Hopper insert and road paver

• US 8,092,117 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2009
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joseph Vã¶Gele AG (Deere & Company)
• Original Assignee: Joseph Vã¶Gele AG (Deere & Company)
• Inventors: Hill, Michael, Weese, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Will, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): RISIC, ABIGAIL ANNE
• Application Number:
  US12/471,508
• Publication Number:
  US 20100239370A1
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 404/101, 404/108, 404/110, 404/111, 198/536, 198/540, 198/550.2
• US Class Current: 404/108
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 2301/02 Feeding devices for pavers

Abstract

A hopper insert is provided for a road paver. The hopper insert includes a funnel-shaped base body formed by four side walls. The upper side of the base body is open and at least three of the side walls extend inwardly therefrom to a bottom opening. One of the side walls includes a side outlet which is open to the bottom opening. The base body or the side outlet is adjustable in a width direction extending along the side wall containing the side outlet. The hopper insert is removably disposed in an integrated hopper of a road paver. The integrated hopper includes a rear wall with a gate that is adjacent the side wall of the hopper insert containing the side outlet. The side outlet is adjustable in the width direction to correspond to the width of the gate.

Claims

1. A hopper insert for road pavers comprising:

a base body including four side walls, the base body being open at an upper side and at a bottom opening, at least three of the side walls extending inwardly from the open upper side to the bottom opening such that the base body is substantially funnel-shaped; and

a side outlet disposed in one of the side walls, the side outlet being open to the bottom opening, and

wherein at least one of the base body side walls and the side outlet is adjustable in a width direction extending horizontally along the wall containing the side outlet to vary the horizontal width of the side outlet.

2. The hopper insert according to claim 1, wherein the base body is adjustable in at least one of a height direction extending from the bottom opening to the upper side and a horizontal depth direction extending perpendicular to the horizontal width direction to vary the dimensions of the hopper insert.

3. The hopper insert according to claim 2, wherein the side walls include overlapping wall sections which are slidable at least in the horizontal width direction relative to each other.

4. The hopper insert according to claim 2, wherein the side walls are provided with wall sections near the upper side which are tiltable relative to a substantially horizontal axis so as to adjust the base body in the height direction.

5. The hopper insert according to claim 1, further comprising an outer supporting frame disposed about the base body, the outer supporting frame including feet and being adjustable together with the base body at least in the horizontal width direction.

6. The hopper insert according to claim 1, wherein the side wall containing the side outlet and the side wall opposite thereto include wall sections which overlap and are slidable in the horizontal width direction relative to each other so as to adjust the width of the base body and of the side outlet.

7. The hopper insert according to claim 6, wherein the wall sections include two outer side wall sections fixedly connected to adjacent side walls and a third side wall section extending between the outer side wall sections, the wall sections being telescopically guided by angled edge rails in the horizontal width direction.

8. The hopper insert according to claim 7, wherein guiding slots extending in a respective adjustment direction are provided in at least one of the wall sections and the edge rails with tensioning screws so as to guide the wall sections and allow the wall sections to be fixated.

9. The hopper insert according to claim 7, further comprising adjusting actuators connected to at least one of the wall sections and the edge rails.

10. The hopper insert according to claim 9, wherein the adjusting actuators are at least one of pneumatic cylinders, hydraulic cylinders, turn buckle assemblies and spindle drives.

11. The hopper insert according to claim 1, wherein a heating system is provided in at least regions of the side walls.

12. The hopper insert according to claim 1, wherein thermal insulation is provided in at least regions of the side walls.

13. The hopper insert according to claim 1, wherein at least regions of the side walls are double-walled and contain at least one of thermal insulation and a heating device.

14. A road paver comprising:

a chassis;

an integrated hopper disposed on the chassis and including a gate of predetermined width in horizontal width direction at a rear wall thereof;

a longitudinal conveying device disposed at the bottom of the integrated hopper, the longitudinal conveying device extending from the integrated hopper and through the gate; and

a hopper insert removably disposed in the integrated hopper, the hopper insert including a funnel-shaped base body which includes a bottom opening arranged on a bottom surface of the integrated hopper and a side outlet arranged in a side wall adjacent the rear wall of the integrated hopper,

wherein the side outlet being adjustable in a horizontal width direction extending along the side wall so as to adapt the width of the side outlet to correspond to the width of the gate in the width direction.

15. The road paver according to claim 14, wherein the hopper insert is functionally coupled to a module controlling adjusting actuators arranged in the hopper insert which adjust the width of the side outlet in the horizontal width direction.