Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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).

Abstract: 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.