Apparatus and method for blending and windrowing asphalt

An apparatus for blending and windrowing hot plant mix asphalt which has been deposited onto a roadway in preparation for paving said roadway, the apparatus comprising:

• a first plowing member extending in a first direction;
• a second plowing member extending in a second direction;
• said first and second plowing members being connected at a vertex and thereby forming a V-shaped plow;
• an opening in the vertex;
• a gate movable between a fully-open position in which said opening is fully exposed to a fully-closed position in which said opening is fully covered;
• power means for adjusting the size of the opening in the vertex and for consequently adjusting the depth of the windrow by positioning said gate intermediate said fully-open position and said fully-closed position;
• and
• attachment means for attaching the V-shaped plow to an earth moving implement.

A system comprising:

• an earth moving implement movable along a roadway;
• means, mounted on said earth moving implement, for blending hot plant mix asphalt that has been previously deposited on the roadway and for depositing the blended asphalt into a windrow, said means comprising a steeply V-shaped plow attached to said earth-moving implement, said V-shaped plow including first and second plowing members connected to one another at a vertex, wherein 1) said first plowing member extends in a first direction at an acute angle with respect to a longitudinal centerline of said plow, 2) said second plowing member extends in a second direction at an acute angle with respect to said longitudinal centerline, 3) an opening is formed in the vertex, 4) each of said first and second plowing members has a longitudinal length that is substantially longer than a longitudinal length of the opening in the vertex, 5) an interior surface of said first and second plowing members comprises a concave plowing surface, and 6) movement of said V-shaped plow a) causes the asphalt to be plowed from the roadway upward along the concave plowing surface until gravity causes the asphalt to cascade downwardly, thereby thoroughly blending the asphalt, and b) causes the blended asphalt to be deposited through the opening into a windrow;
• and
• a windrow paver which is positioned on the roadway behind said earth moving implement and which works the windrowed asphalt into a mat, thereby paving the roadway.

An apparatus for blending and windrowing hot plant mix asphalt which has been deposited onto a roadway in preparation for paving said roadway, the apparatus comprising:

• a steeply V-shaped plow comprising
• a first plowing member extending in a first direction at an acute angle with respect to a longitudinal centerline of said plow;
• a second plowing member extending in a second direction at an acute angle with respect to said longitudinal centerline;
• said first and second plowing members converging towards an opening located at a vertex of said plow and terminating at the opening, each of said first and second plowing members having a longitudinal length that is substantially longer than a longitudinal length of the opening in the vertex;
• a moveable gate for adjusting the size of the opening in the vertex;
• and
• an attachment device for attaching the V-shaped plow to an earth moving implement;
• wherein movement of the V-shaped plow along the roadway 1) causes the asphalt to be blended as the asphalt is plowed by the first and second plowing members toward the vertex and 2) causes the blended asphalt to be deposited through the opening into a windrow.