Roadway paving system and method including roadway paving vehicle and supply truck

A roadway paving apparatus for applying asphalt binder material and aggregate material to a ground surface, comprising:

• a vehicle having an engine and wheels, the vehicle having opposed front and rear ends;
• an aggregate material dispensing system carried by the vehicle, comprising:
• (a) an input hopper disposed proximate the front end of the vehicle adapted to receive aggregate material;
• (b) an output hopper disposed proximate the rear end of the vehicle, the output hopper converging toward a discharge port adapted to discharge aggregate material over the ground surface;
• (c) a conveyor mechanism extending between the input hopper and the output hopper, the conveyor mechanism adapted to transport aggregate material from the input hopper to the output hopper;
• an asphalt binder material dispensing system carried by the vehicle separate from the aggregate material system such that asphalt binder material and aggregate material are not mixed prior to aggregate material being dispensed through the discharge port, the asphalt binder material dispensing system comprising:
• (a) a tank for holding asphalt binder material;
• (b) a spray bar between the discharge port and the front end, the spray bar having a plurality of nozzles adapted to spray asphalt binder material;
• and
• (c) a pump mechanism adapted to pump asphalt binder material from the tank to the spray bar;
• wherein all of the wheels roll on the ground surface between the spray bar and the front end such that no wheels roll over asphalt binder material and aggregate material that are discharged by the spray bar and through the output hopper;
• and
• wherein all of the nozzles for spraying asphalt binder material are arranged in front of the discharge port and such that asphalt binder material is not sprayed behind the discharged aggregate material during operation.

A method of chipsealing a roadway surface with a roadway paving vehicle, the roadway paving vehicle comprising a front end and a rear end, the method comprising:

• storing a supply of asphalt binder material in a tank on the roadway paving vehicle;
• transporting asphalt binder material from the tank to a spray bar at the rear end of the roadway paving vehicle;
• spraying asphalt binder material from the spray bar at a first span over the roadway surface forming a layer of asphalt binder material on the roadway surface;
• storing a supply of aggregate material in an input hopper at the front end of the roadway paving vehicle;
• transporting aggregate material from the input hopper to an output hopper at the rear end of the roadway paving vehicle;
• discharging aggregate material from the output hopper at a second span over the layer of asphalt binder material;
• and
• substantially preventing intermixing of asphalt binder material and aggregate material prior to the discharging of aggregate material and spraying of asphalt binder material and prior to contact of the aggregate material with the roadway surface.

A method of chipsealing a roadway surface using a roadway paving vehicle having wheels, comprising:

• spraying asphalt binder material from the roadway paving vehicle over a roadway surface forming a layer of asphalt binder material on the roadway surface;
• discharging aggregate material from the roadway paving vehicle over the layer of asphalt binder material;
• substantially preventing intermixing of asphalt binder material and aggregate material prior to the application of aggregate material and spraying of asphalt binder material to the roadway surface and prior to contact of the aggregate material and spraying of asphalt binder material with the roadway surface;
• and
• insuring that no wheels of the roadway paving vehicle roll over the asphalt binder material or aggregate material after they are discharged onto the roadway.

A roadway paving system for chipsealing a roadway surface, comprising:

• a roadway paving vehicle comprising an asphalt binder material dispensing system and an aggregate material dispensing system, the asphalt binder material dispensing system including an asphalt tank containing a first supply of asphalt binder material and a sprayer spraying asphalt binder material over the roadway surface, the aggregate material dispensing system holding a first supply of aggregate material and discharging aggregate material over the roadway surface over the first layer;
• at least two supply trucks, each supply truck comprising a supply hopper containing a second supply of aggregate material and supply tank containing a second supply of asphalt binder material;
• a link between a first one of the supply trucks and the roadway paving vehicle including a transfer conduit transferring asphalt binder material from the supply tank to the asphalt tank, and wherein aggregate material is transferred from the supply hopper to the aggregate dispensing system;
• wherein the asphalt tank and aggregate material dispensing system have a sufficient holding capacity such that said first one of the supply trucks may be unlinked from the roadway paving vehicle and a second one of the supply trucks may be linked to the roadway paving vehicle with continuous application of asphalt binder material and aggregate material without stopping the roadway paving vehicle;
• and
• wherein the supply truck includes a tailgate closing a discharge region of the supply hopper, the tailgate moving toward the roadway paving vehicle to open the discharge region to allow discharge of aggregate material from a rear end of the supply truck, the transfer conduit being carried by the tailgate and connected to the supply tank, the transfer conduit and hydraulic coupling extending with the tailgate for connection when the tailgate moves towards the roadway paving vehicle.

A roadway paving apparatus for applying asphalt binder material and aggregate material to a ground surface, comprising:

• a vehicle having an engine and wheels, the vehicle having opposed front and rear ends;
• an aggregate material dispensing system carried by the vehicle adapted to hold a supply of aggregate material and having a discharge port proximate the rear end of the vehicle behind the wheels, the discharge port adapted to discharge aggregate material over the ground surface, the aggregate material dispensing system including a conveyor mechanism extending substantially between the front and rear ends for transporting aggregate material rearwardly toward the discharge port;
• an asphalt binder material dispensing system carried by the vehicle separate from the aggregate material system such that asphalt binder material and aggregate material are not mixed prior to aggregate material being dispensed through the discharge port, the asphalt binder material dispensing system adapted to hold a supply of asphalt binder material, the asphalt binder material dispensing system including a sprayer having a spray bar with a plurality of nozzles, the spray bar adapted to spray asphalt binder material through the nozzles behind the wheels;
• wherein all of the wheels roll on the ground surface between the spray bar and the front end such that no wheels roll over asphalt binder material and aggregate material that are discharged by the spray bar and through the discharge port;
• and
• wherein the nozzles and the discharge port are arranged with substantially non-intersecting trajectories such that during operation the asphalt binder material and aggregate material are substantially prevented from being mixed prior to contact with the around surface.

A method of chipsealing a roadway surface using a roadway paving vehicle having wheels, comprising:

• spraying asphalt binder material from the roadway paving vehicle over a roadway surface forming a layer of asphalt binder material on the roadway surface;
• discharging aggregate material from the roadway paving vehicle over the layer of asphalt binder material;
• keeping substantially all of the spraying of asphalt binder material in front of the discharging of aggregate material such that asphalt binder material is not sprayed behind the aggregate material;
• preventing intermixing of asphalt binder material and aggregate material prior to the discharge of aggregate material and spraying of asphalt binder material to the roadway surface and prior to contact of the aggregate material and spraying of asphalt binder material with the roadway surface;
• and
• insuring that no wheels of the roadway paving vehicle roll over the asphalt binder material or aggregate material after they are discharged onto the roadway.