Screeding apparatus and method

A self-propelled screeding apparatus for placed and/or poured, uncured concrete or like loose or plastic materials previously placed on the ground or another support surface comprising:

• a frame;
• propulsion means on said frame for moving said frame over the ground or support surface;
• a boom;
• boom support means for mounting said boom in cantilevered fashion from said frame;
• screed means for spreading and/or smoothing the loose or plastic material;
• screed mounting means for mounting said screed means on said boom for movement with respect to said frame and boom whereby said screed means may be moved along said boom for spreading and/or smoothing concrete or other material on the ground or other support surface adjacent to said apparatus or may be secured in a predetermined position on said boom for spreading and/or smoothing the material as said apparatus is moved through the material;
• said boom support means including rotational boom mounting means for rotatably supporting said boom on said frame whereby said screed means may be positioned around said apparatus.

A self-propelled screeding apparatus for placed and/or poured, uncured concrete or like loose or plastic materials previously placed on the ground or another support surface comprising:

• a frame;
• propulsion means on said frame for moving said frame over the ground or support surface;
• a boom;
• boom support means for mounting said boom in cantilevered fashion from said frame;
• screed means for spreading and/or smoothing the loose or plastic material;
• screed mounting means for mounting said screed means on said boom for movement with respect to said frame and boom whereby said screed means may be moved along said boom for spreading and/or smoothing concrete or other material on the ground or other support surface adjacent to said apparatus or may be secured in a predetermined position on said boom for spreading and/or smoothing the material as said apparatus is moved through the material;
• said screed mounting means including trolley means mounted on said boom for movably supporting said screed means, said trolley means including trolley bearing means engaging said boom for moving said trolley means along said boom and suspension means for suspending said screed means from said trolley means;
• said screed mounting means also including trolley drive motor means for moving said trolley means along said boom.

A self-propelled screeding apparatus for placed and/or poured, uncured concrete or like loose or plastic materials previously placed on the ground or another support surface comprising:

• a frame;
• propulsion means on said frame for moving said frame over the ground or support surface;
• a boom;
• boom support means for mounting said boom in cantilevered fashion from said frame;
• screed means for spreading and/or smoothing the loose or plastic material;
• screed mounting means for mounting said screed means on said boom for movement with respect to said frame and boom whereby said screed means may be moved along said boom for spreading and/or smoothing concrete or other material on the ground or other support surface adjacent to said apparatus or may be secured in a predetermined position on said boom for spreading and/or smoothing the material as said apparatus is moved through the material;
• said screed means including a screed assembly having a generally horizontally extending screed support, a generally horizontally extending auger rotatably mounted on said screed support for moving the material to be spread axially along said auger, auger drive means for rotating said auger, striker means for engaging, spreading and smoothing the material to be spread, and vibration means for vibrating said screed support, auger, auger drive means and striker means to facilitate spreading and smoothing of the material;
• said screed means further including elevation means for raising and lowering said screed assembly with respect to said boom, and screed control means for automatically controlling the elevation of said screed assembly with said elevation means in response to a fixed reference external of said apparatus.

A self-propelled screeding apparatus for placed and/or poured, uncured concrete or like loose or plastic materials previously placed on the ground or another support surface comprising:

• a frame;
• propulsion means on said frame for moving said frame over the ground or support surface;
• a boom;
• boom support means for mounting said boom in cantilevered fashion from said frame;
• screed means for spreading and/or smoothing the loose or plastic material;
• screed mounting means for mounting said screed means on said boom for movement with respect to said frame and boom whereby said screed means may be moved along said boom for spreading and/or smoothing concrete or other material on the ground or other support surface adjacent to said apparatus or may be secured in a predetermined position on said boom for spreading and/or smoothing the material as said apparatus is moved through the material;
• said screed means further including elevation means for raising and lowering said screed means with respect to said boom and screed control means for automatically controlling the elevation of said screed means with said elevation means in response to a fixed reference external of said apparatus.

A self-propelled screeding apparatus for placed and/or poured, uncured concrete or like loose or plastic materials previously placed on the ground or another support surface comprising:

• a frame;
• propulsion means on said frame for moving said frame over the ground or support surface;
• a boom;
• boom support means for mounting said boom in cantilevered fashion from said frame;
• screed means for spreading and/or smoothing the loose or plastic material;
• screed mounting means for mounting said screed means on said boom for movement with respect to said frame and boom whereby said screed means may be moved along said boom for spreading and/or smoothing concrete or other material on the ground or other support surface adjacent to said apparatus or may be secured in a predetermined position on said boom for spreading and/or smoothing the material as said apparatus is moved through the material;
• said frame including a first rigid framework and a pair of spaced axle means for receiving support wheels thereon mounted on said first framework;
• said axle means respectively supporting front and rear pairs of support wheels thereon;
• at least one of said axle means including pivot means at each end for turning said wheels;
• and extendable stabilizer means for engaging the ground and supporting and leveling said frame and apparatus during use of said screed means.

A self-propelled screeding apparatus for various loose or plastic materials previously placed on the ground or another support surface such as placed and/or poured concrete, sand, gravel or the like comprising:

• a frame;
• propulsion means on said frame for moving said frame over the ground or other support surface;
• a boom;
• rotational boom mounting means on said frame for rotatably supporting said boom on said frame;
• screed means on said boom for spreading and leveling material on the ground or other support surface adjacent said apparatus;
• screed mounting means for mounting said screed means on said boom for movement with respect to said frame and boom;
• control means on said screed means for automatically controlling the elevation of said screed means with respect to said boom and frame in response to a fixed reference whereby said screed means may be moved on said boom or said apparatus may be moved with said screed means in a fixed position along said boom to spread and/or level the loose or plastic material adjacent the apparatus, said boom being rotatable to position said screed means on said frame for spreading and/or leveling material in selected areas around said apparatus.

A self-propelled screeding apparatus for placed and/or poured, uncured concrete or like loose or plastic materials previously placed on the ground or another support surface comprising:

• a frame;
• propulsion means on said frame for moving said frame over the ground or other support surface;
• a boom;
• boom support beams for mounting said boom in cantilevered fashion from said frame;
• screed means mounted on said boom behind said propulsion means for spreading and/or smoothing the loose or plastic material such as uncured concrete and filling in any tracks made by said propulsion means;
• and
• laser beam elevation control means on said boom for automatically controlling the elevation of said screed means with respect to said boom and frame in response to a fixed laser beacon reference located off said apparatus whereby said apparatus may be moved through the material to be spread with said screed means thereon to spread and/or level the loose or plastic material behind the apparatus while the finished height of the material is automatically controlled.

A self-propelled screeding apparatus for placed and/or poured, uncured concrete or like loose or plastic materials previously placed on the ground or another support surface comprising:

• a frame;
• propulsion means on said frame for moving said frame over the ground or other support surface;
• a boom;
• boom support means for mounting said boom in cantilevered fashion from said frame;
• screed means mounted on said boom behind said propulsion means for spreading and/or smoothing the loose or plastic material such as uncured concrete and filling in any tracks made by said propulsion means;
• elevation control means on said boom for automatically controlling the elevation of said screed means with respect to said boom and frame in response to a fixed reference located off said apparatus whereby said apparatus may be moved through the material to be spread with said screed means thereon to spread and/or level the loose or plastic material behind the apparatus while the finished height of the material is automatically controlled;
• said elevation control means including at least one fluid cylinder, a laser beam receiver for detecting and receiving a laser beacon defining a fixed reference plane and generating an electrical signal indicating the position of said receiver relative to said laser beacon reference plane, a source of fluid under pressure for extending said fluid cylinder, electrically controlled fluid valve means for controlling fluid flow from said fluid source to said fluid cylinder, and electrical control means responsive to said signal from said laser beacon receiver for opening and closing said fluid valve means.

A method of screeding placed and/or poured, uncured concrete or like material with a screeding vehicle comprising:

• propelling the vehicle through the placed and/or poured, uncured concrete or like material such that the support means for supporting the vehicle on the ground or other surface pass directly through the concrete or other material;
• screeding the uncured concrete or other material with a screed means mounted on the vehicle for leveling and/or spreading and smoothing the concrete or other material, said screeding occurring behind the vehicle support means by engaging the screed means with the concrete or other material behind the vehicle support means;
• and
• controlling the position of said screed means with respect to a fixed laser beacon reference located external to said vehicle with a control means on said vehicle.

A method of screeding placed and/or poured, uncured concrete or like material with a screeding vehicle comprising:

• propelling the vehicle through the placed and/or poured, uncured concrete or like material such that the support means for supporting the vehicle on the ground or other surface pass directly through the concrete or other material;
• screeding the uncured concrete or other material with a screed means mounted on the vehicle for leveling and/or spreading and smoothing the concrete or other material, said screeding occurring behind the vehicle support means by engaging the screed means with the concrete or other material behind the vehicle support means;
• controlling the position of said screed means with respect to a fixed reference located external to said vehicle with a control means on said vehicle;
• filling in the tracks made in the concrete or other material by the vehicle support means by plowing the concrete or other material adjacent the tracks into the tracks with deflector means on the screed means.

A method for screeding placed and/or poured, uncured concrete and like materials with a screeding vehicle comprising:

• positioning a vehicle with a screed means movably mounted thereon adjacent an area of placed and/or poured, uncured concrete or like material;
• positioning the screed means over the placed and/or poured, uncured concrete or like material at a first position away from the vehicle;
• engaging the screed means with the concrete or like material at said first position and moving the screed means at a controlled rate toward a second position adjacent the vehicle while controlling the elevation of said screed means relative to a fixed reference located external to said vehicle and screed means;
• said moving said screed means toward said vehicle including moving a support with the screed means suspended therefrom with a first motive power means along a boom supported on the vehicle in cantilevered position over the concrete or like material while adjusting the elevation of the screed means with a second motive power means relative to the fixed reference;
• and
• said screed means being moved along a rectilinear path toward said vehicle and being positioned transverse to and on either side of said rectilinear path.

A method for screeding placed and/or poured, uncured concrete and like materials with a screeding vehicle comprising:

• positioning a vehicle with a screed means movably mounted thereon adjacent an area of placed and/or poured, uncured concrete or like material;
• positioning the screed means over the placed and/or poured, uncured concrete or like material at a first position away from the vehicle;
• engaging the screed means with the concrete or like material at said first position and moving the screed means at a controlled rate toward a second position adjacent the vehicle while controlling the elevation of said screed means relative to a fixed reference located external to said vehicle and screed means;
• said moving said screed means toward said vehicle including moving a support with the screed means suspended therefrom with a first motive power means along a boom supported on the vehicle in cantilevered position over the concrete or like material while adjusting the elevation of the screed means with a second motive power means relative to the fixed reference;
• and
• leaving and stabilizing said vehicle prior to moving said screed means toward said vehicle by extending stabilizer supports positioned at spaced locations on said vehicle.

A method for screeding placed and/or poured, uncured concrete and like materials with a screeding vehicle comprising:

• positioning a vehicle with a screed means movably mounted thereon adjacent an area of placed and/or poured, uncured concrete or like material;
• positioning the screed means over the placed and/or poured, uncured concrete or like material at a first position away from the vehicle;
• engaging the screed means with the concrete or like material at said first position and moving the screed means at a controlled rate toward a second position adjacent the vehicle while controlling the elevation of said screed means relative to a fixed reference located external to said vehicle and screed means;
• said moving said screed means toward said vehicle including moving a support with the screed means suspended therefrom with a first motive power means along a boom supported on the vehicle in cantilevered position over the concrete or like material while adjusting the elevation of the screed means with a second motive power means relative to the fixed reference;
• and
• pivoting said boom about a generally horizontal axis to position the boom at an inclined angle to said vehicle and/or to the horizontal prior to moving the support along the boom toward the vehicle whereby screeding is performed on slopes or other inclined surfaces.