US3250191A

US3250191A - Machinery for the making of roads and the like

Info

Publication number: US3250191A
Application number: US247116A
Authority: US
Inventors: Potts Thomas Cecil
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-12-29
Filing date: 1962-12-26
Publication date: 1966-05-10
Anticipated expiration: 1983-05-10
Also published as: GB954696A; DE1238058B; FR1356885A

Description

T. C. POTTS May 10, 1966 MACHINERY FOR THE MAKING OF ROADS AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 26, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 mm 9 i m. Q Nw /NVENTOP TH MAS CECIL PoTTs BY ATTORNEYS May 10, 1966 T. c. POTTS 3,250,191

MACHINERY FOR THE MAKING OF ROADS AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 26, 1962 S Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR THO/ 463 CE 611- 7 0TTS BY QWWJ m AT OR/VEYS T. C. POTTS May 10, 1966 MACHINERY FOR THE MAKING OF ROADS AND THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec.

6 WW 1 m vm Wu C S A W wa A TTORNEYS United States Patent 3,250,191 MACHINERY FOR THE MAKING OF ROADS AND THE LIKE Thomas Cecil Potts, Bersham, Clifie Square, Great Harwood, Blackburn, England Filed Dec. 26, 1962, Ser. No. 247,116 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Dec. 29, 1961, 46,5 61 Claims. (Cl. 94-46) This invention is concerned with a machine whose main use will be for the laying and surfacing of roads, paths and the like, but which is useful also for the laying of larger areas such as car parks, airport runways and similar traffic surfaces. The primary purpose of the invention is for the laying of bitumenised or tarred ballast, such as that known by the trademark Tarmac, and whether of course, medium or fine grade. The improved machine could however be used also for the laying of other wet mixtures, such as concrete and similar spreadable, hardenable materials.

It is one of the main objects of the present invention to provide an efiicient and sturdy apparatus which is very much less costly than those hitherto obtainable, which is easy to operate, is easy to clean after use, and is readily convertible from actual working conditions to a condition for transit under its own power between various places of operation and/ or storage.

According to this invention, the improved spreading apparatus comprises a wheeled chassis carrying at its front end a hopper for the material to be spread, and a subframe pivotably mounted in said chassis at or near such front end and having at its rear end a transverse screed and a spreader plate extending across the track of the vehicle, means for moving said sub-frame about its pivot so as to regulate the height of the said screed from; the ground, and further means for adjusting the inclination of the spreader plate between its front and rear edges so as to determine the final thickness of the layer being spread. The apparatus will usually beself driven, e.g. by internal combustion engine but in some cases could be towed.

The invention may be characterised by the provision of a plow device suspended from'the sub-frame usually in the form of a triangle arranged apex foremost and pivotably supported about a vertical axis at the apex and means would be provided for oscillating the plow horizontally about a point at or near said apexso as to spread laterally the material encountered by the plow after falling from the hopper. In order to assist in the lateral spreading of the material a rotary screw is arranged on a transverse axis at each side of the machine immediately in front of the screed and means is provided for rotating these screws when their rotation is necessary or desirable.

In order that the machine may be usable in all weather conditions it is proposed to provide a heating means on' the spreader plate, one form of which means could be an arrangement of burners for a combustible gas (e.g. butane or methone) delivered to the burners from a pressure vessel carried on the machine.

In the preferred arrangements the vehicle is provided with a power unit adapted to drive a number of hydraulic pumps feeding a corresponding number of hydraulic motors, one for the driving of the machine along the road, via a differential gear, one for oscillating the plow and one for driving the said screws. The drive to the road wheels could be through a reduction gear for slow movement whilst spreading, and where trafiic regulations so allow, through -a higher ratio speed transmission for more rapid movement whilst being transported from place to place.

The machine may include a roller at the back, to roll out the spread material, and in those cases steering of the machine may be effected by shifting the axis of the roller, and the drive'transrnission to the road wheels will include a reversing gear. In most cases however it will be more convenient to have an independent roller following behind the machine and, in these cases steering of the machine will be effected at the front wheels, for example through an Ackerman type steering mechanism.

Th machine will usually have pneumatic-tired wheels, the rear wheels being the larger and being driven.

According to a further feature of the invention, the said spreader plate is mounted on the lower end of the screed and such screed is divided into end to end sections one or more of which is or are adjustable in height so as to impart a camber to the spreader plate. This adjustment and the adjustment of the sub-frame in the main frame makes it possible to vary the spreader plate so that it may be (a) straight and parallel with the road surface being covered or (b) straight and inclined to the road surface being covered, or (c) cambered, either symmetrically or asymmetrically across the road surface.

Conveniently the said sub-frame is pivoted to the chassis adjacent the axis of the front wheels, it carries the screed at its rear end and such rear end i suspended from the chassis by screw-and-nut mechanism by which the subframe may be wound up close to the main chassis when not in use. There is also a further nut-and-screw mechanism operating between the said sub-frame (or an extension thereof) and the rear part of the spreader plate, for altering the inclination of the spreader plate relative to the longitudinal axis of the machine, by lifting or lowering the free edge of the plate, thereby determining the thickness of the layer being spread.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings of one practical embodiment. In the drawing: 1

FIG. 1 is a side view of the machine in working condition;

FIG. 2 is a plan of the same; and

FIG. 3 is a rear view of a slightly modified form of the machine.

As shown the improved spreader comprises a main chassis, made up of longitudinal girders 1 which are inclined upwardly from front to rear and are braced together by transverse girders or angles 2. This main chassis carries mountings for a main axle whose axis is indicated at 3 and on which are the rear wheels 4, each such wheel being associated with a double chain sprocket 5 to be driven by a chain 6 as hereinafter described. At the front end of such main chassis is a front axle whose axis is indicated at 7 and the ends of which carry smaller nondriven wheels 8. These wheels would be on stub axles (not shown) controlled for steering purposes by a normal Ackerman type steering mechanism operated from a steer-' ing wheel 9 through a steering column 10 articulated at a universal joint 11'.

Pivotally mounted to the forward end of this main chassis at the point 12 is a sub-frame or sub-chassis made up of longitudinal girders 13 braced transversely by angles or plates 14. The height from the ground of both these frames is fixed at the front end, being determined by the position of the axis of the hinge 12. At the rear end however, whilst the height of the main chassis is fixed being determined by the wheels 4, the height of the sub-frame is variable by means of screws 15 equipped with hand wheels 16 and passing through nuts 17 held on the main chassis, the lower ends of these screws 15 having collars which are held captive but rotatable in shackles 18 mounted on the sub-frame. Therefore, by rotating the wheels 16 and elevating screws 15 in the one direction or Patented May to, 1966 r o v.13

other, the rear end of the sub-frame may be raised and lowered, as the case may be.

Carried by the members 13 of the sub-frame is a channel-sectioned screed composed of the three end-to-end parts, namely two outer parts 18 and a centre part 18*. These three parts are connected along their lower edges to a common spreader plate 19, which is reinforced by welded-on channels 20 arranged fore-and-aft of the vehicle. The two end parts 18 of the said screed are connected together by a bridgepiece 21 through which passes an adjustment screw 22, with handwheel 23 at the top, and this screw engages in a nut 24 fixed to the centre part 18 of the screed. By rotation of the screw 22 to raise the part 18*, the spreader plate -19 may be adjusted, or constrained, to take up a curved or cambered formation transversely of the vehicle. Also by a differential rotation of the adjustment screws 15, the spreader plate and screed may be given any desired angle to the road surface being covered.

In the preferred forms of the improved machine the nuts 17 are held on one arm 25 of a bell-crank lever pivoted at 26 on the main frame girders 1, the other arm 27 of these levers being connected to the piston rod 28 of a hydraulic ram drive 29. Whilst therefore the adjustment screws 15 give a fine adjustment of the plate 19 to a working position, the drive 29 allows of a rapid high lift of the plate, useful for example when the vehicle is to be driven in a non-working condition, say from site to site or site to depot. By having a suitable fixed limit stop in the drive 29, the plate 19 maybe returned to its working position after having been lifted therefrom without requiring any readjustment.

In an alternative arrangement, illustrated in FIG. 3, the nuts 17' are connected directly to the main frame girders 1. In this case no rapid high lift of the spreader plate is possible.

The machine is powered by an engine indicated in outline at 30 with cooling radiator'31 at the front. This engine drives three hydraulic pumps, namely a main pump in a tank 32, this pump being directly coupled to the engine at the front thereof, and two

pumps

33, 34 coupled to the engine indirectly at the rear thereof. The pump 32 drives a hydraulic motor 35 direct coupled to the input of a differential gear unit 36 from which transverse axles 37 extend, each of these axles carrying a chain sprocket 38 which by the chains 6 drive the said sprockets 5 on the main axle. The pump 33 drives a hydraulic motor 39 which through a reduction gear 40 and a chain drive 41, slowly rotates a shaft 42 held in bearings 43 suspended from the sub-frame girders 13. On the shaft 42 are feed screws 44, of opposite thread, which have the task of feeding to the outer ends of the spreader any excess of material accumulating at the center of the screed due to a build-up against the screed. The pump 34 drives a hydraulic motor 45 and reduction gear 46, the output from which last carries an eccentric 47, the strap rod 48 of which has a purpose described below.

Carried by the sub-frame is a suspended triangular shaped frame or plow comprising inclined sides 49 and a transverse rear part 50. The forward apex of this plow is suspended by an arm 51 whose forward end is held on a pin 52 carying a compression spring 53 above.

the arm, the said pin being held in a super-structure 54 built on to the main frame. At its rear end the plow is suspended from the main frame by pivoted links allowing of a transverse to and fro movement, which movement is received from the above mentioned strap-rod 48 of the eccentric 47, the lower end of such rod being pivotally connected'to the transverse member of the plow.

At its forward end portion, the plow has upstanding lugs 55 receiving one end of slotted links 56 which in turn are connected to arms 57 on a cross shaft 58. By adjusting the connections of these parts the front to vary the degree of inclination of the plow. Should the plow meet an obstruction in the road, the spring 53 will allow it to rise and pass over the obstruction. The triangular frame or plow is adapted for transverse vibration so as to spread material from the hopper in the event of its piling up unduly at the centre of the machine.

The sub-frame may carry lateral extensions (not shown) at the ends of which there would be side plates determining the outside contours of the spread area.

At its front end the main chassis carries a hopper 59 for receiving the material to be spread, this hopper being supported at the front end by struts 60 adjacent the lower end of which are brackets 61 for transverse rollers 62 which may abut against the tires 63 of a truck or the like used for loading material into the hopper. This arrangement allows of the spreader being hitched to the back of a truck so that as the two move forwardly together a continuous filling of the hopper may take place. More usually however the hopper will be refilled intermittently as the need arises. A towing attachment is provided at 61".

For regulating the output of the material from the hopper, the bottom of the hopper is provided with two sliding doors 64 each of which, on its under side carries a nut (not shown) mounted on a threaded part of a rod 65 extending rearwardly to the rear end of the machine where the rod is provided with a hand wheel 66. By rotation of the hand wheels 66 the sliding doors may be opened and closed so as to adjust the rate of outflow of the material from the hopper, or to interrupt the flow of material altogether.

Below the doors 64 and the outlet which they control is a levelling plate or bar 67 carried by levers 68 one end of which bar is pivotally mounted around the axis of the wheels 8 and the other end of which bar is connected by link 69 to a radial arm '70 mounted on a fixed shaft 71. This shaft also carries a lever 72 which can be bolted to the main girder 1 at selected points 73. The bar 67 acts as a first leveller or distributor to prepare the material for a more positive spreading by the plow.

On the plate 19 is a long casing 74 in which are burners 75 adapted to be fed at connection 76 with an inflammable gas from the conduit 7 6 of a gas bottle 77 carried on the super-structure 54, on which also the tank 32 is mounted.

In the rear ends of the beams 13 of the subframe are screws 78 fitted at the top with wheels 79 and held at the bottom in shackles 80 on the reinforcing channels 20. These screws 78 serve to determine the final thickness of the coating being spread.

In use, the operator stands on the top of plate 19 and, having first adjusted the height and camber of the screed 18 18 by means of the wheels 16 and 23, and having adjusted the rear part of the spreader plate 19 by means of the wheels 78 to what he thinks is adequate, the vehicle is set in motion with the sliding doors 64 open to the desired extent and the material begins to fall through the bottom of the hopper to the road. Here it is spread in a primary way by the plate 67, then further spread by the plow and finally spread by rotating the screws 44 when necessary or desirable. Next the material is met by the screed 18 18 which directs it under the plate 19 and this limits the thickness of the carpet put onto the road.

and any material which may become piled up against the screed, at'any location therealong, may be distributed laterally by operating the distributing screws 44.

The operator has the

controls

16,23 and 79 within his reach for constant adjustment when necessary and he is able to steer the machine by means of wheel 9. Also, on a control panel 81 (FIG. 2) there are other controls, including those 82, 83, 84 for the three

hydraulic motors

32, 33 and 34. With these the operator controls the progress of the machine, the rotation of the, screws 44 and the transverse vibration of the plow.

What I claim is:

1. A machine for laying fiowable, hardenable material on a road or like surface, the machine comprising:

(a) a wheel chassis,

(b) a hopper carried on the front end of the chassis,

(c) a sub-frame pivotally mounted on the front end of said chassis,

(d) a transverse screed mounted on the rear end of the sub-frame and extending transversely of the machine and including three aligned but spaced and separate screed parts,

(e) a common spreader plate attached to and projecting rearwardly from the said screed parts and extending transversely of the rear end of the frame,

(f) rigid bridging means connecting the outer two screed parts,

'(g) moving means extending between said bridging means and the inner screed part and being operable to move the said inner screed part relative to the outer screed parts, thereby deforming the spreader plate,

(h) adjustable means interconnecting the sub-frame ,and said chassis for moving the sub-frame about its pivot to raise and lower the rear end of the snbframe so as to regulate the height of the screed above the ground, and

(i) adjustable means for increasing and decreasing the angle of attack of the spreader plate.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rigid and moving means comprise a rigid bridge piece and a screw and nut assembly respectively, the nut being secured to the inner screed part at one end of the screw and the other end of the screw being rotatably connected to the bridge piece.

3. A machine for laying flowable, hardenable material on a road or like surface, the machine comprising:

(a) a chassis,

(b) front and rear pairs of wheels carrying the chassis,

(c) a hopper mounted on the front end of the chassis,

(d) a sub-frame extending rearwardly from the front of the chassis, the said sub-frame being pivoted to the front end of the chassis,

(e) a transverse screed carried by said sub-frame at the rear endthereof, the said screed including outer and inner separate parts, rigid means connecting said outer parts,

(f) a common spreader plate attached to and projecting rearwardly from the said screed parts and extending transversely of the sub-frame,

(g) moving means extending between said rigid means and the inner screed part and being operable to move the inner screed part relative to the outer screed parts, thereby deforming the spreader plate,

(h) adjustable means interconnecting the sub-frame and said chassis for moving the sub-frame about its pivot to raise and lower the rear end of the subframe so as to regulate the height of the screed above the ground, and

(i) adjustable means for increasing or decreasing the angle of attack of the spreader plate.

4. A machine for laying fiowable, hardenable material on a road or like surface, the machine comprising:

(a) a chassis,

(b) front and rear pairs of wheels carrying the chassis,

(c) a hopper mounted on the front end of the chassis and having an outlet,

(d) a sub-frame extending from the front of the chassis to the rear, the said sub-frame being pivoted to the front end of the chassis,

(e) a transverse screed carried by said sub-frame at the rear end thereof, the said screed including outer and inner separate parts, rigid bridging means connecting said outer parts, adjustable means connecting said bridging member to said inner member,

(f) a common transverse spreader plate attached to the lower surface of said screed parts and extending rearwardly thereof,

(g) adjustable means interconnecting the sub-frame and said chassis for moving the sub-frame about its pivot to raise and lower the rear end-of the subframe so as to regulate the height of the screed above the ground, I

(h) adjustable means for increasing or decreasing the angle of attack of the spreader plate,

(i) means for steering the chassis, and

(j) a plurality of separate manually operable means for operating the aforesaid moving means, adjusting means and steering means, all said manually operable means being located as to be operable by a single operative.

:5. A machine according to claim 4, with a pair of rotatable spreading screws, each screw arranged on a transverse axis at one side of the machine immediately in front of the screed and means for effecting rotation of said screws.

6. A machine according to claim 5, which further comprises a power unit driving hydraulic pumps for operating a hydraulic motor to propel the machine through a differential gear drive unit, and for operating a hydraulic motor for rotating said screws, with means whereby said motors are controllable independently of each other.

7. A machine according to claim 4, which further comprises a heating means overlying and adjacent to the top surface of the spreader plate composed of a series of gas chambers fed with combustible gas from a pressurized container carried on the machine.

8. A machine according to claim 4, wherein the front end of said sub-frame is pivoted on the chassis adjacent the axis of the front wheels, and the rear end of said subframe is suspended from the chassis by screw-and-nut mechanism by which the sub-frame may be wound up to a position closely adjacent to the main chassis when not in use and wherein there is also another screw-and-nut mechanism which is operatively connected between the said sub-frame and the rear part of the spreader plate, for altering the angle of attack of the spreader plate relative to the longitudinal axis of the machine.

9. A machine according to claim 4, having sliding door means controlling the hopper outlet, with control means situated for regulating the degree of opening of said door means.

' 10. A machine according to claim 4, which further includes hydraulic lifting means to lift the sub-frame rapidly independently of its manual adjustment.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,065,698 12/ 1936 Hetzel 94-44 2,168,507 8/1939 'Barber 9445 2,245,426 6/1941 Baker 94-46 2,303,812 12/1942 Barber 94-45 2,393,954 2/1946 Baker 94-46 2,589,256 3/1952 Homing 94-46 2,911,892 11/1959 Pollitz 94-46 3,041,946 7/ 1962 Watters 94-46 3,111,070 11/1963 Pollitz 94-46 CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.

JACOB L. NACKENOFF, Examiner.

N. C. BYERS, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A MACHINE FOR LAYING FLOWABLE, HARDENABLE MATERIAL ON A ROAD OR LIKE SURFACE, THE MACHINE COMPRISING: (A) A WHEEL CHASSIS, (B) A HOPPER CARRIED ON THE FRONT END OF THE CHASSIS, (C) A SUB-FRAME PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON THE FRONT END OF SAID CHASSIS, (D) A TRANSVERSE SCREED MOUNTED ON THE REAR END OF THE SUB-FRAME AND EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE MACHINE AND INCLUDING THREE ALIGNED BUT SPACED SEPARATE SCREED PARTS, (E) A COMMON SPREADER PLATE ATTACHED TO AND PROJECT ING REARWARDLY FROM THE SAID SCREEN PARTS AND EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE REAR END OF THE FRAME, (F) RIGID BRIDGING MEANS CONNECTING THE OUTER TWO SCREED PARTS, (G) MOVING MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID BRIDGING MEANS AND THE INNER SCREED PART AND BEING OPERABLE TO MOVE THE SAID INNER SCREED PART RELATIVE TO THE OUTER SCREED PARTS, THEREBY DEFORMING THE SPREADER PLATE, (H) ADJUSTABLE MEANS INTERCONNECTING THE SUB-FRAME AND SAID CHASSIS FOR MOVING THE SUB-FRAME ABOUT ITS PIVOT TO RAISE AND LOWER THE REAR END OF THE SUBFRAME SO AS TO REGULATE THE HEIGHT OF THE SCREED ABOVE THE GROUND, AND (I) ADJUSTABLE MEANS FOR INCREASING AND DECREASING THE ANGLE OF ATTACK OF THE SPREADER PLATE.