MATERIAL SPREADER

Abstract: A material spreader is described, which comprises a funnel-shaped, transverse-mounted box means arranged to be towed behind a motor vehicle, which box is hitched to the vehicle with the use of hitching means, and has a bottom opening and a leveller to allow the thickness of the layer to be adjusted. The box (1) is constructed having a slide plate (7) which extends across the width of the box (1) and a substantial part of the bottom of the box (1), and that the opening for the material which is to be spread is made of a moveable bottom plate (12) arranged on support means (14) in the side walls (2) of the box and a movable end plate (5) arranged at the end wall (3) of the box (1) adjacent to the bottom plate (12). The material spreader according to the invention is very simple in structure and operation, and is well-suited to asphalt laying on small areas such as footpaths, side streets and other small roads, pavements, car parks, multi-storey car parks etc. Moreover, it is also highly suitable for patching and filling potholes as it is very easy to portion and spread the filling material. It is also very suitable for ground work, and in particular the adjustment of sub-bases. The invention has also been found very useful in the laying of heating cables, where a thin base layer of asphalt is laid first, then the heating cable is placed thereon, followed by a top layer on top of the cable.

Description: 1 MATERIAL SPREADER The invention relates to a material spreader of the type disclosed in the preamble of patent claim 1. 5 There are previously known asphalt spreaders which are towed behind a tractor or truck during the simultaneous spreading, distribution and levelling of an asphalt layer in a desired width and thickness. DK Patent Specification 168963 teaches an example of a spreader of this kind which consists primarily of an open, rectangular drag frame in lo whose foremost end there is arranged a funnel-shaped, transverse-mounted asphalt feed box. The feed box has a bottom opening across the whole width of the drag frame and is provided with a plurality of individually adjustable feed gates in connection with the bottom opening, and in the rear end of the frame there is arranged a plurality of levellers and an adjustable side scraper. ι 5 Although the DK apparatus is not intended for really big asphalting jobs, it is clear that it is intended to be used for municipal road maintenance. This means that the primary area of application suggests a different dimensioning and design from that of the present invention. 20 US Patent 3,526,173 teaches an example of another asphalt spreader. Here too, a feed box is used for the asphalt. Hydraulic cylinders are provided for adjusting the capacity/thickness, and the width is also adjustable. The US apparatus also does not have the same primary area of application as the invention whose technical solution 25 differs clearly from the prior art. DE Published Patent Application 1 146 091 describes a material spreader, especially for laying bituminous road surfacing. The document teaches a self-propelled laying machine of a completely different type than the subject of the application. 30 Lastly, SE Published Patent Application 417 117 teaches a material spreader which to a certain extent seems to have the same area of application as the invention. The SE apparatus comprises a trough-like box which is arranged to be towed behind a vehicle. The box is secured to the vehicle by means of hydraulically operated arms so that it can 35 be inclined in order to empty out the material/asphalt that is to be laid. Adjustable side walls are provided in the box to enable the width of the asphalt layer to be adjusted. 2 With the aid of screws in connection with the side walls and the skids on which the box slides, the thickness of the layer can be adjusted. With the equipment normally used when laying asphalt, there is a minimum limit of about 1.60 m road or area width for mechanical spreading. When the width is smaller, spreading is carried out manually. Smallish repairs of a road surface or other surfaces etc. are also usually carried out manually as suitable machinery does not exist. It is difficult to see how the equipment described in the aforementioned documents could solve the problems which form the basis for the invention. The taught apparatuses clearly seem to be physically larger than the apparatus of the invention. Moreover, their technical design is far more complex than that of the invention, and their actual use also seems to be more complicated. The material spreader of the invention is primarily intended to be used for spreading road material such as asphalt, oil gravel and gravel, but can also be used for spreading other materials such as, for example, shingle, quarry waste, concrete etc. In the following exemplary embodiment of the invention, it will however primarily be described in connection with asphalt spreading. The object of the invention is to provide a material spreader which is very simple in structure and operation, which is well-suited to asphalt laying on small areas such as footpaths, small side streets and other small roads, pavements, car parks, multi-storey car parks etc. The invention is also highly suitable for patching and filling potholes and grooves resulting from wear from, for example, studded tyres, as it is very easy to portion and spread the filling material. It is also well-suited to groundwork and in particular the adjustment of sub-bases. The possibility of providing a vibrator as a part of the spreader eliminates or reduces the need for additional compacting equipment when several layers are to be laid. Also, in the laying of heating cables, where a thin base layer of asphalt is laid first, then the heating cable is placed thereon, followed by a top layer on top of the cable, the invention has proved to be well-suited. It is an object of the invention to remedy the deficiencies of the known material spreaders. This is accomplished with an apparatus constructed in accordance with the characterising clause of the independent patent claim. Other advantageous features of the invention are set forth in the dependent patent claims. The invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, wherein: Figs. 1 A- IB show the apparatus according to the invention, hitched to a tool carrier in the form of a mini-tractor, as a perspective drawing and side view respectively. Fig. 2 shows the spreader box according to the invention in perspective, see in part from behind; Fig. 3 shows enlarged details of the left-hand corner of the box shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 shows the spreader box according to the invention in perspective, seen in part from above; Fig. 5 shows the box in section taken along the line A-A in Fig. 4; Figs. 6A-6F show the invention being used for different purposes; Fig. 7A-C show an example of a road surface profile and repair of wheel wear; Fig. 8 is a schematic illustration of a modification of the end plate of the box; Fig. 9 shows in more detail the modification in Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is a schematic illustration of the spreader equipped with a vibrator; Fig. 11 shows in more detail the apparatus of Fig. 10; Fig. 12 shows in perspective a section of the spreader with a vibrator arranged on an external compacting plate; Fig. 13 shows the embodiment of Fig. 12 in a side view; and Fig. 14 shows details of the mounting of the external compacting plate. The material spreader according to the invention comprises a receptacle or trough in the form of a box, generally designated by means of the reference numeral 1. The box 1 has two side walls 2. These are preferably vertical and parallel, and extend along the entire height of the box 1. The box 1 also has an end wall 3. This is preferably vertical and from the top plane of the box it runs down more than half of the height of the box. Opposite the end wall 3 there is arranged a front wall 4 which extends along the entire height of the box. Across more than half of the bottom of the box 1 there is arranged a slide plate 7 which in an expedient manner, e.g., with the aid of screws, bolts, nails or the like (not shown) or welding, is removeably attached to the side walls 2 and optionally also the bottom edge of the front wall 4. A bottom plate 12 is arranged above the slide plate 7. The bottom plate 12 is moveably, preferably slidably, arranged on two suitable flanges 14 or the like and that are provided on the inside of the side walls 2 (only one is shown) at an appropriate distance above the bottom edge. On the slide plate 7 there is arranged a suitable drive unit 13, e.g., a hydraulic cylinder which in an expedient manner is secured to the bottom plate 12, see Fig. 5. The fastening to the bottom plate 12 and optionally also to the slide plate 7, may be, e.g., provided with the aid of suitable screws and brackets. Owing to wear, it is important that both the slide plate 7 and the bottom plate 12 can in a simple manner be replaced as required. On actuation, e.g., from the driver's seat of the mini -tractor, the unit 13 can operate the bottom plate 12 as a bottom gate between a fully closed position and a selected open position. Inside the box 1 there is provided an inclined plate 6, which forms a "discharge surface" for the material that is to be spread. The plate 6 is secured in a suitable manner, e.g., by means of welding or with the aid of screws and optionally brackets (not shown) to the walls 2, 4 and optionally an inner bottom 15 above the bottom plate 12, as can be seen from Fig. 5. The plate 6 is arranged at a suitable angle α to the horizontal plane. This angle may be in the range of 30° to 70°, and preferably around 45°. The plate 6 may be made so that it forms the inner bottom 15 which together with the flanges 14 defines a slideway or guideway for the bottom plate 12. On the outside of the front wall 4 there is provided a suitable fastening means 16 for operating levers or attachment bars arranged on the tool carrier or vehicle, for example, the mini-tractor. On the lower edges of the side walls 2 facing the end wall 3, arranged in an expedient manner are two sliding frames 10 for an end plate 5. The end plate 5 rests against the end wall 3 and forms a gate opening in the back edge of the box 1. With the aid of suitable adjustment devices such as adjusting screws 8 with an articulated grip 9, which in an expedient manner are secured to respectively the end wall 3 and the end plate 5, the gate can be adjusted vertically to give the desired opening. The maximum opening is indicated by means of the letter A on Figures 3 and 5. This is primarily for adjusting the thickness of the surfacing, but also to adjust the opening during groundwork. The sliding frames 10 are preferably made having a scale which together with an indicator 11 arranged on the end plate 5 helps to adjust of the surfacing thickness. The end plate 5 is preferably made of a robust steel plate, but may also be equipped with reinforcing elements (not shown). Figures 8 and 9 show a modified version of the end plate 5. This is intended for spreading material in a non-level profile, for example, when filling wear grooves in a road surface or the like. The plate consists of at least two plate members that are joined by means of an adjustable screw device 17 for the "pitch" of the plates, and with the aid of a through-going bolt 18 about which the plates can pivot. The pitch is preferably in the range of 0-5°. The support in the adjustment screws 8 must be rotatable and the length of the composite plate must be dimensioned so that the plates can be turned behind the sliding frames 10. The material spreader 1 can also be equipped with a vibrator 19. This may be arranged behind the inclined plate 6 and mounted in a bracket 20 arranged directly on the slide plate 7 as shown in Figs. 10 and 11. The vibrator 19 may be of any suitable type. As an example there is shown in Figs. 10 and 11 a hydraulic vibrator with hydraulic connection 21 which can be connected to the hydraulic outlet of the tool carrier or vehicle. Alternatively, the vibrator 19 may be arranged on an external vibrator plate 22 which, with the aid of suitable fastening devices 24 and preferably damping devices 23, is mounted on the end plate or leveller 5. The vibrator plate 22 preferably has a skid form as indicated in the figures. The fastening devices 24 may be screw bolts or the like and the damping devices 23 may be rubber elements, for example, cushions, or may be made of another suitable material. The vibrator 19 in Figs. 12 and 13 is preferably of an electrically operated type which, for example, is fed with 12 V from a direct current supply. Figs. 1A and IB show an example of the material spreader in use. The amount of surfacing and the speed and thickness can be adjusted in a simple manner by adjusting the position of the bottom plate 12 and thus the horizontal opening of the bottom gate, and also the vertical position of the end plate 5 and thus the gate opening or adjustment height of the rear wall portion of the box 1. The maximum horizontal opening is indicated by means of the letter B in Fig. 5. Figs. 6A and 6B show schematically an example of the spreader in use during groundwork. When adjusting the underlying surface the box 1 can be tilted backwards and lowered with the end plate 5 closed and the bottom plate suitably opened. The device is then lowered to a desired level and pulled behind the machine. The excess material will be collected in the box. Once the box has become sufficiently filled, the hydraulically operated bottom plate or gate 12 is closed and the tool carrier with the apparatus is used to transport the material for further spreading or dumping. Figs. 6C and 6D show an example of respectively rectangular surfacing, where the adjusting screws 8 are identically adjusted, and wedge-shaped surfacing, where the screws 8 are adjusted differently to provide a fall or splice. Figs. 6E and 6F show an example of spreading from a building where it is desirable to create a fall out from the wall. The device/box is lifted and material is discharged next to the wall. The machine is then made to pull the device slowly backwards whilst it is simultaneously lowered to a pre-set surfacing thickness. In Fig. 7, A shows a typical example of wheel wear in a road surface. It may then be expedient to lay material having a surfacing profile as shown in Fig. 7B. This is done simply by using the spreader with the modified/split end plate 5. Fig. 7C shows the ready-compacted surfaced road surface. Figs. 10, 11, 12 and 13 show expedient embodiments where the material spreader is equipped with a vibrator 19. When an underlying surface or levelling material such as quarry waste, is to be laid, the spreader is used in the same way as when used to lay asphalt. The quarry waste and the like are laid in several layers and compacted between each layer. The spreader then is used as a compactor or pan vibrator, the vibrator 19 being mounted directly, or by using a bracket, 20, on the slide plate 7. The compaction force can be adjusted by pressing on the attachment bar or operating levers of the tool carrier and/or filling material in the spreader. In this way the need for other or additional compacting equipment is eliminated, or at least greatly reduced in connection with this type of job. Alternatively, the vibrator 19 may be arranged on an external compacting plate 22 attached to the end plate 5. This embodiment has been found to be especially expedient when spreading concrete. In addition to the actual compaction, the plate 22 will. Today the spreading of concrete on the shoulders in tunnels is done manually. With the illustrated embodiment of the material spreader according to the invention, this work can be mechanised.

Claims: P a t e n t c l a i m s 1. A material spreader, especially for spreading asphalt, concrete, quarry waste or similar materials on small areas, comprising a funnel-shaped, transverse-mounted box means (1) arranged to be towed behind a motor vehicle, which box (1) is hitched to the vehicle with the use of hitching means, and has a bottom opening and a leveller in the form of a moveable end plate (5) arranged at the end wall (3) of the box (1) to allow the thickness of the layer to be adjusted, characterised in that the box (1) is constructed having a slide plate (7) which extends across the width of the box (1) and a substantial part of the bottom of the box (1), and that the opening for the material which is to be spread is made of a moveable bottom plate (12) arranged on support means (14) in the side walls (2) of the box, the opening for the material which is to be spread being adjusted in that the bottom plate (12) is moved horizontally by means of a drive unit (13) secured to the slide plate (7) and the bottom plate (12). 2. A material spreader according to claim 1, characterised in that the drive unit (13) is a hydraulic cylinder. 3. A material spreader according to one of claims 1-2, characterised in that the end plate (5) can be moved with the aid of preferably two adjusting means (8) secured to the end wall (3) and the end plate (5). 4. A material spreader according to claim 3, characterised in that the adjustment means (8) is an adjustable screw. 5. A material spreader according to one of claims 1-4, characterised in that the box (1) is made having an inner inclined plate (6) which extends from the bottom plate (12) towards the front wall (4) of the box (1). 6. A material spreader according to claim 5, characterised in that the inclined plate (6) has an angle of inclination α in the range of 30° to 70°, and preferably around 45°. 7. A material spreader according to claims 1-6, characterised in that the hitching means for hitching to the vehicle is arranged on the outside of the front wall (4) of the box (1), and the vehicle is equipped with means which can lift, and optionally cause tilting of the box (l). 8. A material spreader according to any one of claims 1-7, characterised in that the end plate (5) is made in the form of at least two plate members which are joined together by means of an adjustable screw device (17) and a preferably through-going bolt (18) to allow non-level material profiles to be spread. 9. A material spreader according to any one of claims 1-8, characterised in that it is equipped with a vibrator (19) arranged on the slide plate (7). 10. A material spreader according to any one of claims 1-8, characterised in that it is equipped with a vibrator (19) arranged on a compacting plate (22) which with the aid of suitable fastening means (24) and optionally damping means (23) is secured externally to the end wall or leveller (5).

Inventors: SKUGHEI JAN, SKUGHEI, JAN
Applicants: SKUGHEI JAN, SKUGHEI, JAN
Application year: 2000
Main classification: E01C19
IPC codes: E01C19, E01C23