US2781229A

US2781229A - Spraybar device

Info

Publication number: US2781229A
Application number: US450718A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert W Thornburg
Original assignee: Rosco Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: Rosco Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1954-08-18
Filing date: 1954-08-18
Publication date: 1957-02-12
Anticipated expiration: 1974-02-12

Description

Feb. 12, 1957 R w, THORNBURG 2,781,229

SPRAYBAR DEVICE Filed Aug. 18, 1954 point of durability of the treated road surface.

United States Patent() SPRAYBAR DEVICE Robert W. Thornburg, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to Rosco Manufacturing Company, Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota f Application August 1s, 1954, serial No. 450,718

z claims. (ci. zits- 34) material so as to prevent gapping between the sprayed,

pathways or to prevent overlap of a spray during operation. Although the best average height is sought to be attained, it is not generally recognized that variation from the predetermined height of the nozzles from the road surface by as little as a quarter of an inch will seriously effect the quality of the treated road. I have found that streaking is both costly and improper from the stand- The streaked application of bituminous material ycauses a line of over-rich application adjacent a line of insuiiicient treatment. Even where an overall excess of material is applied, the unevenness of such application will cause trouble in the long range durability of the surfaced road.

This invention attempts to correct such uneven and streaked application of road surfacing material by approaching the problem in a direct and simple manner. Apparently designers of prior art spraybars were led away from developing an unconventional type of support or mounting for the spraybar since there is no convenient way other than suspension from the tank truck frame in which t support a conventional spraybar. Furthermore, the rear wheels of the tank truck generally define the plane of surface over which the bituminous application is to be made, and hence the truck tires themselves have been utilized as the means for properly spacing the spraybar and spraybar nozzles from the road surface.

Unfortunately, such spraybar mounting does not fully meet the requirements for maintaining exact spacing to prevent the above mentioned streaking of material, because the weight of the pay load `carried by the tank truck varies considerably during the application of the surfacing material. When the truck is first loaded, the weight of the tank on the truck frame and springs is so great as to cause the entire frame to assume a lower position and thereby bring the spraybar nozzles closer to the road surface. The result of operations with a fully loaded tank truck of conventional design is the concentration of sprayed bituminous material in a band or ribbon immediately beneath each of the nozzles. A parallel band of insuiiiciently treated road surface will be formed in between each of the nozzles. As the application proceeds and the tank truck becomes partially emptied, the proper spacing is acquired and good even application will be accomplished. Now, however, as the tank truck nears depletion, the pay load will be considerably lighter and the frame will ride at a higherl level on the rtruck sup- 2,781,229 Patented Feb. 12, 1957 ICC porting springs. In this latter condition, the overlap of the spray width will be such as to produce a greater concentration of bituminous material in bands intermediate the spray nozzles and to cause an inadequate spraying in bands immediately beneath each of the spray nozzles. The production of such streaks has been deemed a necessary evil, but I have found that such is not the case. It is possible to obtain perfect adjustment and to obtain the best possible surfacing at all times so as to project the durability of the bituminous road far beyond the life of the averageyroad treated by conventional methods.

It is therefore an important object of this invention to provide a new and improved spraybar device which will deliver a consistent and even coating of bituminous material to the surface of a road in an efficient and economical manner.

It is another object of the invention to provide a spraybar which will maintain consistent height from the road bed regardless of the weight of the material in the truck tank and'regardless of the equilibrium position of the truck frame.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a spraybar of the class described in which ground contacting members maintain the prescribed height of the nozzle tips from the surface of the road while permitting turning of the equipment and travel over a changing grade.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a simple combination spraybar and iXed height support which is so yconstructed as to be non-fouling yet will permit free movement of the spraybar proper during operation of the device.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and in which: I

Fig. 1 is a rear View of the spraybar assembly with the side wings of the spraybar in raised condition and the support in ground-contacting position; and

Fig. Z is a vertical cross-sectional detail of my spraybar device showing the particular cooperative attachment of a wheel element to the tubular spraybar, the section being taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

With continued reference to the drawings, my invention contemplates attachment to and communication with a conventional bituminous tank truck indicated generally at 10 in Fig. 2, the illustration showing the rear portions of the tank 11, the tank truck rear wheels 12 and a conventional truck frame 13 which supports the entire weight of the tank in resilient support with respect to the wheel members 12.

A conventional mounting structure is indicated generally at 14 and is secured to a rearwardly extending portion of the truck frame 13 as shown in Figs. l and 2. The mounting structure .in addition has a pair of depending cables 1S and 16 which are supported on spools 17 and 18, both of which are secured to a shaft 19 which is journaled across the supporting structure 14 and geared to a manual crank 20 for raising and lowering cables 1S and 16. The lower portion of the supporting structure comprises a horizontal member 21 which is suspended by means of brackets 22 and 23 from the respective cables 15 and 16 as shown. The horizontal member 21 has a pivot block 24 to which is secured a handle 25 in pivotal relation at 26 and a lower end 27 of which is pivoted to a brace 28 at the pivot point 29. Pivot arm 30 coextends between pivot 29 and the pivot support 31 which in turn is secured to link rod 32 as shown in Fig. l. The brace 28 has asimilar pivotal connection at 33 to arm 34 which is pivotally mounted at 35 on pivot block 36 secured to the member 21 and having a lower extension 37 pivotally connected at 38 to a link 39 which is turn pivotally connects with a bracket 40 secured in turn to another link rod 32. Rigid depending me-

mbers

41 and 42 in the attaching or mounting structure for the spraybar device permits the raising and lowering the spraybar 32 while maintaining. the spraybar tube in generally horizontal relation with the road surface 43 to be sprayed and while maintaining the spraybar tube in firm horizontal spaced relation with the tank truck frame 13.

A plurality of spray nozzles 44 are disposed in fluid connection with the spraybar tube sections 45 and are disposed in depending relation therewith for delivery of sprayed bands of bituminous material to the road bed 43 in a continuous and even manner, as shown in Fig. l.

Outside spraybar tube connections 46 are equipped with similar nozzles e4 at each side of the device and have folding linkage members 47 which connect with a linking rod i at. each side of the. device for yoperating the respective nozzles 44 on the spraybar tube wings 46. As is conventional, the spraybar tubes constituting the outer wing extensions may be raised to theV position shown in Fig. l where the nozzles will remain inactive and the horizontal spraybar tubes may be alone operated to cover a narrower swath when desired.

A liexible tubular fluid connection 49 interconnects with an outlet 56B leading from the tank il and communicates with the lluid connection 51 for supplying bituminous material to both sides of the spraybar tube sections. The spraybar #l5 is shown in cross-section in Fig. 2 and constitutes a rigid elongated member extending transversely of the tank truck at the rear thereof in suspended relation as previously described so that it may move upwardly and downwardly with respect to the tank truck 1l) but may not move forwardly or backwardly except in unison with the travel of the truck.

The spraybar tube 4S has secured thereto in spaced relation, a. pair of roller supports indicated generally at 52 in Fig. 2. The roller supports in turn comprise a pair of spaced bearing brackets 53 which are welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the spraybar i5 at each side and extend upwardly and forwardly thereof to terminate in a bearing 5d having a generally Vertical axis. Mounted within each of said bearings 54 is a truck mount 55 having a vertical stub shaft S6 secured by fastener 57 to the upper end of bearing 54 and having a bearing plate 5S in rotatable contact with the underside of bearing 54 for easy rotation therewith. The truck mounts each have a pair of forked depending members 59 which terminate at their lower ends in a wheel shaft 6l) extending thereacross and upon which a rubber tired wheel 6l is rotatably mounted` Means such as cotter pins 62 may be secured through the shafts 6G for maintaining the wheels 6l. in rotative position within the truck mounts 59 as shown in Fig. 2. l't will be observed that the bearing brackets 53 are angled upwardly and forwardly/while the forked lower portion of the truck mounting 59 is angled downwardly and rearwardly. The elfect of this particular mount is such as to permit a wheel 61 of ple diameter to support the spraybar tube 45 in predetermined spaced height with relation to the road surface A33 and yet lying in clearance with all parts of the spraybar device including the spraybar tube, the spray nozzles 4d and the projected path of bituminous material emanating therefrom, as well as the other portions of the mounting structure. All this has been accomplished while maintaining a proper diameter of the rubber tired wheel 6l to adequately support the spraybar and associated parts.

ln the use and operation of my device, the rubber tired wheels 6l are inflated to a predetermined pressure so as to exactly maintain the proper spacing from the tips of the spray nozzles 44 to the road surface 43 and this space should be maintained at all times. the particular apparatus first used for the principle disclosed herein, l have selected a distance of 8% inches,

memes CJD tra

taking into consideration the design of the spray nozzles 44 to effect an evenly applied coating of bituminous material without gaps or without overlap. As the tank truck proceeds during the bituminous coating operation, the curvature of the road may be followed without varying the predetermined height of the nozzles, the rubber tired Wheels 61 merely turning on the vertical shaft 56 in the aforementioned clearance to accommodate the change in direction. lf, on the other hand, the tank truck proceeds over hills and valleys in the road to be surfaced, the nozzles 44 will not ride upwardly and downwardly with respect to the road surface 43, but rather will be maintained at the close tolerance of height previously noted during the operation. The spraybar tube will, however, adjust itself vertically with respect to the truck frame 1l and will be permitted to ride upwardly and downwardly with respect to the brace members 4i and 42 which are rigidly secured to the truck frame i3. The cables 15 and lo are of course, relaxed sufficiently to permit downward movement of the spraybar as the truck passes over the crest of a hill, it being borne in mind that the wheeled supports always maintain the exact height of the spray nozzles from the road surface 43.

It may thus be seen that l have devised a simple additional mounting structure in combination with a conventional spraybar tube which will maintain the nozzle members at exactly the proper height at all times to apply an even and durable coating of bituminous material to a road surface, the mounting having unique cooperation with the remainder of the spraybar device for adequately supporting the structure and having the proper dimensions for accomplishing the purpose described, yet being non-clogging in character and lying in complete clearance with all the other portions of the device as well as the projected path of the sprayed bituminous material.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportion of the various parts without departing from the scope of my invention What is claimed is:

l. A spraybar assembly `for applying road surfacing huid material comprising, an elongated tubular member horizontally disposed in said assembly and having depending spray` nozzles communicating at spaced intervals therewith and liexible lluid connection for supplying road surfacing fluid to the tubular member, a mountn ling structure attachable rigidly to the rear end of a bitul closely adjacent the projected path of sprayed material as well as in clearance with the tubular member and mountin g structure.

2. A spraybar assembly for applying road surfacing lluid material comprising, an elongated tubular member horizontally disposed in said assembly and having depending spray nozzles communicating at spaced intervals therewith and flexible fluid connection for supplying the road surfacing fluid to the tubular member, a mounting structure rigidly attachable to the rear end of a conventional bituminous tank truck and maintaining the tubular member transversely of the direction of travel, said mounting structure having vertical guide means for the tubular member and a pair of spaced roller supports mounted to the tubular member at a lower position and slightly forwardly thereof with respect to the direction of travel of the tank truck during operation, whereby the tubular member will at all times be maintained at a uniform predetermined height from the road surface irrespective of 991,043 variations in the height of the rear end o-f the tank truck 2,031,262 because of changes in the Weight of fluid in the tank. 2,663,973

References Cited in the tile of this patent 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 4911882 980,002 Price Dec. 27, 1910 6 Ward May 2, 1911 Hill Feb. 18, 1936 White Dec. 29, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Feb. 17, 1930