The present invention relates to a machine utilizing road-making materials, in particular for the spreading of road pavement courses intended to be applied in courses of different thicknesses, particularly of asphalt concrete in ultrathin courses, of the type comprising a chassis equipped with rolling means and capable of being coupled to a traction means intended to ensure its movement over the ground, which comprises a hopper (16) for densification and distribution of said material, whose lower orifice (18) is disposed close to the ground, as well as a vibrating bar (38) mounted in the immediate vicinity of the rear transverse edge (40) of said hopper (16).
In an apparatus (G) for laying road pavement layers composed of first and second pavement material grades, there are provided at least one road finisher (F', F1, F2) comprising a material hopper, and a feeder (B) arranged upstream thereof and including a bulk material hopper (2) for the first pavement material grade (A) as well as a longitudinal conveying means (3, 4), wherein in the apparatus (G) the sole road finisher (F') comprises a second material hopper (29) for the second pavement material grade (B1) or a second road finisher comprising a material hopper (29') for the second pavement material grade (B1) is provided behind a first road finisher (F1), and the feeder (B) comprises a superstructure (6) extending above the bulk material hopper (2) and the first longitudinal conveying device (3, 4) and including a second longitudinal conveying and intermediate storage device (7, 10, 14) which extends either up to and over the second material hopper (29) of the sole road finisher (F') or the material hopper (29') of the rear road finisher (F2), a section (7) of the second longitudinal conveying and intermediate storage device being adjustable relative to the bulk material hopper (2) between a material receiving position and a passive position in which the bulk material hopper (2) is accessible to receive material.
A paving machine discharges HMA or other paving materials directly on top of a distributing auger located between the paving material storage hopper and the screed. The distributing auger is then capable of remixing any partially segregated paving materials and of uniformly distributing the paving materials directly adjacent a previously-paved segment. Materials may be discharged on top of the distributing auger from a discharge opening of a gravity feed hopper located adjacent the distributing auger or from an inclined conveyor delivering materials from a more standard hopper mounted near the front end of the paving machine.
A method and apparatus of treating a pavement surface, including the steps of: applying a layer of bituminous sealant at a predetermined temperature and application rate on the pavement surface; applying a layer of bituminous emulsion at a predetermined temperature and application rate on the first of bituminous sealant, wherein a thermal reaction occurs between the bituminous sealant and the bituminous emulsion so as to accelerate a material break and cure time for said layers; and, providing a layer of aggregate particles at a predetermined application rate on the layers of bituminous sealant and bituminous emulsion during the thermal reaction. The steps of the method are performed successively along a particular direction of advance at a rate which permits them to be accomplished within a predetermined time period. Additional steps of compacting the layers and/or applying an asphalt layer thereon may also be performed.
A paving machine has a gravity feed hopper which is capable of delivering by gravity to the paving apparatus substantially all of the paving materials stored in the hopper without employing any internal conveyors. The discharge opening of the hopper is selectively closed by a feeder gate, the degree of opening of which is preferably coordinated with other operating parameters of the machine such as vehicle speed, distributing auger height and/or speed, and screed operation. Use of the gravity feed hopper significantly reduces construction and maintenance costs, provides a more uniform feed of materials from the hopper, and permits the use of a smaller engine. The paving machine as thus constructed is also relatively easy to operate and thus can be controlled by a single operator seated in the vicinity of the screed.
A paving machine is described which includes: a gravity feed hopper located near a front end of a chassis; a distributing auger mounted on the chassis near the rear end thereof and extending transversely across the chassis; a remixing device including a variable-pitch screw auger with i) a first flight section and ii) a second flight section, the second flight section being located transversely between a lower discharge opening of the hopper and the first flight section, the pitch of the first flight section being lower than the pitch of the second flight section so that volumes bounded by flights of the second flight section are greater than volumes bounded by flights of the first flight section, so as to enable finer paving materials, located in a transverse central portion of the hopper to enter void spaces in volumes bounded by flights of the second flight section and combine with coarser paving material, thereby remixing segregated paving materials; and a discharge conveyor assembly extending longitudinally and horizontally from the lower discharge opening to the distributing auger, the discharge conveyor assembly including a pair of parallel drag slat conveyors, each of the pair of parallel drag slat conveyors including a discharge end located directly above the distributing auger for discharging paving materials directly on top of the distributing auger, thereby remixing segregated paving materials. The remixing device and the discharge ends provide significant advantages in that they both remix segregated paving materials.
