US 10,246,833 B2Granted

Asphalt paving machine operational reporting system

AssigneeRoadtec, Inc.

InventorsMikel A. Blank, David Swearingen

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Abstract

An asphalt paving machine includes a drive system, an asphalt receiving hopper and a distributing auger. A hopper conveyor, which is adapted to transport asphalt paving material from the receiving hopper to the distributing auger, includes a hopper conveyor motor and a speed sensor. A vertically-adjustable flow gate defines the size of the gate opening from the asphalt receiving hopper to the distributing auger, and a flow gate position sensor is adapted to determine the vertical position of the flow gate. A controller includes a timer and is operatively connected to the drive system for the paving machine, the speed sensor for the hopper conveyor motor and the flow gate position sensor. The controller uses a machine speed signal, a conveyor speed signal and a flow gate signal to measure the amount of asphalt paving material delivered to the distributing auger per unit of time.

Claims10

Dependent claims

An asphalt paving machine comprising:

(a) a drive system that is operated to move the paving machine across a surface to be paved;
(b) an asphalt receiving hopper which is adapted to receive asphalt paving material;
(c) a distributing auger;
(d) a hopper conveyor that is adapted to transport the asphalt paving material from the asphalt receiving hopper to the distributing auger, said hopper conveyor comprising:
(i) a hopper conveyor motor;
(ii) a speed sensor that is associated with the hopper conveyor motor and adapted to measure the rate of rotation of the hopper conveyor motor;
(e) a vertically-adjustable flow gate that is associated with the hopper conveyor and adapted to define the size of the gate opening from the asphalt receiving hopper to the distributing auger, said flow gate further comprising a flow gate position sensor that is adapted to determine the vertical position of the flow gate;
(f) a controller including a timer, said controller being:
(i) operatively connected to the drive system for moving the paving machine across the surface to be paved and adapted to receive a machine speed signal indicating the speed at which the paving machine is moving across the surface to be paved;
(ii) operatively connected to the speed sensor that is associated with the hopper conveyor motor and adapted to receive a conveyor speed signal indicating the speed of the hopper conveyor;
(iii) operatively connected to the flow gate position sensor and adapted to receive a flow gate signal indicating the vertical position of the flow gate;
(iv) adapted to use the machine speed signal, the conveyor speed signal and the flow gate signal to measure the amount of asphalt paving material delivered to the distributing auger per unit of time;
(g) a material sensor that is attached to the vertically-adjustable flow gate, said material sensor:
(i) being operatively connected to the controller and adapted to signal to the controller if asphalt paving material is passing under the flow gate;
(ii) having an arm that extends below the bottom of the flow gate, said arm being adapted to pivot upwardly when asphalt paving material is struck off by the flow gate;
(iii) having a switch that is configured to be actuated when the arm of the material sensor pivots upwardly in order to signal the controller that asphalt paving material is passing under the flow gate.

13 more elements

An asphalt paving machine comprising:

(a) a drive system that is operated to move the paving machine across a surface to be paved;
(b) an asphalt receiving hopper which is adapted to receive asphalt paving material;
(c) a distributing auger;
(d) a hopper conveyor that is adapted to transport the asphalt paving material from the asphalt receiving hopper to the distributing auger, said hopper conveyor comprising:
(i) a hopper conveyor motor;
(ii) a speed sensor that is associated with the hopper conveyor motor and adapted to measure the rate of rotation of the hopper conveyor motor;
(e) a vertically-adjustable flow gate that is associated with the hopper conveyor and adapted to define the size of the gate opening from the asphalt receiving hopper to the distributing auger, said flow gate further comprising a flow gate position sensor that is adapted to determine the vertical position of the flow gate;
(f) a controller including a timer, said controller being:
(i) operatively connected to the drive system for moving the paving machine across the surface to be paved and adapted to receive a machine speed signal indicating the speed at which the paving machine is moving across the surface to be paved;
(ii) operatively connected to the speed sensor that is associated with the hopper conveyor motor and adapted to receive a conveyor speed signal indicating the speed of the hopper conveyor;
(iii) operatively connected to the flow gate position sensor and adapted to receive a flow gate signal indicating the vertical position of the flow gate;
(iv) adapted to use the machine speed signal, the conveyor speed signal and the flow gate signal to measure the amount of asphalt paving material delivered to the distributing auger per unit of time;
(v) adapted to receive a coefficient of efficiency for the hopper conveyor;
(vi) adapted to use the coefficient of efficiency in measuring the amount of asphalt paving material delivered to the distributing auger per unit of time.

11 more elements

An asphalt paving machine comprising:

(a) a drive system that is operated to move the paving machine across a surface to be paved;
(b) an asphalt receiving hopper which is adapted to receive asphalt paving material, said asphalt receiving hopper being defined by:
(i) a left sidewall;
(ii) a right sidewall;
(iii) a left rear wall;
and
(iv) a right rear wall;
(c) a distributing auger;
(d) a left hopper conveyor that is adapted to transport the asphalt paving material from the asphalt receiving hopper to the distributing auger, said left hopper conveyor comprising:
(i) a left hopper conveyor motor;
(ii) a speed sensor that is associated with the left hopper conveyor motor and adapted to measure the rate of rotation of the left hopper conveyor motor;
(iii) a vertically-adjustable left flow gate that is located adjacent the left rear wall of the asphalt receiving hopper and is adapted to define the size of the left gate opening from the asphalt receiving hopper to the distributing auger, said left flow gate further comprising a left flow gate position sensor that is adapted to determine the vertical position of the left flow gate;
(e) a right hopper conveyor that is adapted to transport the asphalt paving material from the asphalt receiving hopper to the distributing auger, said right hopper conveyor comprising:
(i) a right hopper conveyor motor;
(ii) a speed sensor that is associated with the right hopper conveyor motor and adapted to measure the rate of rotation of the right hopper conveyor motor;
(iii) a vertically-adjustable right flow gate that is located adjacent the right rear wall of the asphalt receiving hopper and is adapted to define the size of the right gate opening from the asphalt receiving hopper to the distributing auger, said right flow gate further comprising a right flow gate position sensor that is adapted to determine the vertical position of the right flow gate;
(f) a controller including a timer, said controller being:
(i) operatively connected to the drive system for moving the paving machine across the surface to be paved and adapted to receive a machine speed signal indicating the speed at which the paving machine is moving across the surface to be paved;
(ii) operatively connected to the speed sensor that is associated with the left hopper conveyor motor and adapted to receive a left conveyor speed signal indicating the speed of the left hopper conveyor;
(iii) operatively connected to the left flow gate position sensor and adapted to receive a left flow gate signal indicating the vertical position of the left flow gate;
(iv) operatively connected to the speed sensor that is associated with the right hopper conveyor motor and adapted to receive a right conveyor speed signal indicating the speed of the right hopper conveyor;
(v) operatively connected to the right flow gate position sensor and adapted to receive a right flow gate signal indicating the vertical position of the right flow gate;
(vi) adapted to use the machine speed signal, the left conveyor speed signal, the left flow gate signal, the right conveyor speed signal and the right flow gate signal to measure the amount of asphalt paving material delivered to the distributing auger per unit of time;
(vii) adapted to receive a coefficient of efficiency for the left hopper conveyor;
(viii) receive a coefficient of efficiency for the right hopper conveyor;
(ix) use the coefficient of efficiency for the left hopper conveyor and the coefficient of efficiency for the right hopper conveyor in measuring the amount of asphalt paving material delivered to the distributing auger per unit of time.

23 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/899,492Filed 20 Feb 2018 · us provisional application
Priority: 23 Feb 2017
Published: US 2018/0238000 A123 Aug 2018
Granted: 2 Apr 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

E01C 19/202
With driven loosening, discharging or spreading parts, e.g. power-driven, drive derived from road-wheels: solely rotating, e.g. discharging and…
E01C 19/48
Machines, tools or auxiliary devices for preparing or distributing paving materials, for working the placed materials, or for forming,…: for…
E01C 2019/2065
Details not otherwise provided for: sensing the quantity of the material actually being distributed
E01C 2019/207
Details not otherwise provided for: feeding the distribution means

Family

Application62/462,618Us provisional application · filed 23 Feb 2017
US 2018/0238000 A1Pre-grant publication · published 23 Aug 2018
US 10,246,833 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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