Exhaust damper system for asphalt heating device

• US 6,681,761 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2002
• Issued: 01/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: H.D. Industries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: H.D. Industries, Inc.
• Inventors: Dillingham, Harold W.
• Primary Examiner(s): CLARKE, SARA SACHIE
• Application Number:
  US10/076,007
• Publication Number:
  US 20030150443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 126/343.5 A, 126/343.5 R, 126/312, 126/293, 126/376.1, 236/1.G, 236/45, 404/95
• US Class Current: 126/343.50A
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/08 Apparatus for transporting and heating or melting asphalt, bitumen, tar, or the like stationarily-arranged melting boilers for tar, asphalt, or the like, in general C10C3/12
• CPC Class Codes: F23J 11/00 Devices for conducting smoke or fumes, e.g. flues chimney stacks E04H12/28; removing cooking fumes from domestic stoves or ranges F24C15/20 ; fume conduits of furnaces, kilns, ovens, or retorts F27D17/002
• CPC Class Codes: F23J 2213/70 Safety arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F23L 11/00 Arrangements of valves or dampers after the fire

Abstract

A device is shown for transporting asphalt repair materials for use in repairing potholes in asphalt pavements. The device has a body with a hopper compartment for transporting and dispensing asphalt mix materials. A dry, radiant heat source is located in a heating chamber below the hopper compartment and heats the asphalt mix. Exhaust stacks in communication with the dry heat means have a damper system for retaining heat within the heating chamber, the damper system being electronically controlled in response to the temperature within the body of the device.

Claims

1. A device for transporting asphalt repair materials for use in repairing potholes in asphalt pavements, the device comprising:

a body having a hopper compartment with a V-shaped bottom wall for transporting asphalt mix materials and a generally-V-shaped heating chamber located below the hopper compartment, the V-shaped bottom wall of the hopper compartment defining an upper extent of the heating chamber;

a dry heat means associated with the heating chamber for heating the chamber and for transferring heat to the hopper compartment through the bottom wall, the dry heat means having a pair of oppositely-arranged retort tubes on either side of the V-shaped bottom wall of the hopper, the retort tubes being heated by a least one gas burner for supplying dry, radiant heat to the bottom wall to maintain the asphalt mix materials in a workable state;

an exhaust conduit connected to an outlet of each retort tube for conducting heated air flowing out of the retort tubes;

a damper mounted in each exhaust conduit, the dampers being selectively moveable between an open position, in which heated air can flow through the exhaust conduits, and a closed position, in which heated air is retained in the exhaust conduit for limiting the loss of heat from the heating chamber; and

control means for controlling the position of the dampers in response to changes in the temperature of the heating chamber.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the dampers move simultaneously and are oriented to lie in the same plane.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the control means comprises:

a solenoid connected to the dampers by a connecting linkage, the linkage being actuable to move the dampers between the open and closed positions;

a thermostat in thermal communication with the heating chamber; and

a control system for actuating the solenoid in response to an output signal from the thermostat.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein:

the operation of the at least one gas burner is selectively controlled by the control system in response to the output signal from the thermostat.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein:

the dampers are flat plates; and

the connecting linkage is formed from a rod fixedly connected to the dampers and a lever arm connected to the rod, the lever arm being rotatably connected to the solenoid for rotating the rod when the solenoid is actuated.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the dampers are flat plates.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the dampers rotate between the open and closed positions.

8. A method for heating asphalt repair materials for use in repairing potholes in asphalt pavements, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a body having a hopper compartment with a V-shaped bottom wall for transporting asphalt mix materials and a generally-V-shaped heating chamber located below the hopper compartment, the V-shaped bottom wall of the hopper compartment defining an upper extent of the heating chamber;

(b) installing a dry heat means within the heating chamber for heating the chamber and for transferring heat to the hopper compartment through the bottom wall, the dry heat means having a pair of oppositely-arranged retort tubes on either side of the V-shaped bottom wall of the hopper, the retort tubes being heated by a least one gas burner for supplying dry, radiant heat to the bottom wall to maintain the asphalt mix materials in a workable state;

(c) locating an exhaust conduit in communication with an outlet of each retort tube for conducting heated air flowing out of the retort tubes;

(d) mounting a damper in each exhaust conduit, the dampers being selectively moveable between an open position, in which heated air can flow through the exhaust conduits, and a closed position, in which heated air is retained in the exhaust conduit for limiting the loss of heat from the heating chamber;

(e) connecting a solenoid to the dampers by means of a connecting linkage, the linkage being actuable to move the dampers between the open and closed positions;

(f) mounting a thermostat in thermal communication with the heating chamber; and

(g) providing a control system for actuating the solenoid in response to an output signal from the thermostat.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

using the control system to selectively control the operation of the at least one gas burner in response to the output signal from the thermostat.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the dampers move simultaneously and are oriented to lie in the same plane.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the dampers are flat plates.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein:

the dampers rotate between the open and closed positions.

13. The device of claim 8, wherein:

the dampers are flat plates; and

the connecting linkage is formed from a rod fixedly connected to the dampers and a lever arm connected to the rod, the lever arm being rotatably connected to the solenoid for rotating the rod when the solenoid is actuated.