Powered roller screed having a split drive tube
OwnerTod Paladeniinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A powered rotary screed provides a powered strike tube that rotates to provide a finish to wet concrete during screeding and a drive tube that provides motive power to the screed to assist with the difficult task of removing excess concrete from a poured pad, or other horizontal concrete surface. The drive tube is split to provide two separate portions that can be independently controlled for easy control of the screed as the screed works concrete. The drive tube portions are elongate cylinders that are axially aligned and rotatable relative to one another. Separate motors drive respective drive tube portions and can be individually controlled to prevent skewing of the screed.
Claims8
A screed, comprising:
- first and second end plates;
- a strike tube rotatably coupled to the first and second end plates and extending substantially therebetween;
- a drive tube rotatably coupled to the first and second end plates and extending substantially therebetween, the drive tube including a first drive cylinder, a spacer tube, and a second drive cylinder,
- a shaft for driving the first drive cylinder extending through and pivotally secured to the second drive cylinder;
- a first motor coupled to the first drive cylinder to drive the first drive cylinder;
- a second motor coupled to the strike tube to drive the strike tube;
- and,
- a third motor coupled to the second drive cylinder to drive the second drive cylinder;
- wherein the first drive cylinder is rotatably coupled to the second drive cylinder, such that the first drive cylinder and the second drive cylinder may be independently operated to control movement of the screed and to maintain the screed relative to a desired path.
A roller screed, comprising:
- an elongate strike tube powered by a first power source to rotate about a first axis in a first direction of motion of the roller screed during screeding;
- a drive tube having first and second portions powered by at least one second power source, wherein the first and second portions are cylindrical and axially aligned along a second axis, said first and second axes spaced apart and substantially parallel to each other, said strike tube and drive tube operably secured to a frame extending therebetween;
- a shaft for driving the first portion extending through and pivotally secured to the second portion along said second axis such that said at least one second power source is operably secured to said shaft toward said second portion for driving said first portion independently from said second portion thereby controlling motive force on the roller screed.
The screed of claimed 4, wherein the strike tube is a unitary tube having a surface that extends along its length without a substantial discontinuity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.