Cedarapids, Inc.

Jon D Goodwin

Joseph E Musil

A tensioning device for maintaining proper belt tension on the drive belt of a tracked vehicle. The flexible drive belt extends between a drive wheel and a carriage mounted free wheel. An idler device dynamically adjusts the tension on the drive belt, and includes a drive wheel mounted to a frame, a carriage slidably mounted to the frame and supporting a free wheel, a hydraulic cylinder mounted to the frame and engaging the carriage for applying a force to the carriage. A hydraulic control circuit operates the hydraulic cylinder, the control circuit being adapted to adjust the pressure in the hydraulic cylinder to apply a first force against the carriage in response to a first detected condition, such as during normal forward operation of the vehicle. The control circuit is further adapted to apply a second force against the carriage in response to a second detected condition, such as during reverse operation of the vehicle. A sensor is provided for detecting the operating condition of the vehicle and is connected to the hydraulic circuit.

Tensioning device for a tracked vehicle

A push roll assembly mounted to a material receiving apparatus, such as a paver or other material receiving machine, includes a resilient link which allows energy transferred during contact of a supply truck with the push rolls to be gradually transferred to the material receiving machine, to thereby smoothen the impact between such truck and the machine.

Vehicle positioning methods and apparatus with impact damper

A material transfer machine includes a slat conveyor of substantially the width of a feed hopper of a paving machine. The slat conveyor is supported by caster wheels to be disposed at an incline having a material intake end at a lower end thereof and a discharge end at the opposite upper end of the conveyor. The slat conveyor is mounted to a leading edge of the paving machine such that the upper discharge end is disposed above the feed hopper of the paving machine. A hopper is disposed ahead of the lower intake end of the slat conveyor, supported by a frame which is pivotably attached at a rear end thereof along the sides of the slat conveyor to an understructure thereof. The front end of the frame is supported by caster wheels, such that the frame is capable of joint movement with the conveyor and the paving machine while supporting pivotal movement in a vertical plane in response to grade changes of a base grade. Material is transferred from beds of supply trucks by backing the trucks toward the leading edge of the hopper to align the rear of the beds with the hopper. The material is dumped into the hopper and is transferred by the slat conveyor directly from the hopper of the material transfer machine to the feed hopper of the paving machine without getting into contact with the base grade of the road being paved.

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Cedar Rapids, IA, United States of America

Jon D Goodwin