Abstract:
A rumble strip cutting machine having a drum that can be shifted from one side of the machine to the other. The machine includes a piston wheel that imparts an up and down motion to the frame so that rumble strips can be cut at desired intervals as the machine is driven along the road shoulder. The piston wheel includes a wheel mounting assembly on each side of the machine so that the wheel can be conveniently shifted from one side of the machine to the other. Additional structures allow for the flexing of the machine frame, applying pressure to the cutting drum, adjusting the depth of cut, tightening the belt used to drive the drum, and lifting the machine for job site transportation. The machine enables a method of cutting rumble strips close to obstructions on narrow shoulders while driving the machine in the direction of moving traffic.

Description:
This application is a Non-Provisional application, which claims benefit of co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/363,137 filed Mar. 11, 2002, entitled “Modified Rumble Strip Cutter” which is hereby incorporated by reference. 

   A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 
   Be it known that we, Stuart W. Murray, a citizen of the United States, residing at 9412 Ashford Place, Brentwood, Tenn. 37027; Scott F. Lyons, a citizen of the United States, residing at 5717 Cedar Ash Crossing, Nashville, Tenn. 37013; have invented a new and useful “Modified Rumble Strip Cutter.” 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates generally to the art of cutting rumble strips along the shoulder of a highway. Rumble strips, sometimes referred to as “SNAPs” (sonic noise alert patterns) are a series of grooves or depressions formed or cut into the surface of the shoulder of highways, roads, interstates, etc. The grooves provide vibration and therefore noise, when the tires of a vehicle traverse them longitudinally. Road departments use these rumble strips as a safety device longitudinally adjacent the edge of a highway, or along the center line which divides opposing directional traffic flows, are the customarily locations of placement of these rumble strips. They act to alert a driver that his or her vehicle has extended beyond the normal driving surface. Obviously, beyond this normal driving surface many dangerous conditions exist for a vehicle traveling at or near the posted speed limit. These dangers include dirt or gravel shoulders, guardrail barriers, signs, mailboxes, intersecting roadways or driveways, disabled vehicles and oncoming traffic. 
   Various specifications for the placement and physical dimensions of the individual rumble strips can vary from State to State and even within a particular State. A common size and placement, used for illustration and not limitation, places the individual rumble strips 12 inches apart from the center of one depression to the center of the adjacent depression. The measurements of the individual depressions are generally 7 inches from leading edge to back trailing edge with a depth at the deepest point, of one half inch, and at lateral length across a depression of 16 inches. 
   It is a difficult, if not impossible, task to form the rumble strips or depressions in the highway surfaces when the surfaces are being created. Moreover, the rumble strips are generally formed in the shoulders of the highways, which are not of the same density and load bearing capacity as the normal highway surface. Forming the depressions in the shoulders would be even more difficult because of the decreased density of the shoulder material and the difficulty in forming depression to cure in the desired shape would be very difficult. For that reason, it is the common practice to pour the shoulder of the highway in the traditional fashion and then follow along afterwards and cut the rumble strips into the shoulder. 
   Experience with use of rumble strips along the shoulders of highways has demonstrated their tremendous value as a lifesaving tool. If a driver has been driving for a long period of time and is getting fatigued, there is a tendency to nod off or fall asleep and allow the vehicle to drift off of the highway. If the vehicle drifts off to the right, it could go over an embankment and kill or cause sever bodily injury to the driver. With the rumble strips cut into the shoulder, once the vehicle veers off onto the shoulder, the noise created by the tires passing over the rumble strips will immediately awaken the drive and cause him/her to regain control of the vehicle and pull back onto the highway. Likewise, if the driver veers off to the left of the highway, particularly on interstate type highways that are at least two lanes running in each direction with a median in between, the driver could veer into on coming traffic with the potential of resulting head-on collisions that could produce tragic results for many people. Again, the provision of rumble strips on the left hand side of the two lane highway will awaken the driven and cause him to pull back onto the paved highway and avoid these head-on collisions. The value of these rumble strips in terms of their lifesaving effect is no longer open for debate. For that reason, the highway departments of most States are moving rapidly to have all major thoroughfares retrofitted to incorporate rumble strips in the shoulders of those highways. 
   As would be obvious, there are tens of thousands of miles of highways that need rumble strips cut in their shoulders. The efficiency in cutting the rumble strips is therefore very important. It is also very important to consider the comfort of the person operating the machine to cut the rumble strips and there are potential problems associated with the comfort of the operator in current methods and machinery to carry out those methods under current practices. 
   More specifically, rumble strip cutters available on the market today generally have a fixed cutting drum. As mentioned above, the cutting drum is usually approximately 16 inches in length and most machines used to drive the rumble strip cutters are at least 4 feet wide. Often, the cutting drum is mounted in the middle of the machine, leaving the drum at least 16 inches from the outside edge of both sides of the machine. These physical arrangements of the cutting drum within the machine make it very difficult to cut rumble strips at places on the road where the shoulder is very narrow, either because there is a drop off of the topography, or other obstacles such as bridge abutments, pylons, guardrails and the like. Other machines are configured so that the rumble strip cutting drum is adjacent one side of the machine so as to enable the machine to make close cuts in situations where the shoulder of the road is very narrow for any of the reasons as indicated above. However, historically, the cutting drums of these machines are always fixed in place or, at a minimum, cannot be conveniently moved from one side of the machine to the other. Thus, on an interstate type highway where there are four lanes of traffic, two in each direction, if the drum is mounted to the right side of the machine, when cutting the rumble strips in the right shoulder, the machine can move in the direction of flow of the traffic and cut rumble strips on narrow shoulders. However, when cutting rumbles in the left shoulder, the machine must either be driven into the direction of traffic, creating major safety hazards for the operator, or the machine can function properly only in areas that have very wide shoulders. Even if the machine could be operated moving against the direction, traffic control becomes a major problem. 
   What is needed then is a rumble strip cutting machine that has a drum that can be conveniently shifted from one side of the machine to the other and a machine that will enable a method of cutting rumble strips close to obstructions on narrow shoulders while always driving the machine in the direction of moving traffic on the highway. Such a machine and method is not currently available in the prior art. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is directed to a machine and method of cutting rumble strips in the shoulders of highways. 
   More specifically, the rumble strip cutter of the present invention is generally mounted on a self-propelled vehicle so that the rumble strip cutter can be pulled or pushed along the shoulder of a highway and cut rumble strips in that shoulder as the machine progresses. Considering the size specified for rumble strips, with rumble strips normally being in the range of approximately 7 inches in width and cut on 12 inch centers, the cutting of 5,280 rumble strips per mile of road shoulder would be required. A project of this nature can be very expensive and it is therefore highly desirable to be able to cut the rumble strips at a very fast pace in order to control costs. 
   Further, the speed at which rumble strips can be cut is limited because of the vibrations transferred from the cutting machine to the operator of the machine. A machine that moves up and down to cut the rumble strips has to be driven relatively slowly by the operator because if driven at a high rate of speed, the machine will vibrate the operator to a point where he can only work for brief periods of time. One example of a rumble strip cutter in which the machine moves up and down is illustrated in the patent granted to one of the co inventors of this invention, namely U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,490. 
   Thus, it is a highly desirable objective to isolate the oscillatory movement employed to cut the rumble strips from the machine that is being used to pull or push the rumble strip cutter along the shoulder of the highway. 
   It is further a desirable objective for an efficient rumble strip cutter to be able to lift the cutter out of engagement with the road so that the machine can be driven at a relatively rapid rate of speed from one job site to another. 
   It is yet another desirable objective for a rumble strip cutter to have a machine in which the rumble strip cutting drum can be easily moved from one side of the machine to the other so that the rumble strip cutter can be driven in the direction of moving traffic on an interstate type highway regardless of which shoulder of the highway is being cut, while being able to cut close to obstructions and on narrow shoulders. 
   It would also be desirable to have a rumble strip cutter with a housing that can accommodate various cutter drum widths. 
   Another desirable feature for a rumble strip cutter is to have a device that will provide additional pressure to hold the rumble strip cutting drum in cutting engagement with the road surface as the machine is operated. 
   Another desirable objective for a rumble strip cutter is to have a machine on which the power supply belt can be adjusted to increase or decease the tension on the belt so as to maximize the efficiency of the drive train power system. 
   These and other desirable objectives for an efficient rumble strip cutter and method for cutting rumble strips are achieved by the present invention. 
   In summary, the present invention includes: 
   A method of cutting rumble strips in a highway shoulder, including positioning a piston wheel and rumble strip cutting drum on the left side of a power driven machine for cutting rumble strips on the left shoulder of a highway, and moving said piston wheel and rumble strip cutting drum to the right side of said power driven machine for cutting rumble strips on the right shoulder of a highway. 
   A method of cutting rumble strips in a highway shoulder, including providing a rumble strip cutter frame having a left side and a right side; providing a mechanism for attaching said frame to a self propelled machine; attaching a piston wheel and cutter drum to the right side of said frame for cutting rumble strips in the right shoulder of a highway, and repositioning said piston wheel and cutting drum to the left side of said frame for cutting rumble strips in the left shoulder of a highway. 
   An improved rumble strip cutting machine including a pair of spaced apart, generally parallel rails having opposing ends with one end of said rails having connectors for connection of said improved rumble strip cutting machine to a tractor and the opposite ends of said rails being connected by a cutting drum housing; an axle extending through said housing a power input source connected to said axle to rotatably drive said axle; a rumble strip cutting drum removable mounted to said axle adjacent one of said rails; and said axle including mounting structure adjacent the other of said rails whereby said rumble strip cutting drum can be removed from the position adjacent said one of said rails and attached to said mounting structure adjacent said other of said rails. 
   An improved rumble strip cutter for cutting rumble strips in a road surface including: a rumble strip cutter frame having opposing sides; a piston wheel for imparting up and down motion to a portion of said frame; a connector for connecting a portion of said frame to a tractor so that a portion of said frame can pivot in an up and down motion; a rumble strip cutting drum removably mounted on one side of said frame; lifting structure positioned between said connector and said drum for connection of said frame to a tractor enabling said rumble strip cutting frame to be lifted so that the cutting drum can be spaced from the road surface when the rumble strip cutter is being moved from one job site to another. 
   A rumble strip cutting machine including a frame having opposing side rails spaced from each other and an axle extending between said rails with a rumble strip cutting drum having a length of less than half the distance between the said rails and removably mounted on said axle adjacent one of said rails, the improvement including: a rumble strip motion wheel assembly including a piston wheel rotatably mounted in said assembly; said assembly pivotally mounted to said frame; and a connector between said assemble and said frame that can be adjusted in length so that said assembly can be pivoted to raise or lower said piston wheel in relationship to said rumble strip cutting drum in order to adjust the depth of cut of said cutting drum. 
   An improved rumble strip cutter including a frame having opposing rails spaced from each other and in substantially parallel relationship, said rails having opposing ends, a rumble strip cutter drum rotatably mounted on said frame at one end of said rails and adjacent one of said rails; including a pivotal connector adjacent the other end of said rails for pivotally connecting said frame to a tractor; a power input pulley rotatably mounted on said frame for supplying power to said rumble strip cutter drum; a belt for transmitting power from a power output source on a tractor to said power input pulley; and a rail length adjustment device on at least of one said rails to enable the tension on said belt to be adjusted. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Having described generally the objectives and features of the present invention, a detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention will be described in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1   a  illustrates generally the operation of the present invention on a two-lane highway; 
       FIG. 1   b  illustrates the operation of the machine and method of the present invention on an interstate highway. 
       FIG. 2   a  is a side view of a milling machine with the rumble strip attachment connected thereto. 
       FIG. 2   b  is a top view of the machine and preferred embodiment of the rumble strip cutter with the piston wheel and cutting drum mounted on the right side of the machine. 
       FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  are perspective views of the rumble strip cutting device of the present invention with the cutting drum mounted on the left and right respectively sides of the frame. 
       FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view of the rumble strip cutting drum and the mounting structure for that drum. 
       FIGS. 5 and 6  are perspective views of the device of the present invention with the piston wheel illustrated as mounted on the left and right sides of the machine respectively. 
       FIGS. 7 and 8  show perspective views of the piston wheel mounting assembly and drive motor for driving the piston wheel. 
       FIG. 9  shows a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the device and illustrates in particular the mounting brackets for mounting the device to a transport vehicle and the power train pulley and belt structure of the invention. 
       FIG. 10  shows a perspective view of the machine that is shown in  FIG. 9  taken from a different angle. 
       FIG. 11  shows the device with the mounting assembly that enables the tension on the drive belt to be adjusted. 
       FIGS. 12 and 13  shows in greater detail yet another perspective view of the machine. 
       FIG. 14  shows the device of the present invention mounted on a milling machine with the rear legs of the milling machine extended so as to lift the rumble strip cutting device out of engagement with the road shoulder. 
       FIG. 15  shows the rumble strip cutting device in the present invention mounted on road milling machine with a rumble strip cutter in the operating position. 
       FIGS. 16 and 17  illustrate an adjustment feature which allows the depth of cut of the cutting drum to be easily adjusted. 
       FIGS. 18 and 19  illustrate the power train drive system for driving the rumble strip cutter of the present invention. 
       FIG. 20  illustrates a cross sectional view, a feature of the present invention which allows the device to move relative to the machine that is driving the device without damaging the rumble strip cutter during rumbling operation, yet provide support of the rumble strip cutter frame laterally and provide pick-up support when raising the machine out of the cutting mode. 
       FIGS. 21 and 22  illustrate the mounting bolts in one configuration and in a reverse configuration for mounting the device of the present invention to a motorized vehicle.  FIG. 22  also shows the movable water spray bar on the right side of the device. 
       FIG. 23  shows the water spray bar of the present invention on the left hand side of the device and illustrates the ability to move the water spray pipe. 
       FIG. 24  illustrates the machine configured with a texturizing drum that can be used to texturize a road surface. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numbers refer to like parts throughout, a preferred embodiment of the machine and method constituting the present invention will be described. The description is, however, not to be considered a limitation of the invention as set forth in the claims appended hereto. 
   The environment in which the present invention operates is illustrated in  FIGS. 1   a  and  1   b . In  FIG. 1   a , a two-lane highway is shown with cars moving in opposite directions over a highway  2  on either side of a centerline  3 . Outside the margins of the highway  2  are shoulders  2 ′ and  2 ″ on the right and left sides of the road respectively. In  FIG. 1   a , the rumble strip cutter  10  is shown on the right side of the road moving in the direction of travel of the car in the right hand lane. The rumble strip cutter  10  is mounted to a self-propelled vehicle  12  for driving the rumble strip cutting machine along the shoulder  2 ′ of the highway  2 . The self propelled machine  10  can be a variety of products which can be generally referred to in this context as a tractor. The specific machine that the preferred embodiment of the present invention is designed to attach to is a Wirtgen milling machine, Model No. W600DC, which is readily available in the marketplace from Wirtgen America, Inc., the assignee of the present invention with headquarters in Nashville, Tenn. However, the rumble strip cutter invention which is the subject matter hereof could be adapted to a variety of motorized vehicles such as tow motors, pavers, graders or just a simple tractor type machine that has a combustible engine for providing power to drive the tractor along the highway and also to provide a power output for driving the rumble strip drum of the present invention. 
   Referring now to  FIG. 1   b , there is illustrated the present invention in the particular circumstance to which the invention is most advantageous. Specifically,  FIG. 1   b  illustrates an interstate highway, or a four-lane highway, which has two lanes of cars traveling in one direction and two additional lanes of cars traveling in an opposite direction. In  FIG. 1   b , cars  1  again are both traveling along highway  2   a  in lanes  4  and  5  respectively on either side of center line  3 . Once again, the highway has right and left shoulders  6  and  7 , respectively. 
   As shown in  FIG. 1   b , the machine  10  can be placed on either side of the highway to cut rumble strips in either the shoulder  6  or the shoulder  7 . However, as can be seen generally from the layout of the machines shown on  FIG. 1   b , the machine that is cutting rumble strips on the right shoulder  6  has the drum mounted such that the rumble strips  8 ′ are cut generally on the right hand side of the machine so that the machine can comfortably pass by obstruction  9  and still be able to cut rumble strips in the narrow shoulder. Likewise, when the machine  10  is positioned to cut rumble strips in the left shoulder  7  of the highway, the rumble strips  8 ″ are cut with the cutting drum mounted on the left side of the machine so that the machine can continue to travel in the direction of travel of the cars  1  so that it will not be facing head-on to the direction of travel to the cars and yet still be able to cut rumble strips in the narrow portion of the shoulder  7  caused by the position of obstruction  9 . 
   Looking now at  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b , there is a general illustration of the preferred embodiment of the improved rumble strip cutter  10 . The preferred embodiment of the improved rumble strip cutter  10  is designed to attached to a milling machine and specifically to a Wirtgen model W600 milling machine sold by Wirtgen America Inc. of Nashville, Tenn. However, other types of motorized vehicles milling machines, tractors, graders and the like could be used as the vehicle for moving the improved rumble strip cutter along the edge of the highway to cut the rumble strips in the shoulder of the highway. 
   The tractor  12  includes rear wheels  14   a  and  14   b  along with front wheels  16  for guiding the tractor. The wheels  14   a  and  14   b  preferable are of a known structure that can be raised and lowered to lower and raise the height of the drum cavity of the milling machine that is directly behind the wheels  14   a  and  14   b.    
   Suspension plates  18 , which include a left side suspension plate  18   a  and a right side suspension plate  18   b  (see  FIG. 9 ), are designed to be bolted to the side frame of the tractor  12 . These suspension plates  18  could be formed integrally with the tractor  12  or may be added as an after market product. The design of the suspension plates is such that they provide brackets for the attachment of rods that carry the improved rumble strip cutter, details of which will be described hereinafter. 
   The improved rumble strip cutter  10  has a frame constructed of side rails  20  (left side rail  20   a  and right side rail  20   b , as can be seen in  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b ), along with a cutter drum housing  46 . The rails have opposing ends  22  and  24  (see  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b ). The ends  22  are connector ends for connection to the tractor  12 . Preferably, these connector ends  22  are connected to the front of the tractor, but they can be connected at other places along the chassis of the tractor. The opposing end  24  of the improved rumble strip cutter includes a cutter drum housing  46  extending between and connecting those two ends to form the improved rumble strip frame. 
   In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the rail  22   a  has an offset  26  to facilitate the mounting of the rumble strip cutter to a Wirtgen W600 DC milling machine. To adapt to other milling machines or motorized vehicles for pulling the rumble strip cutter, the rail  20  may be differently configured in order to facilitate connection of the rumble strip cutter to the machine. 
   Inside the cutter drum house  46  is a rumble strip cutting drum  30 . The rumble strip cutting drum is generally well known in construction and configuration, having an outer perimeter with cutter drum teeth mounted thereon and a rim type shape. The specifics of the cutter drum will be described in more detail in conjunction with the description of the invention as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
   Traversing the cutter drum housing is a rumble strip cutter drum axle  32  which has a pair of rumble strip cutting drum mounting flanges  34  spaced at opposite ends of the axle. Hingedly connected to the cutter drum housing  46  is a cutting drum housing closure  38  which has mounting steps on the back thereof. The mounting steps allow an operator to climb onto the tractor conveniently even with the improved rumble strip cutter attached to the machine. The cutting drum housing closure  38  can be opened to provide access to the cutting drum  30 , axle  32  and flanges  34  for reasons as will be more apparent hereinafter. 
   Looking at  FIG. 4 , the rumble strip cutting drum  30  is more clearly illustrated. As can be seen from  FIG. 4 , the rumble strip cutting drum  30  is cylindrically shaped having a hollow center  31  with an annular rib  33  protruding radially inwardly from approximately the center of the drum. The annular rib  33  is sized and shaped to mate with and fit over the mounting flange  34  in a snug fit. To attach the rumble strip cutting drum  30  to the axle  32 , the annular rib  33  is positioned about the flange  34 , and held in place by a mounting plate  41 . The mounting plate  41  is shaped generally in the form of a disc with a center opening to fit about the diameter of the axle  32 . The mounting plate  41  is split in half so that one half can be placed about one side of the axle  32  and the other half placed about the other side of axle  32 . Once in place, the mounting plate is rotated so that holes  35  in the annular rib  33  and holes  37  in the mounting flange  34  align with holes  35 ′ and  37 ′ in the mounting plate  41 . Next, bolts (not shown) are passed through the holes  35 ′,  37 ′ and screwed into tapped threads formed in holes  35  and  37  thus, the plate  41  transfers the power of the rotating axle  32  to the annular rib  33  of the drum  30  and causes the drum  30  to rotate so that the chiseled teeth on the drum will cut the rumble strips in the payment. 
   Looking at  FIG. 4 , the drum is shown mounted on the left side flange on the axle  32 . The mounting flange  34  on the right side of the axle is covered by a protector plate  43  to keep the outer perimeter of the mounting flange  34  from becoming damaged because of flying debris inside the cutter drum housing. The protector plate  43  is bolted to the flange of  34  by another mounting plate  41 . Once again the protector plate  43  has holes that align with the holes  35 ′  37 ′ of the mounting plate  41  so that bolts (not shown) can be passed through the holes  35 ′  37 ′ and screwed into the tapped threads inside the holes on the protector plate and the holes  37  spaced radially about the flange  34 . 
   When it becomes desirable to shift the rumble strip cutter drum  30  from the left side of machine to the right side of the machine, the bolts that connect the protector plate to the mounting plate are unscrewed and the protector plate is removed. Similar to the mounting plate, the protector plate  43  is in two halves so that the two halves can be separated and moved from their position about the axle  32 . Next, the bolts that connect the mounting plate  41  to the flange and rib of the drum are disconnected and the mounting plate on the left side of the machine is removed. At that point, the drum  30  can be moved axially off of the mounting flange  34  on the left side of the axle and slid down the axle  32  to the right until such time as it is positioned over the mounting flange  34  on the right side of the machine. The mounting plate  41  for the right side of the machine is then bolted onto the mounting flange  34  and the annular rib  33  by passing the bolts through the mounting flange into the tapped holes of the rib and flange respectively. Next, the protector plate  43  is mounted to the mounting flange  34  on the left of the machine to protect the outer surface of the mounting flange from damage and the machine is now enabled to operate with the cutting drum on the right side of the machine. 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 5 through 8 , the rumble strip motion wheel assembly  40  will be described. The rumble strip motion wheel assembly  40  includes a piston wheel  44  and piston wheel housing  42 . The piston wheel  44  is a multi-sided wheel which is mounted in the wheel housing. As the piston wheel  44  rotates over the highway surface, when the wheel is resting on a flat portion of the wheel, the frame of the rumble strip cutter is at its lowest point, allowing the cutting drum to make its deepest cut. As the wheel rotates, it passes over the apexes between flat surfaces on the wheel, thus lifting the rumble strip cutter frame and raising the drum out of the depression or rumble strip that has been cut in the highway surface and moves the drum forward to a point where it will make the next rumble strip cut. Thus, the wheel  44  is referred to as a piston wheel because it transmits at a piston like, or up and down, motion to the rumble strip cutter frame thereby causing the rumble strip cutting drum  30  to move in an up and down motion as the machine is advanced over the highway. The up and down motion that is transmitted to the rumble strip cutting drum occurs in conjunction with a forward motion of the rumble strip cutter so that as the rumble strip cutting drum (which will be driven in a continuous rotating motion) comes in contact with a road surface and the frame is lowered, the cutting drum will cut a rumble strip in the road surface and as the piston wheel is driven to move the frame forward, the rumble strip cutting drum is lifted out of the rumble strip and moved forward to the point where the next rumble strip is to be cut and the frame is lowered because of the action of the wheel to cut the next rumble strip. 
   As can be seen from  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the piston wheel  44  can be mounted on either the left side of the frame or the right side of the frame. The piston wheel  44  is moved to the side of the frame on which the rumble strip cutting drum is mounted to impart the up and down motion to the rumble strip cutting drum. The opposite side of the frame remains relatively stationary so that the axle  32  actually has an arcuate up and down motion. This arcuate motion of the axle  32  also transmits a slightly arcuate up and down movement to the cutting drum  30 . This arcuate movement of the drum  30  is beneficial because the cutting process begins with the inner edge of the drum and as the drum is lowered the cutting process moves toward the outer edge of the drum. Thus, the need for power to drive the drum is gradually increased as the drum is eased into the full cut position. Stated in the negative, there is no need to cut across its full length of the drum to the same depth at the same time. This motion of the cutting drum allows the rumble strips to be cut easier and does not wear down the machine in quite the same fashion as a process which attempts to execute a cut parallel to the road surface. 
   Looking now at  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the rumble strip motion wheel assembly  40  is illustrated in greater detail, and from these drawings the method for switching the piston wheel  44  from one side of the machine to the other will be described. 
   The drum housing  46  extends between the two side rails  20   a  and  20   b  and serves as a chamber for the rumble strip cutting drum  30 . The axle  32  extends through the housing  46  as has been previously described. The wheel housings  42  on either side of the frame each include a pair of panels  50 . The panels  50  are pivoted mounted to the housing  46  by mounting plates  48 . The panels  50  are held in a spaced fixed relationship relative to each other by the spacers  52 . Spacers  52 , in this instance, are shafts that are mounted to opposing panels  50  to hold the panels in a spaced fixed (relative to each other) relationship. The wheel shaft  84  also serves as a spacial support of opposing panels  50 . 
   The invention includes a cutting depth adjustment mechanism  54  (best illustrated in  FIGS. 9 ,  16  and  17 ) which includes a U bolt  56  attached to a boss  58  protruding from the housing  46 . The U bolt  56  is pivotally connected to the boss  58  by a pivot connector  60 , and a pivot shaft is pivotably mounted in bushings between opposing panels  50 . Rotationally mounted rod  62  extends from the U bolt and passes through a tapped hole in the pivot shaft  52 ′. A jam nut  64  is screwed onto the rod  62 . The jam nut can be loosened and rod  62  turned so that the pivot shaft moves relative to the U bolt  56  to change the distance “d” between the boss  58  and the pivot shaft  52 ′ (see  FIGS. 16 and 17 ), which will rotate the rumble strip motion wheel assembly about pivot point  66  (see  FIG. 10 ). When the rumble strip motion wheel assembly rotates in a counter clockwise direction about pivot point  66 , the distance “d” is reduced and the cutting drum is lowered to a greater cutting depth. When the nut  64  on the rod  62  is adjusted in a direction to lengthen the distance “d” between the pivot shaft  52 ′ and the U bolt  56 , the rumble strip motion wheel assembly  40  rotates in a clockwise direction as seen in the  FIGS. 6 ,  9 ,  10  and  17 . When that motion of the rumble strip motion wheel assembly occurs, the rumble strip cutting drum  30  is raised so as to reduce the depth of the rumble strip cut. 
     FIGS. 9 and 10  illustrate the drive train that powers the rumble strip cutting drum. A drive output support plate  68  is provided for attachment to the tractor  12 . The support plate  68  carries a power transfer flange  98  that attaches to the power output source of the tractor  12 . The flange  98  has an output shaft that is connected to a drive output pulley  72 ; thus, power from the tractor  12  drives the pulley  72 . A drum drive input pulley  74  is mounted to the axle  32  and the drive output pulley  72  is connected to and transmits power to the drum drive input pulley  74  via the belt  76 . With this drive train, power is supplied to the axle  32 , which provides the power to drive the rumble strip cutting drum  30  attached thereto. 
   In order to keep the piston wheel  44  from sliding along the pavement, the wheel is driven through via power from a piston wheel drive motor  78 . The piston wheel drive motor  78  is mounted on one of the plates  50 . As can be seen in  FIG. 10 , when the piston wheel is mounted on the left side of the machine, the piston wheel drive motor  78  is mounted on the inside plate  50 , and as is illustrated as  FIG. 5 , when the piston wheel is mounted on the right side of the frame, the motor  78  is on the inside plate  50  of the right hand assembly. A hole in the plate  50  allows a shaft from the motor to extend to the space between the two plates  50  and a sprocket is provided on that shaft so that a chain  80  can be fitted about the sprocket on the motor output and the other end of the chain can be looped over a sprocket  82  mounted on the axle of the wheel  44 . Thus, as the motor  78  provides a power output through a shaft bearing a sprocket, the chain will transmit the rotational power to the wheel via a sprocket mounted on the axle of the wheel  44 . 
   To attach the piston wheel  44  to the rumble strip motion wheel assembly  40 , there is an axle  84  extending through the hub of the wheel. The axle  84  has flats  86  on either end and those flats fit within keyways  88  on the underside of the plates  50 . The flats have holes passing through them and bolts (not shown) are passed through the holes in the flats at the ends of the axle  84  and screwed into threaded holes in the underside of the plates  50  at keyways  88 . Thus, the axle is mounted to the wheel assembly and holds the wheel in place so that it can be driven to provide the up and down motion to the frame. 
   When it is time to shift the piston wheel from one side to the other, the bolts attaching the axle  84  to the plates  50  are loosened, and the piston wheel  44  is shifted to the other rumble strip motion wheel assembly  40 . When the wheel  44  is shifted, it is rotated about its vertical axis 180 degrees so that the sprocket  82  is on the inside of the frame. The flats  86  of the axle  84  are then put in position in the keyways  88  on the other assembly. Bolts are passed through the holes  90  in the flats into tapped holes in the face of the keyways  88  and connected so that the axle is held in place. Prior to connecting the axle, the sprocket chain is passed over the sprocket  82  and the piston wheel drive motor  78  is moved from one assembly to the other and remounted on the inside plate  50  of the other assembly. The shaft of the drive motor  78  will pass through a hole in the plate  50  and the sprocket on the shaft will be positioned to receive the chain about the sprocket and transfer the power from the motor to the wheel  44 . 
   The drive motor  78  is a hydraulic drive motor and because the motor has been rotated 180 degrees about a vertical axis to be mounted on the inside plate  50  of the other wheel assembly  40 , in order to run the wheel in the proper direction, the direction of the motor will have to be reversed. In that case, the input and output hoses for the hydraulic fluids driving the motor will be switched so as to drive the motor in an opposite direction and therefore drive the wheel  44  in a proper direction. 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 10 and 11 , another feature of the present invention will be described. As can be seen from  FIGS. 10 and 11 , a front mount plate  70  is provided which is designed to connect to the front of the tractor  12 . The front mount plate  70  has a beam  92  welded thereto. The beam  92  extends across the tractor  12  and the ends of the beam  92  can be connected to the rails  20 . As can be seen in  FIGS. 11 and 12 , threaded take up rods  100  extend through take up blocks  102 . The take up blocks are mounted on the connection ends  22  of the rails  20  and thread into holes passing through opposite ends of the beam  92 . The opposite ends of the beam  92  also include grooves  104  that fit within slots  106  in the connecting ends  22  of the rails  20 . Thus, by screwing the take up rods  100  in one direction, the rails  20  will move forward relative to the chassis of the tractor  12  to reduce the distance between the two pulleys  72  and  74  to loosen the tension on belt  76 . More importantly, if the tension on the belt  76  gets slack, the take up rods  100  can be rotated in an opposite direction to move the rails  20  in a rearward direction relative to the tractor and therefore increase the tension on the belt  76  passing over the pulleys  72 ,  74  and prevent any slippage in the transmission of power from the power output source on the tractor  12  to the cutter drum  30 . 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 13 through 15  and  18  through  23 , additional features of the invention will be described. Specifically, looking at  FIG. 13 , there is illustrated the unique connecting structure between the frame of the rumble strip cutting machine of the present invention and a tractor. As can be seen, the suspension plates  18   a  and  18   b  are designed to connect to either side of the tractor. Attached to the suspension plates  18  is a pair of rods, lifting/pressure rod  94  and support rod  96 . These rods are sometimes referred to as connectors and serve a function of connecting the rumble strip cutting machine frame to a tractor. The lifting/pressure rod  94  is attached to suspension plate  18   a  through a sleeve (see  FIGS. 20 and 21 ) with attaching nuts  138  on either side of the sleeve. An expansion spring  95  fits over rod  94 . Mounted on top of the expansion spring  95  is a tension cross plate  134 . The cross plate is held down by a nut screwed onto the rod  94  and seated above the plate  134 . The rod  94  passes through support rod plate  108   a  and a support nut  140  is fit on the underside of the plate  108   a  and screwed onto rod  94 . Thus, the rod  94  is fixed relative to the tractor  12  by its connection through the plate  18   a  to the tractor and is fixed relative to the outside rail  20   a  of the rumble strip cutting frame so that when the rod is lifted the frame will be lifted. However, the frame can move up and down relative to the rod against the pressure of expansion spring  95 . Thus, the expansion spring  95  applies downward force on the rail  20   a  to force the rumble strip cutting drum down against the pavement and make a better cut. The tension cross plate  134  also has mounted on it a pair of guide rods  136  which extend through holes in the plate  108   a . Those guide rods also have expansion springs coiled about them to apply addition pressure against the top of plate  108   a  to help keep the cutting drum  30  pressed against the road surface in order to make a better cut and reduce the possibility of the drum not fully penetrating the surface as the rumble strip is being cut. In softer material, spring pressure can be completely released. Spring pressure is adjusted by adjusting a nut directly on top of cross plate  134 . 
   The rod  96  is fixed relative to both the tractor  12  and the rumble strip cutting frame by the connection of the rod at either end to the suspension plate  18   b  at the top and  108   b  at the bottom. Thus, as can be seen in  FIG. 21  for example, a configuration in which the drum is mounted on the near side of the rumble strip cutter as shown in the illustration, the side of the frame in which the rod  96  is employed is fixed relative to the tractor  12  and has very little movement whereas the side of the frame that is connected to the tractor  12  through the rod  94  is allowed to move in an up and down motion relative to the tractor as the piston wheel  44  rotates to raise and lower the frame of the rumble strip cutter on the side where the rumble strip cutting drum is mounted. 
   When the rumble strip cutting drum is moved to the other side of the rumble strip cutting frame, along with the piston wheel  44 , the mounting of the rods is reversed so that rod  96  will be on the near side of the frame as illustrated in  FIG. 22  and the rod  94  will be on the far side of the frame. As can be seen in  FIG. 21 , the support rod plate  108   b  has three holes in it to allow the three rods that are a part of the rod system  94  to pass through those holes to apply downward pressure on the system when the system is configured for cutting rumble strips on the power input side of the system. 
     FIG. 20  is another illustration of the configuration show in  FIG. 21 . As can be seen in  FIG. 20 , the drum  30  is mounted on the right side of the machine as illustrated and the rod  94  is likewise on the right side of the machine with the rod  96  on the left side of the machine. When the drum  30  is moved to the left side of the machine, the rods will be switched so that the frame of the rumble strip cutting machine will be fixed relative to the tractor through the support plate  18   a , and the left side of the machine will be allowed to raise and lower relative to the tractor  12  as the piston wheel rotates to raise the lower the drum  30  in order to cut the rumble strips in their spaced relationships. 
   Since the power input side of the machine never changes, it is necessary to accommodate rocking motion of the rail  20   b  when the cutter drum  30  is mounted adjacent the rail side  20   a . Further, when the cutter drum  30  is mounted adjacent the rail side  20   b , an accommodation must be made to allow the rail  20   b  to move in an up and down motion without impairing the power input to the cutter drum.  FIGS. 18 ,  19 ,  20  and  21  illustrate these features of the invention. The rail  20   b  on the drive train side of the machine is provided with an elongated channel  118  having a height size to allow some movement of the rail  20   b  in an up and down motion over spacer  120 . Nylon wear pads  122  are placed on either side of the rail  20   b  and an anchor plate  124  is on the inside of the rail  20   b  and fixedly attached to the drive output support plate  68 . The inside pad  122  fits between the anchor plate  124  and the inside surface of the rail  20   b . A retaining plate  126  is on the outside of the rail  20   b  and the outer nylon wear pad  122  is fitted between the outside surface of the rail  20   b  and the retaining plate  126 . The spacer  120  has a length slightly greater than the width of the rail  20   b  and the retainer plate  126 , the pads  122 , the spacer  120  and the anchor plate  124  all have holes through them with the holes  130  in the anchor plate  124  being threaded. Bolts  128  pass through the holes in the plates, pads and spacers to hold the frame loosely connected to the tractor  12 . Using this structure for connecting the frame of the rumble strip cutting machine to the tractor  12 , the rail  20   b  is allowed to move in a rocking motion as represented by the arrows  131  (see  FIG. 20 ) when the drum is mounted on the right side of the machine (as seen in  FIG. 20 ). Because the frame moves up and down on the right side, and the relative height of the frame on the left side is fixed because the rod  96  is fixed relative to the tractor, a rocking motion will occur in the rail  20   b . By having the spacer  120  being slightly longer than the width of the rail  20   b , the rail  20   b  will be allowed to move between the plates  124  and  126 . The pads  122  will prevent wear on the inner surfaces of the plates  124 ,  126 . This assembly also provides lateral support for the rear of the rumble strip cutter frame, regardless of whether the machine is cutting on the left or right side. 
   When the machine is configured so that the cutting drum  30  is on the left side of the machine, the rods  94  and  96  will be swapped and the rail  20   a  will be in a fixed position relative to the tractor  12 , but the flexibility of the rod will allow the rocking motion of the rail  20   a  to occur freely. On the other hand, with the drum  30  mounted on the left side of the machine, the rail  20   b  must be allowed to move up and down as the rotation of the piston wheel causes the frame to move up and down so that the rumble strip drum can cut the rumble strips. The height of the channel  118  allows the rail  20   b  to move up and down over the spacer  120  with the anchor plate  124  and retaining plate  126  holding the rail  20   b  adjacent the side of the tractor  12 . At the same time, the rail  20   b  is allowed to move up and down as the piston wheel rotates over the pavement. Likewise, the rod  94  when mounted on the left side of the machine, applies downward pressure on the drum to make a better cut and also allows the movement of the frame in an up and down motion relative to the tractor  12 . 
   When it is time to move the rumble strip cutter from one job site location to another, it is desirable to raise the frame of the machine out of engagement with the highway surface. Illustrated in  FIGS. 14 and 15  are views of the machine in these two separate positions. In  FIG. 14 , the telescoping wheel support  114  for the rear wheels of the tractor  12  are extended to raise the back of the tractor  12 . When the back of tractor  12  is raised, and the rumble strip cutting machine of the present invention is attached to the machine in the manner as previously described, the rods  94  and  96  lift the machine off the ground as is shown in  FIG. 14 . Upon arrival at the new job site, the telescoping wheel support  114  is lowered and the rods  94 – 96  allow the rumble strip cutting machine of the present invention to be placed on the road surface as shown in  FIG. 15 . 
     FIGS. 22 and 23  illustrate yet another feature of the present invention.  FIG. 23  illustrates the machine set up for cutting rumble strips on the left side of the machine. As can be seen, the rod  94  is mounted on the left side of the machine and the rod  96  is on the right side of the machine. A water spray bar  142  is mounted on the left side of the machine when cutting on the left side and, as can be seen in  FIG. 22 , on the right side of the machine when cutting on the right side of the machine. The water spray bar has nozzles that fit through the holds  143  and water from a tank carried on the machine is sprayed into the rumble strip cutting chamber to reduce dust during the process. When the rumble strips are cut on one side of the machine, the spray bar is mounted on that side of the machine and when the system is reconfigured to have the rumble strip drum on the other side of the machine the spray bar is likewise moved. Clips are provided to mount the spray bar in the appropriate location. 
   Finally, the machine is designed to be configured so as to carry full width milling drum for texturizing or smoothing ruff surfaces. Such a configuration is illustrated in  FIG. 24 . In that configuration, a full width milling drum  144  is mounted on the axle  32 . In order to have the full width milling drum mounted for a level cut on the road surface, a brace  146  is mounted between frame rail  20   a  and the support plate  18   a . Thus, with the rod  96  and the brace  146 , a fixed configuration is established between the tractor  12  and the frame of the device so that the full width milling drum will be held against the road surface and perform its desired function. In this configuration, obviously the piston wheel is removed so that the full width milling drum is simply carried along behind the tractor  12  to perform the texturizing or smoothing function of the machine. 
   Although there have been described particular embodiments of the present invention of a new and useful Modified Rumble Strip Cutter, it is not intended that such references be construed as limitations upon the scope of this invention except as set forth in the following claims.