Asphalt compaction device

Abstract

In one embodiment of the invention, a traditional roller, known in the industry, includes a front drum including an eccentric which provides a vibration which is transmitted to the surface to be compacted and a rear drum including another eccentric which provides another vibration which is also transmitted to the surface to be compacted. While this traditional roller is well known in the art, it may be modified to including a control box which synchronizes the movement of the eccentric of the front roller and the eccentric of the rear roller and a braking mechanism. While the braking mechanism is engaged, the synchronized vibrations of the front and rear roller allow the roller to continue compacting the warm asphalt without producing a pressure wave in front of the roller. The synchronization may also be controlled by the control box so that the vibrations created by the eccentrics may actually propel the roller forward.

Description

This patent application is a continuation-in-part of a previously submitted patent application, namely, patent application Ser. No. 11/133,694, entitled ASPHALT COMPACTION DEVICE, which was filed on May 20, 2005 and the inventor of which is William D. McCoskey.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention is related in general to the field of construction. In particular, the invention consists of a device and method for improved compaction of asphalt.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Asphalt is a material well-known in the construction industry used to create a surface for supporting vehicles. In this capacity, asphalt is often used to create both parking lots and roads. However, the application of asphalt requires many disparate steps to ensure that the finished surface is both smooth and durable.

In order to properly apply asphalt, it is necessary that the asphalt be deposited on the intended surface after it has been heated to a high temperature, producing a pliable and workable material. The required temperature for application may vary based on ambient environmental conditions, the intended use of the product, and local regulations. Those skilled in the art of applying asphalt can readily ascertain the appropriate application temperature.

Once asphalt has been applied, it must be compacted to increase its cohesiveness, to prevent water seepage, and to resist cracking and splitting due to use and changes in its ambient environment. Many methods of compacting asphalt are well known in the art. For example, one method entails the use of large heavy rollers to exert force on the asphalt. However, these rollers not only produce force normal to the surface, but also tend to push the asphalt in front of the roller, forming a ridge or wave of semi-fluid material. In order to reduce this effect, some applications involve rolling newly applied asphalt once or twice and then waiting an extended period of time before rolling the material again. This waiting period extends the time needed to finish the application of the asphalt. Accordingly, it is desirable to have a means for compacting asphalt that reduces or eliminates the wait period inherent in the use of large rollers.

Another method of asphalt compaction entails utilizing a vibrating plate. This plate is often first pushed over the seams of the newly applied asphalt to seal the material where it meets asphalt that has been previously applied. This is especially useful when the asphalt application is for a patch or repair of previously applied asphalt. Once the edges of the new application has been sealed, the vibrating plate is then passed over the rest of the new application, applying a normal force that increases the cohesiveness and seals the asphalt. Using a vibrating plate eliminates the formation of the pressure ridge encountered when using heavy rollers. Accordingly, waiting periods may not be required between passes using a vibrating plate. However, traditional vibrating plates do not produce compaction levels equivalent to those produced by heavy rollers. This results in most asphalt applications either exclusively using heavy rollers with their corresponding wait periods or first using a vibrating plate followed by the use of a heavy roller. Accordingly, it is desirable to have a device that can produce compaction levels equivalent to those produced by heavy rollers without the associated wait periods and without requiring multiple pieces of equipment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention disclosed herein utilizes a vibrating plate with one or more secondary surfaces used to concentrate and localize the force applied by the vibrating plate. The newly improved vibrating plate may be either a small push-type model that can be moved and steered by a user or a large, articulated machine. The secondary surfaces may either extend across the width of the primary vibrating plate or may include a dynamic shape and size to increase the compaction effectiveness.

In one embodiment of the invention, a traditional roller, known in the industry, includes a front drum including an eccentric which provides a vibration which is transmitted to the surface to be compacted and a rear drum including another eccentric which provides another vibration which is also transmitted to the surface to be compacted. While this traditional roller is well known in the art, it may be modified to including a control box which synchronizes the movement of the eccentric of the front roller and the eccentric of the rear roller and a braking mechanism. While the braking mechanism is engaged, the synchronized vibrations of the front and rear roller allow the roller to continue compacting the warm asphalt without producing a pressure wave in front of the roller. The synchronization may also be controlled by the control box so that the vibrations created by the eccentrics may actually propel the roller forward.

In a modification of this last embodiment, the rear roller may be replaced with a set of pneumatic wheels. While the braking mechanism is engaged on the front roller, allowing the eccentric to produce a vibration for compacting the warm asphalt, the rear pneumatic tires propel and guide the roller.

Various other purposes and advantages of the invention will become clear from its description in the specification that follows and from the novel features particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Therefore, to the accomplishment of the objectives described above, this invention comprises the features hereinafter illustrated in the drawings, fully described in the detailed description of the preferred embodiments and particularly pointed out in the claims. However, such drawings and description disclose just a few of the various ways in which the invention may be practiced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a vibrating compaction device with a primary plate and a secondary compaction plate, according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of a vibrating compaction device with a secondary compaction plate that can be extended and retracted.

FIG. 3 is an illustration of an articulated vibrating compaction device with a pair of primary compaction plates and a secondary compaction plate, according to the invention.

FIG. 4 is an illustration of the articulated vibrating compaction device of FIG. 4 illustrating the application of the secondary compaction plate.

FIG. 5 is an illustration of an articulated vibrating compaction device with a secondary compaction plate that can be extended and retracted.

FIG. 6 is an illustration of an asphalt compaction device, according to the invention, including a modified traditional roller with a synchronization unit and a braking mechanism.

FIG. 7 is an illustration of the asphalt compaction device of FIG. 6 wherein the rear roller drum has been replaced with a set of pneumatic wheels.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

This invention is based on the idea of using multiple compaction plates of varying shapes and sizes to concentrate the force applied by a vibrating compaction plate to increase compaction rates of newly applied asphalt. Referring to figures, wherein like parts are designated with the same reference numerals and symbols, FIG. 1 is an illustration of a vibrating compaction device 10 with a primary compaction plate 12 and a secondary compaction plate 14, according to the invention. The primary compaction plate 12 is similar to those well-known in the art of asphalt compaction devices. A motor 16 or engine provides an up-and-down movement of the primary compaction plate 12 resulting in a vibration of the plate against the surface of the asphalt. A user pushes and steers the vibrating compaction device 10, which is facilitated by the reduction of force exerted by the vibrating compaction device 10 during each cycle of its vibration.

The vibrating compaction device 10 may be rotated to bring the secondary compaction plate 14 in contact with the surface of the asphalt. In this embodiment of the invention, the secondary compaction plate is the same width as the primary compaction plate 12 but has a smaller length resulting in a small footprint. The motor 16 continues to produce a force equivalent to that normally applied through the primary compaction plate. However, since the footprint of the secondary compaction plate has a smaller contact area, the force exerted by the vibrating compaction device 10 is concentrated into a smaller area. In this manner, the ability of the vibrating compaction device 10 to compact the asphalt is increased, resulting in a higher compaction rate than can be achieved using the primary compaction plate 12.

Alternatively, the primary compaction plate 12 may be integrated with the secondary compaction plate 14 to form a unified compaction plate with a first and second surface. Here, the second surface is affixed to the first surface in a manner that forms a 135 degree angle between the two surfaces. However, the invention is not limited to any specific angle and may include an angle equal to or greater than 90 degrees and less than or equal to 180 degrees.

The vibrating compaction device 10 may also include a tertiary compaction plate 20. In this embodiment of the invention, the tertiary compaction plate 20 has a width which is less than that of the primary compaction plate 12. Additionally, the tertiary plate may be formed in the shape of a semi-circle, an ellipse, a free-form shape, a triangle, or other polygon. Because the surface area of the tertiary compaction plate 20 is less than that of the primary compaction plate 10 and the secondary compaction plate, the tertiary compaction plate 20 may be used to apply even more force to the surface of the asphalt, thus increasing the rate of compaction. The non-traditional shape of the tertiary compaction plate 20 may be used to concentrate the force of the vibrating compaction device 10 along a focused path, such as a seam or newly filled-in trench. In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the secondary compaction plate may also include a non-traditional shape such as a semi-circle, ellipse, free-form shape, triangle, or other polygon. Additionally, the primary compaction plate 10 may include a plurality of surfaces including a primary, secondary, and tertiary surface. The angle formed by the tertiary surface and the primary surface may be greater than or equal to 90 degrees and less than or equal to 180 degrees.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of a vibrating compaction device 10 with a secondary compaction plate 14 that can be extended and retracted with respect to the primary compaction plate 12. In this embodiment of the invention, the width of the secondary compaction plate 14 is the same as that of the primary compaction plate 12. However, the secondary compaction plate 14 may assume any width, either less than, equal to, or greater than that of the primary compaction plate. Likewise, while this embodiment of the invention includes a rectangular secondary compaction plate 14, the secondary compaction plate 14 may assume any shape. The result is that the secondary compaction plate 14 may be extended away from the primary compaction plate resulting in a focused application of the vibrating compaction device's downward force. Additionally, the secondary compaction plate 14 may be retracted so that its application surface (side facing the asphalt) is flush with or recessed above that of the primary compaction plate.

FIG. 3 is an illustration of an articulated vibrating compaction device 100 with a pair of primary compaction plates 112 and a secondary compaction plate 114, according to the invention. In this embodiment of the invention, the articulated segments 116 are used to steer the articulate vibrating compaction device. A first primary compaction plate 112a may be rotated that the secondary compaction plate 114 is applied to the surface to be compacted, as illustrated in FIG. 5. Additionally, the articulated vibrating compaction device 100 may include additional secondary compaction plates or tertiary compaction plates 118.

FIG. 5 is an illustration of an articulated vibrating compaction device 100 with a secondary compaction plate 114 that can be extended and retracted with respect to one of the primary compaction plates 112. While this embodiment of the invention includes a rectangular secondary compaction plate 114, the secondary compaction plate 114 may assume any usable shape. The result is that the secondary compaction plate 114 may be extended away from the primary compaction plate resulting in a focused application of the vibrating compaction device's downward force. Additionally, the secondary compaction plate 114 may be retracted so that its application surface (side facing the asphalt) is flush with or recessed above that of the primary compaction plate.

FIG. 6 illustrates yet another embodiment of the invention, namely, an asphalt compaction device 200 including a traditional roller compactor, known in the industry, including a front roller 202 having a first eccentric 206 which produces a vibration which is transmitted to the surface to be compacted and a rear roller 204 having a second eccentric 208 which provides another vibration which is also transmitted to the surface to be compacted. While a traditional roller is well known in the art, in this embodiment of the invention, the asphalt compaction device 200 includes a synchronization unit 210 which synchronizes the movement of the first eccentric 206 of the front roller 202 and the second eccentric 208 of the rear roller 204 and a braking mechanism 212. While the braking mechanism 212 is engaged, the synchronized vibrations of the front roller 202 and rear roller 204 allow the asphalt compaction device 200 to continue compacting the warm asphalt without producing a pressure wave in front of the device. This synchronization may also be controlled by the synchronization unit 210 so that the vibrations created by the first eccentric 206 and second eccentric 208 may actually propel the asphalt compaction device 200 forward.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the asphalt compaction device 200 may include a set of pneumatic wheels 214 instead of the rear roller 204. While the braking mechanism is engaged on the front roller, allowing the first eccentric 206 to produce a vibration for compacting the warm asphalt, the set of pneumatic tires 214 propel and guide the asphalt compaction device 200.

Those skilled in the art of making asphalt compaction systems may develop other embodiments of the present invention. However, the terms and expressions which have been employed in the foregoing specification are used therein as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims which follow.

Claims

1. A vibrating compaction device, comprising:

a roller compactor including a front roller having a first eccentric and a rear roller having a second eccentric;

a braking mechanism adapted to lock the front roller; and

a synchronization unit adapted to synchronize a first vibration produced by the first eccentric and a second vibration produced by the second eccentric.

2. The vibrating compaction device of claim 1, wherein the braking mechanism is further adapted to lock the rear roller.

3. The vibrating compaction device of claim 1, wherein the synchronization unit is adapted to cause the first vibration and the second vibration to propel the vibrating compaction device in a forward direction.

4. A vibrating compaction device, comprising:

a roller compactor including a front roller having an eccentric;

at least one pneumatic wheel; and

a braking mechanism adapted to lock the front roller, wherein the eccentric produces a vibration.

5. The vibrating compaction device of claim 4, wherein the at least one pneumatic wheel propels the vibrating compaction device in a forward direction.

6. The vibrating compaction device of claim 4, wherein the at least one pneumatic wheel guides the vibrating compaction device.

7. A vibrating compaction device, comprising:

a roller compactor including a front roller having an eccentric; and

a braking mechanism adapted to lock the front roller, wherein the eccentric produces a vibration when said front roller is locked.