Four track paving machine and process of transport

A process for configuring a four track paver for transport from a configuration for paving along a paving path over ground, the four track paver having,

• a rectilinear frame having two sides extending parallel to the paving path of the paver, two spanning members extending normal to the paving path of the paver along a longitudinal axis with four corners joining the sides and spanning members;
• four crawler tracks with one crawler track adjoining each of the four corners of the rectilinear frame;
• hydraulic cylinders fastened between the crawler tracks and frame for raising and lowering the rectilinear frame relative to the crawler tracks;
• a paving kit suspended from the rectilinear frame below the rectilinear frame and between the sides for finishing concrete on the ground in front of the paver;
• and,
• each side of the rectilinear frame including first and second telescoping members to enable the rectilinear frame to expand and contract along the paving path;
• the process of preparing the paver for transport including the steps of:
• elevating the frame relative to the crawler tracks to lift the paving kit free of the ground;
• providing a flat bed transport having a transportable dimension slightly exceeding a width of the flat bed;
• placing the flat bed transport between the paving kit and ground;
• lowering the kit and frame for support from the flat bed transport;
• raising the crawler tracks from the ground and above the flat bed transport;
• and,
• after the raising step reducing the lengths of the sides of the frame by contracting the first and second telescoping members to bring the crawler tracks within a transportable dimension of the flat bed transport.

In a four track paver for paving along a paving path over ground, the four track paver for self loading to a bed of a transporting truck, the four track paver comprising in combination;

• a rectilinear frame having two sides extending parallel to the paving path of the four track paver, two spanning members extending normal to the paving path of the four track paver with four corners joining the sides and spanning members;
• each side of the rectilinear frame extending parallel to the paving path of the four track paver is a side bolster including first and second telescoping members to enable the rectilinear frame to expand and contract along the paving path to have a first larger dimension used for paving and a second small dimension used for transport;
• four crawler tracks with one crawler track adjoining each of the four corners of the rectilinear frame, each crawler track being centrally pivotal of the crawler track to one of the four corners of the rectilinear frame to pivot at least 90.degree. with respect to each frame corner from a position parallel to the paving path for paving to a direction normal to the paving path for transport;
• means for rotating the crawler tracks from a position parallel to the direction of paving 90.degree. to a direction normal to the direction of paving;
• a paving kit suspended from the rectilinear frame below the rectilinear frame and between the sides for finishing concrete on the ground in front of the four track paver;
• and,
• hydraulic cylinders fastened between the crawler tracks and frame for raising and lowering the rectilinear frame relative to the crawler tracks to permit the paving kit to be lifted to a resting position on the bed of the transporting truck and thereafter to lift the crawler tracks off of the ground whereby the four track paver is configured for transport on the bed of the transporting truck.