Apparatus and methods for efficient and precise placement of discrete quantities of materials adjacent to the apparatus

An apparatus comprising:

• a support frame;
• an engine mounted on the support frame;
• a hydraulic system for supplying power from the engine throughout the apparatus;
• four wheels rotatably mounted on the support frame, two of said wheels being powered through the hydraulic system to advance the apparatus forward and to steer the apparatus;
• a control system for operating the apparatus;
• a hopper for receiving the material, the hopper being fixedly attached to and supported by the support frame, the hopper having a bottom;
• a receiving conveyor for metering discrete quantities of the material from the hopper and transferring the metered material while supporting the material in the hopper, the receiving conveyor being positioned at the bottom of the hopper and powered through the hydraulic system;
• and
• a cross conveyor for transferring the metered material received from the receiving conveyor to a side of the apparatus, the cross conveyor being attached to the support frame, being perpendicular relative to the longitudinal axis of the apparatus and being powered through the hydraulic system, whereby the metered material is precisely placed adjacent to the apparatus.

An apparatus comprising:

• a support frame;
• an engine mounted on the support frame;
• a hydraulic system for supplying power from the engine throughout the apparatus;
• four wheels rotatably mounted on the support frame, two of said wheels being powered through the hydraulic system to advance the apparatus forward and to steer the apparatus;
• a control system for operating the apparatus;
• a hopper for receiving the material, the hopper being fixedly attached to and supported by the support frame;
• a receiving conveyor for metering discrete quantities of the material from the hopper and transferring the metered material, the receiving conveyor being fixedly attached to the hopper and powered through the hydraulic system;
• a cross conveyor for transferring the metered material received from the receiving conveyor to a side of the apparatus, the cross conveyor being movably attached to the support frame, being perpendicular relative to the longitudinal axis of the apparatus and being powered through the hydraulic system, whereby the metered material is precisely placed adjacent to the apparatus;
• and
• a means for transporting the metered material from the side of the apparatus and precisely placing the material adjacent to the apparatus, an end of the transporting means being positioned to receive the material from an end of the cross conveyor and being attached to the cross conveyor.

An apparatus comprising:

• a support frame;
• an engine mounted on the support frame;
• a hydraulic system for supplying power from the engine throughout the apparatus;
• four wheels rotatably mounted on the support frame, two of said wheels being powered through the hydraulic system to advance the apparatus forward and to steer the apparatus;
• a control system for operating the apparatus;
• a hopper for receiving the material, the hopper being fixedly attached to and supported by the support frame;
• a receiving conveyor for metering discrete quantities of the material from the hopper and transferring the metered material, the receiving conveyor being fixedly attached to the hopper and powered through the hydraulic system;
• a cross conveyor for transferring the metered material received from the receiving conveyor to a side of the apparatus, the cross conveyor being movably attached to the support frame, being perpendicular relative to the longitudinal axis of the apparatus and being powered through the hydraulic system;
• and
• a side telescoping boom conveyor for transporting the metered material from the side of the apparatus and precisely placing the material adjacent to the apparatus, an end of the side telescoping boom conveyor being positioned to receive the material from an end of the cross conveyor and being attached to the cross conveyor.

An apparatus comprising:

• a support frame;
• an engine mounted on the support frame;
• a hydraulic system for supplying power from the engine throughout the apparatus;
• four wheels rotatably mounted on the support frame, two of said wheels being powered through the hydraulic system to advance the apparatus forward and to steer the apparatus;
• a control system for operating the apparatus;
• a hopper for receiving the material, the hopper being fixedly attached to and supported by the support frame;
• a receiving conveyor for metering discrete quantities of the material from the hopper and transferring the metered material, the receiving conveyor being fixedly attached to the hopper and powered through the hydraulic system;
• and
• a cross conveyor for transferring the metered material received from the receiving conveyor to a side of the apparatus, the cross conveyor being movably attached to the support frame, being perpendicular relative to the longitudinal axis of the apparatus and being powered through the hydraulic system;
• a side telescoping boom conveyor for transporting the metered material from the side of the apparatus and precisely placing the material adjacent to the apparatus, an end of the side telescoping boom conveyor being positioned to receive the material from an end of the cross conveyor and being attached to the cross conveyor;
• and
• a material positioning attachment attached to the support frame adjacent to the apparatus and being configured to receive the metered material from an end of the cross conveyor and to position the metered material.

A method for efficiently and precisely placing material adjacent to an apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing an apparatus having an engine mounted on a support frame, a hydraulic system for supplying power from the engine throughout the apparatus, a control system for operating the apparatus, and four wheels rotatably mounted on the support frame, two of said wheels being powered through the hydraulic system to advance the apparatus forward and to steer the apparatus;
• coupling a dump truck having a bed containing a large quantity of material to the apparatus;
• transferring the material in the bed of the truck to a hopper mounted on the support frame of the apparatus;
• advancing the apparatus;
• metering the material in the hopper by a meter;
• transferring the metered material from the meter to a cross conveyor;
• transferring the metered material from the cross conveyor to the side of the apparatus;
• and
• placing the metered material at a precise location adjacent to the apparatus.

An apparatus comprising:

• a support frame;
• an engine mounted on the support frame;
• a hydraulic system for supplying power from the engine throughout the apparatus;
• four wheels rotatably mounted on the support frame, two of said wheels being powered through the hydraulic system to advance the apparatus forward and to steer the apparatus;
• a control system for operating the apparatus;
• a hopper for receiving the material, the hopper being fixedly attached to and supported by the support frame, the hopper having a bottom;
• means for metering discrete quantities of the material from the hopper and transferring the metered material while supporting the material in the hopper, the metering means being positioned at the bottom of the hopper and powered through the hydraulic system;
• means for transferring the metered material received from the metering means to a side of the apparatus, the transferring means being attached to the support frame, being perpendicular relative to the longitudinal axis of the apparatus and being powered through the hydraulic system, whereby the metered material is precisely placed adjacent to the apparatus;
• and
• means for transporting the metered material from the side of the apparatus and precisely placing the material adjacent to the apparatus, an end of the transporting means being positioned to receive the material from an end of the transferring means.

An apparatus comprising:

• a support frame;
• an engine mounted on the support frame;
• a hydraulic system for supplying power from the engine throughout the apparatus;
• four wheels rotatably mounted on the support frame, two of said wheels being powered through the hydraulic system to advance the apparatus forward and to steer the apparatus;
• a control system for operating the apparatus;
• a hopper for receiving the material, the hopper being fixedly attached to and supported by the support frame, the hopper having a bottom;
• means for metering discrete quantities of the material from the hopper and transferring the metered material while supporting the material in the hopper, the metering means being positioned at the bottom of the hopper and powered through the hydraulic system;
• means for transferring the metered material received from the metering means to a side of the apparatus, the transferring means being attached to the support frame, being perpendicular relative to the longitudinal axis of the apparatus and being powered through the hydraulic system, whereby the metered material is precisely placed adjacent to the apparatus;
• and
• a material positioning attachment configured to receive the metered material from an end of the transferring means and to position the metered material.

An apparatus comprising:

• a support frame;
• a hydraulic system for supplying power from an engine throughout the apparatus;
• at least two wheels rotatably mounted on the support frame;
• a control system for operating the apparatus;
• a hopper for receiving the material, the hopper being fixedly attached to and supported by the support frame, the hopper having a bottom;
• means for metering discrete quantities of the material from the hopper and transferring the metered material while supporting the material in the hopper, the metering means being positioned at the bottom of the hopper and powered through the hydraulic system;
• and
• means for transferring the metered material received from the metering means to a side of the apparatus, the transferring means being attached to the support frame, being perpendicular relative to the longitudinal axis of the apparatus and being powered through the hydraulic system, whereby the metered material is precisely placed adjacent to the apparatus.