Abstract: A vibratory plate machine has an improved baseplate, console, clutch, and/or cage assembly. The baseplate has a semi-spherical bottom surface and barrel-shaped side surfaces to improve stability and maneuverability. The baseplate also has ribs on its upper surface configured to maximize stiffening ability and to channel debris off from the baseplate. The console is formed from a single cast metal element to reduce weight and to reduce assembly complexity and to permit shockmounts to be connected to the extreme corner portions of the console. The clutch is configured to distribute as much weight as practical to its outer diameter so that it functions as a flywheel to reduce jerking effects on the driven belt to reduce belt wear and increase belt life. The cage assembly is configured to maximize protection of sensitive components of the machine from external shocks and to facilitate machine lifting.

Abstract: A mounting rail extends longitudinally along a vehicle. An installation head is mounted on the vehicle in a position fixed relative to the rail and adjacent to a first end portion of the rail. The head has a setting station from which road markers may be dispensed down onto a roadway. A glue dispenser assembly is slidably mounted on the rail. The assembly includes a dispenser with a nozzle, an anchor, and an anchor actuator. The assembly has a forward index position on a second end portion of the rail. The actuator is operable to move the anchor down into engagement with the roadway to prevent movement of the assembly relative to the roadway. A return actuator is connected to the assembly to allow the assembly to slide along the rail when the anchor is down and to positively move the assembly forwardly along the rail to return it to the index position.

Abstract: A concrete dowel placement apparatus comprising a base member and an elongate, tubular dowel receiving sheath which is connectible to the base member. The base member comprises an outer sleeve having first and second ends and a flange portion which extends about the first end of the outer sleeve and defines front and back surfaces and a peripheral edge. The base member further comprises an inner sleeve which is disposed within the outer sleeve and defines an aperture extending longitudinally therethrough to the back surface of the flange portion. Extending between the inner and outer sleeves is at least one reinforcement wall. The sheath has an open proximal end, a closed distal end, and a hollow interior compartment extending longitudinally therein. The open proximal end of the sheath is extensible over the outer sleeve such that at least a portion of the outer sleeve resides within the interior compartment.

Abstract: A housingless abrasion resistance reflective pavement marker is disclosed. The marker comprises a housingless, flat topped body and a reflective member embeded in the body.The body can be made of abrasion and impact resistant curable resinous filler material such as epoxy or polyester resin. The body and the reflective member can be coated with high abrasion resistance diamond like carbon film to enhance durability and retain reflectivity. The filler can be an inert additive material.The reflective member can have light reflecting cells on its inner surface. The reflective member can be protected by a variety of abrasion and impact reducing ridges and webs. Also disclosed is a method for making housingless reflective pavement marker in an open mold.

Abstract: A dock leveler having a frame, a deck hingedly mounted at on end to the frame and a lip hingedly mounted to the deck at another thereof. The lip has a hinge tube affixed to the lip and a gusset joined to both the lip and the hinge tube. The gusset has an end joining the lip having a width greater than an end joining the hinge tube. The gusset may have a trapezoidal shape and the end of the gusset joining the lip is affixed by two welds each spanning the width of the end joining the hinge tube and disposed between the gusset and the hinge tube. The two welds are joined to each other by extending around edges of the gusset. A single gusset may span the lip and be joined to multiple hinge tubes.

Abstract: A wear compensating device for a slope adjusting assembly for an extendable screed section of a paver includes a saddle support assembly on the screed, for supporting an extendable screed section, a saddle assembly on the saddle support assembly for carrying extendable guide members to support the extendable screed section, and an adjustable cam follower positioned between the saddle assembly and the saddle support assembly for providing rolling contact between the saddle assembly and the saddle support assembly, to maintain alignment between the saddle support assembly and the saddle assembly.

Abstract: An apparatus for inserting dowel bars into a concrete slab in association with a slip forming machine of a type having a frame with a mold attached thereto for shaping uncured concrete into a continuous concrete slab. The mold having a front and rear pan portion with a space therein completely across the mold. A dowel bar inserter having individual fork assemblies is disposed above this space in the pan for pushing the dowel bars down into the formed concrete slab, preferably all at one time. The dowel bar inserter is adjustable and removable. If removed, the forward and rear pan portions of the mold can be bolted together instead of being spaced apart. The front pan portion is greater than three feet long. The rear pan portion is greater than two feet long and the front pan portion is preferably longer than the rear pan portion.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for recycling concrete pavement in a coordinated procession include a breaker which turns the concrete into rubble first backhoe which rips up and cuts the concrete to rubble chunks, then another backhoe loads the chunks into a self-propelled crusher. If the concrete is reinforced with metallic structures, the first backhoe cuts those along with the concrete. The crusher separates the concrete from any steel and fines in the rubble. The crusher discharges the steels in collection bins mounted thereon. Various bins and ways of dumping them are disclosed. The crushed concrete is discharged to the roadway as multi-gradated aggregate. The crusher can also be made self-leveling by a slope control, slope sensors, and hydraulic cylinders arranged thereon in a closed loop feedback circuit.

Abstract: Displaceable highway safety barriers extending along the side of a roadway or forming a median strip between opposing roadway sections, the barriers including a number of skid assemblies resting, without attachment, on a supporting surface adjacent a roadway connected by a plurality of semi-rigid, vehicle/barrier interface members extending longitudinally of the roadway.

Abstract: An excavated opening (10) through a pavement (12) of a highway and through the underlying base material (14) to expose a gas main (16) is filled by (i) mixing on site cement, foaming agent and water to produce a fluid grout (26), (ii) mixing the grout with loose excavated spoil (22) in the opening, (iii) agitating the mixture using a hand-held poker vibrator (30), (iv) and repeating this procedure until the level (40) is reached. The level (40) corresponds to the underside of a protective layer (50) which is subsequently applied. The majority of the excavated loose spoil from the opening is reused.

Abstract: A surfacing block (1) has upper and lower surfaces (2, 7) bounded by walls (5) extending between the surfaces (2, 7). The surfaces (2, 7) are of a generally cruciform shape having four arms (4) each of which extend in a direction substantially parallel to the lower surface (7) and substantially perpendicular to two of the other arms (4) of the block. The block (1) has around the boundary of its surface projections (8) and/or recesses (9) for interlocking engagement with recesses and/or projections of a neighbouring block. The shape of the block helps to improve the resistance to movement of the block when laid with similar blocks.

Abstract: Elements for impact absorption for the realization of protection barriers for motor car or cycle courses, formed by the junction of a plurality of sheets of plastic material, shaped in such a way as to present a series of reliefs or corrugations, superimposed so that two contiguous sheets present facing concavities and are joined through welding, sticking or other means.

Abstract: A manhole cover of substantially monolithic construction is claimed. The manhole cover comprises a central cover portion having a center, and having a thickness that varies radially from the center in accordance with an exponential or parabolic function. An intermediate cover portion surrounds the central cover portion and has a substantially uniform thickness. An outer bearing portion surrounds the intermediate cover portion and has a thickness greater than the intermediate cover portion. The thickness of the central portion may vary radially from the center in accordance with the exponential function, t.sub.r =T.multidot.e.sup.-cB, where t.sub.r is the thickness at a given radial point r from the center, c=(r/R).sup.2, where R is the radius of the cover, B is a dispersion constant, and T is a constant that determines the thickness of the central portion at the center.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for finishing a concrete floor that exce approximately 50 feet in width. A riding trowel of the type that forms a windrow of loosened concrete material in its wake is positioned on the concrete floor. The riding trowel has a straight edge coupled thereto by a support assembly that positions the straight edge to cross the windrow at a substantially perpendicular angle thereto within line-of-sight of an operator. A power assembly is coupled between the straight edge and the riding trowel for independently controlling vertical and pivoting movement of the straight edge. The riding trowel is driven on the concrete floor and the straight edge is moved along the concrete floor simultaneously with the riding trowel.

Abstract: A basally adhered, self-recovering traffic lane delineator has a cylindrical post made of flexible material, having the air outlet and inlet on the center of its upper surface, and a supplementary support panel placed and adhered underneath the post. The support panel supports a lower part of the post and is adhered on the ground. Owing to its small package volume, the delineator is easy to move and safeguard.

Abstract: The dockboard in one embodiment includes three upper members and two lower members which can be stored and shipped unassembled and readily assembled in the field for use. Each of the members includes a plurality of spaced apart locking members extending from one side between opposite side edges. The locking members are spaced apart from each other between opposite support edges. The five members are assembled to form a dockboard by engaging selected locking members of the two lower members with selected locking members of the center upper member such that the center upper member overlaps adjacent support edges of the two lower members and sliding the center upper member and the two lower members together. Selected locking members of the two outer end upper members are engaged with the outer locking members of the two lower members and the two outer end upper members are slid onto the assembly to form the dockboard.

Abstract: A low pitched, wedge-shaped ramp has flanges on two sides and to provide easy access for a wheeled device such as a wheelchair, the ramp has a flattened frontal edge. An upwardly angled top surface has indented tread squares across a major portion for wheel position frictional maintenance. The ramp is manufactured of recycled rubber for strength and light weight and can be moved easily from place to place. Designed for door threshold use, the underside of the ramp has a framed indentation for restricting ramp slippage.

Abstract: A light-weight, corrosion-resistant, readily installed bridge deck is formed of modular deck panels spliced to each other on site. Each of the deck panels is shop-fabricated by longitudinally welding flanges of adjacently placed multi-void extruded aluminum alloy structural elements. Transfer splices of longitudinally adjacent elongate elements are made by providing shear elements connecting individual elongate structural elements of each deck panel end-to-end prior to longitudinal welding of adjacent elongate elements, with the end joints between the elongate elements being arrayed in a staggered manner. A safety rail system is mounted to run alongside and above outer edges of the finished bridge deck mounted to a system of support girders.

Abstract: A lighted tube support assembly having a first base portion and an upper lighted tube support portion. The base portion would be substantially rectangular in configuration, and would define a channel therethrough of sufficient width to accommodate the width of an anti-glare panel therein. The lighted tube support portion would include a continuous ring member having a bore therethrough for slidably engaging around the outer surface of a lighted tube, and the support portion would further be secured to the base portion via a ball and socket type of joint, so that the upper tube support portion could rotate in vertical, horizontal, and rotational planes in relation to the stationary base member. It would be further provided that these assemblies would be spaced at regular intervals along the entire length of the lighted tube, and would be secured to the support structure or anti-glare panel via screws or the like attachment.

Abstract: Vehicle arresting blocks of cellular concrete are usable to safely slow travel of an object and may be used to construct an aircraft arresting bed at the end of an airport runway. For such purposes, cellular concrete blocks must be fabricated to exhibit compressive gradient strengths of predetermined values to provide sufficient, but not excessive, deceleration forces on an object. Material uniformity characteristics must be met to avoid unacceptable drag force variations, so that arresting blocks desirably exhibit a predetermined compressive gradient strength (e.g., a 60/80 CGS) over a depth of penetration of 10 to 66 percent of block thickness. A 60/80 CGS will typically represent an average compressive strength of 70 pounds per square inch over such depth of penetration. Prior applications of cellular concrete typically involved meeting minimum strength values and the production methods did not meet uniformity or compressive gradient strength predictability as required for arresting blocks.