SELF PROPELLED REMIX MACHINE WITH CONVEYOR

REMELANGEUR AUTOMOTEUR AVEC CONVOYEUR

English Abstract

A dedicated self-propelled auger type remix machine with an elevating
conveyor permanently coupled thereon.

Claims

We claim:
1. A remix 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 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; and,
a coupling means coupled to said chassis and toward said rear end, said
coupling means configured to receive an elevator thereon.
2. A remix machine of claim 1 wherein said coupling means is for
permanently coupling.
3. A remix machine of claim 2 wherein the elevator is a conveyor.
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4. A method of remixing HMA comprising the steps of:
providing a remix machine with a hopper and an elevator;
driving the remix machine so as to be within a predetermined proximity to
a source of HMA;
depositing HMA into the hopper, remixing the HMA and delivering the
remixed HMA via the elevator to a piece of road building equipment.
5. A method of claim 4 wherein said elevator is a swinging and
pivoting conveyor.
6. A remixing and transfer system comprising:
a machine 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 remix machine;
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said chassis comprising a connection point;
and an elevator coupled to the connection point.
7. A machine of claim 6 wherein the elevator is permanently coupled to
the connection point.

Description

CA 02585635 2007-04-19
SELF PROPELLED REMIX MACHINE WITI4 CONVEYOR
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part application of an application by
Joseph E. Musil and Vince Egan, on May 09, 2006, having serial # 11/382/441,
entitled "A FRAME RAISING MULTI-USE PAVING TRACTOR WITH BLIND
MA37EABLE QUICK CONNECTING TOOL ATl'ACI-IMENTS" which is a
continuation in part of an application filed on September 17, 2003, b Joseph
E.
Musil and Vince Egan, having serial # 10/605,249 entitled "MULTI-USE
PAVnNG TRACTOR W= TOOL ATTACHIIENTS", both of which
applications are incorporated herein in their entirety by these references.
This application further claims the benefit of the filing date of provisional
application filed 09/23/05 and having serial number 60/596,447, entitled SELF
PROF'ELLED REMIX MACHINE WITH CONVEYOR.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the past, road paving equipment designers have endeavored to improve
the functionality of road pavers. U.S. Patent 6,007,272 is an example of an
improved paver with mixing capabilities. While such improvements have been
made to remixing capabilities of pavers, they remain a single use machine.
Most
paving contractors will have a paver, a road
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CA 02585635 2007-04-19
PATENT
widener and some means for transferring the mix to the paver and road
widener, all of which are independent machines.
Others have used independent mix transfer machines.
While these approaches of using independent remix pavers and HMA
plants, etc. have been used extensively in the past, they do have some
drawbacks.
First of all, the remix paver is limited in use to paving. Secondly, a mix
transfer
machine is very large and creates HMA, not remixes it.
Consequently, there exists a need for improved methods and systems for
deploying a remix machine to be used in conjunction with other paving
equipment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method for
deploying multiple paving equipment tools in an efficient manner.
It is a feature of the present invention to utilize a multi-use paving
tractor.
It is an advantage of the present invention to reduce the cost of owning a
group of paving tools.
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PATENT
It is another advantage to permit multiple paving equipment tools to be
stored in a smaller space.
It is yet another advantage to permit reduced transportation costs in moving
several paving tools to a job site.
The present invention is an apparatus and method for deploying multiple
paving tools, designed to satisfy the aforementioned needs, provide the
previously
stated objects, include the above-listed features, and achieve the already
articulated advantages. The present invention is carried out in a "redundant
hardwvare-less" manner in a sense that the need to own, maintain and transport
multiple paving hoppers, remixing equipment and propulsion mechanisms for a
group of road paving tools, has been eliminated.
Accordingly, the present invention is a system and method including a
paving tractor with a capability for readily connecting and disconnecting a
road
paving tool thereto.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention may be more fully understood by reading the following
description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, in conjunction with
the
appended drawings wherein:
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PATENT
Figure 1 is an elevation view of the remix transfer machine of the present
invention, with a partial cut-away portion to reveal a plurality of augers.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Now referring to the drawing wherein like numerals refer to like matter
throughout, and more specifically referring to Figure 1, there is shown a
remix
machine of the present invention, generally designated 100, which includes a
hopper and mixing apparatus 101, a conveying shaft 102, auger 109, driver
station
120, driver seat 122, steering wheel 124, engine 126, chassis 127 and drive
train
128. Items 101, 102, 109, 122, 124, 126, 127 and 128 are preferably similar or
identical to components of prior art remixing road pavers such as described in
the
above- referenced U.S. patent and the prior art road paver manufactured by
Cedarapids, Inc. of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Engine 126 is drawn as a simple block,
but it may include numerous related systems and/or components not limited to
components of a hydraulic pump and system, an electrical system and other
systems.
As shown is an HMA mix transfer tool, generally designated 200, which
includes an elevator assembly 205, which collects remixed HMA from the rear of
conve,ying shaft 102 and hopper and mixing apparatus 101, and elevates the
HMA.
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PATENT
Elevator assembly 205 includes elevator assembly lower connecting floor 206,
which seals the elevator assembly 205 to the rear of the conveying shaft 102.
Elevator assembly lower connecting floor 206 is where the HMA is collected
prior
"to being elevated above the conveying shaft 102 by the elevator assembly 205.
Elevator assembly slat conveyor 207 is shown disposed in elevator assembly
205.
It should be understood that the depicted arrangement of elevator assembly 205
is
a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Alternate means and methods
of
elevating the HMA could be employed, such as augers, pumps and pipes or hoses,
etc. I'he purpose of elevator assembly 205 is to collect the HMA and deliver
it to
swinging slat conveyor 209. However, it should be understood that elevator
assernbly 205 or its alternate means could be adjustable vertically and
radially so
as to eliminate the need for swinging slat conveyor 209.
In this preferred embodiment, swinging slat conveyor 209 is a vertically
and radially adjustable conveyor which can be swung to the right or the left
upon
swinging slat conveyor pivot support 211, which can be a hinge or other pivot
support. Swinging slat conveyor 209 includes a swinging slat conveyor interior
chain assembly 208 and a swinging slat conveyor raising mechanism 210.
Swinging slat conveyor raising mechanism 210, if mounted to a side of remix
machine 100, can both raise swinging slat conveyor 209 and swing swinging slat
conveyor 209 right and left as needed. Swinging slat conveyor raising
mechanism

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CA 02585635 2007-04-19
PATENT
2 10 can be a hydraulic cylinder, a cable/winch system or other system for
lifting
and swinging the swinging slat conveyor 209.
Swinging slat conveyor pivot support 211 is preferably a permanently fixed
support for pivoting about a horizontal axis and a vertical axis. A rotational
coupling or independent orthogonal pivot could be used to enable swinging slat
conveyor 209 to be both raised and swung as needed.
In operation, the apparatus and method of the present invention as
described in Figure 1, could fanction as follows:
Firstly, a remix machine 100 is provided which accepts HMA in a hopper
and rnixing apparatus 101 and transports it rearward via conveying sha:ft 102.
fIMA mix transfer too1200 elevates the HMA for delivery to another piece
of paving equipment.
Thcoughout the above description, HMA is described as the material to be
used. It should be understood that the present invention is directed to any
type of
road surface. It is believed that recycled asphalt products could be used,
cold mix
asphalt, and even in certain applications with any appropriate modifications,
concrete could be the paving material. Hopper and mixing apparatus 101 may
comprise a rectangular box or an angled rectangular or circular bin or any
shaped
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container and material mixing and transfer apparatus which is suitable for the
paving material being used.
It is thought that the method and apparatus of the present invention will be
understood from the foregoing description and that it will be apparent that
various
changes may be made in the form, construct steps, and arrangement of the parts
and steps thereof, without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention or
sacrificing all of their material advantages. The form herein described is
merely a
preferred exemplary embodiment thereof.
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Representative Drawing