E.d. Etnyre & Co.

Other

Road Science, LLC

Patrick C O'Brien

Thomas R Brown

Jeremey Heller

James K Bertsch

James Barnat

Randal L Zerbe

Tyrone Hannebaum

Jeremy Heller

Harold Dabbs

A roadway paving system for chipsealing a roadway surface comprising a novel roadway paving vehicle and a novel supply truck is provided. The roadway paving vehicle comprises an asphalt binder material dispensing system and an aggregate material dispensing system. The asphalt binder material dispensing system includes an asphalt tank and a sprayer that sprays a first layer of the asphalt binder material over the roadway surface. The aggregate material dispensing system comprises an aggregate hopper and conveyor mechanism that discharges a second layer of aggregate material over the roadway surface. No wheels run over a freshly laid surface. Supply trucks are linked to the roadway paving vehicle to refill the roadway paving vehicle on a continuous basis without the need of stopping the vehicle.

Roadway paving system and method including roadway paving vehicle and supply truck

Roadway paving supply truck

A directional control valve having three positions controls the direction of flow through an asphalt distributor. The directional control valve is interposed between a pump and a feed line assembly to a spray bar. The directional control valve has a first position in which flow is recirculated through the pump, a second position in which flow is delivered to the spray bar and a third position providing for handspray and transfer operations. A pressure relief valve is provided for controlling return flow of asphalt from the spray bar to the tank. The pressure relief valve is open in spray bar circulation mode and is closed during a spraying mode. According to the preferred embodiment the directional valve and pressure relief valve are contained within a modular control valve assembly. The directional control valve eliminates the need to reverse the flow in one of the individual feed lines and feed line assembly connecting the modular control valve assembly to the spray bar. The feed line assembly includes a delivery and return line running coaxial or otherwise adjacent for heat transfer therebetween. The directional control valve reduces the quantity and lengths of exposed valving and plumbing associated with prior asphalt distributors.

Directional control valve and valve assembly in an asphalt distributor

A conveyor mechanism is provided for transporting objects. The conveyor mechanism, includes a single continuous belt member wrapped around a plurality of chain loops and also around a pair of spaced-apart pulleys disposed outboard thereof. A chain drive drives the chain loops and the chain loops drive the surrounding belt. A frame having substantially frictionless channel guides provides additional support to the upper track portion of each chain so that the belt member can accommodate heavy loads. The belt has at least one guide ridge formed in its substantially flat undersurface. The belt turning rollers are provide with circumferential grooves which are sized to engage the raised guide ridge on the undersurface of the belt, so that cooperation between the grooves in the turning rollers and the ridge on the belt maintains lateral tacking of the belt. Further lateral stability is provided by disposing of pair of chain guides on either side of the ridge along the upper run of the belt.

Conveyor mechanism

A feed line assembly includes adjacent running or coaxial delivery and return conduits for transferring asphalt between a spray bar and a pump and tank of an asphalt distributor. The coaxial feed line assembly provides for one directional flow in each of the feed lines between the spray bar and the asphalt tank/pump. The circulating system can be operated in spraying and circulating modes. Asphalt flows through the delivery conduit to the spray bar and out through nozzles in the spraying mode and asphalt flows from the delivery conduit through the spray bar and is returned through the return conduit in the circulation mode. Asphalt is substantially static in the return conduit during the circulation mode. The coaxial feed line assembly serves as a heat exchanger to transfer heat from the delivery conduit to the return conduit and thereby prevent freezing of substantially static asphalt in the return conduit during spraying mode. A pressure differential between spraying and circulation modes control the position of a pressure relief valve connected to the return conduit to thereby control the flow through the circulating system.

Feedline assembly and asphalt circulation system for an asphalt

In an asphalt distributor having a tank for holding asphalt and a pump for pumping asphalt from the tank to a spraybar, a self draining asphalt strainer is provided. The asphalt strainer includes a body having an inlet and outlet with a filtering chamber disposed between the inlet and the outlet. A filter or straining element is disposed in the filtering chamber for filtering asphalt flowing between the inlet and the outlet. A conduit extends the inlet into the filtering chamber. A pair of valves are disposed on each end of the conduit forming a suckback chamber therebetween. A suckback tube is connected to the conduit intermediate the valves and extends into the filtering chamber. The pump is bidirectional and has a reverse mode which forces asphalt back through the outlet and inlet into the tank. The strainer has a first flow passage from the outlet to the inlet through both of the valves when open. The suckback tube provides a second flow passage from the outlet to the inlet when one of the valves is closed for draining asphalt remaining in the strainer box.

Asphalt strainer for an asphalt distributor

In a vehicle for spreading liquid material, disclosed is a spray manifold based on an inventive variable orifice nozzle, spraying beyond the vehicle span while not extending beyond the vehicle span. Because of the inventive nozzle the vehicle is able to spray beyond the span of the vehicle with a uniform application to a swath of land over varying vehicle speeds and flow rates. The disclosed nozzle achieves a constant velocity and exit flow trajectory for a wide variety of flow rates, including low flow rates. The nozzle is particularly beneficial for vertical manifold arms with horizontally mounted nozzles because the trajectory distance is constant for a wide range of flow rates. The nozzle achieves these benefits by providing a fixed flow path and a variable flow path. The nozzle includes a substantially spherical poppet having a fixed hole orifice, variably retained by a spring adjacent to the orifice of the discharge port.

Method and apparatus of uniform nozzle liquid application by way of

A conveyor mechanism is provided for transporting objects. The conveyor mechanism, in particular, includes a single continuous belt member wrapped around one or more chain loops and also around a pair of spaced-apart pulleys disposed outboard thereof. A first axle having one or more drive sprockets, a second axle having an equal number of idler sprockets, and a motor connected to the first axle are provided for driving the chain loops and the surrounding belt member. In use, the belt member maintains a constant linear velocity throughout its travel path (i.e., both inboard and outboard of the two sets of sprockets), due to the action of the pulleys. In this way, the velocities of the belt member and chains are synchronized at all points where they are in engagement (i.e., inboard of the sprockets), and slipping and/or stretching of the belt member with respect to the chains is advantageously prevented at its reversal points (i.e., outboard of the sprockets). A frame having substantially frictionless channel guide(s) provides additional support to the upper track portion of each chain so that the belt member can accommodate heavy loads.

A roadway paving apparatus applies successive layers of paving material to a roadway surface so as to form a desired thickness of pavement thereon. Preferably, the apparatus comprises a hopper for hauling aggregate material (e.g., gravel, sand, and/or crushed stone) and for dispensing a curtain of falling aggregate material therefrom. An initial group of spray nozzles aimed generally at the surface of the roadway applies a base layer of adhesive material (e.g., liquid asphalt) to the surface of the roadway. One or more groups of subsequent spray nozzles aimed generally at the curtain of falling aggregate material coats the curtain of falling aggregate material with adhesive material such that an intermediate layer of adhesive coated aggregate material is deposited on top of the underlying base layer of adhesive material. A final group of spray nozzles aimed at the surface of the roadway applies an overspray layer of adhesive material on top of the intermediate layer of adhesive coated aggregate material. A corresponding method of paving a roadway surface by applying successive layers of paving material the surface is also provided.

Roadway paving apparatus

The mixer includes a cylindrical mixing tube substantially submerged in the liquid asphalt and a paddle assembly extending axially through the mixing tube. An auger drives the ground rubber into an upstream end portion of the mixing tube and into the liquid asphalt therein. The paddle assembly draws the ground rubber and the liquid asphalt from the upstream end portion of the mixing tube and through the mixing tube. In addition, the paddle assembly accelerates the rubber-asphalt mixture as it proceeds through the mixing tube whereupon the mixture is discharged through a downstream end of the mixing tube. The mixing tube is formed with longitudinally spaced openings to allow additional asphalt to enter the mixing tube as the velocity of the mixture increases. Curved plates which are secured to the tips of paddles aligned with the longitudinally spaced openings cover and uncover the openings to prevent the paddles from driving ground rubber and liquid asphalt outwardly through the openings as those paddles rotate past the openings. Shelves located directly upstream of the longitudinally spaced openings direct the flow of the mixture generally away from the openings to further prevent the mixture from flowing outwardly through the openings.

Growing community of inventors

Oregon, IL, United States of America

Patrick C O'Brien