Screed assembly for asphalt paving machine
AssigneeRoadtec, Inc.
InventorBilly Claxton Young, JR.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A screed assembly for an asphalt paving machine includes a lower screed plate, an upper screed plate and a heating element that is in contact with the lower screed plate. The screed assembly also includes a compression bolt assembly having a primary bolt, a compression bolt and a compression spring. The primary bolt has a through hole, and the compression bolt is adapted to be inserted through the hole of the primary bolt. The compression spring is adapted to be placed over the lower end of the primary bolt, so that the compression bolt assembly may cooperate with the upper screed plate to apply a compression force to the heating element on the lower screed plate.
Claims11
A screed assembly for an asphalt paving machine comprising:
- (a) a lower screed plate;
- (b) an upper screed plate;
- (c) a heating element that is in contact with the lower screed plate;
- (d) a compression bolt assembly comprising:
- (i) a primary bolt having a primary bolt through hole;
- (ii) a compression bolt that is adapted to be inserted through the primary bolt through hole;
- (iii) a compression spring that is adapted to be placed over the lower end of the primary bolt;
- wherein said compression bolt assembly is adapted to cooperate with the upper screed plate to apply a compression force to the heating element on the lower screed plate.
A method for applying a predetermined compression force to a heating element of a screed assembly for an asphalt paving machine, said screed assembly comprising an upper screed plate having a threaded hole and a lower screed plate on which the heating element is placed, wherein said method comprises:
- (a) placing the heating element into contact with the lower screed plate;
- (b) providing a compression bolt assembly comprising the following components:
- (i) a compression bolt having a head and an externally threaded end portion;
- (ii) a primary bolt having a head, an externally threaded portion that is adapted for threaded engagement with the threaded hole in the upper screed plate, and a primary bolt through hole that is adapted to receive the compression bolt;
- (iii) a jam nut that is adapted for threaded engagement with the externally threaded portion of the primary bolt;
- (iv) a compression spring;
- (v) an end nut that is adapted for threaded engagement with the externally threaded end portion of the compression bolt;
- (vi) a bolt foot having an upper end which includes a threaded hole that is adapted for threaded engagement with the threaded end portion of the compression bolt;
- (c) assembling the compression bolt assembly so that the compression bolt extends through the hole in the primary bolt, the compression spring is placed over the end of the compression bolt extending out of the lower end of the primary bolt, the end nut is threaded onto the end portion of the compression bolt so that a portion of the threaded end portion of the compression bolt extends below the end nut, the bolt foot is threaded onto the end portion of the compression bolt that extends below the end nut, and the jam nut is threaded onto the primary bolt;
- (d) inserting the primary bolt into the threaded hole in the upper screed plate;
- (e) threading the primary bolt into the threaded hole in the upper screed plate until the bolt foot contacts the heating element;
- (f) threading the primary bolt further into the threaded hole in the upper screed plate to compress the spring to provide the predetermined compression force on the heating element;
- (g) threading the jam nut further onto the primary bolt until the jam nut contacts the upper screed plate to lock the compression bolt assembly onto the upper screed plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.