Road/pavement cleaning machine having air-blast functionality

A wheeled roadway cleaning vehicle for removing debris from a roadway surface while moving relative to the roadway surface in a forward travel direction, the vehicle having a side-to-side lateral axis and a longitudinal axis, comprising:

• an air-flow recirculating system mounted on the vehicle for establishing a recirculating air flow, said air-flow recirculating system including a rotating fan for establishing and directing said recirculating air flow through a debris collection container for collecting debris entrained within said recirculating air flow and including a debris-intake hood extending laterally across the vehicle and carried therebeneath, the debris-intake hood having an open side thereof facing the roadway surface from which debris is to be removed and having an air-inlet structure on one side of the longitudinal axis connected via ducting to said debris collection container and an air-outlet structure on another side of the longitudinal axis through which at least a portion of the recirculating air flow established by said air-flow recirculating system flows, said air-inlet structure having a opening on a side thereof to selectively direct air flow therethrough in a lateral direction away from the vehicle relative to the forward travel direction;
• and
• a moveable air-flow control member substantially within said air-inlet structure and movable between a first position to direct the air flow entering said air-inlet structure through the debris-intake hood to said air-outlet structure and at least a second position to block a substantial portion of the air flow from said debris-intake hood and to direct the air flow entering said air-inlet structure through said opening in said air-inlet structure to create an air blast therefrom directed laterally relative to the forward travel direction such that the air blast is directed away from said open side of said debris-intake hood.