FRAME RAISING MULTI-USE PAVING TRACTOR WITH BLIND MATEABLE QUICK CONNECTING TOOL ATTACHMENTS

• US 20060285923A1
• Filed: 05/09/2006
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CMI Terex Corporation (Terex Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cedarapids Incorporated (Terex Corporation)
• Inventors: Egan, Vince, Musil, Joseph E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,458,747 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 404/108
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/185 for both depositing and spreading-out or striking-off the deposited mixture laying-down the materials and consolidating them, or finishing the surface, E01C19/48
• 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 2301/04 Independent shuttles

Abstract

A multi-use asphalt paving tractor with frame raise capability and a blind-mateable connector to facilitate quick connection with interchangeable attachments for performing the functions of a paver, a mix transfer conveyor and road widener.

Claims

1. A road paving tractor 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 location and a steering member;

an engine and drive train coupled to said hopper and configured to provide propulsion of said hoppers 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 paving material from said hopper toward said rear end, such that said paving material is not dribbled below said tractor as a material conveyor loops underneath said tractor;

said tractor having a frame raise capability so that the rear end of the tractor can be adjustable raised above the ground;

a vertically adjustable attachment coupler coupled to said chassis and configured to be at least vertically displaced, with respect to the ground, when the fame raise capability of the tractor is used to raise the rear end,

said attachment coupler configured to temporarily receive one of a plurality of detachable road paving tool attachments; and

,

said chassis, said hopper, said engine, said driver station, and said means for moving paving material being free from attachment to any paving screed, road widening strike-off blade, and radially and vertically adjustable material mover, of a type configured to move paving material at an upward angle away from said rear end, when said attachment coupler is not coupled to any of said plurality of detachable road paving tool attachments.

2. A road-paving tractor of claim 1 wherein the attachment coupler further comprises a blind mateable connection between a tractor mounting member and a tool mounting member.

3. A road-paving tractor of claim 1 wherein said attachment coupler is configured to operatively mate with each of said plurality of detachable road paving tool attachments without a need for welding to occur during a process of mating a detachable road paving tool attachment to the road-paving tractor.

4. A road-paving tractor of claim 3 further comprising a mix transfer tool attachment.

5. A road-paving tractor of claim 4 wherein said mix transfer tool attachment is a hot mix asphalt transfer tool attachment.

6. A road-paving tractor of claim 1 wherein the attachment coupler is rigidly coupled to the chassis.

7. A road-paving tractor of claim 6 further comprising a blind mateable connection between the attachment coupler and one of a plurality of detachable road paving tool attachments.

8. A road-paving tractor of claim 7 wherein the blind mateable connection further comprises a protuberance on a first member and a protuberance receiving void on another member.

9. A road-paving tractor of claim 8 wherein said protuberance is a substantially conical shaped structure rigidly coupled to one of the chassis or one of the plurality of detachable road paving tool attachments.

10. A road-paving tractor of claim 2 wherein said blind mateable connection comprises a cone disposed on a first of the tractor mounting plate and the tool mounting plate and a cone receiving hole disposed in a second of the tractor mounting plate and the tool mounting plate.

11. A method of deploying multi-use road-paving equipment comprising the steps of:

providing a paving tractor with a first detachable road-paving tool attachment operatively coupled thereto at a first connection point, where said first connection point is at an adjustable rear location on said paving tractor, where adjustment of the adjustable rear location is accomplished by manipulating a frame raise capability of the paving tractor;

replacing said first detachable road-paving tool attachment with a second detachable road-paving tool attachment without welding or cutting metal at said first connection point;

where said first detachable road-paving tool attachment is configured to perform a substantially different task than said second detachable road-paving tool attachment; and

,

wherein said paving tractor is a self-propelled vehicle configured to be driven by a driver located on and at a rear end of said paving tractor, said paving tractor further comprising a hopper disposed forward of said rear end, and means for conveying paving material from said hopper to said rear end.

12. A method of claim 11 wherein said step of replacing comprises the steps of:

causing said first detachable road-paving tool attachment, while coupled to said paving tractor, to be disposed at substantially the same level as a tractor operating surface upon which said paving tractor is disposed;

causing a vertical separation between said tractor operating surface and said first detachable road-paving tool attachment to decrease; and

,

supporting said first detachable road-paving tool by deploying structural support members which are stowed on said first detachable road-paving tool during operation of said first detachable road-paving tool and deployed at a time of detachment from said paving tractor.

13. A method of claim 12 wherein said step of causing a vertical separation is accomplished by a manipulation of the frame raise capability of the paving tractor.

14. A method of claim 13 where said step of supporting further comprises the steps of:

lowering a stowed support member; and

,

using the frame raise capability of said paving tractor to further lower said first detachable road-paving tool attachment.

15. A multi-use road-paving system comprising:

a road-paving tractor comprising;

a chassis, having a front and a rear end;

a hopper for receiving and containing road-paving material, disposed at and coupled to said front end;

a plurality of paving material moving augers disposed, at least in part, in said hopper, for moving paving material from said hopper toward said rear end;

an engine, coupled to said chassis, for providing motive force to propel said road-paving tractor;

a frame raise capability on the road-paving tractor, configured to raise the rear end of the road-paving tractor;

a plurality of detachable road-paving tool attachments, each configured to mate with a connection point, rigidly fixed with respect to the rear end, such that a manipulation of the rear end of said road-paving tractor using the frame raise capability, results in at least a vertical displacement of any detachable road-paving tool attachment coupled thereto;

said plurality of detachable paving tool attachments each further configured, when coupled to said connection point, to cause road-paving material, in contact therewith, to be relocated in a predetermined manner; and

,

said plurality of detachable paving tool attachments each further configured so as to be operatively attachable to and detachable from said connection point without either of welding and cutting, any structural metal components of at least one of said road-paving tractor and a detachable paving tool attachment.

16. A multi-use road-paving system comprising

a road-paving tractor comprising:

a chassis, having a front and a rear end;

a container for receiving and containing road hot mix asphalt paving material, disposed at and coupled to said front end;

means for moving said hot mix asphalt paving material from said container to said rear end;

an engine, coupled to said chassis, for providing motive force to propel said road-paving tractor;

said chassis comprising a connection point;

a detachable road-paving tool attachment configured to mate with said connection point, such that a movement of said road-paving tractor results in at least a horizontal displacement of said detachable road-paving tool attachment coupled thereto;

said detachable paving tool attachment further configured, when coupled to said connection point and moved along with said road-paving tractor, to cause said hot mix asphalt road-paving material in contact therewith, to have a top surface with an increased smoothness characteristic; and

said detachable paving tool attachment further configured so as to be blind mateable to and detachable from said connection point without either of welding and cutting any structural metal components of at least one of said road-paving tractor and said detachable paving tool attachment.

17. A road-paving system of claim 16 further comprising a frame raise capability for raising a rear end of the road-paving tractor and further configured such that a vertical adjustment results in a vertical displacement of said connection point.

18. A road-paving system of claim 17 wherein said vertical adjustment results in both horizontal and vertical adjustment of said connection point.

19. A system of claim 18 further comprising a road widener configured for attachment to said connection point when said screed is not coupled to said connection point.

20. A road-paving system of claim 16 wherein said connection point is rigidly fixed with respect to a rear end of the road-paving tractor and is further configured to automatically and necessarily cause alignment enhancing relative lateral and vertical movement between the connection point and the detachable road-paving tool attachment when the road-paving tractor is merely backed up closer to the detachable road-paving tool.