Paving apparatus with retractable pavement forming assembly

• US 6,715,957 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2001
• Issued: 04/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: POWER CURBERS, INC.
• Original Assignee: POWER CURBERS, INC.
• Inventors: Beaver, Orie L. Jr., Colvard, John Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Hartmann, Gary S.
• Application Number:
  US09/981,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20030072612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: 404/96, 404/101, 404/105
• US Class Current: 404/105
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/407 with elements or parts partly or fully immersed in or penetrating into the material to act thereon, e.g. immersed vibrators or vibrating parts, kneading tampers, spaders

Abstract

In a slip-form paving apparatus, a forwardly disposed pavement forming assembly, such as an auger assembly and a strike-off plate, are pivotably mounted to the apparatus frame for movement between an operative disposition disposed adjacent a ground surface for distributing and forming paving material thereon generally into a desired form of pavement and an inoperative position more elevated from the ground surface for permitting access beneath the apparatus for depositing a starting quantity of the paving material during an initial start-up of the apparatus.

Claims

1. A slip-form paving apparatus having a frame supported on a steerable self-propelled transport arrangement and a pavement forming assembly disposed on the frame at a forward side thereof, the pavement forming assembly being pivotally movable with respect to the frame between an operative position disposed relative to a ground surface to be paved for distributing and forming a paving material on the ground surface generally into a desired form of pavement and an inoperative position angularly offset from the operative position by at least about 90 degrees and disposed by the offset at a greater, inoperable elevation relative to the ground surface than in the operative position for permitting access beneath the frame during an initial start-up of the apparatus to deposit thereat a starting quantity of the paving material.

2. A slip-form paving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pavement forming assembly comprises a spreader mechanism for distributing paving material across the forward side of the frame.

3. A slip-form paving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pavement forming assembly comprises a strike-off member for generally leveling the pavement material on the ground surface.

4. A slip-form paving apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the strike-off member comprises an edge disposed in the operative position at a predetermined elevation with respect to the ground surface to be paved.

5. A slip-form paving apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the strike-off member comprises a strike-off plate essentially vertically disposed with a depending extent of the plate forming the edge laterally with respect to the frame.

6. A slip-form paving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pavement forming assembly comprises an auger mechanism for distributing paving material across the forward side of the frame and a strike-off member for generally leveling the pavement material on the ground surface, the auger mechanism and the strike-off member being joined for unitary movement between the inoperative and operative positions.

7. A slip-form paving apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the auger mechanism and the strike-off member are mounted integrally with respect to one another and pivotably to the frame for unitary pivoting movement between the inoperative and operative positions.

8. A slip-form paving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pavement forming assembly is supported pivotably on the frame for pivoting movement between the inoperative and operative positions.

9. A slip-form paving apparatus having a frame means supported on a steerable self-propelled transport means and a pavement forming means disposed on the frame means at a forward side thereof, the pavement forming means being pivotally movable with respect to the frame means between an operative position disposed relative to a ground surface to be paved for distributing and forming a paving material on the ground surface generally into a desired form of pavement and an inoperative position angularly offset from the operative position by at least about 90 degrees and disposed by the offset at a greater, inoperable elevation relative to the ground surface than in the operative position for permitting access beneath the frame member during an initial start-up of the apparatus to deposit thereat a starting quantity of the paving material.

10. A slip-form paving apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the pavement forming means comprises a spreader means for distributing paving material across the forward side of the frame member.

11. A slip-form paving apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the pavement forming means comprises a strike-off member for generally leveling the pavement material on the ground surface.

12. A slip-form paving apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the strike-off member comprises an edge disposed in the operative position at a predetermined elevation with respect to the ground surface to be paved.

13. A slip-form paving apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the strike-off member comprises a strike-off plate member essentially vertically disposed with a depending extent of the plate member forming the edge laterally with respect to the frame member.

14. A slip-form paving apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the pavement forming means comprises an auger member for distributing paving material across the forward side of the frame member and a strike-off member for generally leveling the pavement material on the ground surface, the auger member and the strike-off member being joined for unitary movement between the inoperative and operative positions.

15. A slip-form paving apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the auger member and the strike-off member are integrally mounted pivotably to the frame member for pivoting movement between the inoperative and operative position.

16. A slip-form paving apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the pavement forming means is supported pivotably on the frame member for pivoting movement between the inoperative and operative positions.