Methods and apparatus for making an asphalt-aggregate pavement

An apparatus capable of receiving material from a delivery truck, the apparatus comprising:

• chassis means capable of receiving material;
• conveyor means mounted on the chassis means, the conveyor means having a discharge portion for discharging material into the chassis means and an inlet leading into the conveyor means;
• and
• a trough extending from the inlet to receive material from the delivery truck;
• wherein the trough is capable of having its volume decreased after receiving the material to move material in the truck dump hopper into the inlet;
• further comprising a gate means connected to the conveyor means for partially restricting flow of paving material from the trough into the conveyor means.

A self-propelled mobile apparatus for supplying asphalt-aggregate material from a delivery truck to a finishing machine comprising:

• chassis means including ground engaging mobile support means and steering means for at least a part of the support means;
• motive power means carried by chassis means and connected to at least a part of said support means;
• hopper means mounted on said chassis means;
• inclined conveyor means mounted on said chassis means and having a receiving portion adapted to receive the asphalt-aggregate material as it is discharged from the delivery truck, said conveyor means also having a delivery portion for discharging the asphalt-aggregate material into said hopper means;
• and
• extendable trough means connected to the receiving portion of the conveyor means, the extendable trough means capable of holding asphalt-aggregate material and of reducing its volume to deliver material in the trough to the receiving portion of the conveyor means.

A self-propelled mobile apparatus for supplying asphalt-aggregate material from a delivery truck to a finishing machine comprising:

• chassis means including ground engaging mobile support means and steering means for at least a part of the support means;
• motive power means carried by chassis means and connected to at least a part of said support means;
• conveyor means mounted on said chassis means and having a receiving portion adapted to receive the asphalt-aggregate material as it is discharged from the delivery truck, said conveyor means also having a delivery portion for discharging the asphalt-aggregate material into said chassis means;
• and
• extendible trough means connected to the receiving portion of the conveyor means, the extendible trough means capable of holding asphalt-aggregate material and of reducing its volume to deliver material in the trough to the receiving portion of the conveyor means;
• further comprising a gate means connected to the conveyor means to define a passage into the receiving portion of the conveyor means for partially restricting flow of paving material from the trough means into the conveyor means.

A self-propelled mobile apparatus for supplying asphalt-aggregate material from a delivery truck to a finishing machine comprising:

• chassis means including ground engaging mobile support means and steering means for at least a part of the support means;
• motive power means carried by chassis means and connected to at least a part of said support means;
• conveyor means mounted on said chassis means and having a receiving portion adapted to receive the asphalt-aggregate material as it is discharged from the delivery truck, said conveyor means also having a delivery portion for discharging the asphalt-aggregate material;
• extendible trough means connected to the receiving portion of the conveyor means, the extendible trough means capable of holding asphalt-aggregate material and of reducing its volume to deliver material in the trough to the receiving portion of the conveyor means;
• and
• gate means connected to the conveyor means for partially restricting flow of paving material from the trough means into the conveyor means;
• wherein the trough means is capable of holding material which defines an angle of repose, and wherein the material received from the delivery truck must flow between the gate means and the angle of repose to reach the conveyor means.

A method of transferring material from a truck to a self-propelled mobile apparatus which includes

• (i) a hopper means,
• (ii) a conveyor means having discharge end for discharging into the hopper means and receiving end for receiving the material from a truck, and
• (iii) an extendable trough attached to the receiving end of the conveyor means, the method comprising the steps of:
• extending the trough toward the truck to expand the trough holding capacity;
• discharging material from the truck into the trough;
• and
• retracting the trough to feed the material into the receiving end of the conveyor means.

A method of transferring material from a truck into a mobile apparatus which includes

• (i) a conveyor means having receiving end for receiving the material,
• (ii) a trough attached to the receiving end of the conveyor means, the trough having variable volume,
• (iii) gate means attached to the conveyor means to define a passage into the receiving end of the conveyor means, the method comprising the steps of:
• introducing material into the trough;
• and
• reducing the volume of the trough to feed material into the passage.