US 7,458,746 B1 · Mobile asphalt production machine

Abstract

A mobile asphalt production machine mixes bituminous concrete at the job site through a mixing auger mechanism mounted in an insulated housing. Propane burners provide heat within the mixing auger mechanism and within the insulated housing to produce a hot-mix bituminous concrete in large or small batches. The components of the asphalt mixture are stored in separate bins that can be re-filled at the job site to provide a continuous supply of asphalt. Hot liquid bitumen is added to heated aggregate within the mixing auger mechanism. Recycled asphalt can be added through a port in the mixing auger for incorporation into the mixture. Controls permit the rate of flow of each individual component to be selectively varied in order to change the recipe for the mixture and to provide calibration of the component, while a master control will maintain the pre-established flow rates through a variable speed of operation.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A mobile asphalt production machine comprising:

a mobile frame;
a plurality of storage bins supported on said frame for holding supplies of component materials used in the production of bituminous concrete;
a conveying device associated with each said storage bin to extract respective said component supplies;
a longitudinally extending mixing auger mechanism supported on said frame and positioned to receive said component supplies and to mix said component supplies to produce bituminous concrete, said mixing auger mechanism including an auger having a spiral flighting cooperable with an adjacent auger tube to mix said component supplies and to convey said component supplies rearwardly from a forward inlet end to a rearward discharge end of said mixing auger mechanism;
a burner operable to discharge heat into said mixing auger mechanism at said inlet end between said auger and said auger tube to heat directly said component supplies while being mixed together by said mixing auger mechanism;
and
a discharge mechanism operable to receive mixed bituminous concrete from said discharge end of said mixing auger mechanism for utilization remotely of said machine.

4 more elements

A mobile asphalt production machine comprising:

a mobile frame;
a plurality of storage bins supported on said frame for holding supplies of component materials used in the production of bituminous concrete;
a conveying device associated with each said storage bin to extract respective said component supplies;
a mixing auger mechanism supported on said frame and positioned to receive said component supplies and to mix said component supplies to produce bituminous concrete, said mixing auger mechanism including an auger having a spiral flighting supported on a central shaft and being cooperable with an adjacent auger tube to mix said component supplies and to convey said component supplies toward a discharge end of said mixing auger mechanism;
a housing spaced from said auger tube to define an annular gap between said housing and said auger tube;
a first burner operable to discharge heat into said mixing auger mechanism to heat directly said component supplies while being mixed together;
and
a second burner operable to discharge heat into said annular gap between said housing and said auger tube to heat said component supplies indirectly while being mixed together.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Mobile asphalt production machine

Life of this patent

Mobile asphalt production machine

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20