Abstract:
A method and apparatus for laying a curb is disclosed. The apparatus features a preferably tracked vehicle (tractor) that connects to a frame having a hopper. A hydraulic lifting arrangement enables hydraulic controls on the vehicle to elevate/lower the frame. The frame has a hopper for receiving wet concrete and a curb shaping portion that shapes the wet concrete into a curb shape. A specially configured interface maintains attitude of the frame during use.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   Priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/650,471, filed Feb. 7, 2005, incorporated herein by reference, is hereby claimed. 

   STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
   Not applicable 
   REFERENCE TO A “MICROFICHE APPENDIX” 
   Not applicable 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to concrete curb forming machines. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for forming concrete curbs wherein a motorized, preferably tracked excavator supports a frame with an improved interface at a lateral “outrigger” position, the frame having a vertically extended hollowed hopper that receives wet concrete at an upper opening and discharges the wet concrete to a curb shaping portion at a lower opening, a special optional guide arrangement aiding an operator to track a desired path during formation of the curb. 
   2. General Background of the Invention 
   Devices that form concrete curbs or curbing are known. Examples of such devices are seen in the patents listed in the following table, each patent listed being incorporated herein by reference. 
   
     
       
             
             
             
           
         
             
               TABLE 
             
             
                 
             
             
               PATENT 
                 
                 
             
             
               NUMBER 
               TITLE 
               ISSUE DATE 
             
             
                 
             
           
           
             
               1,334,483 
               Tool for Shaping or Forming Cement Curbs 
               Mar. 23, 1920 
             
             
                 
               and Gutters 
             
             
               3,108,518 
               Curb and Gutter Formers 
               Oct. 29, 1963 
             
             
               3,749,505 
               Concrete Curb Laying Machine 
               Jul. 31, 1973 
             
             
               3,779,662 
               Curb Slip Form Apparatus 
               Dec. 18, 1973 
             
             
               3,954,359 
               Apparatus for the Continuous Casting of 
               May 4, 1976 
             
             
                 
               Concrete 
             
             
               4,391,549 
               Expansion Joint Inserter for Continuous Curb 
               Jul. 5, 1983 
             
             
                 
               Laying Machines 
             
             
               5,173,005 
               Prime Mover Actuated Concrete Curb 
               Dec. 22, 1992 
             
             
                 
               Extruder 
             
             
               5,662,431 
               Self-Propelled Slip-Form Paving Apparatus 
               Sep. 2, 1997 
             
             
                 
             
           
        
       
     
   
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides an apparatus for forming elongated concrete curbs. The apparatus includes a frame having front and rear portions, the frame supporting a hopper having upper and lower end portions. The hopper provides a hollowed interior that includes upper and lower openings. 
   The frame has an curb shaping portion that extends from the lower end of the hopper next to the lower opening. A motor driven vehicle (e.g. tractor) is provided for moving the frame along the selected path, the tractor can have a liftable portion (e.g. hydraulically operated) that is movable between lowered and elevated positions. 
   The liftable portion of the vehicle can thus elevate and lower the frame. 
   An interface connects the frame to the vehicle in a manner that supports the hopper wall in a proper attitude during curb forming operations. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a further understanding of the nature, objects, and advantages of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, read in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements and wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a rear view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a front view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a top view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention; 
       FIG. 5  is a front view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention; 
       FIG. 6  is a fragmentary perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention; 
       FIG. 7  is a fragmentary perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention; 
       FIG. 8  is a rear perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 9  is a fragmentary view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   In  FIGS. 1-9  of the drawings, curb forming machine or curbing machine  10  utilizes a self propelled vehicle (e.g. tracked) such as an excavator or tractor  11  that can have a motor driven frame  12  and a ground engaging interface provided for example by endless tracks such as the left track  13  and right track  14  shown. Tractor  11  can for example be a Bobcat® model 325 mini-excavator or the like. 
   Vehicle  11  has front end portion  15 , rear end portion  16  and a mounting plate  17  that releasably attaches to frame  12  at a position next to left track  13 . 
   The mounting plate  17  provides a T-shaped socket  18  that forms a connection with correspondingly shaped hanger  19 . Hanger  19  can be comprised of horizontal flange  19 A and vertical flange  19 B. Vertical flange  19 C joins horizontal flange  19 A to bushing  56 . In order to disconnect, a user simply lowers blade  34  and moves vehicle  11  until plate  17  and socket  18  receives hanger  19  (see arrow). To engage, this procedure is reversed. Set screws  67  can be used to secure hanger  19  to plate  17  (see  FIG. 6 ). The hanger  19  connects to frame  20  at bushing  56  and rod  33 . Frame  20  is a frame that receives wet concrete via hopper  23  and shapes that wet concrete into a curb shape in continuous fashion as tractor  11  advances along a selected path, continuously forming a curb C. 
   Frame  20  has front end portion  21 , rear end portion  22  and hopper  23 . Hopper  23  has upper end portion  24 , lower end portion  25  and a hollowed interior  26  for receiving wet concrete that can for example be transferred to the hopper  23  upper end portion  24  using a cement mixer vehicle or truck  62  (see  FIG. 8 ) having a delivery chute  63 . Hopper  23  provides upper opening  27  and lower opening  28 . The upper opening  27  is at upper end portion  24  and receives wet concrete. The lower opening  28  communicates with curb forming section  29 . 
   In  FIG. 2 , the curb forming section  29  includes a shaped plate  30  that is shaped to produce a curb having a substantially uniform cross section. The curb transverse cross sectional shape is defined by the shape of the plate  30  as vehicle  11  moves forward, as best seen in  FIGS. 2 and 8 . The shaped plate  30  is comprised of plate sections  31   a ,  31   b ,  31   c ,  31   d.    
   At the front end portion  21  of frame  20 , a cylindrical bushing  32  extends transversely, being generally perpendicular to left track  13 , right track  14  and the central longitudinal axis of tractor  11 . Bushing  32  carries rod  35 . Transverse rod  35  connects to a hydraulic lifting device on tractor  11  such as for example blade  34 . Rod  32  attaches to blade  34  at sleeve  65 , secured with bolt  66  or a bolted or welded connection. Transverse bushing  32  is connected to and a part of frame  20 , being attached to forward, diagonally extending strut  52 . 
   When blade  34  is elevated, transverse rod  35  and transverse bushing  32  are also elevated. In order to insure that frame  20  maintains a desired attitude with respect to an underlying support surface  55 , longitudinal rod  33  connects to the front end portion  21  and rear end portion  22  of frame  20  using front arm  37 , front bushing  38 , rear arm  41 , and rear bushing  42 . The front arm  37  and bushing  38  are attached to bushing  32 . Rear arm  41  and bushing  42  attach to rear end portion  22  of frame  20 . Cylindrical, longitudinal bushing  56  is at a fixed elevation, being rigidly attached to hanger  19  of tractor  11  (see  FIGS. 6-7 ). 
   When blade  34  and rod  35  are elevated (see arrow  52 ,  FIG. 5 ), front and rear arms  37 ,  41  rotate with respect to cylindrical bushing  32  as each of the arms  37 ,  41  is attached to longitudinal rod  33  (see  FIGS. 2-3 ). The transverse rod  35  lifts bushing  36 , rod  33 , and rotates front arm  37  while also rotating longitudinal rod  33  to which front arm  37  is connected. This rotation of front arm  37  and longitudinal rod  33  also rotates rear arm  41 . 
   Because rear arm  41  is attached to rear end portion  22  of frame  20  at rear bushing  42 , frame  20  is elevated (see arrow  54 ) while maintaining its attitude with respect to an underlying support surface (e.g. road)  55 . The front and rear arms  37 ,  41  lift front  21  and rear  22  end portions of frame  20  simultaneously and at substantially equal elevational positions. 
   Forward threaded rods  44 ,  45  are each provided with adjustment nuts  46 ,  47  respectively. Similarly, rear threaded rods  48 ,  49  are provided with adjustment nuts  50 ,  51  respectively. The threaded rods  44 ,  45 ,  48 ,  49  provide a fine adjustment for finely adjusting the position of shaped plate  30  and forward plate  53  to thus fine tune the shape of a curb C that is produced as the apparatus  10  moves in the direction of arrow  40  in  FIG. 8 . 
   Guide rod  60  is an optional, elongated substantially horizontally extending rod having transverse sections  61 . An operator can rotate the transverse section  61  until is tracking the edge of an area (for example street, driveway, parking lot) to be curbed. The operator of the tractor  11  ensures that transverse section  61  travels along a selected path so that by definition, the curb C formed by apparatus  10  will also track a selected path. 
   During use, a cement mixer vehicle  62  having a delivery chute  63  can travel in front of the apparatus  10  of the present invention continuously adding wet concrete to the hopper  20  as needed while ensuring that it does not empty nor overflow. 
     FIG. 9  shows an alternate construction for a curb forming section, designated by the numeral  64 . 
   The following is a list of parts and materials suitable for use in the present invention. 
   
     
       
             
           
             
             
             
           
         
             
                 
             
             
               PARTS LIST 
             
           
        
         
             
                 
               Part Number 
               Description 
             
             
                 
                 
             
             
                 
               10 
               curbing machine 
             
             
                 
               11 
               excavator 
             
             
                 
               12 
               motor driven frame 
             
             
                 
               13 
               left track 
             
             
                 
               14 
               right track 
             
             
                 
               15 
               front end portion 
             
             
                 
               16 
               rear end portion 
             
             
                 
               17 
               mounting plate 
             
             
                 
               18 
               T-shaped socket 
             
             
                 
               19 
               hanger 
             
             
                 
               19A 
               horizontal flange 
             
             
                 
               19B 
               vertical flange 
             
             
                 
               19C 
               vertical flange 
             
             
                 
               20 
               frame 
             
             
                 
               21 
               front end portion 
             
             
                 
               22 
               rear end portion 
             
             
                 
               23 
               hopper 
             
             
                 
               24 
               upper end portion 
             
             
                 
               25 
               lower end portion 
             
             
                 
               26 
               hollowed interior 
             
             
                 
               27 
               upper opening 
             
             
                 
               28 
               lower opening 
             
             
                 
               29 
               curb forming section 
             
             
                 
               30 
               shaped plate 
             
             
                 
               31a 
               section 
             
             
                 
               31b 
               section 
             
             
                 
               31c 
               section 
             
             
                 
               31d 
               section 
             
             
                 
               32 
               cylindrical bushing 
             
             
                 
               33 
               longitudinal rod 
             
             
                 
               34 
               blade 
             
             
                 
               35 
               transverse rod 
             
             
                 
               36 
               transverse bushing 
             
             
                 
               37 
               front arm 
             
             
                 
               38 
               front bushing 
             
             
                 
               39 
               rod 
             
             
                 
               40 
               arrow 
             
             
                 
               41 
               rear arm 
             
             
                 
               42 
               rear bushing 
             
             
                 
               43 
               rod 
             
             
                 
               44 
               forward threaded rod 
             
             
                 
               45 
               forward threaded rod 
             
             
                 
               46 
               adjustment nut 
             
             
                 
               47 
               adjustment nut 
             
             
                 
               48 
               rear threaded rod 
             
             
                 
               49 
               rear threaded rod 
             
             
                 
               50 
               adjustment nut 
             
             
                 
               51 
               adjustment nut 
             
             
                 
               52 
               arrow 
             
             
                 
               53 
               forward plate 
             
             
                 
               54 
               arrow 
             
             
                 
               55 
               underlying support surface 
             
             
                 
               56 
               longitudinal bushing 
             
             
                 
               60 
               guide rod 
             
             
                 
               61 
               transverse section 
             
             
                 
               62 
               cement mixer vehicle 
             
             
                 
               63 
               chute 
             
             
                 
               64 
               curb forming section 
             
             
                 
               65 
               sleeve 
             
             
                 
               66 
               set bolt 
             
             
                 
               67 
               set screw 
             
             
                 
               c 
               curb 
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
        
       
     
   
   All measurements disclosed herein are at standard temperature and pressure, at sea level on Earth, unless indicated otherwise. All materials used or intended to be used in a human being are biocompatible, unless indicated otherwise. 
   The foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only; the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims.