AU702357B2 - Method and apparatus for laying roadway materials - Google Patents

Description

-1- FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the laying of roadway materials, and in particular to the laying of relatively :narrow sections of roadway materials using a road paving machine, including road base materials such as crushed rock or the like and road surface materials such as asphalt. The invention has particular application in the renewal of relatively narrow sections of damaged or deteriorated asphalt in an existing roadway, including the repair of edge sections of roadway. The invention may also be utilised in road widening i applications.

BACKGROUND ART 10 Road paving machines are commonly employed when a new section of roadway is being laid. Commercially available road paving machines, such as those marketed by i BLAW-KNOX TM and INGERSOL RAND T M are typically designed for laying sections of hot-mix asphalt in widths of 2400 mm and greater. In general, such machines require a full screed of asphalt material in order to ensure the correct functioning of the controls 15 which determine the height of the new layer of asphalt. Whilst there are a number of specialised road paving machines designed to lay narrower sections of asphalt, even such specialised paving equipment cannot lay asphalt in widths of less than approximately 1200 mm. Furthermore, for commercial reasons it is undesirable to purchase a specialised road paving machine due to its relatively limited application and comparatively high cost.

However in some situations, such as a road repair operation, the width of the section of roadway to be laid is often less than 2400 mm, and frequently of the order of -2- 1000 mm or less. Such situations can prove to be highly labour intensive, and may require labourers to manually deposit and spread the asphalt in the trench.

During a manual road repair operation spillage of asphalt material can occur whilst transferring the asphalt from a truck to the trench in the road. If a front-end loader vehicle, such as a BOBCATTM, is employed to transfer the asphalt from the truck to the repair site, the vehicle it can compress the spilled material into the road surface thereby making it difficult to remove after completion of the repair operation. It may then be necessary for labourers to scrape and rake the spilled material from the road surface and g| this clean up operation can be a time and labour intensive task. i Furthermore, the process of transferring the asphalt material from the truck to the jji{ 2 ,repair site demands both time and labour. Typically, one person is required to operate a vehicle to transfer the replacement asphalt from the truck to the repair site, a further a person is required to operate the truck, and an additional person may be required to S f ensure traffic control whilst the asphalt is transferred between the truck and the repair 9 site. If the length of asphalt to be laid is extensive it may be necessary to move the location of the truck and result in further areas of spillage.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art, or to provide a useful alternative.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION To this end one aspect of the present invention provides a method of depositing a narrow section of roadway material with a road paving machine, said road paving machine including 7 means for laterally spreading said material, wherein said method 1-

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/~-3eCls-- -3includes the step of locating a guide means beneath said spreading means to confine the deposition of the material to said narrow section.

A further aspect of the present invention provides a method of depositing roadway material in a narrow section with a road paving machine, said method including the steps of locating guide means on opposing sides of said narrow section and depositing said roadway material with said road paving machine between said guide means, said guide means acting in association with said paving machine to limit the deposition of said material to within the confines of said narrow section.

y e: ,The method of the present invention can be utilised in the deposition of a road 10 surface material, such as a hot-mix asphalt. Alternatively the method can be utilised to deposit a road base material, such as blue metal aggregate or the like.

Advantageously, the present invention provides an improved method for laying a relatively narrow section of roadway material, such as a road base material, asphalt, soil B or any other material used for roadways which reduces the tien anod labour requirements of the present methods.

g A further advantage of the present invention is that it enables the laying a relatively narrow section of roadway material, such as a road base material, asphalt, soil or any other material suitable for laying roadways with a conventional road paving machine.

In one form of the present invention it is possible for a conventional road paving Smachine to be utilised to deposit sections of road materials in widths which are less than the normal working width of the paving machine. Road paving machines are typically designed for laying sections of road materials in Y. .it f 2400 mm and greater.,

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-4- However by using the method and apparatus of the present invention it is possible to use a conventional paving machine to deposit sections of road materials in widths down to 100 mm or less.

By employing the present invention in the repair of relatively narrow sections of roadway the time and labour requirements to deposit new sections of asphalt are significantly reduced. Furthermore the incidence of spillage is reduced, which in turn reduces the time and labour requirements associated with post-repair clean up operations.

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The method and apparatus of the present invention can be adapted to be used 10 with most conventional road pavers, including machines marketed by BLAW-KNOX

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and INGERSOL RANDTM.

09 Preferably, the guide means is adapted to engage with the road paving machine and to move with the paving machine as the machine traverses and deposits road material on the roadway.

15 In one preferred form of the invention the method includes the use of one or more spacer means to determine the height of deposition of the road material. The height of a o the spacer means should be such as to allow for compaction of the deposited material.

Preferably the spacer means acts to determine the height of the screed surface above the road surface.

In one preferred application the present method can be employed in repairing an extended, relatively narrow, section of roadway. A trench is made in the roadway so as to remove the damaged or deteriorated section. Guides means are positioned on opposing sides of a trench so as to ensure the deposition of the road material is confined Sn i- .R.I j to the trench. A conventional roadway paver machine is then employed to fill the trench so as to provide a repaired section. In this way the time and labour requirements associated with filling the road section and performing subsequent clean up operations are significantly reduced.

Preferably, the present invention may also be employed to repair the edge or shoulder of a roadway, or to widen a section of roadway, This process is particularly suitable for repairing sections of road using hot mix asphalt.

1 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS 10 The present invention will be better understood and appreciated from the i .following discussion of the features of preferred embodiments the invention may take.

".""Reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig 1 is a side view of a typical road paving machine with which the present S. invention is utilised and illustrating the flow of road material through the machine.

Fig 2 is a simplified plan view of the road paving machine depicted in Fig 1 illustrating the material flow path through the machine.

Fig 3 is a simplified side view of the paving mechanism of a typical road paving machine illustrating the relationship between the augers and the screed of the paving mechanism.

Figs 4a, 4b and 4c illustrate side, plan and perspective views respectively of one preferred embodiment of a paving guide utilised in the present invention.

Fig 5 illustrates the paving guide shown in Figs 4a, 4b, and 4c located in position with a road paving machine.

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'.7 -6- Fig 6 is a simplified plan view of the road paving machine with one arrangement of paving guides for depositing a narrow section of road material.

Fig 7 is a simplified plan view of the road paving machine with an alternative arrangement of paving guides for depositing a section of road material to one side of the paving machine.

Figs 8a, 8b and 8c illustrate side, plan and perspective views respectively of a further preferred embodiment of a paving guide utilised in the present invention.

Fig 9 is a simplified plan view of the road paving machine with a further arrangement of paving guides for depositing a section of road material to one side of the 6: 10 paving machine.

Fig 10 Oa is a simplified side view of a further preferred embodiment of a paving f guide arrangement utilised in the present invention.

Fig 10 Ob is a simplified front view of the paving guide arrangement depicted in Fig lOa.

Fig 10 Oc is a simplified front view of an alternative paving guide arrangement to that depicted in Figs 10a and 10 Ob.

4 4 °o Figs 11 a and 11 b illustrate schematic end views of the hopper section of a typical paving machine incorporating a hinged floor member.

Fig 12 illustrates a further preferred embodiment of a paving guide arrangement located in position with a road paving machine. Fig 13 illustrates a further preferred embodiment of a paving guide arrangement employed in conjunction with a road paving machine with an extendable screed.

1 -7- Fig 14 schematically illustrates the use of paving guides of differing heights in order to adjust the angle of the screed of the paver as required by the camber of the road surface.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to Fig 1, a typical commercially available road paving machine 1 is depicted. Hot mix asphalt 2 is held in a hopper section 3 of the machine and is fed via feed conveyors 4 towards the rear of the machine where it is deposited onto the roadway The deposited material 6 is spread laterally by means of rotating augers 7 located I forwardly of the screed section 8 of the paving machine. A layer of asphalt 9 of relatively uniform height is left on the roadway as the paving machine traverses from right to left as illustrated. In a preferred adaptation of the paving machine provided by the present invention the drive wheels of the machine may be mounted on hydraulic o0 rams in order to vary the ground clearance of the machine. Preferably the wheels of the 00 0.0: machine may be mounted on independent hydraulic rams so that the paving machine can 15 be maintained at a horizontal level whilst negotiating trenches. Referring to Fig 1, the extended position of the drive wheel of the machine when negotiating a trench is 1 illustrated in broken line. The machine may also be provided with a skid plate at the lower front end of the machine which acts to guide the steering wheels of the paving machine out of a trench.

Fig 2 illustrates the flow of the asphalt material through the paving machine. In the machine depicted there are left and-right feed conveyors 4a, 4b which feed the asphalt from the hopper section 3.

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-r i\ p4i( j i; -8- Fig 3 illustrates the location of the spreading augers 7 in relation to the screed 8 on a typical commercially available road paving machine.

Figs 4a, 4b, and 4c depict one embodiment of a paving guide arrangement utilised in the present invention. The paving guide 10 includes a sole plate 11 which rests upon and moves along the road surface 5. An upwardly extending wall member 12 is provided at a front 1ortion of the paving guide to restrict the deposition of road material to an area lying to one side of the guide. It is preferred that the wall member 12i extends approximately 50 mm above the road surface so as to provide an adequate barrier for the deposited material whilst also avoiding fouling of the auger mechanism of the paving machine. The paving guide 10 also includes an upwardly projecting member ,or lug 13 which is adapted to contact or engage with the paving mechanism of the paving S•"machine so that the paving guide 10 is pushed along the roadway as the machine traverses the section of road to be repaired. The wall member 12 is located adjacent a S: longitudinal outer edge 14 of the sole plate and extends forwardly of the lug 13. The forward end 15 of the paving guide is turned upwardly so as to assist the guide in riding over any irregularities that may be encountered in the road surface. The paving guide may further include an adjustable connection means 13a for connecting the guide to the ,9 paving mechanism. The connection means preferably comprises a threaded rod member 13a to connect the paving guide to the screed of the paving machine. The rod member 13a is supported by a gusset plate 13b.

Fig 5 illustrates a paving guide 10 located in position with the paving machine.

The lug member 13 of the paving guide contacts a forward surface of the screed 8 of the paving mechanism. In this way the paving guide 10 is pushed along the roadway 5 as the 0 1 -9paving machine traverses the section of road to be repaired. In an alternative arrangement the paving guide 10 may be connected to the screed by a mechanical connection. A spacer means 15 is employed between the sole plate 11 of the paving guide and the screed plate 16 of the screed 8. The spacer means is used to control the height of the deposition of uncompacted asphalt in relation to the level of the existing roadway and also protects the screed plate from being damaged. The spacer 15 can be made from suitable material, with timber being preferred. A range of spacers of varying heights can be used so as to accommodate for filling trenches of different depths and to allow for the compaction of the asphalt material after it has been deposited. It is also: possible for the spacer means to take the form of an adjustable means so as to enable the 9 height of the deposited material to be controlled between a range of heights. In one 1 application of the present invention replacement asphalt is deposited in a trench to a height above that of the level of the existing roadway in order to accommodate for .compaction of the material. Hot mix asphalt material can typically experience a compaction ratio of approximately 20% to 25%. Therefore, for a trench depth of 25 mm the allowance for compaction is typically an additional 5 mm, whilst for a 150 mm depth of trench the additional allowance for compaction is a further 30 mm. By changing the height of the spacers employed different depths of trench can be accommodated.

Referring to Fig 6 in conjunction with Fig 5, one embodiment of an arrangement according to the present invention is illustrated. The arrangement depicted can be used when depositing a narrow section of replacement asphalt in a repair trench of a roadway.

In this application paving guides I Oa, 10b are located beneath the paving mechanism of the machine on opposing sides of the repair trench. The walls 12a, 12b of the respective 4'

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66 *o 6 6666 *0 66 6*a 66r 4 66 666 6 66s 66a 66 66 4* 6 6 *P 6446 *r *i 6 66 66r 6666 64D a 66 6 66 6* 6 6 6a guides are 1: I-ted beneath the augers and act to restrict the deposition of the road material to the area 17 lying between the walls of the guides. The guides 10a, 10b are pushed along the roadway by the screed 8 as the paving machine traverses the repair trench.

Referring to Fig 7 a further embodiment of the present invention is depicted. In this arrangement the guide means takes the form of a cowl or diverter 18. This arrangement is particularly suitable for repairing edges or "shoulders" of roadways. In one embodiment the diverter 18 takes the form of a plate which is located at the end of the feed conveyor 4 and beneath the auger 7. In an alternative preferred embodiment the 10 diverter 18 takes the form of a trough which is positioned beneath the auger 7 and shaped around the auger, and is preferably formed in a substantially or shape.

The diverter 18 acts to prevent material from failing directly from the feed conveyor 4 onto the road surface. The auger 7, in conjunction with diverter 18, acts to divert and deposit material to an outer side of the paving machine. In the application depicted feed 15 conveyor 4a is active, whilst feed conveyor 4b is shut off. In this way asphalt can be deposited to one side of the paving machine as is desirable when repairing an edge or shoulder of a roadway. Whilst the arrangement of Fig. 7 depicts the cowl or diverter 18 being used in conjunction with paving guides 10, it should be noted that the cowl or diverter 18 may be utilised either with or without paving guides Figs 8a, 8b, and 8c depict an alternative embodiment of a paving guide which may be utilised with the present invention. In this embodiment the guide takes the form of a plate 19 which includes upwardly projecting lugs 20 adapted to contact with the paving machine so that the plate is moved along the roadway with the machine.

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.4 9 4s -11- Fig 9 illustrates a plan view with the paving plate 19 in use. The lugs 20 contact the forward surface of the screed 8 of the paving machine. In this application feed conveyor 4b is either inoperative or blanked off. The road material is deposited via feed conveyor 4a onto the paving plate. The auger 7 then acts to spread the material laterally out to the side of the machine and beyond the outer edge 21 of the paving plate 19. In this way road material is prevented from being deposited in the area covered by the paving plate.

Figs 10a, 10b and 10c illustrate further alternative embodiments of paving guide arrangements in accordance with the present invention. Fig 10a depicts a schematic side 10 view of an arrangement in which an additional member 22 is utilised to act as a screed plate. The screeding member 22 includes a lower portion 23 with a flat surface 24 and an upwardly projecting forward portion 25. The lower portion 23 of the screeding member 22 is located between the sole plate 11 of the paving guide and a spacer 35. The forward wall 24 of the screeding member 22 is positioned between the lug 13 of the paving guide 15 10 and the front surface of the paver screed 8 so that the screeding member 22 moves with the guide 10 as the paving machine traverses the roadway. This arrangement is particularly useful when repairing sections of roadway which include obstacles such as road reflectors 26. The screed plate 22 provides a screeding surface 24 whilst the spacers lift the screed 8 of the paver above the level of the roadway 5 and clear of obstacles.

In Fig 10c the lower portion 23 of the screeding member 22 is shaped in the form of a vee. Typically this arrangement may be used with a road paving machine with an extendable screed. This arrangement provides a screeding surface 24 which is a i 1 I i ~iR~/ -12particularly useful when repairing or forming vee shaped drains on the side of a r roadway.

Figs 1 la and 1 lb illustrate schematic end views of the hopper section 3 of a typical paving machine. In a further feature of the present invention the hopper section 3 includes a hinged floor member 27 which acts to block material from one of the feed conveyors 4a. The floor member 27 extends along the length of the feed conveyor and is i' pivotable about end hinge point 28. The side walls 29a, 29b of the hopper section are i hinged at points 30a, 30b respectively. As illustrated in Fig 11 b, as the side wail 29a of i the hopper section pivots upwardly the floor member 27 is lifted upwardly about its end pivot point 28. This upward movement of the floor member 27 acts to assist in o transferring road material in the hopper to the operative feed conveyor 4b. In an o alternative arrangement the floor member 27 can be pivoted about its hinge point 28 so as to cover feed conveyor 4b. I In the arrangement depicted in Fig 12 the paving apparatus further incorporates a 15 vertically adjustable blade 31 which extends between the guides 10 located on opposing sides of the trench. The width of the blade is adjustable so as to accommodate for varying trench widths. The blade 31 is adapted to be capable of extending below the level of the existing roadway surface. This arrangement can be utilised where it is desired to lay a section of road material, such as blue-metal road base or asphalt, in a trench which is to lie below the level of the surrounding asphalt. The blade 31 acts a screed to define the level 32 of the material deposited in the trench.

Referring to Fig 13, it is possible to utilise the paving guide arrangements described in conjunction with a road paving machine with an extendable screed. This 'r *1

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-13a taee a a; arrangement is particularly applicable when repairing the edge or shoulder of a roadway where it is desired to keep the wheels of the paving machine on the existing road surface. As illustrated, road material is diverted to an outer side of the paving machine whilst the wheels of the machine remain on the existing road surface. The guide means may take form of a cowl or diverter 18 as described with reference to Fig. 7. In a particularly preferred form the guide means takes the form of a trough which is positioned beneath the auger 7 and shaped around the auger.

Referring to Fig 14 the angle of the screed relative to the road surface can be adjusted in accordance with the camber of the road surface by utilising paving guides of 10 varying heights. Again, this arrangement is particularly applicable when repairing the edge or shoulder of a roadway. By utilising spacers of differing heights on each side of the screed, the screed can be angled relative to the roadway as required. In the embodiment depicted the paving guide 10 a includes a spacer which acts to define the height of the deposited material 9, whilst the paving guide 1 0b includes a spacer which is 15 sized to provide the desired angle for the screed plate 16 relative to surface of the roadway Advantageously with the present invention any spillage or excess of road material associated with repairing a relatively narrow section of roadway is contained to the immediate proximity of the trench area, and more importantly is not compressed into the surrounding road surface. After the paver has traversed and filled the trench it is simply a matter of trimming the edges of the trench. This represents a significant saving in terms of labour and time.

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c cc J r cc Employing a paving machine to repair narrow sections of road has the further advantage of ensuring consistent compaction in the repaired section. Manually filling a section of road can result in uneven compaction. However using the paver machine in conjunction with the paving guides, consistent degree compaction can occur over the full extent of the repaired section.

Furthermore the method and apparatus of the present invention make it significantly easier for an operator of a paving machine to provide a smooth transition between the surface of the existing roadway and that of the repaired section, thereby ensuring continuity in the level of the roadway surface and providing good "rideabiiity" over the repaired section.

Additionally, the method and apparatus of the present invention reduce the level of operator skill and experience which is necessary in order to lay a smooth and level layer of road material which closely matches the level of the existing roadway surface.

'urthermore, using a conventional paving machine in conjunction with various arrangements of paving guides as have been exemplified makes for a significantly more flexible paving machine capable of depositing road material in widths from 4000 mm with a fully extended screed, down to approximately 100 nun or less, as well as enabling the paving machine to be used for the restoration of road edges and shoulders.

Thus, it can be appreciated that the present invention provides a method of depositing a relatively narrow section of roadway material, such as a road base material, asphalt or soil, which enables the use of a conventional road paving machine atnd which in turn affords a significant reduction in time and labour requirements in depositing the roadway material.

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*ja h~i From the foregoing detailed description, it will be evident that there are a number of changes, adaptations and modifications of the present invention which come within the province of those skilled in the art. However, it is intended that all such variations not departing from the spirit of the invention be considered as within the scope thereof as limited solely by claims appended hereto.

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Claims (18)

1. A method of depositing a narrow section of roadway material with a road paving machine, said road paving machine including a means for laterally spreading said material, wherein said method includes the step of locating a guide means beneath said spreading means to confine the deposition of the material to said narrow section.

2. The method of depositing a narrow section of roadway material using a road paving machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said spreading means comprises one or :more augers.

3. The method of depositing a narrow section of roadway material using a road I S' o10 paving machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said guide means is adapted to engage with the road paving machine and to move with the paving machine.

4. The method of depositing a narrow section of roadway material using a road paving machine as claimed in claim 3 wherein said guide means includes a sole plate which rests upon and moves along the road surface. 1 15

5. The method of depositing a narrow section of roadway material using a road S:.I pavng machine as claimed in claim 3 wherein said guide means includes a member adapted to contact or engage with a screed of the paving machine such that said guide means is forced to move with the paving machine.

6. The method of depositing a narrow section of roadway material using a road paving machine as claimed in claim 1 v,herein a spacer means is used to determine the height of deposition of the road material. ^^5X T r /r T i I -17- .4 a 5g 04 e g e g C Ce @90 C C 0 0 g e ee C Ce C 99 a e. 9* a S 9 a e Ce C a S.

7. The method of depositing a narrow section of roadway material using a road paving machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein a spacer means is used to determine the height of the screed of the paving machine above the road surface.

8. The method of depositing a narrow section of roadway material using a road paving machine as claimed in claims 6 or 7 wherein said spacer means is of a height which allows for compaction of the deposited material.

9. The method of depositing a narrow section of roadway material using a road paving machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said guide means includes an upwardly extending wall member to restrict the deposition of road material to an area lying to one 10 side of the guide means.

10. The method of depositing a narrow section of roadway material using a road paving machine as claimed in claim 9 wherein said wall member of said guide means is located beneath said spreading means of the paving machine and acts to confine the deposition of the road material to an area lying to one side of the guide. 15

11. The method of depositing a narrow section of roadway material using a road paving machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said guide means is adapted to divert the material to one side of the paving machine.

12. The method of depositing a narrow section of roadway material using a road paving machine as claimed in claim 11 wherein said guide means is located at the end of a feed conveyor of the paving machine and acts to prevent material from falling directly from said feed conveyor onto the road surface, said guide means acting in conjunction with said spreading means of the paving machine to divert and deposit the material to an outer side of the guide means. ,i i Ve R,14 -18-

13. The method of depositing a narrow section of roadway material using a road paving machine as claimed in claim 12 wherein said guide means is shaped in the form of a trough and extends beneath said spreading means of the paving machine.

14. A method of depositing a narrow section of roadway material with a road paving machine, said road paving machine including a screed and an auger for laterally spreading said material, wherein said method includes locating a guide means beneath said auger to confine the deposition of the material to said narrow section and locating a •spacer means beneath the screed to control the height of the deposited material,

15. A method of depositing a narrow section of roadway material with a road paving machine, said road paving machine including a screed and an auger for laterally spreading said material, wherein said method includes locating a guide means beneath said auger to prevent material from falling directly from said feed conveyor onto the road surface, said guide means acting in conjunction with said spreading means of the paving machine to divert and deposit the material to an outer side of the guide means.

16. A guide means to limit the width of material deposited by a road paving machine afor use in the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to

17. A method of depositing a section of roadway material with a road paving machine substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the embodiments of the invention shown in the accompanying dc'awings. .i -19-

18. A guide means to limit the width of material deposited by a road paving machine substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the embodiments of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings. DATED this 25th Day of November, 1998. JOHN RUSSELL SHARPE, ALAN VICTOR SHARPE AND j RONALD DOUGLAS SHARPE 10 Attorney: RUSSELL J. DAVIES Fellow Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia of BALDWIN SHELSTON WATERS *e 9 6 0 0 0 e i 4 *o i 0 0 r a <II ;e i? 1 1 1 i