IES59245B2 - Apparatus for roadway preparation and maintenance - Google Patents

Description

APRUCATlOMKl APPARATUS FOR ROADWAY PREPARATION AND MAINTENANCE rThe present invention relates to an apparatus for roadway preparation and maintenance and more particularly to such apparatus for attaching to a tractor unit or road grader.

In road construction, layers of graded material are laid down before a finishing surface is applied over these layers. Often, however, the graded layers do not cover or only partially cover the edges of the proposed roadway.

Soft margins or grass verges are usually present at roadway edges. At the roadway margin interface, improper construction may lead to the roadway edges being weak or undermined by encroaching grass verges. When this occurs the roadway edges are prone to cracking and may break-up with heavy traffic. Additionally, where the roadway margin is higher than the roadway there tends to be a natural encroachment of the margin onto the roadway surface which (at least from a drivers perspective) narrows the road width.

It is an object of the present invention to seek to alleviate the above disadvantages.

The present invention provides an apparatus for cutting the verge of a roadway comprising: a mounting means for attaching the apparatus to a prime mover such as a tractor unit, a road grading vehicle or the a leading cutting means; and { a conveyor means for removing and disposing of cut material - 2 from the cutting means, so that a clean, well defined roadway margin is 4 established by the apparatus.

Conveniently, the cutting means comprises a first cutting blade inclined forwardly of the apparatus for undercutting roadway margin material and a second cutting blade, disposed at an angle to the first cutting blade, for cutting the margin material in advance of the first blade.

Preferably, the second blade is in a generally vertical plane.

Conveniently, the conveyor means comprises a first conveyor which removes cut material from the cutting means and feeds the material to a second conveyor which directs the cut material to a collection container or disposes the material from the roadway.

Advantageously, the conveyor means may be driven from a power-take-off shaft of a tractor or may be driven through a hydraulic motor drive.

The invention will now be described more particularly with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows, by way of example only, one embodiment of roadway margin cutting and dressing apparatus according to the invention.

In the drawing the roadway margin cutting and dressing apparatus 1 is shown in a perspective view. The apparatus, S which will hereinafter be referred to as a road dresser, comprises a first conveyor 10 housed between two side walls 12, 14 and above a base 15 which at its leading edge forms a cutting edge 16. A second cutting edge 18 is fixed to the outer one 14 of the two side walls 12, 14 and is perpendicular to the first cutting edge 16. The road dresser 1 is fixed via a mounting bracket (not shown) to a tractor unit or a road grader A. The road dresser 1 comprises a second conveyor 20 which is oriented at 90° to the first conveyor 10 and directs material feed from the first conveyor 10 to a disposal site such as, in this case, the road border (not shown).

The first conveyor 10 comprises carrying chains 30 which run parallel to the side walls 12, 14. The chains run over steel sprockets 32 which rotate about their respective shafts 34. Shaft bearing units 35 are provided on the side walls 12, 14 for retaining the shafts 34. One of the shafts 34 is driven via a motor 37 which is electrically powered via supply wires 38 or powered from a hydraulic source via a hydraulic coupler 39.

In use, the road dresser 1 is urged along the road edge by a prime mover such as a tractor or a road grader. Grass and soil border which encroaches onto the road surface is cut and deflected inwardly by the upright cutting edge 18 and material on the road surface or such material deposited on the road surface by the upright cutting edge 18 is scooped or cut by the first cutting edge 16. The material to be collected is urged along the base plate 15 by collection plates 40 mounted on the chains 30. Spikes 42 are provided to support the collection plates 40 and to break up aggregates of collected material. The material is then deposited on the second conveyor 20 and disposed of away from the road border.

In a further embodiment the second conveyor 20 directs material deposited from the first conveyor 10 into a collection bin or the like trailing behind the prime mover.

It will of course be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details described herein, which are given by way of example only, and that various modifications and alterations are possible within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (5)

1. An apparatus for cutting the verge of a roadway i comprising: a mounting means for attaching the apparatus to a prime mover such as a tractor unit, a road grading vehicle or the like; a leading cutting means; and a conveyor means for removing and disposing of cut material from the cutting means, so that a clean, well defined roadway margin is established by the apparatus.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the cutting means comprises a first cutting blade inclined forwardly of the apparatus for undercutting roadway margin material and a second cutting blade, disposed at an angle to the first cutting blade, for cutting the margin material in advance of the first blade.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which the second blade is in a generally vertical plane.

4. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the conveyor means comprises a first conveyor which removes cut material from the cutting means , and feeds the material to a second conveyor which directs the cut material to a collection container or disposes the V material from the roadway.

5. An apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing. 5 MACLACHLAN & DONALDSON, Applicants' Agents, 47 Merrion Square, DUBLIN 2.