US 5,044,819 A · Monitored paving system

Abstract

A paving system (10) is described which comprises an aggregate hopper (12), a mineral filler hopper (14), water tank (16), an emulsion tank (18) and an additive tank (20). Aggregate, mineral filler, water, emulsion and additive are conveyed from their respective storage devices into a mixer (24) where they are mixed into paving material. A processor (34) is used in conjunction with a load cell (28), an auger tachometer (50) and flow meters (58), (62) and (66) to continuously monitor the relative amounts of aggregate mineral filler, water, emulsion and additives in the paving material mixture manufactured by system (10). A ground speed sensor (74) senses the speed of a vehicle (76) so that the processor (34) may also figure an application rate of paving material. Manual controls (46) may be used by an operator to alter the amounts of aggregate, mineral filler, water, emulsion or additive in the paving material mixture.

Claims64

Dependent claims

A mobile system disposed on and transportable by a vehicle comprising a frame, the system operable to produce and apply paving surface material to a surface while the system and the vehicle proceed over the surface, the paving surface material comprising a plurality of ingredients comprising aggregate, the system comprising:

a conveyor for conveying the aggregate;
a scale associated with said conveyor and operable to generate an aggregate signal indicative of the weight of aggregate material being conveyed;
and
means for preventing distortions of the frame of the vehicle from substantially affecting the generation of said aggregate signal by said scale.

1 more element

A mobile system for producing and applying bituminous slurry to a surface, the bituminous slurry comprising ingredients comprising aggregate material, mineral filler, water, bituminous emulsion and chemical additive, the system disposed on and transportable by a vehicle comprising a frame, the system comprising:

an aggregate hopper for storing the aggregate;
a mixer coupled for mixing the aggregate with the remaining components to create the bituminous slurry;
a conveyor for conveying the aggregate from said aggregate hopper to said mixer;
a scale associated with said conveyor and operable to generate an aggregate signal indicative of the weight of aggregate being conveyed to said mixer;
means for preventing distortions of the frame of the vehicle from substantially affecting the generation of said aggregate signal by said scale;
a processor system coupled to said scale and operable to receive said aggregate signal from said scale;
a display system coupled to said processor system and operable to display values and characters generated by said processor system;
a mineral filler hopper operable to hold the mineral filler;
means for conveying mineral filler from said mineral filler hopper to said mixer;
mineral filler measurement means for measuring the amount of mineral filler being conveyed to said mixer, said mineral filler measurement means coupled to said processor system and operable to transmit a mineral filler signal to said processor system indicative of the amount of mineral filler being conveyed to said mixer, said processor system operable to receive said mineral filler signal and to calculate a mineral filler value indicative of the amount of the mineral filler being conveyed to the mixer, said display system operable to display said mineral filler value;
a water tank operable to hold the water;
means for conveying water from said water tank to said mixer;
water measurement means for measuring the amount of water being conveyed to said mixer, said water measurement means coupled to said processor system and operable to transmit a water quantity signal to said processor system indicative of the amount of water being conveyed to said mixer, said processor system operable to receive said water quantity signal and to calculate a water value indicative of the amount of water being conveyed to the mixer, said display system operable to display said water value;
a bituminous emulsion tank operable to hold the bituminous emulsion;
means for conveying bituminous emulsion from said bituminous emulsion tank to said mixer;
bituminous emulsion measurement means for measuring the amount of bituminous emulsion being conveyed to said mixer, said bituminous emulsion measurement means coupled to said processor system and operable to transmit a bituminous emulsion signal to said processor system indicative of the amount of bituminous emulsion being conveyed to said mixer, said processor system operable to receive said bituminous emulsion signal and to calculate a bituminous emulsion value indicative of the amount of bituminous emulsion being conveyed to the mixer, said display system operable to display said bituminous emulsion value;
an additive tank operable to hold the additive;
means for conveying additive from said additive tank to said mixer;
additive measurement means for measuring the amount of additive being conveyed to said mixer, said additive measurement means coupled to said processor system and operable to transmit an additive signal to said processor system indicative of the amount of additive being conveyed to said mixer, said processor system operable to receive said additive signal and to calculate an additive value indicative of the amount of additive being conveyed to the mixer, said display system operable to display said additive value;
and
distance measurement means coupled to the vehicle and operable to generate a distance signal indicative of the distance travelled by the vehicle, said processor system operable to calculate an application rate from information comprising the distance travelled by the vehicle and the amount of dry material being conveyed to said mixer.

18 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Monitored paving system

Life of this patent

Monitored paving system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims64