Roadtec, Inc.

Irina Brown

David Swearingen

John Eric Hoffmann

Oleg Tkachenko

Lillian Nichole Shelton

Kerry Malone

An apparatus for controlling the movement of a material transfer vehicle with respect to the front end of a paving machine that is being operated by a driver/operator and is being supplied with asphalt paving material by the material transfer vehicle includes a controller that is mounted on the material transfer vehicle and is operatively connected to control mechanisms for controlling the speed and braking of the material transfer vehicle. A sensor is mounted on the material transfer vehicle and is operatively connected to the controller. The sensor is located and adapted to execute non-contact sensor scan passes across the front end of the paving machine to determine the distance from the sensor to the paving machine. The sensor is also adapted to communicate information to the controller about the distance from the sensor to the paving machine. The apparatus includes no components that are mounted on the paving machine.

Automatic control of positioning of material transfer vehicle during a paving operation

A material transfer vehicle has a discharge conveyor with a discharge chute mounted thereon. A controller is operatively connected to the elevation control system and the steering control system for the discharge conveyor. The controller is adapted to communicate with the elevation control system for the discharge conveyor to adjust the elevation of the discharge conveyor. The controller is also adapted to communicate with the steering control system for the discharge conveyor so that the angular orientation of the discharge conveyor with respect to the longitudinal axis of the material transfer vehicle may be adjusted. A paver-locating sensor is operatively connected to the controller, and is located and adapted to execute multiple non-contact sensor scan passes across the front end of the paving machine to determine the distance and orientation of the paving machine with respect to the paver-locating sensor and to communicate this information.

Automatic control of discharge conveyor of material transfer vehicle during a paving operation

A material transfer vehicle includes a truck-receiving hopper that is adapted to receive asphalt material from a delivery truck. The truck-receiving hopper includes an expandable front portion having a right expandable sidewall assembly and a left expandable sidewall assembly. The right expandable sidewall assembly has a right outer front sidewall panel and a mechanism for moving the right outer front sidewall panel between an inner right position and an outer right position. The left expandable sidewall assembly has a left outer front sidewall panel and a mechanism for moving the left outer front sidewall panel between an inner left position and an outer left position. The truck-receiving hopper also includes a rear portion having a right sidewall panel and a left sidewall panel. The right and left sidewall panels of the rear portion are fixed against movement with respect to each other.

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Dalton, GA, United States of America

Irina Brown