Abstract: A gravel recapturing and sifting apparatus for attachment to a vehicle on a roadway includes a framework that includes a mounting portion selectively coupled to a front of the vehicle and a mounting boom having a proximal end attached to the mounting portion and which extends rearwardly alongside the vehicle. The apparatus includes at least one wheel assembly coupled to an outer face of the mounting boom and being outwardly offset relative to the outer face, the at least one-wheel assembly including a wheel having a plurality of tines and that is rotatable when actuated. The tines are spaced apart and radially arranged so as to kick up and urge gravel in a direction toward the mounting boom while allowing grass and weeds to pass through in an opposite direction.

Abstract: A grading machine includes a machine body, a blade assembly, a circle supporting the blade assembly and including a plurality of teeth, a drawbar assembly connecting the circle to the machine body, and a cover plate coupled to a bottom portion of the drawbar assembly. The drawbar assembly includes a plurality of blocks, and the cover plate is configured to be coupled to the drawbar assembly via the plurality of blocks.

Abstract: A work vehicle includes a main frame extending along a longitudinal axis and a pair of actuators mounted to the main frame. The actuators are configured to set an orientation of a tool mounted below the main frame, which in a home position center the tool on the longitudinal axis. An operator cabin mounted to the main frame has a pair of structural posts extending from a floor to a roof at a front side of the operator cabin. An operator seat mounted in the operator cabin faces forward so as to create a forward field of view to the tool for an operator seated in the operator seat. The front structural posts are spaced apart laterally on each side of the main frame at a distance from a longitudinal axis such that they each overlap along a reference line one of the actuators within a forward-looking field of view.

Abstract: A motor grader can be adapted for laying down a layer of granular material such as base rock or cold mix asphalt by mounting a dispensing hopper attachment onto the front of the motor grader and a spreading and leveling screed onto the moldboard. As the motor grader advances, it pushes a dump truck that continuously loads materials into the hopper. Those materials are in turn continuously discharged at a metered rate of flow through the bottom of the hopper and onto the roadbed. The resulting swath of materials passes between the front wheels of the grader as the grader continues to advance, whereupon the screed engages the swath and spreads the materials in opposite lateral directions while leveling them to the desired depth.

Abstract: An attachment assembly is provided for quickly and conveniently mounting a roller onto and immediately ahead of an elongate blade of a road grader or other vehicle which manipulates and moves the blade over a ground surface. The portable roller has an elongate body with a continuous cylindrical outer surface for contacting and working the ground surface, and an axle element about which the roller rotates and which protrudes from each opposed end of the roller body. The attachment assembly is removably receivable on the blade and rotatably holds the roller by the protruding axle element. The location and orientation of the roller relative to the ground surface is controlled by manipulating the blade. The assembly provides an alternative to traditional road grading, namely by allowing a road grader to carry a roller to simultaneously level and compact a ground surface, such as a gravel road.

Abstract: An attachment system for mounting road-maintenance equipment on a vehicle such as a motor grader includes a frame for mounting on the nose plate of the vehicle to support the conditioning equipment forwardly and partly outboard of the vehicle. The system includes pivotal attachment mounts for the front and rear ends of a draft frame of the conditioning equipment together with a strut for supporting the draft frame at a desired orientation during operation, and for raising the draft frame and surface conditioning equipment to a retracted position when not in use. A mast on the attachment system frame directs a cable to the rear end of the draft frame to effect raising movement of the latter to the transport position.

Abstract: A layer of material such as pavement or sheet ice coating the surface of a roadway is efficiently removed using apparatus that includes a longitudinal tube in a breaker assembly which is rotatably carried by a control frame beam that depends from an articulate hydraulic lift and tilt mechanism of a road grader. Coaxially attached to the tube and uniformly distributed along its length, a number of retainer rings each carry several radially extended teeth that function to fragment the layer. Each tooth includes a tip portion with a free end that penetrates and punctures the layer and a trailing divergent portion which enters the puncture and translates a linear force applied thereto into a radial outward force that fractures and fragments the side walls of each puncture when the breaker assembly is lowered onto the layer and a downward force is applied to each tooth as the breaker assembly rolls over the layer surface.

Abstract: A snow-sweeping roller for replaceable attachment to a utility road vehicle (1) having brush-equipped roller (4) rotatably affixed at the underside of the vehicle. To achieve low-wear operation of the sweeper roller (4) and simultaneously low energy consumption, a control device is provided for adjusting and changing roller rpm in accordance with the following factors:(a) The circumferential speed (w) of the roller changes in proportion to vehicle speed (f);(b) The circumferential speed (w) of the roller has a ratio to the vehicle speed (f) that ranges from unity to two; and(c) A minimum value of the circumferential speed (w-min) of the roller is established for when the vehicle is moving slowly or is stationary.

Abstract: A scraper machine for ground levelling and earth planing having a scraper unit and a ripper assembly for scarifying and loosening in advance of levelling and planing and with the ripper assembly being carried by a raised front end member of the scraper unit, vertically adjustable with respect to the scraper unit, and pulled through a ripper tongue that is pivotally connected to a main tongue of the scraper unit.

Abstract: An improved reciprocatory self-loading dual-ended earth excavation vehicle pivotally connected to two or more unmanned self-leveling and self-maneuvering telescopic conveyor vehicles, the latter in turn are pivotally connected to a multi-function dual-ended distribution vehicle capable of conveying, spreading, wetting, impacting and grading the earth fill. The above-mentioned articulated vehicles provide the means to excavate, convey and discharge a virtually continuous flow of earth while traveling in a forward or rearward direction. The excavation and telescopic conveyor vehicles are readily adaptable to surface mining of various minerals including coal and oil shale by simply exchanging the above-mentioned distribution vehicle for a pivotally connected boom conveyer vehicle which provides the means for discharging the ore at a mill site or for the loading of long haul ore carriers.

Abstract: An earth working dozer or tractor having a transverse blade and an adjustable spiral auger supported forward of the blade which further crushes material lifted by the blade and moves the material transverse of the blade. The blade includes opposed support-drive links which are pivotally supported at one end on top of the blade and which extend forwardly to receive the auger. The links are connected by a bar, spaced from the pivotal support, which is connected to the dozer frame by one or more hydraulic piston-cylinders. The position of the auger relative to the blade may thus be adjusted in parallel relation by extending or retracting the piston-cylinders, swinging the spiral auger about the pivot axes of the support links.