Track surface laying

A machine for laying a resilient track surface material on a substrate which varies in elevation non-uniformly across its width, comprising:

• an elongated frame of a length sufficient to span a plurality of successive lanes of a running track;
• a plurality of successively-hinged individually-articulatable platens depending from and distributed along said frame, each platen having a length corresponding to the width of a respective one of said lanes;
• means included individually with respect to each of said platens for enabling the application of pressure on said material toward the underlying substrate of said track, while effecting said pressure applied over each of said lanes in an amount which establishes a thickness of said layer that is substantially the same in each of said lanes;
• means coupled to said frame for reciprocating said platens with linear motion in a direction laterally across said track to smear said material and form a bonded layer of said material which exhibits a continuous upper surface across said lanes but which also is planar across each individual one of said lanes;
• and means coupled to said frame for moving said machine along said track.

A machine for laying a resilient track surface material on a substrate which varies in elevation non-uniformly across its width, comprising:

• an elongated frame of a length sufficient to span a plurality of successive lanes of a running track;
• a plurality of successively-hinged individually-articulatable platens depending from and distributed along said frame, each platen having a length corresponding to the width of a respective one of said lanes;
• means included individually with respect to each of said platens for enabling the application of pressure on said material toward the underlying substrate of said track, while effecting said pressure applied over each of said lanes in an amount which establishes a thickness of said layer that is substantially the same in each of said lanes;
• means coupled to said frame for reciprocating said platens laterally to smear said material and form a bonded layer of said material which exhibits a continuous uppersurface across said lanes but which also is planar across each individual one of said lanes;
• means coupled to said frame for moving said machine along said track;
• means carried by said frame for sensing the elevation of individual lane-corresponding segments of said substrate ahead of respective ones of said platens and responsively adjusting the individual elevations of corresponding ones of said platens;
• and said sensing means further including a corresponding series of wheels that ride freely on said substrate in advance of said platens.

A machine for laying a resilient track surface material on a substrate which varies in elevation non-uniformly across its width, comprising:

• an elongated frame of a length sufficient to span a plurality of successive lanes of a running track;
• a plurality of successively-hinged individually-articulatable platens depending from and distributed along said frame, each platen having a length corresponding to the width of a respective one of said lanes;
• means included individually with respect to each of said platens for enabling the application of pressure on said material toward the underlying substrate of said track, while effecting said pressure applied over each of said lanes in an amount which establishes a thickness of said layer that is substantially the same in each of said lanes;
• means coupled to said frame for reciprocating said platens laterally to smear said material and form a bonded layer of said material which exhibits a continuous uppersurface across said lanes but which also is planar across each individual one of said lanes;
• means coupled to said frame for moving said machine along said track;
• means carried by said frame for sensing the elevation of individual lane-corresponding segments of said substrate ahead of respective ones of said platens and responsively adjusting the individual elevations of said corresponding platens;
• and said platens being cantilevered to the rear from said sensing means.

A machine for laying a resilient track surface material on a substrate which varies in elevation non-uniformly across its width, comprising:

• an elongated frame of a length sufficient to span a plurality of successive lanes of a running track;
• a plurality of successively-hinged individually-articulatable platens depending from and distributed along said frame, each platen having a length corresponding to the width of a respective one of said lanes;
• means included individually with respect to each of said platens for enabling the application of pressure on said material toward the underlying substrate of said track, while effecting said pressure applied over each of said lanes in an amount which establishes a thickness of said layer that is substantially the same in each of said lanes;
• means coupled to said frame for reciprocating said platens laterally to smear said material and form a bonded layer of said material which exhibits a continuous uppersurface across said lanes but which also is planar across each individual one of said lanes;
• means coupled to said frame for moving said machine along said track;
• means carried by said frame for sensing the elevation of individual lane-corresponding segments of said substrate ahead of respective ones of said platens and responsively adjusting the individual elevations of corresponding ones of said platens;
• and a blade carried from said frame for metering said material to said platens and in which said sensing means also adjusts the elevation of said blade.

A machine for laying a resilient track surface material on a substrate which varies in elevation non-uniformly across its width, comprising:

• an elongated frame of a length sufficient to span a plurality of successive lanes of a running track;
• a plurality of successively-hinged individually-articulatable platens depending from and distributed along said frame, each platen having a length corresponding to the width of a respective one of said lanes;
• means included individually with respect to each of said platens for enabling the application of pressure on said material toward the underlying substrate of said track, while effecting said pressure applied over each of said lanes in an amount which establishes a thickness of said layer that is substantially the same in each of said lanes;
• means coupled to said frame for reciprocating said platens laterally to smear said material and form a bonded layer of said material which exhibits a continuous uppersurface across said lanes but which also is planar across each individual one of said lanes;
• means coupled to said frame for moving said machine along said track;
• a pair of booms projecting forwardly from respective end portions of said frame;
• said moving means including steerable traction devices coupled to the ends of said booms remote from said frame;
• and means including a universal joint coupling said booms to said frame.

A machine for laying a resilient track surface material on a substrate which varies in elevation non-uniformly across its width, comprising:

• an elongated frame of a length sufficient to span a plurality of successive lanes of a running track;
• a plurality of successively-hinged individually-articulatable platens depending from and distributed along said frame, each platen having a length corresponding to the width of a respective one of said lanes;
• means included individually with respect to each of said platens for enabling the application of pressure on said material toward the underlying substrate of said track, while effecting said pressure applied over each of said lanes in an amount which establishes a thickness of said layer that is substantially the same in each of said lanes;
• means coupled to said frame for reciprocating said platens laterally to smear said material and form a bonded layer of said material which exhibits a continuous uppersurface across said lanes but which also is planar across each individual one of said lanes;
• means coupled to said frame for moving said machine along said track;
• a pair of booms projecting forwardly from respective end portions of said frame;
• said moving means including steerable traction devices coupled to the ends of said booms remote from said frame;
• and means secured between said booms and said frame for adjusting the angulation of said platens about a horizontal axis.

A machine for laying a resilient track surface material on a substrate which varies in elevation non-uniformly across its width, comprising:

• an elongated frame of a length sufficient to span a plurality of successive lanes of a running track;
• a plurality of successively-hinged individually-articulatable platens depending from and distributed along said frame, each platen having a length corresponding to the width of a respective one of said lanes;
• means included individually with respect to each of said platens for enabling the application of pressure on said material toward the underlying substrate of said track, while effecting said pressure applied over each of said lanes in an amount which establishes a thickness of said layer that is substantially the same in each of said lanes;
• means coupled to said frame for reciprocating said platens laterally to smear said material and form a bonded layer of said material which exhibits a continuous uppersurface across said lanes but which also is planar across each individual one of said lanes;
• means coupled to said frame for moving said machine along said track;
• a pair of booms projecting forwardly from repective end portions of said frame;
• said moving means including steerable traction devices coupled to the ends of said booms remote from said frame;
• pedestals supporting the respective ends of said booms adjacent to said frame;
• respective wheels coupled to the lower ends of said pedestals;
• and means for adjusting the effective height of said pedestals above said wheels.

A machine for laying a resilient track surface material on a substrate which varies in elevation non-uniformly across its width, comprising:

• an elongated frame of a length sufficient to span a plurality of successive lanes of a running track;
• a plurality of successively-hinged individually-articulatable platens defpending from and distributed along said frame, each platen having a length corresponding to the width of a respective one of said lanes;
• means included individually with respect to each of said platens for enabling the application of pressure on said material toward the underlying substrate of said track, while effecting said pressure applied over each of said lanes in an amount which establishes a thickness of said layer that is substantially the same in each of said lanes;
• means coupled to said frame for reciprocating said platens laterally to smear said material and form a bonded layer of said material which exhibits a continuous uppersurface across said lanes but which also is planar across each individual one of said lanes;
• means coupled to said frame for moving said machine along said track;
• said reciprocating means including a series of elements spaced above said platen and driven in reciprocation back and forth across the width of said track;
• and means for suspending said platens from said elements and allowing said platens to rock back and forth in reciprocation while retaining linear movement.