chassis,

a shaft mounted on said chassis, and

a disc which pivots about said shaft for enabling said hopper on said hopper frame to pivot in a plane parallel to the subfloor and move in a hinging manner in a first plane normal to said subfloor independently of said chassis,

said chassis hingedly attached to said goose neck tongue, and said goose neck tongue including a collar which is hingedly attached to said disc.

5. The applicator of claim 4, wherein said shaft on said chassis comprises a steering column.

6. The applicator of claim 5, including

a hollow tow bar having said elongated rod concentrically nested therein;

said hollow tow bar having a first end sustained by said hopper frame;

said hollow tow bar having a second end through which said first end of said elongated rod protrudes and attaches to said goose neck tongue; and

a bushing outside said first end of said rod and inside said second end of said hollow tow bar for facilitating the swiveling of said hopper frame about said elongated rod.

7. The applicator of claim 6, wherein said hopper has two sides, each side of said hopper having an adjustable screw-threaded rod which engages a screw-threaded block which bears against said axle for independently adjusting the elevation of said side of said hopper when rotated.

8. The applicator of claim 7, including a jacking system positioned rearwardly of said chassis, said jacking system engaging an arcuate jacking bar appended to said hopper frame for returnably lifting said hopper.

9. The applicator of claim 8, wherein said jacking system includes:

a rectangular box for housing said jacking system having an interior, a top, a center slot and a first and second side aperture in said top;

a first lifting RAM;

a first cross bar with a top end against the top of said box, a center, and a bottom end interconnected to said first lifting ram which protrudes up through said first side aperture;

a second lifting ram;

a second cross bar with a top end against the top of said box, a center, and a bottom end interconnected to said second lifting ram which protrudes up through said second side aperture, said center of said cross bars crisscross at an intersection; and

a hydraulic jack attached through said center slot to said intersection of said first and second cross bars for hoisting said first and second cross bars which respectively carry said first and second lifting rams through said first and second side apertures to equal heights regardless of a load disparity on said lifting rams.

10. The applicator of claim 9, wherein said arcuate jacking bar has a configuration with an equal radius throughout from a shaft on said chassis and dimensioned to rest on said first and second lifting rams when said tow bar is within a predetermined angle from an axis of travel.

11. The applicator of claim 10, wherein said lifting rams are guided by guide bushings to minimize lateral movement of said rams.

12. The applicator of claim 11, wherein said jacking system further includes:

a cavity within each lifting ram;

a dowel having two ends, a first end inserted into each cavity with clearance around sides of said dowel, and a second end extending outwardly of said cavity;

a front crossing bar and a back crossing bar;

an anvil attached to an end of each crossing bar for lifting said second end of said dowel to transfer vertical motion to said lifting ram and to minimize the horizontal motion transferred to said lifting ram when each said crossing bar is elevated.

13. The applicator of claim 9, wherein said predetermined angle is 7.5 degrees.

14. An applicator for applying seamless flooring material to a subfloor, comprising:

a steerable motorized chassis mounted on chassis wheels;

a hopper frame;

a dispensing hopper mounted on said hopper frame, said hopper having an opening for dispensing flooring material, a screed blade for distributing flooring material positioned rearwardly of said opening, and hopper wheels for supporting said hopper;

an elongated rod interconnecting said chassis and said hopper frame for towing said hopper on said hopper frame behind said chassis; and

said elongated rod having a first end hingedly and pivotally attached to said chassis and a second end swivelably connected to said hopper frame to permit said hopper mounted on said hopper frame to move independently of said chassis and to swivel in a plane normal to a subfloor, to hinge in a plane normal to said subfloor and perpendicular to the plane of swiveling and to pivot in a plane parallel to the subfloor.

15. An applicator for applying seamless flooring material to a subfloor, comprising:

a steerable motorized chassis mounted on chassis wheels,

a hopper frame,

a dispensing hopper mounted on a hopper frame, said hopper having an opening for dispensing flooring material, a screed blade for distributing flooring material positioned rearwardly of said opening, and hopper wheels for supporting said hopper,

an elongated rod interconnecting said chassis and said hopper frame for towing said hopper on said hopper frame behind said chassis, said elongated rod having a first end hingedly and pivotally attached to said chassis and a second end swivelably connected to said hopper frame to permit said hopper mounted on said hopper frame to move independently of said chassis and to swivel in a plane normal to a subfloor, to hinge in a plane normal to said subfloor and perpendicular to the plane of swiveling and to pivot in a plane parallel to the subfloor,

said first end of said elongated rod attached to said chassis via a goose neck tongue,

said goose neck tongue including a collar,

a disc hingedly attached to said collar,

said disc pivoting about a steering shaft on said chassis for enabling said hopper on said hopper frame to pivot in a plane parallel to the subfloor and move in a hinging manner in a first plane normal to said subfloor independently of said chassis.

16. An applicator for applying seamless flooring material to a subfloor, comprising:

a steerable motorized chassis;

chassis wheels on which said motorized chassis is mounted;

a hopper frame;

a dispensing hopper mounted on a hopper frame, said hopper having an opening for dispensing flooring material, a screed blade for distributing flooring material positioned rearwardly of said opening, and hopper wheels with an axle directly above said screed blade for supporting said hopper;

an elongated rod interconnecting said chassis and said hopper frame for towing said hopper on said hopper frame behind said chassis;

said elongated rod having first and second ends,

said first end of said elongated rod hingedly and pivotally attached to said chassis to enable said hopper mounted on said hopper frame to move independently of said chassis in a first direction with respect to a subfloor and in a second direction with respect to said subfloor; and

said second end of said elongated rod swivelably connected to said hopper frame to permit said hopper mounted on said hopper frame to move independently of said chassis in a third direction with respect to said subfloor.