Earth and road roller with oppositely skewed tandem steering drums

A roller for treating surfaces, comprising:

• two surface-treating drums operatively connected to a frame structure and arranged one behind the other, each drum mounted on an independent, horizontal axle to permit rotation about their respective axes across the surface to be treated, the drums being disposed at a positively-selected skew angle relative to each other and in opposite directions relative to the normal direction of movement of the roller, the skew angle being positively selected from a range of between 2.degree.-10.degree. to adapt the roller to different surfaces to be treated;
• vertical axle means connected to said frame structure and to the horizontal axle of each of the two drums so that each drum can be turned about a vertical axis, said vertical axle means being aligned along the normal direction of movement to the roller;
• steering means on said frame structure for simultaneously turning both of said vertical axle means to maintain the positively-selected skew angle between the two drums during curvilinear movement of the roller, said steering means including steering control means coupled to said vertical axle means and actuation means operatively coupled to said steering control means;
• adjustment means operatively connected to said steering means for adjusting the angle of skew of each drum relative to the normal direction of movement of the roller and relative to each other;
• and
• moving means connected to said frame structure for causing the drums to roll across the surface to be treated, including a third surface-treating drum rotatably mounted on a horizontal axis and disposed in tandem relative to said two drums and motor means operatively connected to said third drum.