Pavement recycling machine and method of recycling pavement

A pavement recycling machine, comprising:

• a wheeled chassis;
• and
• a pavement recycling assembly suspended under said chassis, said chassis being selectively movable vertically and laterally relative to said chassis, said recycling assembly comprising:
• a frame having left and right side plates, a top plate, and an open bottom for contacting a pavement surface, said frame defining a mixing chamber and an opening in said top plate in communication with said mixing chamber;
• a toothed grinding cylinder rotatably mounted in a grinding chamber in said frame ahead of said mixing chamber for breaking up and grinding said pavement;
• means for rotating said grinding cylinder;
• at least one spray nozzle for introducing fluid asphalt binder into said frame;
• at least one toothed rotatable mixing wheel disposed in said mixing chamber for forming a mixture of said fluid asphalt binder and said ground pavement;
• means for rotating said mixing wheel;
• and
• a screed assembly disposed behind said mixing chamber for extruding said mixture at a desired height.

An in-situ method of recycling asphaltic pavement comprising the steps of:

• providing a pavement recycling assembly comprising:
• a frame having left and right side plates, a top plate, and an open bottom for contacting a pavement surface, said frame defining a mixing chamber and an opening in said top plate in communication with said mixing chamber;
• a toothed grinding cylinder rotatably mounted in a grinding chamber in said frame ahead of said mixing chamber for breaking up and grinding said pavement;
• means for rotating said grinding cylinder;
• at least one spray nozzle for introducing fluid asphalt binder into said frame;
• at least one toothed rotatable mixing wheel disposed in said mixing chamber for forming a mixture of said fluid asphalt binder and said ground pavement;
• means for rotating said mixing wheel;
• and
• a screed assembly disposed behind said mixing chamber for extruding said mixture at a desired height;
• breaking up and grinding a selected area of asphaltic pavement using said grinding drum;
• introducing fluid asphalt to said ground pavement;
• and
• creating a mixture of said fluid asphalt and said ground pavement using said mixing wheels;
• and extruding said mixture through said screed to create a pavement.