Road structure – process – or apparatus – Apparatus – Material distribution means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-10
2003-09-16
Will, Thomas B. (Department: 3671)
Road structure, process, or apparatus
Apparatus
Material distribution means
C404S075000, C404S108000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06619881
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is broadly concerned with improved roadway crack sealing apparatus which comprises a mobile vehicle with a forward crack sealing assembly including respective fill (e.g., sand) and sealant (e.g., asphalt emulsion or cement) hoppers cooperatively located so that the sealing assembly presents a sighting passageway permitting an apparatus operator to visually locate and follow an elongated roadway crack during forward movement of the vehicle. More particularly, the invention pertains to such apparatus and corresponding methods wherein the sealing assembly is designed to initially apply a particulate fill into the crack, followed by sealant and a top coating of additional fill; preferably, a broom-type finishing assembly is also provided.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Roadway cracks are a constant problem to municipal and state transportation authorities. Unless such cracks are rather promptly filled and sealed as weather permits, they may widen into more significant fissures or potholes. Known roadway crack-filling operations typically involve the use of a truck-mounted kettle or tank containing crack-filling material such as an asphalt emulsion. Applicator brushes, swabs or similar expedients may be dipped into the tank and then onto the roadway defects, as the tank is moved along the road. Alternately, some operations use hoses leading from such a mobile tank to an applicator wand which is operated manually to apply crack-filling material into irregular defects or cracks. After the flowable crack filling material is applied, sand or aggregate is generally applied by a following dump truck and workers who shovel and/or brush the sand or aggregate. Such operations are inherently labor-intensive, requiring a crew of four or more workers. Moreover, production rates are typically low, owing to the fact that the rate is only as fast as the slowest crew member.
A number of specialized repair machines have been proposed in the past, see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,232,306, 5,006,012, 5,263,790, 5,419,654, 4,511,284, 4,676,689 and 894,859. In most cases, such equipment is very expensive because it is entirely purpose-built. Hence, while the equipment may be useful during the season where crack sealing operations are most intense, during some seasonal periods the equipment stands idle. Furthermore, these prior proposals have not adequately provided efficient, high speed and high quality crack sealing as they require labor-intensive crack filling and sealing.
There is accordingly a need in the art for improved roadway crack sealing apparatus which can, if desired, be removably mounted upon a multiple-use vehicle such as a skid steer unit, and which allows efficient roadway crack sealing using only a minimum of crew members.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes the problems outlined above and provides roadway crack sealing apparatus in the form of a mobile vehicle having a driver compartment with a crack sealing assembly forward of the driver compartment. The sealing assembly includes fill and sealant hoppers each provided with selectively openable outlets for application of fill and sealant onto roadway cracks. The sealing assembly presents spaced side margins and is configured to create an elongated sighting passageway therebetween allowing an operator within the compartment to visually locate and follow an elongated roadway crack during forward movement of the vehicle along a roadway. Furthermore, in preferred forms, a control assembly coupled with the fill and sealant outlets is mounted adjacent the driver compartment so that the driver (or an operator separate from the driver) can continuously manipulate and control the quantity of fill and sealant delivered for crack sealing purposes.
In preferred forms, the fill and sealant hoppers are laterally spaced apart and astride the sighting passageway. The fill hopper advantageously has a pair of spaced, individually controllable outlets, whereas the sealant hopper has a single nozzle-type outlet between the fill hopper outlets. In this way, fill is first deposited into the crack, followed by sealant and then more fill. A drag element is advantageously located proximal to these outlets so that the crack filling materials are properly applied and smoothed during forward motion of the vehicle.
The preferred crack sealing apparatus also includes a finishing assembly which is towed by the vehicle. The finishing assembly has a series of laterally arranged brushes serving to finally brush and finish the crack repair. A rear platform supports a crew member who can manually sweep away any excess fill material and otherwise monitor the progress of the crack sealing operation.
In order to facilitate over the road travel, the forward sealing assembly is equipped with a castered wheel assembly, while the finishing assembly may be moved to an upright, retracted position.
In particularly preferred forms, the apparatus is adapted for connection to a uniloader or skid steer. These types of vehicles are versatile and mobile in all directions and particularly adapted for following cracks which may extend in any direction. The apparatus further comprises one hopper which is adapted to hold a quantity of emulsion and a second hopper which is adapted to hold a quantity of fill material. The emulsion-containing hopper is spaced from the sand-containing hopper such that there is a visible channel between the two hoppers. The fill-containing hopper presents two adjustable doors located near the bottom of the hopper. The doors are laterally spaced apart and have chutes attached thereto for directing the fill material toward cracks in roads. Furthermore, each chute is directed the channel between the two hoppers. At the end of each chute is a second door which meters the amount of sand exiting the chute and deposited in and around the crack being sealed. Although each door is depicted as being manually operable, it is within the realm of the invention to have doors which are operated in other ways including electrically, pneumatically, and hydraulically. Generally, once the hopper is filled with the fill material, each first door leading from the hopper to the chute is opened and left in an open position. This permits the fill to flow from the hopper onto the chute where it is normally retained by each second door which are normally in a closed position. Potential fill materials include manufactured limestone sand, rock chips, gravel, sawdust and wood chips. The use of manufactured limestone sand and sawdust are particularly preferred as the fill materials of choice. In preferred embodiments, the second hopper is also equipped with a castered wheel attached to the bottom of the apparatus. This wheel accommodates some of the weight of the hopper and permits a turning radius approximating zero.
The emulsion-containing hopper includes an outlet leading to a specially designed nozzle located in the channel between the two hoppers. This nozzle is further located between the two chutes of the second hopper. The output of emulsion through the nozzle is controllable by a valve which is operable for varying the emulsion output. Operation of the valve is, controlled by the operator of the apparatus. The nozzle is designed to apply emulsion over the top of the crack and onto the sides of the crack, thereby sealing the crack by providing a strip of emulsion which covers the crack and both sides adjacent the crack. The width of this emulsion strip is determined by the width of the nozzle and by a set of squeegees on an emulsion drag. Generally, the nozzle receives emulsion from the emulsion containing hopper. The inflow port of the nozzle is generally round in shape in order to facilitate attachment to a conduit leading to the emulsion tank. The nozzle then presents a channel of diminishing cross sectional area up to the tip (or outflow port) of the nozzle terminating in a slit-shaped outflow port. This slit-shaped outflow port is preferably wider than the cracks to be filled when orie
Hovey & Williams, LLP
Pechhold Alexandra K.
RH Group LLC
Will Thomas B.
LandOfFree
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