Abstract: An improved concrete mixing plant is mounted on several mobile chassis to provide portability. The plant includes a horizontally oriented, internally urethane coated mixing drum having spiral and lift flights such that the rate of discharging concrete material is controllable without altering the direction or rate of rotation. The drum and chute are self-erecting from a low-profile, transport configuration to an elevated, mixing configuration. A water dispensing system wherein the water is automatically measured volumetrically or, alternatively, gravimetrically provides automatic cleaning of internal surfaces of the mixing drum as an integral part of the batching process. Feeder belt and weigh-bridge arrangements are interposed between bins containing denser ingredients and a collecting conveyor to provide a first surge capability. A hopper and load cell arrangement is interposed between a compartmented silo and a surge conveyor to provide a further surge capability.

Abstract: A system for concurrently remediating contaminated soil and producing hot mix asphalt includes a single inclined rotary drum; a burner assembly with a burner head spaced intermediately within the drum and oriented to direct a flame and hot gas stream upstream therefrom; a secondary air tube for providing atmospheric air to the burner head for supporting combustion; a drying zone with veiling flights upstream from the burner head for receiving, drying and heating virgin aggregate; a combustion zone with combustion flights downstream from the drying zone and upstream from the burner head for receiving and remediating contaminated soil by heat transfer from the virgin aggregate, the flame and the hot gas stream and for oxidizing volatile contaminants vaporized from the contaminated soil; an isolated mixing zone for receiving various materials including the virgin aggregate, the remediated soil, recycle asphalt, and certain constituents for producing hot mix asphalt therein from thermal energy contained within th

Abstract: An improved system for remediating soil contaminated with short-chain hydrocarbons, long-chain hydrocarbons and PCB's. The system includes an rotary drum having first and second heat exchanging regions, each containing separated inner and outer regions. The drum in inclined such that soil fed into the system with a sealed auger for remediation is gravitationally urged through the inner regions whereat thermal energy provided by a burner means, including clamshell ducts, remediates the soil by vaporizing and oxidizing the hydrocarbons and PCB's in a stream of hot gases.

Abstract: An asphalt plant is provided with a system for containing noxious and nuisance gases and fumes generated therein. The system includes a substantially air tight casing encircling an slat conveyor of the plant, a substantially air tight elevator chute having a substantially air tight connection to each of a drum dryer/mixer and the casing, a batcher chute having a substantially air tight connection to each of the casing and a batcher of the plant, a substantially air tight seal between the batcher and a silo of the plant, and a bypass duct bypassing the seal between the batcher and the silo such that a negative pressure created in the drum dryer/mixer by a power exhaust of the plant is distributed substantially throughout various components of the plant as the batcher and the silo contain sufficient asphalt material being processed by the plant such that air and other gases and fumes contained within the plant are prevented from escaping directly into the ambient atmosphere.

Abstract: A compact, enclosable plant for producing hot mix asphalt from various ingredients, including recycle asphalt pavement ("RAP"). The system includes an inclined rotary drum, a burner assembly for generating a hot gas stream within the drum; a baghouse, exhaust blower, and stack mounted above the drum for reclaiming entrained particulate matter; an auger arrangement for returning the reclaimed particulate matter to the: and a supporting frame. The baghouse has a lower chamber for collecting the reclaimed particulate matter and for serving as a primary hopper for certain of the various ingredients. A plurality of preferably rectangularly shaped storage and loadout silos for containing certain of the ingredients and the hot mix asphalt, and conveyors for conveying the certain ingredients and hot mix asphalt to and from the storage and loadout silos, and to a bypass chute for direct loading on transport vehicles.

Abstract: An improved asphalt paver with a compaction compensating system includes a nominal reference, such as an elongate averaging ski, for determining the general profile of the underlying terrain on which a mat of asphalt material is being placed by the paver. The improved system also includes a compensating ski for determining localized irregularities of the subgrade and a control system for responsively altering the thickness of the mat being placed by the paver to compensate for differential compaction of the asphalt material such that a generally planar asphalt paving surface is obtained after compaction thereof. Modified embodiments of the improved compaction compensating system include a stringline for the reference and two non-contacting sensors for communicating the general profile and localized irregularity determinations to the control system.

Abstract: An improved screed control device includes two pairs of interacting cylindrical surfaces for controlling the "angle of attack" or elevation of a screed of a paver, a first pair of the two pairs of interacting surfaces having either right-hand or left-hand threads and the other pair of interacting surfaces having threads with handedness opposite from that of the first pair. A reversing pin is adapted to selectively maintain one pair of the two pairs of interacting surfaces stationary relative to each other as a hand-crank arrangement operationally causes the other pair to threadably interact. Handedness of the control device is accomplished by moving the reversing pin to a different set of co-linearly aligned apertures such that the threadably interacting pair of the two pairs of interacting surfaces are caused to become stationary relative to each other and the stationary pair to become threadably interacting relative to each other.

Abstract: Material remediation apparatus includes a remediation drum through which materials, such as soil contaminated with hydrocarbons, are advanced from a feed end to a discharge end of the drum. A tube extending concentrically from the discharge end of the drum into the drum forms a combustion chamber. Materials being decontaminated advance through an annular space between the tube and the drum. The tube is axially first of converging and then of diverging shape, as viewed from the discharge end of the drum. A turbo burner injects combustible gases into the tube which are burned within the diverging shape of the tube. A portion of the burned gases reflow from the outlet of tube through the annular space to the discharge end of the drum. In a zone of the drum occupied by the tube materials are heated by conduction and radiation of energy passing through the wall of the tube as well as by convective heating from the reflow gases. Hot gases are exhausted from the drum at the feed end thereof.

Abstract: A burner unit has a fuel dispersion arrangement at a burner head leading to a flame region which distributed fuel from longitudinal slots extending along trailing edges of spinner vanes of a spinner vane assembly. The spinner vane assembly is disposed transversely across a flow channel of combustion air past the burner head and has a function of deflecting the axial flow of the combustion air radially outward into a conical flow. The deflective air flow pressure distribution over the spinner vanes contributes to induction and mixing of the fuel with the combustion air as the combustion air enters the flame region of the burner. Combustion gases resulting from a combustible mixture achieved in this manner have resulted in emission products with pollutant levels within currently specified limits.

Abstract: An asphalt paver includes a microprocessor controlled integrated control system to control both the operation of a tractor unit of the paver and the positioning of the screed during a paving operation. A paver operator may operate the paver and monitor the screed position with respect to a grade reference. The correction of grade or transverse slope errors is accomplished by monitoring the linear advance of the paver and then measuring a any deviation of the screed with respect to a grade reference. The amount of vertical deviation and the linear advance since a most recent correct reading allows a rate of deviation per unit advance of the paver to be determined. A correction is applied as a change in the angle of attack of the screed, the change being equal and opposite to the determined rate of deviation. A transverse slope change is also measured directly at the screed.

Abstract: Material remediation apparatus includes a remediation drum through which materials, such as soil contaminated with hydrocarbons, are advanced from a feed end to a discharge end of the drum. A tube extending concentrically from the discharge end of the drum into the drum forms a combustion chamber. Materials being decontaminated advance through an annular space between the tube and the drum. The tube is axially first of converging and then of diverging shape, as viewed from the discharge end of the drum. A turbo burner injects combustible gases into the tube which are burned within the diverging shape of the tube. A portion of the burned gases reflow from the outlet of tube through the annular space to the discharge end of the drum. In a zone of the drum occupied by the tube materials are heated by conduction and radiation of energy passing through the wall of the tube as well as by convective heating from the reflow gases. Hot gases are exhausted from the drum at the feed end thereof.

Abstract: A burner assembly has a combustion chamber in which combustion takes place in an elongate centrally disposed combustion tube. An outer housing encases the combustion tube and provides an annular space between an inner wall of the housing and the combustion tube. Part of the exhaust gases exiting from the combustion tube are diverted from the downstream end thereof to be returned through the annular space to the upstream end of the combustion tube. Fuel is injected into the diverted exhaust gases, volatilized when in liquid form and mixed with the diverted gases. The fuel and gas mixture is further combined with a buffer gas and becomes entrained into and mixed with a high velocity of combustion air which is injected into the upstream end of the combustion tube. The flame temperature may be monitored and the quantity of the buffer gas added may be controllably varied based on temperature readings from the monitoring process to minimize the generation of nitrous oxides.

Abstract: An asphalt paver includes a microprocessor controlled integrated control system to control both the operation of a tractor unit of the paver and the positioning of the screed during a paving operation. A paver operator may operate the paver and monitor the screed position with respect to a grade reference. The correction of grade or transverse slope errors is accomplished by monitoring the linear advance of the paver and then measuring a any deviation of the screed with respect to a grade reference. The amount of vertical deviation and the linear advance since a most recent correct reading allows a rate of deviation per unit advance of the paver to be determined. A correction is applied as a change in the angle of attack of the screed, the change being equal and opposite to the determined rate of deviation. A transverse slope change is also measured directly at the screed.

Abstract: A conical crusher head of a gyratory cone crusher is supported by a spider arm cradle. Radially disposed and circumferentially evenly spaced spider arm type support members of the cradle extend outwardly through an annular material discharge path in the lower portion of the crusher and through the generally cylindrical frame of the crusher. A gyratory drive mechanism is disposed annularly about the material flow path region and is coupled to the head support members to gyrate the head.

Abstract: A single drum of a flow-through soil remediation plant includes a first zone which is a heating zone. The heating zone is disposed next to an intake end through which a first soil material to be contaminated is introduced into the remediation plant. Heat energy is supplied by a burner unit to the first zone to heat the first soil material to a first decontamination temperature. The first soil material then passes from the heating zone to a second zone which is a mixing zone. A second soil material may be introduced selectively into the mixing zone and mixed with the first soil material. With the first soil material having been heated to the first decontamination temperature in the first zone, heat energy is transferred from the first soil material to the second soil material during the mixing process. The heat transfer raises the heat of the second soil material to a second decontamination temperature.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for remediating soils and other materials contaminated with organic compounds comprising dual volatilizing zones and radiant heat. The material is treated in the volatilizing zones to substantially volatilize the organic compounds contained within the material.

Abstract: A gyratory crusher includes a bowl assembly with a concave crushing surface and a crusher head of conical shape which extends into the concave portion of the bowl assembly. A central crusher axis extends centrally through the bowl assembly. The crusher head is mounted with a central head axis at an angular deviation with respect to the central crusher axis to intersect the crusher axis at an apex. Crushing action is obtained by driving the crusher head to gyrate the angular offset of its central axis about the central crusher axis. The gyratory crusher has an adjustable stroke of gyration. Adjustability of the stroke is obtained by controllably varying the amount of angular deviation by which the crusher head gyrates about the central crusher axis.

Abstract: A device for mounting an ultrasonic transducer on user equipment for operation in a contaminating, ambient environment. A housing has a forwardly extending, profiled inner surface for promoting focusing along an axis of ultrasonic waves emitted by a transducer mounted against a shoulder of the casing. A chamber adjacent to a backside of the transducer is formed by a rearwardly extending portion of the casing and a cap forming an overlap portion therewith. A bladder disposed in the chamber has a port which vents into the overlap portion such that pressure equalization across the transducer is dynamically maintained. A calibrator offset by known displacement from the transducer provides a reflected wave portion to the transducer such that errors caused by temperature dependency of the velocity of propagation of the ultrasonic waves through the ambient environment can be substantially eliminated.

Abstract: A push roll assembly mounted to a material receiving apparatus, such as a paver or other material receiving machine, includes a resilient link which allows energy transferred during contact of a supply truck with the push rolls to be gradually transferred to the material receiving machine, to thereby smoothen the impact between such truck and the machine.

Abstract: A material transfer machine includes a slat conveyor of substantially the width of a feed hopper of a paving machine. The slat conveyor is supported by caster wheels to be disposed at an incline having a material intake end at a lower end thereof and a discharge end at the opposite upper end of the conveyor. The slat conveyor is mounted to a leading edge of the paving machine such that the upper discharge end is disposed above the feed hopper of the paving machine. A hopper is disposed ahead of the lower intake end of the slat conveyor, supported by a frame which is pivotably attached at a rear end thereof along the sides of the slat conveyor to an understructure thereof. The front end of the frame is supported by caster wheels, such that the frame is capable of joint movement with the conveyor and the paving machine while supporting pivotal movement in a vertical plane in response to grade changes of a base grade.