Vacuum-operated material transfer system and method

• US 8,308,394 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2010
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VT LeeBoy, Inc. (Singapore Technologies Engineering Limited)
• Original Assignee: VT LeeBoy, Inc. (Singapore Technologies Engineering Limited)
• Inventors: Whitley, Ralph E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Addie, Raymond W
• Application Number:
  US12/705,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20110200389A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 404 83- 85, 404/110, 404/111, 404/72, 404/75, 406/127
• US Class Current: 404/75
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 11/005 Methods or materials for repairing pavings E01C7/35 takes precedence; for concrete coverings E01C7/147; for bituminous coverings E01C7/187; devices for repair works E01C23/06; repairing bridge floorings E01D22/00
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/06 Devices or arrangements for working the finished surface working freshly laid paving E01C19/42 - E01C19/44, E01C23/02; mining picks E21C35/18; Devices for repairing or reconditioning the surface of damaged paving; Recycling in place or on the road

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods implemented in a pothole patching system for creating a vacuum that pulls heavy particulate, such as gravel, out of a hopper. For example, according to an embodiment, a vacuum body having a vacuum chamber formed therein is positioned proximate to an opening of the hopper. A moveable slide gate is provided between the vacuum chamber and the opening of the hopper. The slide gate moves between open and closed positions for permitting and blocking communication between the vacuum chamber and the hopper. A reduction nozzle is provided between an air source and the vacuum chamber. Forced air flows from the air source, through the reduction nozzle, and into the vacuum chamber. The reduction nozzle reduces the pressure of the forced air entering the vacuum chamber, and thereby creates a vacuum in the vacuum chamber. When the slide gate is in the open position, this vacuum pulls particulate from the hopper.

Claims

1. A system provided on a pothole patcher for creating a vacuum that pulls aggregate out of a hopper and into a flow path of forced air that is provided by an air source and extends through a forced air flow path outlet, the system comprising:

a vacuum chamber formed in a vacuum body and disposed proximate to the hopper;

a valve disposed between the vacuum chamber and the hopper, the valve configured to open and close for permitting and blocking communication between the vacuum chamber and the hopper;

a reduction nozzle in communication with and provided between the air source and the vacuum chamber, wherein the reduction nozzle is configured to create a vacuum in the vacuum chamber by reducing the pressure of the forced air entering the vacuum chamber; and

an air receiving eductor in communication with and provided between the vacuum chamber and the forced air flow path outlet,

wherein the vacuum pulls aggregate from the hopper to the vacuum chamber when the valve is open.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the reduction nozzle increases the velocity of the forced air that flows into the vacuum chamber.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the eductor comprises a section including a first end and a second end, each end defining an opening, the area of the first end opening being larger than the area of the second end opening, the first end opening being a wide-area opening proximate to the vacuum chamber, wherein the increased-velocity forced air entrains and carries aggregate from the vacuum chamber into the wide-area opening and then to the forced air flow path outlet.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the vacuum body further comprises:

a top surface disposed between the vacuum chamber and the hopper; and

an opening formed in the top surface and positioned inline with an outlet of the hopper, wherein the opening provides communication between the hopper and the vacuum chamber.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the valve includes a retractable gate provided on the top surface and configured to slide coplanar to the top surface between open and closed positions.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein, when the gate is in the open position, the outlet of the hopper and the opening of the vacuum body are in communication and the vacuum pulls aggregate from inside the hopper, through the outlet of the hopper, through the opening of the vacuum body, and into the vacuum chamber.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the eductor comprises:

a first frusto-conical section and a second frusto-conical section, each frusto-conical section including a large opening end and a small opening end; and

a middle section including a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is connected to the small opening end of the first frusto-conical section and the second end is connected to the small opening end of the second frusto-conical section,

wherein the large opening end of the second frusto-conical section is proximate to the vacuum chamber.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first frusto-conical section large opening end has a diameter of from about 2 inches to about 3.5 inches and the first frusto-conical section small opening end has a diameter of from about 1.5 inches to about 2.5 inches, and wherein the second frusto-conical section large opening end has a diameter of from about 2.5 inches to about 4 inches and the second frusto-conical section small opening end has a diameter of from about 1 inch to about 3 inches.

9. A vacuum-operated material transfer system for use on a pothole patcher, the pothole patcher is equipped with a hopper for storing aggregate, an air source for providing a flow path of forced air, and a boom assembly for dispensing aggregate through a boom outlet, the vacuum-operated material transfer system is configured to create a vacuum that pulls aggregate out of an outlet of the hopper and into the flow path of forced air provided by the air source, the forced air entrains and carries aggregate to the boom assembly, the system comprising:

a vacuum body disposed proximate to the outlet of the hopper, the vacuum body comprising;

a vacuum chamber;

a surface disposed between the vacuum chamber and the hopper; and

an opening formed in the surface and positioned inline with the outlet of the hopper, the opening provides communication between the hopper and the vacuum chamber;

a slide gate slidably mounted on the surface of the vacuum body and movable between open and closed positions, the open position permits communication between the hopper and the vacuum chamber, the closed position blocks communication between the hopper and the vacuum chamber;

a reduction nozzle disposed between the vacuum chamber and the air source, the reduction nozzle is configured to create the vacuum inside of the vacuum chamber by reducing the pressure and increasing the velocity of the forced air flowing from the air source into the vacuum chamber, the vacuum pulls aggregate through the outlet of the hopper, through the opening of the vacuum body, and into the vacuum chamber; and

a flow path section including a first end and a second end, each end defining an opening, the area of the first end opening being larger than the area of the second end opening and in communication with the second end opening, the first end opening being a wide-area opening in communication with and proximate to the vacuum chamber and in communication with the boom outlet, wherein the increased-velocity forced air exiting the reduction nozzle entrains and carries aggregate from the vacuum chamber into the wide-area opening and then to the boom outlet.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

first and second conduits, wherein the vacuum body interconnects the first and second conduits.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first conduit extends between the vacuum body and the boom assembly and is fitted with an air receiving eductor that comprises the flow path section that defines the wide-area opening.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the second conduit extends between the vacuum body and the air source and is fitted with the reduction nozzle.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first and second conduits combine to transmit forced air from the air source, through the vacuum chamber, and to the boom assembly.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the surface of the vacuum body is attached to a bottom of the hopper such that the opening of the surface juxtaposes the outlet of the hopper.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the vacuum body is formed integrally with the hopper such that the opening of the surface and the outlet of the hopper are a single opening.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the slide gate is configured to slide coplanar to the surface of the vacuum body between the open and closed positions.

17. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

an emulsion tank configured to dispense emulsion into the flow path of forced air in the first conduit.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the flow path of forced air carries a mixture of emulsion and aggregate to the boom assembly.

19. A method for using a vacuum-operated material transfer system that is installed on a pothole patcher, the pothole patcher comprising a hopper for storing aggregate, an air source for providing a flow path of forced air, and a boom assembly for dispensing aggregate through a boom outlet, the method comprising:

creating a low-pressure area inside of a vacuum chamber that is formed in a vacuum body and disposed proximate to an outlet of the hopper by controlling the air source to provide the flow path of forced air through a reduction nozzle and into the vacuum chamber;

permitting the low-pressure area inside of the vacuum chamber to pull aggregate from the hopper by opening a valve that is disposed between the vacuum chamber and the hopper and that is configured to open and close for permitting and blocking communication between the vacuum chamber and the hopper; and

increasing the velocity of the forced air inside of the vacuum chamber by controlling the air source to provide the flow path of forced air through the reduction nozzle and into the vacuum chamber such that the increased-velocity forced air entrains and carries aggregate from the vacuum chamber into a wide-area opening and then to the boom assembly, the wide-area opening defined by a flow path section including a first end and a second end, each end defining an opening, the first end opening being the wide-area opening and being larger than the area of the second end opening, the wide-area opening being proximate to the vacuum chamber, in communication with the second end opening, and in communication with the boom outlet.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the flow path section that defines the wide-area opening forms a portion of an air receiving eductor.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

controlling an emulsion tank to dispense emulsion into the flow path of forced air that is exiting the vacuum chamber and that has aggregate entrained therein.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

controlling the boom assembly to direct the flow path of forced air, including the aggregate and emulsion entrained therein, into a pothole.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the flow path section forms a portion of an air receiving eductor.

23. A pothole patching system mounted on a vehicle having a wheeled chassis, the pothole patching system comprising:

a boom assembly mounted on an end of the wheeled chassis and having a boom outlet on an end thereof;

a hopper in communication with the boom assembly and configured to store aggregate;

an air source in communication with the boom assembly and the hopper and configured to provide a flow path of forced air that carries aggregate from the hopper to the boom assembly; and

a vacuum-operated material transfer system that configured to create a vacuum proximate to an outlet of the hopper that pulls aggregate out of the hopper and into the flow path of forced air provided by the air source, the vacuum-operated material transfer system comprises;

a vacuum chamber formed in a vacuum body and disposed proximate to the outlet of hopper;

a valve disposed between the vacuum chamber and the outlet of hopper, the valve configured to open and close for permitting and blocking communication between the vacuum chamber and the hopper;

a reduction nozzle provided between the air source and the vacuum chamber and configured to create the vacuum in the vacuum chamber by reducing the pressure of the forced air entering the vacuum chamber; and

a flow path section including a first end and a second end, each end defining an opening, the area of the first end opening being larger than the area of the second end opening and in communication with the second end opening, the first end opening being in communication with and proximate to the vacuum chamber and in communication with the boom outlet,

wherein the vacuum created by the vacuum-operated material transfer system pulls aggregate from the outlet of the hopper to the vacuum chamber and the flow path of forced air provided by the air source entrains and carries aggregate through the flow path section to the boom outlet of the boom assembly.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the wheeled chassis supports an operator cabin that is equipped with a joystick including a trigger, a first pushbutton, a second pushbutton, or a combination thereof mounted to the joystick, wherein the joystick enables a single operator to control operation of the pothole patching system from within the cabin with one hand without releasing the joystick from that hand.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the boom assembly further comprises:

an aggregate-delivery tube disposed between the vacuum chamber and the boom outlet.

27. A method for using a joystick to control a pothole patching system to repair a road surface, wherein the pothole patching system includes a hopper for storing aggregate, an emulsion tank for storing emulsion, a hydraulic pump for providing a flow path of forced air, and a boom assembly for delivering emulsion and aggregate to a repair area of the road surface, the method comprising:

moving the joystick to move the boom assembly to a position over the repair area;

squeezing a trigger of the joystick to direct the flow path of forced air out of the boom assembly and to the repair area;

providing a coat of emulsion on a surface of the repair area by pushing a first pushbutton of the joystick to open a valve associated with the emulsion tank and permit emulsion to flow out of the boom assembly and to the repair area;

filling the repair area with a mixture of emulsion and aggregate by pushing a second pushbutton of the joystick to open a valve associated with the hopper and permit the flow path of forced air to carry aggregate out of the boom assembly and to the repair area, wherein emulsion and aggregate are flowing from the boom assembly to the repair area;

providing a layer of aggregate on top of the mixture of emulsion and aggregate by pushing the first pushbutton of the joystick to close the valve associated with the emulsion tank, wherein the flow path of forced air continues to carry aggregate out of the boom assembly and to the repair area; and

pushing the second pushbutton of the joystick to close the valve associated with the hopper and stop the flow of aggregate out of the boom assembly,

wherein the joystick, the trigger, the first pushbutton, and the second pushbutton are configured to be actuated to control operation of the pothole patching system when gripped by one hand of an operator without releasing the joystick from that hand.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the valve associated with the hopper comprises:

a retractable gate provided between an outlet of the hopper and a vacuum chamber, wherein the retractable gate is configured to between a closed position that blocks communication between the hopper and the vacuum chamber and an open position that permits communication between the hopper and the vacuum chamber.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein a pressure differential between the hopper and the vacuum chamber creates a vacuum in the vacuum chamber that pulls aggregate through a bottom outlet of the hopper and into the vacuum chamber when the retractable gate is in the open position.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein pushing the second pushbutton of the joystick causes a hydraulically driven shaft to move the retractable gate from the closed position to the open position and thereby permit the vacuum in the vacuum chamber to pull aggregate from the hopper to the vacuum chamber.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein, once aggregate is in the vacuum chamber, the flow path of forced air provided by the hydraulic pump entrains and carries the aggregate to and out of the boom assembly.