Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
W090/10752 - 1 - 2 ~ fl 9 ~ 6 ~ PCT/AU90iOo109
ROAD SURFACE RECYCLER
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TECHNICAL FIELD
This lnvent~on relates to load surface recycling.
In the past in the ~nited State~ lt has been known to
provlde a road surface recycllng sys~em which comprlses a
moblle surface reclaimer which remoYes pavlng materlal from the
surface of a road by means of a rotatlng drum whlch has cuttlng
blts around the periphery. The drum rotates so as to cut ln an
upward dlrectlon lnto the road surface whlch produces large
p~eces of pav~ng materlal. These are fed onto a conveyor whlch
extends out behind the ~urface reclaimer to a ~urth~r moblle
machlne travelling behind the reclalmer. The further machlne
lncludes a screening system arranged to pass relatlvely small
pieces to a mixlng means where the smaller pieces and blnding
material are mix~d. Larger pieces ~re passed from the
screening means to a crusher towed by the moblle machine, the
output o~ the crusher b~lng fed bacX through the ~creening
means to the mlxer. Behind the 3creening, crushing and mlxing
machlne there is further moblle machine which receivo~ the
output of the mlx0r ~ urthe~ conveyor, the m~xor outpu~
belng fed to a hopper ~rom whioh m~tor~al i~ m~ter~d to ~ paver
machlne ~or repavlng th~ road sur~ce.
Thls system ls very costly and also the "train" of
mobile machlnery is too long to be turned around so as to
travel ln the opposlte dtrectlon wlthout dlsconnecting the
machlnes from one another and lndlv~dually turnlng the machlnes
around followed by agaln coupllng them toyether ln thelr
worklng relatlonshilp. The present lnventlon provtdes a road
surface recycler by which reclalmlns, pulverlzlng and relay~ng
of mater~al can be carrled out ~y a s~ngle moblle machlne whlch
is relatlvely compact and easy to operate.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
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According to the lnventlon there ls provlded a road
surface recycler comprising:
a mobile structure mounted on ground engag~ng means
~`~ adapted to support the mobile structure ~or movement across the
ground whereby the structure can be advanced along a pa~ed
road;
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w09~07s2 - 2 - pcrtAu9o/oolo9
a paving material ~eclaimer mounted on the mobile
structure and operati~e when the mobile structure i5 advanced
alo~g a pa~ed road to cut road pavlng material from the surface
of the road; ,
a pulverlzer mounted on the moblle structure to
recelve road pavlng material cut ~rom the road ~y the
; reclalmer; and
dellvery means to dellv~r pulverlzed materlal from
the pulverlzer onto the road surface from which pavlng materlal
has been removed by the reclalmer.
Pr~Perably the road sur~ace reclaimer co~prlses a
rotary drum fltted wlth cuttlng el0ments around l~s
clrcumference and mounted on the moblle structure for rotatlon
about a generally horlzontal axls transverse to the dlrectlon
of travel of the recycler and reclaimer drlve means operatlve
to drlve the drum ln such a dlrectlon as to cut downwardly into
the sur~ace of the road so that pavlng material cut ~rom the
road surface ~s pa~ed rearwardly o~ the directio~ of travel
beneath the drum.
Pre~erably ~urthor, khe mohilc ~txucturc ~l~o carrio
a ~ln to recelve pulverlzad m~t~r~ rom the pul~eriz~r and
the dellvery ~eans comprise~ a conveyor operable to transport
pulverized materlal ~rom the bln ~nd to dellver lt onto the
road sur~ace.
The moblle structure may carry a screed to spread
pulverlzed materlal dellvered by the conveyor onto the road
surface and the conveyor ~ay be operable normally to dell~er
pulverlzed materlal from the bln to the road surface ahead of
the screed but may be alternatl~ely operable to d~scharge
pulver~zed ~rom She bln from the rear of the recycler.
BRIEF DESCRIPTTON OF DR~WINGS
In order ~hat the lnventlon may be more fully
explalned, one par~lcular embodlment wlll be descrlbed wlth
reference to the accompanylng drawlngs ln ~hlGh
Figure 1 Is a slde ele~ation ~ a road s~r~ace
recycler constructed ln accordance w~th the lnventlon;
Flgure 2 ls a vertlcal cross-s~ctlon through the ~a~n
parts o~ the road recycler lllustrated ln Flgure 1; 2nd
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WO 90/10752 ~ - 2 ~ A 9 ~ ~ ~PCrlAU90/00109
Flgure 3 lS a cross-sectionr~aken ~enerally on the
llne 3-3 ln Flgure 2.
BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVEN~ION
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The lllustrated ~oad surface recycler ~omprlses a
moblle maln machlne structure denoted generally as 1, mounted
on groundlng engaglng means in the form of front and rear
crawler assemblles 2 and 3 spaced longltudlnally of ~he
dlrectlon of travel of the recycler. The two front crawler
ai~seimblies 2 are disposed one to each side of the machlne and
each compri~es a steering bog~e q carrylng idler ~prockets S
i and a crawler tracX 6. Each bogie 4 i5 mounted on a post 7
whlch extend~ up into a housing at the front end of the maln
machlne structure 1. The rear pair of crawler assei~blies 3 are :
also disposed one to each side of the machine. Each rear
assembly comprises a dxiving bogie 8 mounted on a post 9 ~nd
fitted with sprockets lO and crawlex tr~ck 11. E~ch of the
driving bogie~ 8 carrics ~ hydr~ul~c motor coupled to one o~
the sprockets to drive the crawl~r tr~ck 11 whoreby tho m~chine
can be prop~ d along ~ ro~d 1~ ~ithor d~ctic~. The
mounting posts 9 ~or the rear arawl~x assembll~s ~xtond up into
the maln machine ~rame structure 1. Both the forward posts 7
and rearward posts 9 may incorporate hydraullc rams operable to
raise and lower the maln machlne structure on the crawler
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asseimblies so as to allow the machine to be ralsed from its
normal operating condition for transport and manouvering onto a
low loader.
The hydraulic controls for the drive motors, the
steering gear and varlous other components of the machine yet
to be des~r$bed are grouped together ln a control console 12 at
an operator's station 13 located near ~he forward end of the
machine.
Between the ~orw~rd cra~ler assem~lies 2 ~nd the
rearward crawler asseimblies 3, the maln machine frame carrle~ a
road pavlng reclalmer drum 14 fltted wlth cutting elements lS
around lts circumference and mounted on structure 1 by a sha~t
16 for rotatlon about a horlzontal ~x19 extend~ng transver~e to
the d~rection of travel of th~ m~chlne. The r~c~almer drum ~s
drlven from a power take-o~f vl~ a gear box, clutch and pulley
and belt drive ~n the dlrect~on lndlcated by the
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wos~/l07s2 - 4 - PCT/AU90/00l09
arrows 17 so that as the reclalmer advances ~orwardly along
a paved road surface 20, the reclalmer drum cuts downwardly
lnto the road surface to cut pavlng material from the road
surface and to pass the cut material rearwardly of the
direction of travel beneath the drum. The downward cuttlng
actlon ensures that large pleco~ of paYlng are not llfted from
the road surface but pieces are cut progressively to a
generally small slze determlned by the spaclng of the cutters
around the drum. The ~rum and ~utters al~o act to pulverize
the cut material to som~ extent as it pass~s under the drum.
Paving material eut ~rom the paved road surface and
passing rearwardly beneath the drum ls collected ~y a bucket
elevator denoted generally as 21 whlch llfts the materlal
rearwardly and upwardly to dlscharge it lnto a pulvertzer
denoted generally as 22 which 19 mounted on the maln machine
frame structure 1 behlnd and above the reclalmer drum 14.
Bucket elevator 21 compri~es a series o~ bucXet~ 30 ~ixed to
drive chalns 2~ extending ~round lower idlor sprock~ts ~4 ~nd
drive sprockets ~S ~riven ~rom a hydr~ullc mo~or ~6. Th~
bucket assembly 1~ disposed wi~hin ~n ~levator houslng ~7
havlng a bottom lnlet openlng 28 ~nd an upper dlscharge openlng
29. The lower end o~ houslng 27 ls formed wlth a downwardly
and forwardly pro~ectlng scoop extenslon 31 to scoop up the cut
materlal and dlrect lt lnto the elevator openlng Z8 whence ~t
is llfted by the buckets 30 to the top of the elevator houslng
and dlscharges through the openlng 29 lnto the pulverlzer 22.
Pulverlzer 22 may be constructed as a conventlonal
pug mill. It comprises a sturdy steel pulverlzlng vessel 32
with top hatches 33 and a bottom discharge opening 34 a~ the
rear end of the vessel 32. The pul~erizlng vessel deflnes a
rec~angular pulverizing chamber in which are mounted two
contr~-rotatlng paddle assemblles 35. The paddle assemblles
compr~se paddle arms 36 radiatlng out from two parallel paddle
,~ sha~ts 37 extending through the pulverlzing chamber ln the
front to rear d~rect~on. In the mid part o~ the pulveri2ing
; chamber the paddle arms o one assembly pro~ect between the
arms of the other assembly and the two sets o~ paddle arms are
contra-rotated as indlcated by the arrows 38 by the operation
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WO90/1Q7~2 _ 5 _ 2 ~ Ot3~ pcT/Auso/oo1o9
of a hydraulic motor ~9 mounted at the rear of the pul~erizer
vessel and drlving the shafts 37 through a belt drive 41. The
action of the paddles on th2 reclaimed road mat~rlal delivered
into the pulverizing chamber is to mlx the material and to move
it progressively to the rear of the pulverlzing chamber
toward the bottom discharge outlet 34.
The ~eclalmed paving material ln the pulv~rlzer ~2 ls
mlxed with a llquld binder ln the form of a water and bltumen
emulsion sprayed into the pulverizer chamber through a plpe
manifold 42 exte~dlng through th~ upper part of the chamber
rearwardl~ from the lnlet and provided with sprays 43. The
emulslon is supplied to the plpe manlfold from a tank 45
mounted on the machine frame structure 1 or ~rom a separate
tanXer driven ~n front of or beslde the reclaimer. An
auxlliary water supply manifold 44 also extends through the
upper part of the pulverlzer chamber. Ad~iltlonal water can be
spr~yed into the pulverlzer chamber through this auxlllary
mani~old when necessary to lncrease the moiqture con~ent o~ the
mixture lea~ing the pulverizer.
The pulverized mlxturo o~ r~claim~d ro~d m~teri~l and .
emulslon dropR through thc pul~er~z~r outlct 34 into ~ surge
bin 51 whi~h 19 mounted on the main machine structure 1
lmmedlately below the pulverlzer. ~in 51 has uprlght front and
rear walls 52, 53 and sld~ walls S4 which slope laterally
lnwardly of the machlne to a bottom outlet 55. A belt conveyor
56 extends across the bottom outlet 55 of the bln ln the front
to rear directlon of the ma~h~ne. Conveyor 56 comprl3es a
con~eyor belt 57 mounted on front and rear rollers 5B, 59 and
the ~ront rollers are drlveable by an ~nternal hydraulic motor
60 to drl~e the con~eyor belt ln forward and reYerse
directions. When the conveyor belt ls drlven ln the forward
d~rection ~t transports mater~al ~rom the bottom of the surge
bln 51 forwardly of the machlne and drops ~t onto the road
surface 40 ~rom whlch pavlng materlal has been removed by the
reclalmer 14. The ~ront wall 52 of b~n 51 carr~es a vertlcal
sllde plate 61 whlch can be ralsed and lowered by operatlon of
a hydraulic ram 62 to ~ary the rate o~ ~eed o~ materlal ~om
the b~n when the conveyor i~ operated to dl~charge mater~al
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WO90/10752 - 6 _ 2 ~ o ~ 4 PCT/AU90/00109
forwardly from the bin.
When conveyor 57 is ~perat~d to convey materlal
forwardly from the ~in it discharges the materlal o~to the road
surface 40 in advance of ~ screed assembly 63 dlsposed beneath
the conveyor 57 and mounted on th~ machlne structure 1 vla a
pair of plvot arms 64. The ~creed ~ssembly comprlses a pair of
splral ~ugers 65 extendlng transversely of the machlne and a
screed plate 66 wlth an upturned l~adlng edge 67 extendlng
across the machine lmmediately behlnd the augers 65. The
augers are driven independently o~ one another through internal
hydraulic motors so as to spraad the materlal depo~ited into a
wlndrow by conveyor 57 across the road surface before lt is
finally consolldated a~d smoothed by the actlon of the screed
plate 66. The screed assembly slmply hangs under lts own
welght on plvot arms 64 to level the deposlted materlal. The
angle of attack of the screed can be varled by rals~ng and
lowering the ~orward ends of the plvot arms 64 by th~ operation
of a pair of hydraulic ram~ 71. Th~ lowor ~nds of rams 71 arc
pivotally attached to lugY 72 ad~acent the ~ront ond~ o~ p~vot
arms 64 whlch are provld~d wlth pins 73 on~ging vextical ~lide ~.
bars 74 fixed to the main machlne ~tructure 1. The front ends
of plvot bar 74 are thus held at a height dependant on the
settlng of rams 71 and are free to pivot about the pivot
connections 72 but the substantlal drag foxc~s applled to the
arms 64 are transmltted to the machlne frame vi~ the pins 73
and bars 74. Two addltional hydraullc rams 75 are connected
between the machlne fr~me and the screed ~ssembly so as to be
operatlve to llft the screed assembly well away from the road
surface for tra~sport.
The rear wall 53 of surge bln 51 ls provided wlth a
rearwardly openlng gate 81 to allow rapld dlscharge of materlal
from the rear of the ~ln by reverse operatlon of conveyor 57.
~aterlal may thus be dumped dlrectly ln a plle or wlndrow
behlnd the machlne or may be dlscharged lnto an elevator
brought up to the rear of the machlne to transfer th~ materlal
lnto another vehlcle for transport to another locatlon.
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WO90/107~2 7 2 ~ fi ~ PCT/AU90/00l09
A palr o~ wlng platforms 82 pro~ect ~rom the rear of
the screed assembly. An operator may s~and on on~ ~f th~se
platforms to malntain lnspectlon of the ~lnished surf~ce of the
recycled materlal. Remote controls may be provlded at thl~
locatlon for control o~ the conveyor 57, feed rate ad3ustment
sams 62 and the screed ad~ustment rams 71.
-- Surge bln ~1 has suf~lclent capac~ty to carry an
amount of pavlng materlal whlch ls cut ~rom a length of a paved
road sur~ace equal to the dlstance ~etween the reclnimer dr~n
14 and the 3creed assembly 63. ~his e~abl~s materlal to be
carrled forward at the commencement o~ a reclalming run untll
lt can be deposited on that part of tbe road from which
materlal has been removed. In conventlonal machlnery without
the pro~lslon of such a surge bln, the removed material must be
deposlted contlnuously and at the commencement of a Tun the
; material ls therefors dumped onto an unreclalmed part of the
road and must be subsequently collected. The bln capaclty
should be sufficient to accomodate materlal cut ~xom a road
with a paving khicXness up to about 150 mm. A typical machine
may have a cut~lng width o~ two metres and an e~ective
distance between the reclalme~ and thfl ~cre0d o~ about 3.3
metres. For a pa~ement thickness of 150 ~n the minlmum
capaclty requirement would be about ~.22 tonnes ln whlch case
the bin may typically have a capaclty of about 3 tonnes.
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