SCREED FRAME AND PLATE
A screed includes a frame and a plate. The frame includes a bottom surface and a plurality of mounting members. The plurality of the mounting members project from the bottom surface. At least one of the plurality of the mounting members is longitudinally and transversely offset relative to the other mounting members. Further, the plate is coupled to the frame by the plurality of the mounting members.
The present disclosure relates to a screed, and more particularly to a screed frame and a plate.
BACKGROUNDA paving machine includes a screed for laying paving material on a road surface. The screed includes at least one screed plate that may level and compact the paving material. Weight of the screed facilitates initial compaction of the paving material. The screed plate may be heated to further facilitate the paving operation. Heating the screed plate may assist in improved flow of the paving material and reduce adhesion of the paving material to the screed plate. Inadequate or uneven heating of the screed plate may result in premature hardening of the paving material, resulting in buildup of the paving material and undesired drag.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,318,928 discloses a paving machine that employs an electrically heated screed assembly to uniformly heat a screed plate of the machine. Uniform heating is achieved by inserting a thermally conductive plate between electrical heating elements and the screed plate. An insulation layer may be provided above the heating elements to direct the heat downward into the thermally conductive plate. The heat spreads relatively uniformly throughout the thermally conductive plate, thereby uniformly heating the screed plate. A clamping mechanism is also provided that, when tightened, provides a compressive force, thereby holding the assembly in place. When released, the pressure is alleviated, thus permitting a heating element to be removed for repair or replacement without the need to remove the screed plate.
SUMMARYIn one aspect, the present disclosure provides a screed including a frame and a plate. The frame includes a bottom surface and a plurality of mounting members. The plurality of the mounting members project from the bottom surface. At least one of the plurality of the mounting members is longitudinally and transversely offset relative to the other mounting member. Further, the plate is coupled to the frame by the mounting members.
In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a paving machine including a tractor and a screed coupled to the tractor. The screed includes a frame and a plate. The frame includes a bottom surface and a plurality of mounting members. The plurality of the mounting members project from the bottom surface. At least one of the plurality of the mounting members is longitudinally and transversely offset relative to the other mounting member. Further, the plate is coupled to the frame by the mounting members.
In yet another aspect, the present disclosure provides a screed including a frame and a plate. The frame includes a bottom surface and a plurality of mounting members projecting from the bottom surface. The plate is coupled to the frame by the coupling members. The plate includes a heating element. Further, the plurality of the mounting members are arranged to provide a substantially uniform heat distribution across the plate.
Other features and aspects of this disclosure will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.
The present disclosure describes a screed of a paving machine.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the screed 104 includes a main screed 116, a first extender screed 118A and a second extender screed (shown in
As illustrated in
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first and the second main frames 202A, 202B may be pivotable about a main pivot axis “P”. The main pivot axis “P” may be located at a center line “L” between the first and the second main frames 202A, 202B. Therefore, the plates 212A and 212B may also be pivotable about the pivot axis “P”. In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the first and the second extender frames 204A, 204B may be extendable and retractable relative to the first and the second main frames 202A, 202B, respectively, along a sliding direction “S”. Therefore, the plates 218A and 218B may also be retractable and extendable relative to the plates 212A and 212B, respectively, along the sliding direction “S”. Further, in an embodiment, the first and the second extender frames 204A, 204B may be pivotable relative to the first and the second main frames 202A, 202B, respectively, about a slope axis “D”. Therefore, the plates 218A and 218B may also be pivotable relative to the plates 212A and 212B, respectively, about the slope axis “D”. In another embodiment, the first and the second lower parts 208A, 208B may be adjustable relative to the first and the second upper parts 206A, 206B, respectively, in a height direction “H”. Therefore, the plates 218A and 218B may also be adjustable relative to the plates 212A and 212B, respectively, along the height direction “H”.
The adjustments of the plates 212A and 212B, and the plates 218A and 218B, as described above, may enable the screed 104 (illustrated in
In an embodiment, the plate 218A includes a first heating element 404 and a second heating element 406. The first and the second heating elements 404, 406 may be resistive heating elements. The first and the second heating elements 404, 406 may be supplied with electric power by the electric generator 112 (illustrated in
Each of the second support members 420 includes an elongate portion 430 and a retaining portion 432. The elongate portion 430 passes through the upper and the lower transverse members 316, 318. The retaining portion 432 contacts the second heating element 406. The retaining portions 432 may secure the second heating element 406 to the plate 218A. The elongate portion 430 is substantially cylindrical, while the retaining portion 432 is a disc. Further, the fastener 214, passing through the channel of the end support member 424, may protrude though the first aperture 332 of the lower transverse member 318. In an embodiment, additional apertures (not illustrated) may be provided in the upper and the lower transverse members 316, 318. The additional apertures may receive fasteners 214 that pass through corresponding apertures (not shown) of the plate 218A.
Further, a curved end 429 of each of the branch portions 412 engage with the first heating element 404. The curved ends 429 may retain the first heating element 404 on the plate 218A. Further, the heating element fasteners 418 also pass through second apertures 334 of the lower transverse member 318. The heating element fasteners 418 also pass through the upper transverse member 316 and locking members 436 (only one illustrated in
As illustrated in
The various dimensional ranges, as described above, are purely exemplary in nature, and various components of the support portion 216A may have any other dimensions within the scope of the present disclosure. Further, the first and second mounting members 302, 306 may have alternative shapes, for example, but not limited to, polyhedral, elliptic cylinder, or the like. In the embodiment, as illustrated in
Various embodiments of the present disclosure were described with reference to the first extender frame 204A in
In an embodiment, bolt-on extensions (not shown) may be used in conjunction with the screed 104. The bolt-on extensions may use similar first and second mounting for providing an interface between their respective frames and plates. The bolt-on extensions may be of various lengths in order to provide variable paving length.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITYThe present disclosure relates to the paving machine 100 which includes the tractor 102 and the screed 104. The paving machine 100 includes a hopper 114 configured to receive paving material from a dump truck. A conveyor (not illustrated) of the paving machine may transfer the paving material from the hopper for discharge onto a roadbed. One or more augers (not illustrated) may spread the paving material. The plates 212A, 212B, 218A and 218B of the screed 104 may level and compact the paving material. The operation of the screed 104 is described henceforth with respect to the first extender frame 204A.
The plate 218A of the first extender frame 204A may be heated by the first and the second heating elements 404, 406 to facilitate the compaction of the paving material. In case of one or more continuous interfaces between the plate 218A and the support portion 216A, there may be substantially heat loss from the plate 218A to the first extender frame 204A. This may result in a non-uniform heat distribution with the continuous interfaces of the plate 218A being the substantially cooler than the rest of the plate 218A. Heat loss from the four corners (not shown) of the plate 218A may be maximum resulting in the corners not being heated sufficiently. A paving operation may therefore be unsatisfactory. Further, energy efficiency may be low.
According to an embodiment the present disclosure, the support portion 216A contacts the plate 218A at discrete portions, namely, the lower surfaces 326 and 328 of the first and the second end walls 320, 322, respectively, and the lower surfaces 315 and 317 of the lower portions 309 and the second mounting members 306, respectively. The widths 508 and 509 of the first and the second end walls 320, 324 may be small enough to prevent any substantial heat loss from the plate 218A. Further, the lower surfaces 315 and 317 of the lower portions 309 and the second mounting members 306, respectively, may provide discrete interfaces between the plate 218A and the support portion 216A. There, an area of contact between the plate 218A and the support portion 216A may be substantially reduced compared to one or more continuous interfaces with widths comparable with the width 510 of each lower portion 309 or the outer diameter 518 of each second mounting member 308. Consequently, heat loss from the plate 218A to the support portion 216A may be substantially reduced. The clearance 502 (illustrated in
During a paving operation, various forces may act on the plate 218A, such as, torsion, gravity, pull forces, or the like. These forces may tend to displace the plate 218A relative to the support portion 216A, that may have a detrimental effect on paving quality. Adjustment of the plate 218A along the sliding direction “S”, about the slope axis “D”, and along the height direction “H” may further tend to displace the plate 218A relative to the support portion 216A. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the width 510 of each of the six lower portions 309, and/or the outer diameter 518 of each of the six mounting members 308 may ensure a rigid coupling of the plate 218A to the support portion 216A. The lower surfaces 326 and 328 of the first and the second end walls 320, 324, respectively, may further provide stability of the plate 218A. Thus, the plate 218A may provide a desired paving quality.
The various features of the first extender frame 204A, as described above, may be applicable to the first and the second main frames 202A, 202B, and the second extender frame 204B. Therefore, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, heat loss from the plates 212A, 212B and 218B may have a substantially uniform heat distribution. Further, the plates 212A, 212B and 218B may be rigidly coupled to the support portions 210A, 210B and 216B, respectively.
Although the embodiments of this disclosure as described herein may be incorporated without departing from the scope of the following claims, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made. Other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosure. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope being indicated by the following claims and their equivalents.
Claims
1. A screed comprising:
- a frame comprising a bottom surface and a plurality of mounting members; and
- a plate;
- wherein the plurality of the mounting members project from the bottom surface, at least one of the plurality of the mounting members being longitudinally and transversely offset relative to the other mounting members; and
- wherein the plate is coupled to the frame by the mounting members.
2. The screed of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of the mounting members comprises an opening, the opening configured to receive a fastener.
3. The screed of claim 2, wherein the plate comprises a fastening aperture, the fastening aperture configured to receive the fastener.
4. The screed of claim 1, wherein the plurality of the mounting members comprises a set of first mounting members and a set of second mounting members, the first mounting members located proximate a first longitudinal edge of the bottom surface, and the second mounting members located proximate a second longitudinal edge of the bottom surface.
5. The screed of claim 4, wherein each of the first mounting members are longitudinally offset relative to each other, wherein each of the second mounting members are longitudinally offset relative to each other, and wherein each of the first mounting members are transversely offset relative to each of the second mounting members.
6. The screed of claim 1, wherein the frame further comprises a first end wall and a second wall projecting from the bottom surface of the frame, the first end wall and the second end wall configured to contact the plate.
7. The screed of claim 1, wherein the plate further comprises a heating element.
8. A paving machine comprising:
- a tractor;
- a screed coupled to the tractor, the screed comprising: a frame comprising a bottom surface and a plurality of mounting members; and a plate; wherein the plurality of the mounting members project from the bottom surface, at least one of the plurality of the mounting members being longitudinally and transversely offset relative to the other mounting members; and wherein the plate is coupled to the frame by the mounting members.
9. The paving machine of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of the mounting members comprises an opening, the opening configured to receive a fastener.
10. The paving machine of claim 9, wherein the plate comprises a fastening aperture, the fastening aperture configured to receive the fastener.
11. The paving machine of claim 8, wherein the plurality of the mounting members comprises a set of first mounting members and a set of second mounting members, the first mounting members located proximate a first longitudinal edge of the bottom surface, and the second mounting members located proximate a second longitudinal edge of the bottom surface.
12. The paving machine of claim 11, wherein each of the first mounting members are longitudinally offset relative to each other, wherein each of the second mounting members are longitudinally offset relative to each other, and wherein each of the first mounting members are transversely offset relative to each of the second mounting members.
13. The paving machine of claim 8, wherein the frame further comprises a first end wall and a second wall projecting from the bottom surface of the frame, the first end wall and the second end wall configured to contact the plate.
14. The paving machine of claim 8, wherein the plate further comprises a heating element.
15. A screed comprising:
- a frame comprising a bottom surface and a plurality of mounting members projecting from the bottom surface; and
- a plate coupled to the frame by the plurality of the mounting members, the plate comprising a heating element;
- wherein the plurality of the mounting members being arranged to provide a substantially uniform heat distribution across the plate.
16. The screed of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of the mounting member comprises a opening, the opening configured to receive a fastener.
17. The screed of claim 16, wherein the plate comprises a fastening aperture, the fastening aperture configured to receive the fastener.
18. The screed of claim 15, wherein the plurality of the mounting members comprises a set of first mounting members and a set of second mounting members, the first mounting members located proximate a first longitudinal edge of the bottom surface, and the second mounting members located proximate a second longitudinal edge of the bottom surface.
19. The screed of claim 18, wherein each of the first mounting members are longitudinally offset relative to each other, wherein each of the second mounting members are longitudinally offset relative to each other, and wherein each of the first mounting members are transversely offset relative to each of the second mounting members.
20. The screed of claim 15, wherein the frame further comprises a first end wall and a second wall projecting from the bottom surface of the frame, the first end wall and the second end wall configured to contact the plate.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 21, 2013
Publication Date: Dec 25, 2014
Inventors: Jason W. Kopacz (St. Louis Park, MN), Timothy L. Wehrenberg (Maple Grove, MN)
Application Number: 13/923,663