Tamper bar and wear plate for screed assembly of paving machine

A paving machine, comprising:

• an engine;
• a hopper for receiving asphalt material;
• a conveyor system for transporting the asphalt material rearward from the hopper for deposit onto a surface;
• and
• a screed assembly operatively associated with the engine and configured to smooth and compact the asphalt material into a mat, the screed assembly including:
• a screed frame;
• a screed plate attached to the screed frame;
• a wear plate attached to the screed frame;
• a tamper bar mounted to the screed frame and configured for up and down reciprocating motion relative to the screed frame;
• a heating element mounted at least partially within a recess formed within the tamper bar, wherein at least a portion of the heating element extends through a bore formed in the tamper bar, and wherein the portion of the heating element extending through the bore formed in the tamper bar is clamped between a clamping plate extending along a top surface of the heating element and a thermally conductive insert positioned below the heating element in the bore and configured to provide a thermal conductive path between the heating element and the tamper bar;
• and
• an eccentric drive mechanism mounted on the screed frame and configured for driving the tamper bar up and down in a reciprocating manner relative to the screed frame;
• a bottom portion of the tamper bar configured to slide along the wear plate, which is attached to the screed frame in between the screed frame and the reciprocating tamper bar;
• and
• the tamper bar including at least two intersecting chamfered surfaces with different angles from each other and relative to the screed plate at a leading edge of the tamper bar facing in a direction of travel of the paving machine as the paving machine is applying paving material to a surface.

A tamper bar and wear plate assembly for a screed assembly on a paving machine, the tamper bar and wear plate assembly comprising:

• a tamper bar;
• a heating element mounted at least partially within a bore formed within the tamper bar, wherein the heating element is a flat-surface geometry heating element clamped between a clamping plate extending along a top surface of the heating element and a thermally conductive, half-round insert positioned below the heating element in the bore and configured to provide a thermal conductive path between the heating element and the tamper bar;
• and
• a wear plate attached to a screed frame of the screed assembly on the paving machine by one or more recessed fasteners;
• the tamper bar configured for sliding engagement with the wear plate along a substantially vertical interface surface of a bottom portion of the tamper bar;
• the tamper bar including a bottom surface that extends in a direction substantially parallel to a direction of travel of the paving machine and substantially perpendicular to a direction of compaction of material being applied to a surface by the paving machine, the bottom surface of the tamper bar intersecting with a first chamfered surface extending upward from the bottom surface at a first angle relative to the bottom surface toward a forward-facing leading edge of the tamper bar, and the first chamfered surface intersecting with a second chamfered surface extending upward from the first chamfered surface at a second angle relative to the bottom surface to intersect with the forward-facing leading edge of the tamper bar, wherein the second angle is greater than the first angle, and
• a gap being formed between upper portions of the tamper bar and the wear plate above the substantially vertical interface surface, the gap being unobstructed by any portion of the one or more recessed fasteners attaching the wear plate to the screed frame.