Method and apparatus for painting road surfaces

• US 5,599,133 A
• Filed: 05/25/1995
• Issued: 02/04/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pentax Corporation (Hoya Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ARGUS International, Inc.
• Inventors: Hogan, Brendan F., Costello, Bernard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bennett, Henry A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILSON, PAMELA ANNE
• Application Number:
  US08/450,700
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• Field of Search: 404/72, 404/77, 404/79, 404/93-95, 118/305, 118/630, 432/227, 432/229, 432/230
• US Class Current: 404/72
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/14 for heating or drying foundation, paving, or materials thereon, e.g. paint E01C23/03 takes precedence; heating or drying devices incorporated in the paving E01C11/26; surface soil stabilisation by fusing, calcining or burning soil in situ E01C21/02; for street cleaning E01H1/08; melting snow or ice on surfacing E01H5/10
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/22 by spraying E01C23/206 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and apparatus for painting highway stripes and other patterns on a road surface includes the steps of heating the road surface to be painted or treated with a protective coating to a temperature typically in the range of 150° F. to 165° F. Paint is applied in spray form, the resin and hardener ingredients being mixed preparatory to spraying by a spray head. The paint mixture is sprayed onto the heated road surface as soon after the heat treatment as is practical. The paint spray may be heated as it passes through the nozzle. Granulated glass beads may be dropped onto the paint coating to enhance absorption of heat energy by the paint. The spraying operation is followed as soon as practical by a post-heating operation which preferably achieves temperatures in the aforesaid range, the pre- and post-heating operations significantly enhancing the cross-linking and drying of the paint or other coating enabling substantially immediate use of the road surface by vehicular and/or pedestrian traffic. The energy levels and the heating units and their spacing from the road surface are adjusted to heat the road surface (and paint) to the desired temperature.

Claims

1. A method of coating a road surface with a paint employing a ceramic radiation panel mounted upon a wheeled carriage so as to be positioned above the road surface comprising the steps of:

(a) moving the wheeled carriage along the road surface;

(b) heating the ceramic panel to generate radiant energy and directing radiant energy within the infrared and red wavelength band toward a portion of a road surface to be coated to elevate the temperature thereof;

(c) spraying a coating of paint upon the preheated surface which is elevated to a temperature to promote significantly rapid drying of the paint; and

(d) heating a second ceramic panel to generate radiant energy and heating the coated surface by directing radiant energy in the infrared and red band to heat the road surface and the paint coated thereon.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of heating the road surface further comprises heating the road surface to a temperature in the range of between 150°

F. and 165°

F.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of controlling the temperature of the portion of the road surface to be heated further comprises regulating a speed at which the vehicle moves over the road surface.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the steps of heating the road surface further comprises heating the road surface to a temperature in a given range, a lower end of said range being 150°

F. and an upper end of the range being a temperature that is less than a temperature which would cause the coating of paint to discolor and/or char.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of generating radiant energy further comprises the steps of:

providing a heating unit comprising a porous matrix and;

feeding a combustible gas to the heating unit and igniting the gas to cause it to burn at a surface of the matrix facing the road surface to be heated;

detecting a temperature of a portion of the road surface to be heated and controlling at least one of the spacing of the heating unit from the portion of the road surface to be heated, or the constituents of the combustible gas mixture; and

regulating the flow rate of the gas mixture to the matrix to control the temperature of the radiant energy directed to the portion of the road surface to be heated.

6. A method for removing unwanted paint from a road surface including the steps of:

(a) providing a ceramic radiant energy source;

(b) heating the radiant energy source to generate radiant energy in the infrared and red wave length bands and directing said energy upon at least those portions of the surface coated with the unwanted paint;

the step of generating the radiant energy further comprising the steps of generating radiant energy at a level sufficient to cause the unwanted paint coating to be burned away by heating the road surface to a temperature of at least 165°

F.

7. Apparatus for pre-heating a road surface comprising:

a wheeled vehicle;

at least one heating unit mounted upon said wheeled vehicle;

said heating unit being a ceramic radiator panel having radiant energy emitting surface;

means provided on said vehicle for adjusting a spacing the emitting surface relative to said road surface;

an energy source mounted on said vehicle for supplying energy to said heating unit to enable said heating unit to generate radiant energy in infrared and red wavelength bands, which radiant energy is directed toward said road surface;

means mounted on said vehicle for detecting road surface temperature; and

means responsive to a detected road surface temperature for adjusting a position of the emitter surface relative to said road surface to control an amount of energy radiated to said road surface and thereby regulate an increase in temperature level of road surface, said energy source comprising a combustible gas;

means for regulating a rate of flow of gas to said heating unit emitter surface to adjust the level of radiant energy directed to said road surface; and

a unit for spraying a paint upon the road surface;

said heating unit including means for directing the paint toward those portions of the road surface heated by said heating unit.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said mixture comprises an air/gas mixture and said regulating means comprises means for regulating the portionality of the air and the gas in said air/gas mixture.

9. Apparatus for pre-heating a road surface comprising:

a wheeled vehicle;

a plurality of heating units mounted upon said wheeled vehicle;

each of said heating units being a ceramic panel having a radiant energy emitting surface;

means provided on said vehicle for adjusting a spacing of each of the emitting surfaces relative to said road surface;

means mounted on said vehicle for supplying energy to said heating units to enable said heating units to generate radiant energy in infrared and red wavelength bands, which radiant energy is directed toward said road surface;

means mounted on said vehicle for detecting road surface temperature;

means responsive to a detected road surface temperature for adjusting positions of the emitter surfaces relative to said road surface to control an amount of energy radiated to said road surface and thereby regulate an increase in temperature level of the road surface beneath said emitter surfaces; and

a unit for spraying a paint upon the road surface;

said unit including means for directing the paint toward those portion of the road surface by said heating unit.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further including means for regulating the flow of energy from said energy source to each of said units to regulate radiant energy emitted toward the road surface.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising means to control a number of heating units to be coupled to said energy source to regulate an amount of energy radiated to the road surface.

12. In combination:

a wheeled vehicle;

apparatus mounted on said wheeled vehicle for spraying a coating on a portion of a road surface;

at least one ceramic heating unit mounted upon said wheeled vehicle at a location rearward of said coating apparatus;

said heating unit having a radiant energy emitting surface;

means provided on said vehicle for adjusting a spacing of the emitting surface relative to said road surface;

a combustible fuel energy source mounted on said vehicle for supplying energy to said heating unit, enabling said heating unit to generate radiant energy in infrared and red wavelength bands, which radiant energy is directed toward at least that portion of the road surface receiving said coating;

means for controlling said heating unit to heat said road surface and said coating to a temperature in a range which causes said coating to dry rapidly; and

means mounted on said vehicle for detecting road surface temperature, said means for controlling the energy emitted from said emitting surface comprising means responsive to said detected temperature to control a level of radiant energy emitted from said emitting surface.

13. In combination:

a first wheeled vehicle;

apparatus mounted on said wheeled vehicle for spraying a paint on a portion of a road surface;

at least one heating unit mounted upon a second wheeled vehicle arranged at a location rearward of said spraying apparatus;

at least one of said heating units having a ceramic panel with a radiant energy emitting surface for generating radiant energy in an infrared and a red wavelength band to heat said paint and the road surface therebeneath;

means provided on said second vehicle for adjusting a spacing of the emitting surface relative to said road surface;

a combustible fuel energy source mounted said second vehicle for supplying energy to said heating unit, enabling said heating unit to generate radiant energy in infrared and red wavelength bands, which radiant energy is directed toward at least that portion of the road surface receiving said paint;

means for controlling said heating unit to heat said road surface and said paint to a temperature in a range which causes said paint to dry rapidly;

means mounted on said vehicle for detecting road surface temperature, said means for controlling the radiant energy emitted from said emitting surface comprising means responsive to said detected temperature to control a level of radiant energy emitted from said emitting surface;

a second heating unit arranged rearwardly of said spraying apparatus for heating the paint and road surface therebeneath to rapidly dry said coating.