Apparatus and method for heating road building equipment

• US 7,300,225 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2005
• Issued: 11/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CMI Terex Corporation (Terex Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cedarapids Incorporated (Terex Corporation)
• Inventors: Musil, Joseph E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Addie; Raymond W
• Application Number:
  US10/906,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20060204333A1
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 404/77, 404/79, 404/95, 404/83, 404/101, 404/108, 404/118
• US Class Current: 404/79
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/00 Machines, tools or auxiliary devices for preparing or distributing paving materials, for working the placed materials, or for forming, consolidating, or finishing the paving surface stabilisation E01C21/00; apparatus specially adapted for reconditioning or repairing paving E01C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/48 for laying-down the materials and consolidating them, or finishing the surface , e.g. slip forms therefor, forming kerbs or gutters in a continuous operation in situ E01C19/002, E01C23/065 take precedence; devices for guiding or controlling the machines along a predetermined path E01C19/004

Abstract

A method and apparatus for heating hot mix asphalt (HMA), via collecting fumes from HMA while the HMA is on-board a vehicle and in motion within the vehicle, and igniting the HMA with engine exhaust and using the heat of combustion of the HMA to heat HMA, such as via the floor of a re-mix machine or paver which is capable of churning and mixing the HMA which increases emission of HMA fumes.

Claims

1. A hopper machine comprising:

a chassis having a front end and a rear end;

a hopper disposed on said chassis at said front end;

a driver station comprising a driver seat and a steering wheel;

said driver station disposed on said chassis at said rear end;

an engine and drive train coupled to said hopper and configured to provide propulsion of said hopper, said chassis and said driver station when said hopper is filled with road paving material and said driver station is occupied by a driver;

means for moving hot mix asphalt (HMA) from said hopper toward said rear end;

means for collecting fumes from said HMA, and said HMA is moving within one of said hopper and said means for moving, and said fumes toward a location to be heated;

means for collecting exhaust from said engine and said exhaust toward said location to be heated; and

means for directing hot gases into said location to be heated adjacent to HMA disposed in said hopper and thereby transferring heat, generated by combustion of said fumes, to said HMA.

2. A hopper machine of claim 1 further comprising a discrete combustion chamber for mixing said fumes with said exhaust and burning said fumes prior to directing hot oases to a location adjacent to said HMA.

3. A method of heating a portion of a piece of road paving equipment comprising the steps of:

providing a source of HMA;

collecting fumes from said HMA while said HMA is in motion;

igniting said fumes to generate heat; and

transferring heat, generated burning said fumes, to a metal surface which is in contact with said HMA.

4. A method of claim 3 wherein said step of igniting said fumes comprises mixing, with said fumes from HMA, exhaust from an internal combustion engine and said step of transferring heat further comprises adding heat provided by said exhaust from an internal combustion engine to said metal surface.

5. A method of claim 3 wherein said step of transferring heat comprises the steps of:

causing heated vapors to move through and then exit from a chamber disposed adjacent to a portion of a material storage bin.

6. A method of claim 5 wherein said chamber is disposed beneath a portion of said material storage bin and said chamber further comprises a plurality of adjustable fume flow control limiters.

7. A method of claim 6 wherein said adjustable fume flow control limiters are sliding gates selectively covering portions of ports in said chamber so as to permit a change in flow direction of said heated vapors from a direction which is counter to a direction of flow of material in said material storage to a direction which is parallel to a direction of flow.

8. A method of claim 3 wherein said metal surface is a component of a re-mix hopper machine.

9. A method of claim 8 wherein said re-mix hopper machine further comprises a screed.

10. A method of claim 5 wherein said chamber is disposed beneath a floor of a hopper.

11. A method of claim 5 wherein said step of igniting is done without the use of a dedicated fume ignition device disposed in a path of vapors moving away from an HMA fume collection means and toward an exhaust port of said chamber.

12. An apparatus for heating HMA comprising:

a device for moving HMA from a location on a road construction apparatus, which device is at least partially shrouded so as to aid in capturing fumes emanating from the HMA while said HMA remains on-board said road construction apparatus;

a first vent configured to direct gases originating from said device toward and into contact with a surface, on-board said road construction apparatus, at which HMA is heated; and

a second vent configured to direct exhaust originating from an internal combustion engine toward a location where heat from said exhaust causes ignition of said fumes, thereby generating additional heat, beyond any pre-existing heat of said fumes and any pre-existing heat of said exhaust.

13. An apparatus of claim 12 wherein said device is an auger.

14. An apparatus of claim 12 wherein said device is a conveyor.

15. An apparatus of claim 12 wherein said surface is a portion of a hopper.

16. An apparatus of claim 12 wherein said surface is a non-horizontal piece of metal.

17. An apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a chamber located beneath the surface which comprises a floor of a hopper.

18. An apparatus of claim 17 further comprising a conveyor used to move HMA to a location behind a front of said hopper.

19. An apparatus of claim 17 further comprising an auger used to move HMA to a location behind said hopper.

20. An apparatus of claim 12 wherein said road construction equipment is an HMA re-mix machine.

21. An apparatus of claim 20 further comprising an auger configured to move HMA from said hopper to a location behind said hopper.

22. An apparatus of claim 21 further comprising a shrouded conveyor entirely disposed behind said hopper for moving HMA to a location behind said hopper and to gather fumes from said HMA as it is moved by said shrouded conveyor.

23. A re-mix hopper machine comprising:

a road paving material container;

a means for moving road paving material located inside said road paving material container toward a location behind a front of said road paving material container;

said road paving material container having a bottom, above which said road paving material is located;

a hot fluid circulation system disposed beneath said road paving material and configured to facilitate heat conduction through said bottom and into said road paving material inside said road paving material container;

a source of hot fluid for circulation through said hot fluid circulation system; and

wherein said source of hot fluid comprises a means for collecting fumes from road paving material while said road paving material remains disposed within one of said road paving material container and said means for moving road paving material.

24. A machine of claim 23 wherein said hot fluid is a gas, said means for moving road paving material is a plurality of augers, and said road paving material is hot mix asphalt.

25. A machine of claim 23 wherein said source of hot fluid is a combusted mixture of exhaust from an internal combustion engine and fumes collected from hot mix asphalt.

26. A machine of claim 23 wherein said bottom is a component of said hot fluid circulation system.

27. A machine of claim 23 wherein said bottom comprises a non-flat segment.