Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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APPARATUSES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS FOR CLEARING A SURFACE
USING AIR
TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to apparatuses, systems,
and
methods for clearing a surface. In particular, embodiments may include a
system which is
configured to clear water, oil, debris, or other objects from a surface such
as a road surface
as the system advances over the road surface.
BACKGROUND
Racetracks, highways, runways, roads, parking lots, and other like surfaces,
generally referred to herein collectively and individually as road surfaces,
are generally
engaged by tires of vehicles which may be made of rubber, synthetic rubber, or
similar
compounds. Tires generally grip a road surface better when the road surface
and tire are
dry and the road surface is free of debris. The introduction of contaminants
to a road
surface, such as water, oil, gravel, tire particles, etc. may reduce the grip
between a tire
and the road surface. As such, clearing the road surface of debris and drying
the road
surface may improve the grip of a tire on the road surface.
While cars and aircraft may traverse wet road surfaces, stopping distances and
handling may be reduced. In some applications, such as some forms of
automobile racing
where speeds and turning forces may be significantly higher than standard
driving traffic,
racing on a wet track may be hazardous enough that races may be suspended
until the
track is dry or clear of other debris. In such applications, actively drying
the track may
allow automobile racing, time trials, practices, qualifying, and the like to
start or resume
faster than allowing the track to passively dry naturally. Actively drying the
racetrack
quickly may also reduce fan disappointment and operating expenses resulting
from a race
that is prolonged or canceled due to track conditions, such as a wet track.
Wet road
surfaces can also cause issues when temperatures drop below freezing and the
wet road
surfaces become icy.
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SUMMARY
Embodiments of the present invention may provide for a system for clearing a
road
surface of contaminants, such as water, debris, or other contaminants. In one
embodiment,
a system for clearing a road surface is provided including an air knife with
an elongate
orifice extending along a line, a frame configured to support the air knife in
a position
substantially parallel to a plane defined by the road surface, and a tow bar
coupled to the
frame, where the tow bar is pivotable relative to the frame along an axis
orthogonal to the
plane defined by the road surface. The tow bar may include a mounting plate,
where the
mounting plate is pivotably mounted to the frame. The mounting plate may be
pivotable in
a first pivot direction about the axis orthogonal to the plane defined by the
road surface
and pivotable in a second pivot direction, opposite the first pivot direction,
about the axis
orthogonal to the plane defined by the road surface.
A road surface clearing system according to some example embodiments may
include a biasing member configured to bias the mounting plate in at least the
first pivot
direction. The degree of pivot between the mounting plate and the frame may be
limited
by a pivot stop. The degree of pivot may be between about zero degrees
relative to a
direction of travel of the system and forty-five degrees relative to the
direction of travel of
the system. The elongate orifice may be disposed at an angle relative to the
direction of
travel of the system, such as between zero and ninety degrees, between about
forty and
seventy degrees, or about sixty degrees. The angle of incidence of air exiting
the elongate
orifice relative to the plane defined by the road surface may be between about
thirty and
sixty degrees. The angle of incidence of the air exiting the elongate orifice
relative to the
plane defined by the surface may be about forty-five degrees.
A road surface clearing system according to some example embodiments may
include a guide wheel attached to the frame with an axis of rotation
orthogonal to the
plane defined by the road surface. The system may define a direction of travel
in which the
system is advanced by a tow vehicle, and the guide wheel may be adapted to
engage a wall
extending parallel to the direction of travel. The biasing member may be
configured to
bias the guide wheel into engagement with the wall.
Some embodiments may further include a manifold attached to the frame, a first
hose extending from the manifold to a first end of the air knife, and a second
hose
extending from the manifold to a second end of the air knife.
Some embodiments of the road surface clearing system may include a second air
knife including an elongate orifice extending along a line, and a second frame
configured
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to support the air knife in a position substantially parallel to the plane
defined by the road surface,
where the second frame is attached to the first frame. The second frame may be
pivotable relative
to the first frame about a first axis and about a second axis, where the first
axis and the second axis
are perpendicular to one another, and the first axis and the second axis are
each parallel to the
plane defined by the road surface. A direction of travel of the first frame
and a direction of travel
of the second frame may be held fixed parallel to one another, and may be
parallel to a direction of
travel in which the system is configured to be advanced by a tow vehicle.
Some embodiments may further include a manifold attached to one of the first
frame or
the second frame, a first hose extending from the manifold to a first end of
the first air knife, a
second hose extending from the manifold to a second end of the first air
knife, a third hose
extending from the manifold to a first end of the second air knife, and a
fourth hose extending
from the manifold to a second end of the second air knife.
A system for clearing a surface according to some example embodiments may
comprise an
air knife assembly comprising: an air knife comprising an elongate orifice
extending along a line;
and a frame configured to support the air knife in a position substantially
parallel to a plane
defined by the surface; a tow bar coupled to the frame, wherein the tow bar is
pivotable relative to
the frame along an axis orthogonal to the plane defined by the surface; and a
guide wheel attached
to the frame, wherein the guide wheel has an axis of rotation orthogonal to
the plane defined by the
surface.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be
made to the
accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a road surface clearing system
according to an
example embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of an air knife that may be used in a
road surface
clearing system according to example embodiments of the present invention;
FIG. 3 illustrates the road surface clearing system of FIG. 1 as viewed from
above;
FIG. 4 illustrates the air knife of the road surface clearing system of FIG. 3
shown
exclusive of surrounding components;
FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of a road surface clearing system
according to another
example embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6 illustrates the example embodiment of FIG. 5 as viewed from above;
FIG. 7 illustrates a ball joint rod end as used in example embodiments of the
present
invention;
FIG. 8 illustrates a detail view a system of fastening together adjacent
frames of a surface
clearing system according to example embodiments of the present invention;
FIG. 9 illustrates a perspective detail view of the fastening system of FIG.
8;
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FIG. 10 illustrates an example embodiment of a mechanism for allowing a tow
bar
to pivot relative to the frame of road surface clearing system according to
example
embodiments of the present invention;
FIG. 11 depicts an example embodiment of a road surface clearing system with
the
tow bar pivoted relative to the frame according to the present invention;
FIG. 12 illustrates a surface clearing system as towed behind a tow vehicle
according to an example embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 13 illustrates an air supply module of a modular road surface clearing
system
according to an example embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 14 illustrates another view of the air supply module of FIG. 13;
FIG. 15 illustrates a modular road surface clearing system with the air knife
assembly connected to the air supply module according to an example embodiment
of the
present invention;
FIG. 16 illustrates a modular road surface clearing system with the air nozzle
assembly connected to the air supply module according to an example embodiment
of the
present invention;
FIG. 17 illustrates another view of a modular road surface clearing system
according to an example embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 18 illustrates the modular road surface clearing system of FIG. 17 with
the air
nozzle assembly turned relative to the vehicle according to an example
embodiment of the
present invention;
FIG. 19 illustrates a modular road surface clearing system including a biasing
mechanism according to an example embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 20 illustrates an air knife assembly according to an example embodiment
of
the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with
reference
to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the
invention
are shown. Indeed, this invention may be embodied in many different forms and
should
not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these
embodiments
are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal
requirements. Like
numbers refer to like elements throughout.
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Embodiments of the present invention may provide for a system to clear
material,
herein generally also referred to as contaminants, from a road surface. In
some
embodiments, the material to be cleared may be debris, such as gravel, rubber,
trash, etc.
from a racetrack surface or an airport runway. In other embodiments, the
material to be
cleared may be water for purposes of drying a road surface. As will be
appreciated,
embodiments of the present invention may be implemented for clearing a wide
variety of
materials from a road surface such that embodiments described herein are not
intended to
be limiting, but merely provide example embodiments of applications of the
invention. As
such, embodiments described herein are primarily described in the context of
clearing
water from a road surface such as a racetrack or runway to dry the surface.
As outlined above, road surfaces with contaminants such as debris or water may
reduce the grip available to vehicles traversing the road surfaces and
clearing the road
surface of debris and drying the road surface may dramatically improve the
grip of a tire
on the road surface. Example embodiments of the present invention may enable a
user to
clear debris from a road surface and/or to dry a surface quickly. Further, as
wet road
surfaces can also cause issues when temperatures drop below freezing and the
wet road
surfaces become icy road surfaces, embodiments may also be useful to dry the
road
surfaces before the water freezes to ice. In some embodiments, heat may also
be used to
assist in drying the road surface and/or even helping to melt and remove snow
and ice
from road surfaces.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example embodiment of a road surface clearing system 100
of
the present invention including a frame 110 with wheels 120 and an air knife
130
suspended from the frame 110. The air knife may be suspended from the frame by
a
mechanism, such as a series of bolts, which can raise and lower the air knife
relative to a
road surface over which the frame rides, being carried by the wheels 120. The
frame may
include a tow bar 140 which may be used to pull, or in some embodiments push,
in a
direction of travel along the road surface.
The road surface along which the road surface clearing system 100 may be
pulled
may include contours and undulations to some extent; however, for purposes of
the
disclosure, the road surface, and in particular, the portion of the road
surface over which
the frame 110 rides, will be described as substantially planar or defining a
plane of the
road surface.
The tow bar 140 of the road surface clearing system 100 may be hingedly
attached
to the frame 110 at hinge points 145. The pivot points may allow the towed end
147 of the
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tow bar 140 to move vertically up and down relative to the road surface being
cleared. The
hinge between the tow bar 140 and the frame 110 may allow for tow vehicles
with
different height tow hitches or receivers, onto or into which the towed end
147 of the tow
bar 140 may be mounted. Further, the hinge may accommodate undulations in the
road
surface between the tow vehicle and the road surface clearing system 100.
The tow vehicle used to pull (or push) a road surface clearing system 100 of
example embodiments may be any suitable vehicle capable of moving the system.
In some
embodiments, the towed end 147 of the tow bar 140 may be indirectly coupled to
a tow
vehicle, such as by a boom or telescoping arm such that the surface clearing
system 100
may not be located directly behind the tow vehicle as will be described
further below.
Road surface clearing systems of example embodiments may function, as detailed
further below, by directing pressurized air through the air knife 130 toward
the surface to
be cleared. The air knife may be fed pressurized air through at least one
inlet, such as
inlets on a first end of the air knife 132 and a second end of the air knife
134. A first hose
165 may supply the compressed air to the first end 132, and a second hose 170
may supply
the compressed air to the second end 134. Each of the first hose 165 and the
second hose
170 may be connected to a manifold 150 which distributes pressurized air to
the hoses.
The manifold may be fed by one or more compressors, through one or more hoses
connected to inlet 155.
Pressurized air supplied by a compressor may include oil or oil vapor that is
residue from the compressing process. As such, to prevent the road surfaces
that are to be
cleared from having oil deposited thereon, one or more filters may be
implemented
between the pressurized air source and the air knives to remove the oil from
the
pressurized air before being used to clear the road surface.
FIG. 2 illustrates the air knife 130 as viewed from the side of the road
surface
clearing system without the components of the remainder of the system for ease
of
illustration and understanding. As illustrated, the air knife 130 includes
mounting brackets
210 configured to mount the air knife 130 to the frame (such as frame 110 of
FIG. 1). The
mounting brackets 210 may be attached to the frame by adjustable fasteners
such that the
position of the air knife 130 relative to the frame is adjustable. The
adjustability of the
position of the air knife 130 relative to the frame allows for more precise
positioning of
the air knife 130 relative to the road surface that is to be cleared while
maintaining
sufficient distance from the surface to avoid obstacles and to avoid scraping
the surface
when the frame moves over undulations or apexes in the surface. An example
working
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height for the air knife 130 above the surface may be between about one-half
inch and two
inches, or preferably in some uses about one inch. However, as embodiments may
be used
for clearing larger debris or for providing an air flow of a higher
temperature, the height of
the air knife 130 above the surface may be increased significantly to about 12
inches, in
dependence upon the type of debris to be cleared, the temperature of the
pressurized air,
and the type of surface that is being cleared.
The air knife 130 may define an elongate orifice 220 through which the
pressurized
air is expelled from the air knife 130. The pressurized air is received at the
air knife at both
ends 132 and 134. While the illustrated example of an air knife is configured
to receive
pressurized air from both ends of the air knife, alternative embodiments may
receive
pressurized air from only one end, or from one or more orifices disposed along
the length
of the air knife. An advantage to receiving the pressurized air at both ends
132, 134 of the
air knife is that a more consistent pressure of air exiting the elongate
orifice 220 may be
achieved. The elongate orifice 220 of the illustrated example is defined by a
top plate 230
and a bottom plate 235 which are attached to a body 136 of the air knife 130.
While the
elongate orifice 220 of some embodiments may be defined by integrally formed
portions
of the air knife, such as in an extruded channel, the illustrated embodiment
includes an
adjustable width orifice 220. Fasteners 240 are disposed along the length of
the top plate
and may be configured to allow adjustability of the width of the elongate
orifice 220. An
example elongate orifice width may be about 0.005 to about 0.050 inches, or
about 0.010
inches.
An adjustable width elongate orifice may be advantageous to allow more
consistent flow to be achieved across the length of the orifice 220. For
example, the flow
rate of pressurized air may tend to be higher closer to the pressurized air
entrance to the air
knife body 136 (e.g., proximate the air knife ends 132, 134) such that
adjusting the orifice
220 width proximate the air knife ends to be narrower, while the orifice width
proximate
the middle of the air knife is wider, may achieve more consistent flow across
the length of
the elongate orifice. Further, the adjustable width of the elongate orifice
may assist in
compensating for material and manufacturing variances, air knife deflection,
and warping
of the air knife.
As illustrated in FIG 2, the elongate orifice is directed downward, toward a
road
surface, and in the direction of movement of a frame illustrated by arrow 200.
The
elongate orifice may be directed downward, toward the road surface to be
cleared such
that a planar, blade-like stream (i.e., knife) of pressurized air exiting the
elongate orifice
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impinges the road surface to be cleared at an angle between thirty degrees and
sixty
degrees, or preferably in some uses, around forty-five degrees.
During operation, the road surface clearing system 100 of FIG. 1 may be towed
behind a tow vehicle (or a boom as noted above). The manifold 150 may be
supplied with
pressurized air, which is distributed through the manifold 150 to both the
first hose 165
and the second hose 170. The pressurized air is received at the first end 132
and the
second end 134 of the air knife and directed through the body 136 of the air
knife to exit
through the elongate orifice 220.
FIG. 3 illustrates the road surface clearing system of FIG. 1 as viewed from
above.
As shown, the air knife 130 is disposed at an angle 0 relative to the
direction of travel 200.
The angle 0 may be between zero and ninety degrees, with zero being parallel
to the
direction of travel 200 and ninety degrees being perpendicular to the
direction of travel.
The angle 0 may be aligned to the left, as illustrated, or to the right in
relation to the
direction of travel. The angle 0 may be adjustable and may be chosen based
upon the
application, such as the type of material being cleared from a surface. In an
example
embodiment in which water is being removed from an asphalt or concrete road
surface, an
angle 0 may preferably be between about forty degrees and seventy degrees, and
more
preferably, about sixty degrees as illustrated.
Further, as pressurized air may be heated above ambient air temperature as a
result
of the compression, the pressurized air entering the air knife and exiting to
the surface to
be cleared may have an elevated temperature. This may be beneficial for drying
road
surfaces as the heat will encourage water vaporization. In some embodiments,
heat may be
introduced to the pressurized air or indirectly upon the road surface by a
heater to speed
the drying process when the road surface clearing system is used for drying a
road surface.
FIG. 4 illustrates the air knife 130 of the view of FIG. 3 without the frame
110 or
ancillary components for ease of illustration and understanding. As shown, the
air knife
130 is arranged at an angle 0 of about sixty degrees relative to the direction
of travel 200.
The airflow exiting the elongate orifice of the air knife 130 is represented
by arrows A
through F. As the road surface clearing system advances along in the direction
of arrow
200, and as water or debris is blown forward and partially laterally relative
to the direction
of travel by the air following the path of arrow A, the water or debris will
be blown into
the path of arrow B. As the air knife advances along the direction of travel
200, the air
following the path of arrow B will approach the water or debris and it will be
blown
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forward and laterally into the path of arrow C. This cascade continues until
the debris or
water is blown laterally out of the path of the air knife 130 as it advances
along the
direction of travel 200. This results in a "squeegee" effect of scraping or
sweeping the
water and/or debris out of the path of the air knife 130 in the direction of
arrow 250.
As apparent to one of skill in the art, directing the water and/or debris to
one side
of the air knife 130 may allow, as necessary, a second or additional
successive passes of
the road surface clearing system to move the water or debris further in the
direction of
arrow 250. Optionally, a series of road surface clearing systems may be used
to clear a
swath wider than a single system illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3.
While embodiments of the present invention may be scaled according to their
intended use, limits may exist on the scalability with regard to how long an
air knife can
be to adequately deliver consistent air flow along the length of the elongate
orifice.
Further, limitations on the volume and pressure of the air fed into the
manifold may limit
the length of an air knife that can be effectively used. In an example
embodiment,
pressurized air may be supplied to the air knife of FIG. 1 at about one
hundred pounds per
square inch (psi).
Applicant has found a method and system according to embodiments of the
present
invention to create a road surface clearing method and system that are capable
of clearing
a wider swath than the single system illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3. FIG. 5
illustrates such an
example embodiment that includes three frames 310 connected together. The
mechanism
with which the frames are connected allows for articulation and rotation along
at least two
axes as will be described further below. FIG. 5 depicts strut rods 360
connecting together
the front of the frames 310 and strut rods 365 connecting together the rear of
the frames
310.
The illustrated embodiment depicts a manifold 350 arranged to distribute
pressurized air received at the manifold 350 to each of three air knives 330.
While the
embodiment of FIG. 5 shows three frames 310 with three air knives 330 coupled
together,
the system described herein is modular such that any number of frames 310 and
air knives
330 may be joined together in a similar fashion as that illustrated. The
number of surface
clearing systems coupled together may be detelmined, for example, based on a
width of
road surface that requires clearing, the width of access points to the road
surface (e.g.,
access roads, gates, etc.), or the capacity of compressors used to feed
pressurized air to a
manifold. The air knives 330 may have a minimum pressure and minimum volume of
air
to adequately clear and/or dry a surface such that the capacity of the
compressor(s) used
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may dictate the maximum number of air knives 330 that may be coupled together
while
remaining effective for clearing and/or drying a road surface. For example,
the example
embodiment of FIG. 5 may require compressed air at 100psi and may require
about 1500
to about 4500 cubic feet per minute (cfm) of air to adequately dry a surface
about 18 feet
in width.
According to the embodiment of FIG. 5, the compressor(s) coupled to the
manifold
350 provide compressed air that is distributed through hoses 355 to each of
the three air
knives 330. As described with regard to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4, each of
the air
knives 330 may be supplied with pressurized air at both ends of the air knife.
Optionally,
as noted above, the air knives may include orifices disposed along their
length through
which the pressurized air may be received.
FIG. 6 illustrates the example embodiment of FIG. 5 of three road surface
clearing
systems coupled together. The manifold 350, hoses 355, and related couplers
are omitted
from the illustration of FIG. 6. As shown, the frames 310 are offset from one
another
along the direction of travel. The offset allows for substantial alignment of
the air knives
330. Alignment of the air knives 330 may improve the surface clearing
efficiency of
multiple air knives joined together as the effect described with regard to
FIG. 4 may
continue substantially seamlessly across multiple air knives. The air knives
330 of FIG. 6
are not aligned collinearly since the pressurized air supplied to the air
knives 330 is
supplied on the ends of the air knives. A minor offset may be used between the
adjacent
air knives 330. Including a minor offset between the air knives also allows
the air knives
to be arranged to overlap to a limited extent to ensure there is no un-swept
area of the
surface to be cleared.
As shown in FIG. 6, each of the frames 310 are connected together at the
front, left
corners 362 by strut rods 360, and at the back, right corners 367 by strut
rods 365. The
fasteners used to secure the strut rods 360, 365 to the frames may provide a
fixed point for
the end of the strut rods, but allow for pivoting about the fastened point.
For example, the
strut rods 360, 365, may each be connected at either end to respective corners
362, 367 by
ball joint rod end fasteners. FIG 7 illustrates an example embodiment of such
a fastener
400 which may include a ball 410 defining a bore 405 configured to receive a
fastener,
such as a bolt, there through. The ball 410 is received within an eye 415
which holds the
ball 410 securely, but allows rotation of the ball 410 within the eye 415. The
fastener 400
may include a threaded end 420 arranged to be received within an end of the
strut rod. The
threaded end 420 may allow for adjustability of the overall length of the
strut rod to
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accommodate manufacturing tolerances or to appropriately space the adjacent
frames from
one another. Optionally, a ball joint rod end fastener may include an
internally threaded
bore to receive a threaded end of a strut rod, or a solid shank configured to
be welded to a
strut rod.
Referring back to FIG. 6, the ball joint rod end fasteners, similar to that
illustrated
in FIG. 7, may be attached at either end of each of the strut rods 360, 365
and secured to
the frames 310 with a fastener, such as a bolt, received through the bore 410
of the
fastener and secured to the frame 310 at corners 362 and 367. The ball joint
rod end
fasteners may allow a degree of flexibility between the frames 310 rather than
having the
frames rigidly attached to one another.
FIG. 8 illustrates a detail view of two adjacent frames 310 connected together
according to the example embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 8 illustrates the
strut rod 360
connecting the front left corner 362 of a first frame 310 to the front left
corner 362 of an
adjacent frame 310. Also illustrated is a tie rod 430 configured to connect
the front of a
first frame 310 at 435 to the back of an adjacent frame at 437. The tie rod
430 further
includes ball joint rod ends for connection between the tie rod and the frames
at 435 and
437. The combination of the tie rod 430 and the strut rods 360, 365 allow some
degree of
vertical displacement between frames 310 relative to the surface being cleared
due to the
ball joint rod end fastener connections at 362, 367, 435, and 437. However,
the
configuration of the tie rods 430 and strut rods 360, 365 also peunits the
frames 310 to
pivot relative to one another. The collinear or substantially collinear
arrangement of the
fastener connections at 362B, 367, 435, and 437, as illustrated in FIG. 9,
allows the frame
310A to pivot relative to frame 310B about the axis 480. Similarly, the
collinear or
substantially collinear arrangement of the fasteners at 362A and 435 allow the
frame 310A
to pivot about axis 470 relative to the adjacent frame 310B.
The ability of adjacent frames 310A, 310B to pivot relative to one another
about
axes 470 and 480, while retaining relative alignment of the air knives 330
allows the
frames to traverse uneven road surfaces while keeping the air knives in close
proximity to
the surfaces they are to clear. An example embodiment of such a road surface
may include
a racetrack with banking, such as a racetrack with banked turns in which the
banking
increases as the distance from the apex of the turn increases, or banking on
the ends or
along the front or back stretches. In such an embodiment, a first frame (e.g.,
frame 310B)
may be advancing along a banking of about fifteen degrees while the adjacent
frame (e.g.,
frame 310A) may be advancing along a banking of about thirteen degrees. Absent
the
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articulated connection between the two frames, the sides of the frames
proximate to one
another (i.e., proximate axis 480) would be suspended from the racetrack in
the above
described embodiment. The articulation between the frames allows each of the
frames to
maintain contact at all corners with the road surface and keeps the air knives
in close
proximity to the road surface to be cleared. This articulation of the frames
may also be
important for bringing the road surface clearing system onto or off of the
racetrack,
including crossing over the apron onto the track and from the track to a pit
lane.
The degree to which the frames may pivot relative to one another along axes
480
and 470 may be dictated by the degree of rotation allowed at the ball joint
rod end
fasteners. In an example embodiment, the degree of pivot between the frames
about axis
470 may be between about five and ten degrees, while the degree of pivot
between the
frames about axis 480 may be between about five and twenty degrees. In some
example
embodiments, the degree of pivot between the frames about axis 480 may be up
to about
110 degrees to allow a road surface clearing system with three frames to fold
the
outermost frames up, leaving a footprint not substantially greater than a
single frame for
convenient storage and/or transport. In such an embodiment fasteners in
addition to or
other than ball joint rod ends may be used.
Referring back to FIG. 1, the road surface clearing system 100 may also
include a
guide wheel 180 attached to a side of the frame 110. A guide wheel may allow a
road
surface clearing system to be advanced along a wall to clear debris or water
as close to the
wall as possible. Without the guide wheel, contact may be made between the
frame 110 or
more sensitive components and the wall if the road surface clearing system 100
is moved
too close to the wall, resulting in possible damage to the road surface
clearing system 100.
As it may be important to clear debris and/or water from a road surface
proximate
a wall, such as at a safety retaining wall of a racetrack, it may be desirable
for a road
surface clearing system 100 to be held close to the wall as the system 100 is
advanced.
Due to banking, undulations, and driver error, it may be difficult to maintain
the road
surface clearing system 100 held proximate to the wall, even including a guide
wheel 180.
To assist in maintaining guide wheel 180 of the road surface clearing system
100
in contact with a wall, a biasing force may be introduced to drive the road
surface clearing
system 100 against the wall. FIG. 10 illustrates a detail view of the system
for providing a
biasing force to the road surface clearing system 100 as shown in FIG. 3. FIG.
10 depicts
the mounting plate 190 to which the tow bar 140 is hingedly connected at hinge
points
145. As noted above, the hinge points 145 allow the tow bar to hinge about an
axis defined
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between the two hinge points 145. The mounting plate 190 may be pivotably
connected to
the frame 110 at pivot point 195. The pivot point 195 allows the mounting
plate 190 to
pivot relative to the frame about an axis through pivot point 195,
substantially orthogonal
to the plane of the surface being cleared. A biasing element, a pneumatic
cylinder 500 in
the illustrated embodiment, may be coupled to the frame and may include a
piston 500 that
is coupled to the mounting plate 190 at 520. The pneumatic cylinder may apply
a biasing
force to the mounting plate along direction arrow 530 by extending piston rod
510. The
biasing force, applied at a distance from the pivot point 195, cause the tow
bar 140 and
mounting plate 190 to be biased in a counter-clockwise direction according to
the
illustrated embodiment.
FIG. 11 illustrates the road surface clearing system 100 of FIG. 3 with the
piston
510 of the pneumatic cylinder 500 extended, resulting in the tow bar 140 being
pivoted
about pivot point 195 relative to the frame 110. FIG. 12 illustrates the
example
embodiment of the surface clearing system 100 of FIGS. 3, 10, and 11 as towed
behind a
tow vehicle 600. As illustrated, the biasing force exerted by the pneumatic
cylinder 500
drives the tow bar 140 counter clockwise, thereby pushing the road surface
clearing
system 100 to the right side of the tow vehicle 600. The biasing force holds
guide wheel
180 of the road surface clearing system 100 in contact with the wall 610. As
shown, the
tow bar 140 may be pivotable relative to the tow vehicle as would be possible
using a
conventional ball-and-socket towing hitch. The tow vehicle 600 may be driven
closer to
the wall, moving the tow bar 140 clockwise relative to the frame 110, and the
guide wheel
180 of the road surface clearing system 100 will maintain contact with the
wall 610. Such
a configuration may allow a tow vehicle to be driven close to a wall, but
within a margin
of error (e.g, up to around at least five feet) while keeping the road surface
clearing system
100 in contact with the wall 610, thereby ensuring that debris and/or water is
cleared from
the surface as close to the wall 610 as possible.
Referring back to FIG. 10, the mounting plate 190 may include a pin 197 or
other
pivot stop to limit the degree to which the mounting plate 190 may pivot
relative to the
frame 110. In the illustrated embodiment, a pin 197 attached to the frame 110
engages a
slot 193 of the mounting plate 190. The degree of pivot of the mounting plate
190 is
limited by the ends of the slot 193 in which the pin 197 is disposed.
Practically, referring
back to the example embodiment of FIG. 12, a limit to the degree of pivot of
the mounting
plate 190 (and hence, the tow bar 140) relative to the frame 110 may limit how
far to the
right of the tow vehicle 600 the road surface clearing system 100 may drive
itself askew of
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linear alignment with the tow vehicle 600. This may preclude the road surface
clearing
system 100 tow bar 140 from binding between the tow vehicle 600 and the road
surface
clearing system 100.
The mounting plate 190 may further be configured to be locked in place
relative to
the frame 110, such as to allow the tow bar 140 to be disposed at a fixed
angle relative to
the frame 110 or in line with the tow vehicle 600. Such a lock may be
beneficial for
transport of the road surface clearing system, in such case the tow bar would
likely be
secured to be in a straight line parallel to a direction of travel of the
frame 110 as
illustrated in FIG. 3. In other embodiments, the tow bar 140 may be locked at
an angle to
enable a tow vehicle to drive further from an edge of a surface that is to be
cleared, while a
wall may not be present to contact the guide wheel 180.
The pneumatic cylinder 500 of FIG. 10 used to bias the mounting plate 190 and
tow bar 140 may be supplied with pressurized air from the manifold 150 shown
in FIG. 1.
The compressed air may be supplied to a regulator such that the pressure of
the air at the
pneumatic cylinder 500 may be controlled, thereby controlling the biasing
force
magnitude. While the illustrated embodiments include a pneumatic cylinder 500,
many
other biasing elements may be used, such as a coil spring, a deformable
material (e.g.,
rubber), a clock-spring about the pivot point 195, etc. As such, the pneumatic
cylinder 500
illustrated is not intended to be limiting, but merely to provide an example
of a biasing
element that may provide the force necessary to achieve the aforementioned
results.
While the illustrated embodiment depicts a biasing element configured to bias
a
mounting plate (and tow bar) counter-clockwise relative to the frame,
embodiments may
include biasing elements that permit biasing of the mounting plate and tow bar
in the
clockwise direction relative to the frame. Optionally, embodiments may be
configured to
bias the mounting plate and tow bar in both the clockwise and counter-
clockwise
directions, which may be achieved with multiple, independently controllable
biasing
elements (e.g., two pneumatic pistons) or a biasing element capable of
applying a bias
force in two directions. Such an embodiment may be beneficial for urging a
road surface
clearing system against opposite walls in dependence of the type of surface
being cleared,
or the direction of travel of the tow vehicle along the surface.
Further example embodiments may include a positioning element in place of, or
in
addition to the biasing element. For example, in an embodiment in which it is
desirable to
have a surface clearing system offset from the tow vehicle, a positioning
element, such as
an electric actuator or hydraulic cylinder may be configured to pivot a
mounting plate
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about the pivot point to position the mounting plate in a substantially fixed
location,
thereby canting the road surface clearing system from the tow vehicle. Such an
electric
actuator or hydraulic cylinder may further be configured to be controlled
remotely, such as
by an operator of the tow vehicle. In such an embodiment, the alignment of the
road
surface clearing system behind the tow vehicle may be adjusted while the
system is being
advanced along a road surface.
According to another embodiment, a road surface clearing system may include a
modular system that provides additional and/or alternate functionality and
versatility.
FIGS. 13 and 14 illustrate a first component of such a modular system which is
an air
supply module 700 including a power source 710 and an air pump 730. The power
source
may include, for example, an engine, such as a conventional gasoline powered
four-stroke
engine. While the illustrated embodiment depicts a gasoline engine, other
example power
sources may include a diesel engine, an electric motor, or the like. The power
source 710
may include a fuel supply 720, which in the illustrated embodiment is a
gasoline tank;
however, in an example embodiment in which the power source is an electric
motor, the
fuel supply 720 may include a battery pack. The power source 710 is configured
to be
coupled to an air pump 730 to drive the air pump. The illustrated embodiment
includes an
air pump that is configured to drive a large volume (e.g., about 3000 cubic
feet per minute
or 3000 cfm) of air at relatively low pressure (e.g., about 5 pounds per
square inch or 5
psi) during steady-state operation of the power source 710. The operating
pressure and
volume of air may be varied according to the application, and will vary based
upon
environmental conditions. As such, the volume and pressure
According to the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 13 and 14, the power source
710
and the air pump 730 are mounted within a frame 750 configured to support the
power
source and the air pump. Various components that support the operation of the
power
source 710, such as the fuel supply 720, the exhaust manifolds and mufflers,
the radiator
and cooling fan, etc., may also be supported and carried by the frame 750.
Similarly, the
air pump inlet and filter may be supported by the frame 750, as may be duct
work 740
configured to direct the air flow from the air pump, such as toward an end,
side, or other
location of the frame 750.
The frame 750 of example embodiments may be sized to accommodate the power
source 710, the air pump 730, and their related components. The frame 750 may
further be
sized to fit within a particular vehicle that is to carry the air supply
module 700. For
example, the frame 750 may be configured to fit within a conventional pickup
truck bed.
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In this manner, a conventional pickup truck may be converted to a surface
clearing
machine by receiving the surface clearing modular components including the air
supply
module 700.
The air supply module 700 may be controlled by a person remotely located from
the air supply module 700, such as in the cab of a pickup truck carrying
and/or
transporting the air supply module, or by someone in relative proximity to the
air supply
module. While the air supply module could be controlled according to example
embodiments from substantially any location, control will generally be
performed by
someone who can view the operation of the air supply module and control it
accordingly.
To change the volume of air produced by the air pump 730, the power source 710
output
speed may be varied. For example, the greater the rotational output speed of
the power
source 710, the greater the volume of air produced by the air pump 730 to flow
through
the air ducts 740. In the case of a gasoline engine power supply 710, the
engine throttle
may be controlled by an electronic means, such as a servo motor, that is in
turn controlled
by an operator. The electronic means for operating the engine throttle may be
controlled
via wired or wireless control, such as via BluetoothTM or other near-field
communication
protocol. Similarly, starting and stopping of the power source 710 may be
controlled either
remotely via wireless communication protocol or by an operator manually
starting and
stopping the power source.
For improved safety, example embodiments of the air supply module 700 may
include a fire suppression system, such as a Halon suppression system which
may spray
fire suppression chemicals on the air supply module 700, or components
thereof, such as
in the event of a fire or risk of fire. The fire suppression system may be
manually actuated,
such as by a button pressed in the event of a fire, or automatically actuated
by, for
example, a thermostat.
While the air supply module 700 may provide the air needed for a surface
clearing
system, the air may be purposefully directed to the surface to clear the
surface of water
and/or debris. To that end, an air directing module may be coupled to the air
supply
module 700 to direct the air in a manner that clears surfaces of water and/or
debris. FIG.
15 illustrates an example embodiment of an air directing module 800 that
includes an air
knife assembly 810 and an air nozzle assembly 820. The air directing module
800 may be
coupled to a vehicle 760 that carries the air supply module 700. The air
directing module
800 may include a tongue 830 configured to be received in a trailer hitch
receiver of the
vehicle 760. The air supply module may be connected to the air nozzle assembly
820
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and/or the air knife assembly 810 by one or more hoses 840. The hoses 840 push
the air
from the air pump 730 to the air nozzle assembly 820 and/or the air knife
assembly 810.
In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 15, the hoses 840 are connected to the
air
knife assembly 810 at a flange 815 of the air knife assembly. The air hoses
840 may be
configured with quick-disconnect clamps to enable quick coupling/decoupling of
the air
hoses from the flange 815 of the air knife assembly and/or the flange 825 of
the air nozzle
assembly. When the air hoses 840 are connected to the air knife assembly 810,
the air
from the air pump 730 is pushed to the air knives and directed by the air
knife assembly to
clear the surface 900 (e.g., a roadway or track surface) of debris and/or
water, as described
above with respect to the embodiment of FIG. 12. However, according to the
embodiment
of FIGS. 13-18, rather than using a lower volume of air at a higher pressure,
a higher
volume of air may be used at a lower pressure. The air knife assembly 810
serves to drive
water away from the surface and to effectively dry the surface 900 while also
being able to
drive debris from the surface.
In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 16, the hoses are connected to the air
nozzle
assembly 820. The air nozzle assembly 820 includes one or more air nozzles,
mounted at a
predetermined height relative to the tongue 830. In some embodiments, the air
nozzles
may be fixed or adjustable relative to the tongue. The air nozzles of the air
nozzle
assembly 820 are configured to direct the flow of air from the air pump 730
proximate the
surface 900 and to create a turbulent flow of air above the surface 900. This
turbulent
flow, of air together with the high volume of air produced by the air pump
730, moves
humid air from near the surface 900 to preclude the humid air and mist
generated from the
air knives (as described above) from stagnating above the surface 900 which
would slow
the drying effect. Thus, moving the air proximate the surface 900 using the
air nozzles of
the air nozzle assembly 830 enhances the drying effect of the air knives. In
practice, a first
pass, or multiple passes over a surface may first be performed using the air
knife assembly
810, and one or more passes subsequent to the passes using the air knife
assembly 810
could use the air nozzle assembly 820 to clear the humid air from proximate
the surface.
FIG. 17 illustrates the surface clearing system of FIGS. 13-16 viewed from
above
while mounted in the bed of a pickup truck 760. As shown, the hoses 840 are
connected to
the flanges of the air nozzle assembly 820 and the air nozzle assembly 820 is
substantially
perpendicular to the tongue 830. During drying or surface clearing operations,
it may be
desirable to rotate the air nozzle assembly 820 and/or the air knife assembly
810 relative to
the tongue 830, which is disposed in a position in line with the direction of
travel of the
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vehicle 760. FIG. 18 illustrates the air nozzle assembly 820 and the air knife
assembly 810
rotated relative to the tongue 830. The tongue 830 may be pivotable relative
to the air
nozzle assembly 820 where the tongue 830 mounts to the air nozzle assembly
820. In
some embodiments, the pivot point may include a plurality of fixed angle stops
between
the tongue 830 and the air nozzle assembly 820 where the air nozzle assembly
can be set
at each one of the angles and secured at said angle. Alternatively, one or
more hydraulic or
pneumatic cylinders may be attached between the tongue 830 and the air nozzle
assembly
820 and may be actuated to effect an angular change between the tongue and the
air nozzle
assembly. Such articulation may be accomplished either manually by controlling
a valve
attached to the hydraulic cylinders, or alternatively, the hydraulic cylinder
valve(s) may be
controlled remotely, such as by a servo-motor that is under remote (e.g.,
wireless) control.
Optionally, embodiments may further include a mechanism to bias the air knife
assembly 810 along a direction substantially parallel to the axis defined by
the air knives.
FIG. 19 illustrates an example embodiment of such a biasing mechanism as
attached
between the air nozzle assembly 820 and the air knife assembly 810. The hoses
have been
omitted for ease of understanding and simplified illustration. As illustrated,
the air knife
assembly 810 may be attached to the air nozzle assembly 820 with struts 870.
The struts
870 may be pivotable on both ends about an axis that is substantially
orthogonal to a
surface over which the vehicle and system are traveling. That is to say that
the air knife
assembly can move in the direction of arrow 920 or opposite that of arrow 920
relative to
the air nozzle assembly 820. The ends of the struts 870 may further allow
movement of the
air knife assembly in a direction that is substantially orthogonal to the
surface over which
the system is moving, i.e., up and down along undulations of a surface.
According to some embodiments, hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders 880 and 890
may be attached between the struts 870 and the air nozzle assembly 820. The
hydraulic or
pneumatic cylinders may bias the air knife assembly 810 in the direction of
arrow 920 or
opposite the direction of arrow 920, relative to the air nozzle assembly 820.
For example,
if hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder 880 is retracted and hydraulic or pneumatic
cylinder
890 is extended, the air knife assembly 810 is biased in the direction of
arrow 920. Such
an arrangement may allow the air knife assembly 810 to be biased into contact
with a wall,
such as a retaining wall of a race track, while the air knife assembly 810 is
driven around
the track. The air knife assembly 810 may include wheels 910 such that a wheel
may
contact and ride along the retaining wall of a track, and as long as the
vehicle 760 is driven
within a predefined range of the retaining wall, the wheel 910 of the air
knife assembly
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810 may maintain contact with the retaining wall. The "predefined range"
within which
the vehicle may drive of the wall may be the distance of travel of the air
knife assembly
810 along the direction of arrow 920, and may be a factor of the strut length
870 and the
stroke length of the cylinders 880, 890. The degree of bias in addition to the
direction of
bias of the air knife assembly 810 may be controlled by manual or remote
control of the
cylinders 880, 890. Each of the cylinders may be controlled by a valve which
may be
controlled remotely, such as by a wireless, near-field communications
protocol.
FIG. 20 illustrates an enlarged view of an air knife assembly 810 depicting
the
modular nature of the air knife assembly 810 itself. The air knife assembly
810 may
include several air knives 930, each with a distinct air chamber that may not
be in
communication with the adjacent air knives. Each air knife body 930 may
include an air
inlet 940 into which air may be directed from the air pump 730. The air hoses
840 may
include fittings, such as Y-shaped fittings 960 that split the air flow from
the air pump 730
as needed to each of the air inlets 940 of each of the air knives. Each of the
air knife
bodies 930 may be hingedly attached to one another with hinges 950 that
connect together
the structural end plates of each of the air knives. The structural end plates
of each air
knife enclose the end of the air knife body creating a cavity therein for air
flow while also
providing a structural member to which castors or wheels can be attached to
allow the air
knives to translate and articulate across the surface to be cleared. Further,
hinges 950 may
be used to connect together the air knives to create a longer air knife
assembly 810 that
will clear a broader swath of surface. The hinges may allow movement between
air knives
typically only in a single direction, pivoting on the hinge about an axis
substantially
perpendicular to the body 930 of the air knife, allowing the air knife
assembly 810 to
articulate to accommodate curved surfaces, such as the banking of a race
track. Further,
these hinges may be lift-off hinges allowing the air knives to be easily
separated from one
another.
As noted above, each air knife 930 of the air knife assembly 810 may be easily
detached from the air knife assembly 810 such that each air knife 930 may be
removed
and mounted, for example, to the frame 750 of the air supply module 700. This
may allow
a vehicle carrying the air supply module 700 to carry the necessary components
to expand
the air knife to be as long as is desired. Such an embodiment may also enable
the system
to be carried by a single vehicle that is able to pass through narrow gates
and relatively
tight spaces.
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While the illustrated embodiments are shown with the frame 750 mounted in the
bed of a pickup truck, embodiments of the present invention may also be
configured to be
mounted to a trailer, such that the air supply module 700 is mounted on the
trailer with the
air nozzle assembly 820 and air knife assembly 810 extending from the back of
the trailer.
In this manner, a surface clearing machine may be embodied as a trailer that
can be towed
behind any vehicle capable of towing the weight of the surface clearing
machine. As the
surface clearing machine is self-contained (i.e., not requiring external
power), a tow
vehicle can readily attach to the surface clearing machine and pull the
surface clearing
machine trailer over the surface to be cleared.
Various other features for, modifications to and other embodiments of the
inventions set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to
which these
inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the
foregoing
descriptions and the associated drawings. For example, while examples
discussed herein
are often related to mobile printers, one skilled in the art would appreciate
that other types
of printers, such as desktop or less mobile printers, as well as other types
of devices may
benefit from embodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it is to be understood
that the
inventions are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and
that
modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included herein.
Although
specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive
sense only
and not for purposes of limitation.
