Modular screed plate assembly and method of assembling a screed plate
The modular screed plate assembly and method has a road paver/finisher, a structural/conductor plate and modular screed plates. The road paver/finisher has a paver under side, a power source and a heating element, for heating the modular screed plates. The modular screed plates have coupling elements, and retainer quick-connect/releases, and align as a modular screed plate array, providing a tensionally yielding gap allowing the modular screed plate array to absorb pressures from paving operations. The structural/conductor plate couples with the coupling elements and has screed plate retaining locks to securely receives the retainer quick-connect/releases, in order to secure itself to the modular screed plates. The structural/conductor plate receives heat directly from the heating element, and provides indirect heat to the modular screed plate array.
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This patent disclosure relates to road paving machines and, more particularly, to various aspects of a heated modular screed assembly for a road paving machine.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe basic concept of the asphalt or concrete road paver system has remained relatively unchanged for many years. Screed plate assemblies for paving are found and utilized in various construction paving industrial settings, such as pavement of highways, airports, streets and other sites requiring paving of constructional site beds and pads, requiring a paving mat. Paving materials, such as concrete or hot mix asphalt (HMA), is loaded in the front of the road paving tractor, typically in a hopper, and conveyed to the rear by a set of flight feeders (conveyor belts), where it is spread out to a desired width by a set of augers in the road paver, and then leveled and compacted by a screed plate. The most critical feature of a road paver is the self-leveling, or free floating, screed unit or assembly which will determine the quality or profile of the material being paved or placed on the road bed at the correct mat smoothness and thickness. The free floating screed assembly slides across the material. The screed plate is the flat bottom portion of the screed assembly that flattens and compresses the material into the mat. Screed heaters or heating elements, such as gas and electric heating elements, are used to preheat the screed so that the material does not stick to the screed plate and cause mat tearing.
There has been in the road paving industry a recognized need for changing worn screed plates to a road paving machine. Flexibility and ease of changing screed plate assemblies is found to be extremely beneficial in construction paving operations. Dealing with loss of operation time, increased costs and operational restrictions and limitation of current screed plates are major concerns for paving operations.
The conventional screed plate assembly is constructed of a one piece metal alloy screed plate. Screed plate replacement, particularly on site, is difficult, time consuming and laborious. Screed plates during paving do not wear evenly. The wear on the screed plates typically occurs in isolated spots on the plate. There needs to be an assembly, system or device whereby lower wear areas of the screed plate may be rotated to higher wear areas, or higher wear areas need to be replaced while leaving lower wear areas in place.
In the conventional technology used today, the paving machine provides an electrically or gas heated screed assembly with heating elements attached to or adjacent to a screed plate. This conventional screed plate assembly provides for one screed plate underlying the paving machine. There is no known technology being used to solve the problem of screed plate wear maintenance that does not include removing the entire screed, and the structural plate adjacent to the heating element of the paving machine. Removal of the plate in conventional screed plate assemblies requires, in most cases, disassembly of the heating system as well as the plate. As well, there has been no device to solve the problem of the uneven wear experienced by conventional screed plate assemblies.
Finally, there is a need to be able to utilize different screed plate materials for differing applications. The conventional structural/conductor plate is a single plate made of steel, required in part due to its direct contact with the heating system. A separate structural/conductor plate providing for intervening, direct contact with the heating system would allow for the use of alternative materials for the screed plates. Alternative materials, such as nickel, copper, aluminum, steel or metal alloy of copper or nickel (having high conductivity and anti corrosion capabilities), will provide better conductivity and corrosion resistence.
The conventional screed plate is a single plate made of steel, required in part due to the structural requirements of having one piece of plate engaged in paving. Alternative materials, such as cast nickel hardened, or “Ni-hard”, or poly-plastics, and modular plates, will provide longer wear and/or less costly alternatives.
The references described in the related art do not disclose features of the present invention and would not be as suitable for the required purpose of the present invention hereinafter described. Screed plate devices are found in the related art, exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 6,551,021 to Baker (“Baker”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,517,630 to Graham et al. (“Graham”); and U.S. Pat. No. 9,181,662 to Kopacz et al. (“Kopacz”). Graham discloses the use of upper and lower screed plates with an electric resistive heater disposed between the upper and lower plates to directly heat both plates. The upper plate in Graham remains fixed while the lower plate may be removed and replaced. The upper and lower plates of Graham have different wear and thermal properties. Kopacz discloses a screed electrical heating assembly that is adapted to provide easy replacement, and a similar arrangement to Graham. However, none of the known references disclose or suggest the use of a fixed structural/conductor plate in place of a fixed upper screed plate frame with the heating means disposed to only heat the structural/conductor plate. Graham and Kopacz disclose a heating means provided between the fixed screed plate frame and the lower screed plate which provides direct heating to the screed plate. There is no prior art suggestion for moving the heating means so that it may only heat the upper frame plate which will then provide indirect heat to the screed plate as in the present invention.
Baker discloses a screed plate attaching to a support assembly and having an interlock system comprising tabs and notches that are configured to fit together and secured by a fastener. The tab and slot system in Baker simply prevents non-matching plates from interconnecting. There is no disclosure in any of the references for the tab and slot locking system of the proposed structural/conductor plate to the screed plate as disclosed by the present invention.
None of the references in the prior art contain every feature of the present invention, and none of these references in combination disclose, suggest or teach every feature of the present invention.
The foregoing and other objectives, advantages, aspects, and features of the present invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art upon consideration of the detailed description of a preferred embodiment, presented below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is a modular screed plate assembly and method of assembling a screed plate relating to road paving machines and, more particularly, to various aspects of a heated modular screed assembly for a road paving machine. The present invention has a road paver/finisher, a structural/conductor plate and a plurality of modular screed plates. The road paver/finisher has a paver under side, a power source and a heating element, providing the power source for the paving and for generating electricity to the heating element, ultimately heating the plurality of modular screed plates. In alternative embodiments the power source may be at least one of electrical, gas or hydraulic power, to produce electrical heat, attached to the structural/conductor plate, and in alternative embodiments, to provide gas heat or hydraulic heat directly to the structural/conductor plate. The heating element is located between the paver under side and the top conductor side and, immediately against the top conductor side, providing direct heat to the structural/conductor plate.
The present invention has a plurality of modular screed plates, each of the plurality of modular screed plates having, a coupling element, and a retainer quick-connect/release means, and align and interlock as a modular screed plate array, providing a tensionally yielding gap allowing the modular screed plate array to absorb the varying pressures from the operations of the road paver/finisher, facilitating a continuous, steady operation, as well as a paving material flow interrupting barrier, acting to interrupt the flow of the paving material in the tensionally yielding gap. The coupling element enables a pressure connective, secure attachment of each modular screed plate to the structural/conductor plate. Each of the plurality of screed plate retaining locks securely receives the retainer quick-connect/release means from each of the respective plurality of modular screed plates. Concurrently, the structural/conductor plate receives the respective coupling element from each of the respective plurality of modular screed plates. The modular screed plate array securely and heat-conductively contacts the structural/conductor plate, which receives heat directly from the heating element, and in turn, provides indirect heat to the modular screed plate array.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, a road paver/finisher has a paver under side, a power source and a heating element, the power source generating and providing electricity to the heating element causing the heating element to heat the paver under side. The modular screed plate array receives heat directly from the heating element. Another embodiment of the present invention is a screed plate assembly method, generating electricity from the road paver/finisher, providing direct heat from the heating element to the structural/conductor plate. Another embodiment method of the present invention allows the power source to generate at least one of gas heat or hydraulic heat to the heating element providing direct heat from the heating element to the structural/conductor plate.
There are numerous advantages and advancements of the present invention. The modular screed plate assembly may be used with various types of surface paving material, such as asphalt, concrete, and other aggregate type pavers.
The plurality of modular screed plates may be used in the place of a conventional single screed plate. The heating element that would heat a conventional screed plate now heats the structural/conductor plate, and, indirectly, the plurality of modular screed plates, which can be made from a variety of resilient materials of various metallic styles, compositions and textures, allowing for the expansion of the types of paving construction job. The indirect heat permits the use of a variety of materials from which each of the plurality of modular screed plates may be constructed, depending upon the paving application.
The plurality of retainer quick-connect/release means, provided to connect with the respective plurality of screed retaining locks, facilitates the use of a variety of difference screed surface plates that may be quickly interchanged depending on paving surface application needs, caused by a changes in screed plate type due to surfacing paving material, ambient temperature or wear on a particular plate during the operation.
The structural/conductor plate in alternative assembly and method embodiments remains in place at all times during operation of the road paver/finisher. Neither the heating element nor the structural/conductor plate need be dismantled for wear plate maintenance of the plurality of modular screed plates, as would be required in conventional screed plate assemblies. The tensionally yielding gap allows purposely bowing for a crowned paving material or natural bowing in the modular screed plate array, which will necessarily occur due to the extreme heat applied directly or indirectly in the paving process.
The present invention allow for easy wear maintenance, with quick changing of the plurality of modular screed plates. Differing types of paving material may be employed to allow for differing products used to create the paving mat or surface, to suit the construction specifications of a particular paving job. Because of the use of the structural/conductor plate, varying plate materials may be employed to make the plurality of modular screed plates which are better suited to a particular construction job, and which do not require the structural integrity needed with a conventional one screed plate assembly.
The aforementioned features, objectives, aspects and advantages of the present invention, and further objectives and advantages of the invention, will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.
The foregoing features and other aspects of the present invention are explained and other features and objects of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed descriptions, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the drawings are provided for purposes of illustration only, and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention.
The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with references to the accompanying drawings, in which the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown. This invention, however, may be embodied in different forms, and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, the illustrative embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. It should be noted, and will be appreciated, that numerous variations may be made within the scope of this invention without departing from the principle of this invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. A representative number of certain repeated elements are labeled in the drawings.
Turning now in detail to the drawings in accordance with the present invention, one embodiment of the present invention is depicted in
Shown in
The heating element 104 in an alternative embodiment of the present invention comprises at least one electrical heating strip 105, as depicted in
The plurality of conductor plate fastening means 114, shown in
As shown in
The plurality of retainer quick-connect/release means 126, in
As shown in
As shown in
The structural/conductor plate 110, shown in
The plurality of conductor plate fastening means 114, shown in
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, as shown in
In this alternative embodiment of the present invention, the modular screed plate assembly 100 comprises a plurality of modular screed plates 220, shown in
In this alternative embodiment of the present invention, shown in
As shown in
In another embodiment of the present invention as a screed plate assembly method, having the elements as shown in
This method of the present invention generates and provides electricity from the road paver/finisher 101 to the heating element 104 causing the heating element 104 to heat by locating the heating element 104 immediately against the top conductor side 111; by providing direct heat from the heating element 104 to the structural/conductor plate 110 from the heating element 104; and attaching the structural/conductor plate 110 at its top conductor side 111 to the paver under side 102 of the road paver/finisher 101 using the plurality of conductor plate fastening means 114. Another embodiment method of the present invention the power source 103 generates and provides at least one of gas heat or hydraulic heat to the heating element 104 causing the heating element 104 to heat the top conductor side 111 and providing direct heat from the heating element 104 to the structural/conductor plate 110 from the heating element 104. The gas heat may be generated by propane burner heat in alternative embodiments. In another alternative embodiment, the power source 103 may generate diesel fuel.
These alternative embodiment methods, as well, provide a plurality of modular screed plates 120, shown in
As depicted in
As shown in
The screed plate assembly method of an alternative of the present invention further has the structural/conductor plate 110, depicted in
In another alternative embodiment of the present invention, of a screed plate assembly method, for the elements shown in
As shown in
As shown in
There are numerous advantages and advancements with the various embodiments of the present invention. The present invention, as a modular screed plate assembly 100 and 200, may be used with various types of surface paving material, 130 or 230 respectively, such as asphalt, concrete, and other aggregate type pavers. As described above, one embodiment (modular screed plate assembly 100) of the present invention, shown in
The plurality of modular screed plates 120 and 220, depicted in respective
As referenced above, the heat conducting element, the heating element 104 and 204 of the present invention, depicted in respective
The plurality of retainer quick-connect/release means 126 and 226 or catch, depicted in respective
The structural/conductor plate 110, in alternative assembly and method embodiments of the present invention depicted in
As described above, in depicted in
The plurality of screed plate retaining locks 115 and 215, depicted in respective
The tensionally yielding gap 129 and 229 respectively, shown in
The apparatus assembly and method of the present invention allow for easy wear maintenance of the modular screed plate assembly 100 and 200, with quick changing of the plurality of modular screed plates 120 and 220 respectively. Differing types of paving material 130 and 230, or textures of material may be employed to allow for differing products to be used to create the paving mat or surface, to suit the construction specifications of a particular paving job construction site. Because of the use of the structural/conductor plate 110 in the modular screed plate assembly and method 100 of alternative embodiments the present invention, varying plate materials may be employed to make the plurality of modular screed plates 120 and 220 which are better suited to a particular construction job, which do not require the structural integrity needed with a conventional one screed plate assembly. Examples of the types of plate materials, include: cast nickel hardened, or “Ni-hard”, segments for superior wear life, or poly-plastics for paving concrete, or other uniquely textured and high wear materials for the plate materials in other construction applications. The paver under side 102 and 202 commonly used in the industry is made of steel.
Having thus described in detail a preferred selection of embodiments of the present invention, it is to be appreciated, and will be apparent to those skilled in the art, that many physical changes could be made in the device without altering the invention, or the concepts and principles embodied therein. Unless otherwise specifically stated, the terms and expressions have been used herein as terms of description and not terms of limitation, and are not intended to exclude any equivalents of features shown and described or portions thereof. Various changes can, of course, be made to the preferred embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The present invention apparatus and method, therefore, should not be restricted, except in the following claims and their equivalents.
Although specific advantages have been enumerated above, various embodiments may include some, none, or all of the enumerated advantages.
Other technical advantages may become readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after review of the following figures and description.
It should be understood at the outset that, although exemplary embodiments are illustrated in the figures and described herein, the principles of the present disclosure may be implemented using any number of techniques, whether currently known or not. The present disclosure should in no way be limited to the exemplary implementations and techniques illustrated in the drawings and described herein.
Unless otherwise specifically noted, articles depicted in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.
Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to the systems, apparatuses, and methods described herein without departing from the scope of the disclosure. For example, the components of the systems and apparatuses may be integrated or separated. Moreover, the operations of the systems and apparatuses disclosed herein may be performed by more, fewer, or other components and the methods described may include more, fewer, or other steps. Additionally, steps may be performed in any suitable order. As used in this document, “each” refers to each member of a set or each member of a subset of a set.
To aid the Patent Office and any readers of any patent issued on this application in interpreting the claims appended hereto, applicants wish to note that they do not intend any of the appended claims or claim elements to invoke 35 U.S.C. 112(f) unless the words “means for” or “step for” are explicitly used in the particular claim.
Claims
1. A modular screed plate assembly paving apparatus, comprising:
- (a) a road paver/finisher paver or finisher;
- (b) a structural/conductor structural or conductor plate, comprising: (i) a top conductor side and an opposing bottom conductor side, a conductor front side and an opposing conductor backside, a plurality of conductor plate fastening means; and (ii) a plurality of screed plate retaining locks;
- (c) the road paver/finisher paver or finisher comprising: a paver under side, a power source and a heating element, the power source generating and providing at least one of gas heat, hydraulic heat or electricity to the heating element causing the heating element to heat;
- (d) the heating element attaching to the top conductor side by a plurality of heating element fastening means and being located between the paver under side and the top conductor side and, immediately against the top conductor side providing direct heat to the structural/conductor structural or conductor plate;
- (e) the plurality of conductor plate fastening means attaching the structural/conductor structural or conductor plate at its top conductor side to the paver under side of the road paver/finisher paver or finisher;
- (f) a plurality of modular screed plates, each of the plurality of modular screed plates comprising: (i) a screed plate front side and an opposing screed plate back side; (ii) a screed plate top side and an opposing screed plate bottom side; (iii) a coupling element being located on the screed plate top side proximal to the screed plate front side; (iv) a plurality of retainer quick-connect/release quick-connect or release means being located on the screed plate top side proximal to the opposing screed plate back side; (v) a screed plate interlocking side and an opposing screed plate receiving side; (vi) the screed plate interlocking side securely, cooperatively, tensionally yielding, and conductively interlocking with the opposing screed plate receiving side to an adjacent one of the plurality of modular screed plates; (vii) the screed plate interlocking side and the opposing screed plate receiving side interveningly providing a tensionally yielding gap acting as a paving material flow interrupting barrier, where the screed plate interlocking side and the opposing screed plate receiving side are interlocking; and (viii) the plurality of modular screed plates aligning and interlocking as a modular screed plate array;
- (g) each of the plurality of screed plate retaining locks to the structural/conductor structural or conductor plate securely receiving each of the plurality of retainer quick-connect/release quick-connect or release means from each of the respective plurality of modular screed plates, and concurrently the conductor front side of the structural/conductor structural or conductor plate securely and freely receiving the respective coupling element from each of the respective plurality of modular screed plates, the opposing bottom conductor side being in direct contact with the screed plate top side;
- (h) the modular screed plate array securely and heat-conductively contacting the opposing bottom conductor side of the structural/conductor structural or conductor plate; and
- (i) the structural/conductor structural or conductor plate providing indirect heat to the modular screed plate array.
2. The modular screed plate assembly paving apparatus of claim 1, wherein the structural/conductor structural or conductor plate comprising: comprises a heat conductive material.
3. The heat conductive material paving apparatus of claim 2 comprising:, wherein the heat conductive material comprisesat least one of nickel, copper, aluminum, steel, copper plated steel, copper plated aluminum or metal alloy of copper or nickel.
4. The modular screed plate assembly paving apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of conductor plate fastening means comprising: comprises a plurality of threaded nut and bolt fastenings.
5. The modular screed plate assembly paving apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heating element comprises: at least one electrical heating strip.
6. The modular screed plate assembly of claim 1 wherein the power source comprising: one of electrical, gas or hydraulic power.
7. A modular screed plate assembly paving apparatus, comprising:
- (a) a road paver/finisher paver or finisher;
- (b) the road paver/finisher paver or finisher further comprising: a paver under side, a power source and a heating element, the power source generating and providing electricity to the heating element causing the heating element to heat;
- (c) the paver under side having a plurality of screed plate retaining locks; and
- (d) a plurality of modular screed plates, each of the plurality of modular screed plates comprising: (i) a screed plate front side and an opposing screed plate back side; (ii) a screed plate top side and an opposing screed plate bottom side; (iii) a coupling element located on the screed plate top side proximal to the screed plate front side; (iv) a plurality of retainer quick-connect/release quick-connect or release means located on the screed plate top side proximal to the opposing screed plate back side; (v) a screed plate interlocking side and an opposing screed plate receiving side; (vi) the screed plate interlocking side securely, cooperatively, tensionally yielding, and conductively interlocking with the opposing screed plate receiving side to an adjacent one of the plurality of modular screed plates; (vii) the screed plate interlocking side and the opposing screed plate receiving side interveningly providing a tensionally yielding gap acting as a paving material flow interrupting barrier, where interlocking; and (viii) the plurality of modular screed plates aligning and interlocking as a modular screed plate array;
- (e) each of the plurality of screed plate retaining locks securely receiving each of the plurality of retainer quick-connect/release quick-connect or release means from each of the respective plurality of modular screed plates, and concurrently the paver under side of the paver under side securely and freely receiving the respective coupling element from each of the respective plurality of modular screed plates;
- (f) the modular screed plate array securely and heat-conductively contacting the paver under side; and
- (g) the heating element being located immediately between and securely against the paver under side and the screed plate top side, thereby providing direct heat to the modular screed plate array and the respective plurality of modular screed plates.
8. The modular screed plate assembly paving apparatus of claim 7, wherein the heating element comprising: comprises at least one electrical heating strip.
9. The modular screed plate assembly paving apparatus of claim 7, wherein the power source comprising: comprises at least one of electrical, gas or hydraulic power.
10. A screed plate An assembly method, the said method comprising:
- (a) having a road paver/finisher paver or finisher comprising: a paver under side, a power source and a heating element:;
- (b) providing a structural/conductor structural or conductor plate, comprising: (i) having a top conductor side and an opposing bottom conductor side, a conductor front side, and a plurality of conductor plate fastening means; and (ii) providing a plurality of screed plate retaining locks;
- (c) generating and providing at least one of gas heat, hydraulic heat or electricity from the road paver/finisher paver or finisher to a heating element causing the heating element to heat;
- (d) locating the heating element immediately against the top conductor side;
- (e) providing direct heat from the heating element to the structural/conductor structural or conductor plate from the heating element;
- (f) attaching the structural/conductor structural or conductor plate at its top conductor side to the paver under side of the road paver/finisher paver or finisher using the plurality of conductor plate fastening means;
- (g) providing a plurality of modular screed plates, each of the plurality of modular screed plates comprising: (i) having a screed plate front side and an opposing screed plate back side; (ii) having a screed plate top side and an opposing screed plate bottom side; (iii) having a coupling element located on the screed plate top side proximal to the screed plate front side; (iv) having a plurality of retainer quick-connect/release quick-connect or release means located on the screed plate top side proximal to the opposing screed plate back side; (v) having a screed plate interlocking side and an opposing screed plate receiving side; (vi) securely, cooperatively, tensionally yielding and conductively interlocking the screed plate interlocking side to an adjacent one of the plurality of modular screed plates with an opposing screed plate receiving side; (vii) aligning and interlocking the plurality of modular screed plates as a modular screed plate array; and (viii) creating a tensionally yielding gap between the screed interlocking side and the opposing screed plate receiving side acting as a paving material flow interrupting barrier; and (ix) using the tensionally yielding gap to allow for a bowing of the modular screed plate array, the bowing resulting from tensional yielding of the modular screed plate array;
- (h) securely receiving each of the plurality of retainer quick-connect/release quick-connect or release means at each of the respective plurality of screed plate retaining locks, and concurrently, securely and freely receiving the respective coupling element at the conductor front side of the structural/conductor structural or conductor plate, the opposing bottom conductor side being in direct contact with the screed plate top side;
- (i) securely and conductively contacting the opposing bottom conductor side of the structural/conductor structural or conductor plate with the modular screed plate array; and
- (j) providing indirect heat to the modular screed plate array from the heating element and conducting the heat through the structural/conductor structural or conductor plate.
11. The screed plate assembly method of claim 10, wherein the structural/conductor structural or conductor plate comprising: comprises a heat conductive material.
12. The screed plate assembly method of claim 10 11, wherein the heat conductive material comprising: comprises at least one of nickel, copper, aluminum, steel, copper plated steel, copper plated aluminum or metal alloy of copper or nickel.
13. The screed plate assembly method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of conductor plate fastening means comprising: comprises a plurality of threaded nut and bolt fastenings.
14. The screed plate assembly method of claim 10 wherein the heating element comprising: comprises at least one electrical heating strip.
15. The screed plate assembly method of claim 10, wherein the power source comprising: comprises one of electrical heat, gas heat or hydraulic heat.
16. A screed plate An assembly method, comprising:
- (a) having a road paver/finisher paver or finisher further comprising: a paver under side, a power source and a heating element;
- (b) generating and providing electricity to the heating element from the power source causing the heating element to heat;
- (c) having a plurality of screed plate retaining locks on the paver under side; and
- (d) providing a plurality of modular screed plates, each of the plurality of modular screed plates comprising: (i) having a screed plate front side and an opposing screed plate back side; (ii) having a screed plate top side and an opposing screed plate bottom side; (iii) having a coupling element located on the screed plate top side proximal to the screed plate front side; (iv) having a plurality of retainer quick-connect/release quick-connect or release means located on the screed plate top side proximal to the opposing screed plate back side; (v) having a screed plate interlocking side and an opposing screed plate receiving side; (vi) securely, cooperatively, tensionally yielding, and conductively interlocking the screed plate interlocking side to an adjacent one of the plurality of modular screed plates with the opposing screed plate receiving side; (vii) aligning and interlocking as a modular screed plate array the plurality of modular screed plates; (viii) providing a tensionally yielding gap between the screed plate interlocking side and the opposing screed plate receiving side acting as a paving material flow interrupting barrier; and (xi) using the tensionally yielding gap to allow for a bowing of the modular screed plate array, the bowing resulting from tensional yielding of the modular screed plate array;
- (e) securely receiving each of the plurality of retainer quick-connect/release quick-connect or release means from each of the respective plurality of screed plate retaining locks to the paver under side, and concurrently, securely and freely receiving the respective coupling element from each of the respective plurality of modular screed plates to the paver under side;
- (f) securely and heat-conductively contacting the modular screed plate array with the paver under side; and
- (g) locating the heating element immediately between and securely against the paver under side and the screed plate top side, thereby providing direct heat to the modular screed plate array.
17. The screed plate assembly method of claim 16, wherein the heating element comprising: comprises at least one electrical heating strip.
18. The screed plate assembly method of claim 16, wherein the power source comprising: comprises at least one of electrical heat, gas heat or hydraulic heat.
19. A road paver comprising:
- a structural or conductor plate having: a structural or conductor top side; a structural or conductor bottom side opposing the structural or conductor top side; a structural or conductor front side connecting the structural or conductor top side and the structural or conductor bottom side; and a structural or conductor rear side opposing the structural or conductor front side and connecting the structural or conductor top side and the structural or conductor bottom side; and
- one or more modular screed plates arranged along the structural or conductor bottom side of the structural or conductor plate, each of the one or more modular screed plates including: a paving surface, an attachment surface opposite the paving surface, a front surface, and an opposing rear surface; a first connector having a protruding edge extending from the attachment surface and positioned proximal to the front surface and constructed to be mateable to at least a portion of the road paver via a pressure connection; and a second connector positionable proximal to the rear surface, and configured to cooperate with the first connector to releasably secure the one or more modular screed plates to the at least the portion of the road paver; wherein the first connector is opposite the second connector and the first connector and the second connector are positioned proximal to different surfaces; wherein the paving surface lies below the second connector; wherein the second connector is variably extendable; wherein the first connector has a first angled surface configured to engage and mate with the at least a portion of the structural or conductor front side of the structural or conductor plate, and wherein the second connector has a second angled surface configured to mate with the structural or conductor rear side of the structural or conductor plate.
20. The road paver of claim 19, wherein the first connector has a curved or angular configuration.
21. The road paver of claim 19, wherein the second connector comprises a threaded bolt.
22. The road paver of claim 21, wherein the threaded bolt is arranged so that threads of the threaded bolt extend into the one or more modular screed plates and the structural or conductor plate.
23. The road paver of claim 19, wherein the second connector is proximal to the rear surface.
24. The road paver of claim 19, further comprising a heating element located proximal to the attachment surface.
25. The road paver of claim 24, wherein the heating element is positioned between the first connector and the second connector.
26. The road paver of claim 19, further comprising at least one heating element proximal to the structural or conductor top side.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Nov 6, 2020
Date of Patent: Oct 1, 2024
Assignee: AXENOX, LLC. (Powell, WY)
Inventors: Stuart Anthony Frost (Cowley, WY), David Michael Frost, Jr. (Cowley, WY)
Primary Examiner: Terrence R Till
Application Number: 17/091,517
International Classification: E01C 19/42 (20060101); E01C 19/48 (20060101);
