Windrow paving machine and method of paving

A paving machine for paving a roadway with paving material supplied in the form of an elongated windrow extending along said roadway, comprising a body assembly, means supporting said body assembly for movement along said roadway substantially in alignment with said windrow, leveler means on said body assembly operable to distribute and level said paving material, said machine providing powered means operable to separate an upper portion of said paving material from the lower portion thereof and to temporarily store said upper portion, said machine operating to move said leveler means along said lower portion to pave said roadway therewith, said power means operating to supply part of said upper portion when the volume of said lower portion is insufficient for the desired paving, wherein said body assembly provides a tunnel through which said lower portion of said paving material passes to said leveler means, and wherein agitator means are provided within said tunnel operable to agitate said lower portion of said paving material and to break up lumps thereof.

In a paving machine that is movable in a given direction on a surface to be paved, the paving machine having a hopper for receiving paving material, an auger for distributing paving material on the surface, means for directing paving material in said hopper to said auger, and a screed rearward of said auger for leveling paving material distributed on said surface by said auger, the improvement wherein said paving machine further comprises loading means mounted to direct paving material into said hopper from said surface forwardly of said paving machine, a tunnel extending longitudinally under said paving machine from the front thereof to said auger, means for adjusting the height of said loading means to adjust the amount of paving material that passes through said tunnel under said paving machine to said auger.

In a paving machine that is movable in a given direction on a surface to be paved, the paving machine having a hopper for receiving paving material, an auger for distributing paving material on the surface, means for directing paving material in said hopper to said auger, and a screed rearward of said auger for leveling paving material distributed on said surface by said auger, the improvement wherein said paving machine further comprises conveyor means, means for mounting said conveyor means on the paving machine to extend at an acute angle to said surface for directing paving material into said hopper from said surface forwardly of said paving machine, and a tunnel extending longitudinally under said paving machine from the front thereof to said auger, said mounting means comprising means for varying the height of the bottom of said conveyor means from said surface to adjust the thickness of paving material passing under said conveyor means and through said tunnel to said auger.

A method for paving a surface with paving material, with a paving machine movable in a given direction on the surface and having a hopper for receiving paving material, an auger for distributing paving material on a surface, means for conveying paving material from the hopper to the auger, and a screed for leveling paving material distributed by said auger, said method comprising depositing paving material on said surface forwardly of said paving machine, picking up a first portion of said deposited paving material and directing it to said hopper whereby said picked up paving material is delivered to said auger by said conveying means, and allowing a second portion of said deposited paving material to pass directly under said paving machine to said auger, said second portion of said deposited paving material having a thickness of at least one inch, and picking up from 20-25% of said deposited paving material from said surface.