Patent Publication Number: US-6984089-B1

Title: Adjustable-batter side plate for slip-form paver

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a side plate for a slip-form paver apparatus, and more particularly to a side plate that is adjustable to introduce a side batter to the paved surface. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Road construction apparatus designed to automate and standardize the process of paving new roads are well known in the art. One type of such construction apparatus is known as a slip-form paver, which is generally adapted to form a flowable paving material such as concrete continuously along the ground or other base surface, for example, to form a roadway. Diverse forms of such machines have been described in prior patents, representative examples of which may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,175,478; 3,264,958; 3,637,026; 3,771,892; 3,970,405; 4,197,032; 4,360,293; 4,925,340; 4,948,292; 5,044,820, 5,590,977 and 6,715,957. 
   Conventionally, it is commonplace for paving equipment of this type to support the machine frame on a plurality of drivable transport assemblies, such as so-called crawler track assemblies, adapted to facilitate steerable driving of the paving machine over substantially any ground surface along which a roadway or like surface is to be paved. The frame of the machine is equipped with various devices and mechanisms to perform various functions of the paving operation, including typically an auger or other suitable mechanism for distributing the paving material laterally across the front of the machine, followed by a vertically disposed plate or like structural member, commonly referred to as a strike-off plate, positioned with a lower edge thereof at a desired elevation with respect to the ground surface to be paved to control the amount of paving material passing thereunder and thereby to initially form the material generally as a slab of the desired thickness, and then followed by a substantially horizontally disposed undersurface, commonly referred to as a finishing pan or screed, for purposes of leveling and finishing the concrete material. 
   In basic operation, a continuous supply of concrete or other suitable paving material is deposited in front of the paving machine between its transport assemblies as the machine is driven over the intended path of the pavement surface, with the auger mechanism initially distributing the paving material laterally, after which the lower edge of the plate “strikes off” a rough slab form of a desired thickness of the concrete material which then is more precisely spread, leveled and finished by the vibration devices followed by the finishing pan. 
   Additionally, the paving machine must contain and shape the flow of concrete as it relates to the side of the roadway. This function is typically handled by a side plate somewhat similar in function to the finishing pan, but disposed perpendicularly at each side of the finishing pan. In machines where adjustments may be made to the height of the roadway, it is desirable to have a side plate that is vertically adjustable with respect to the finishing pan to accommodate different roadway heights, since the principal function of the side plate is to contain the flowing concrete within the vertical profile of the roadway. 
   This containment function necessitates a tight connection between the side plate and the finishing pan, because of the nature of concrete under vibrational forces. In a typical slip-form paver apparatus, the wet concrete is vibrated to a high degree in order to remove air pockets and to reduce the viscosity of the concrete. Concrete under vibration is highly non-viscous and flows to fill every space within the slip-form apparatus. Consequently, if there is a gap between the finishing pan and the side plate, following the vibration devices, concrete will flow through the gap, potentially exiting the slip-form apparatus. Such a condition is wasteful of time and resources and can damage the paver apparatus through the introduction of concrete into, for instance, the transport assembly. 
   If the side plate is perfectly perpendicular to the finishing pan, then maintaining a tight connection with the horizontal finishing pan is relatively easy. But in many paving applications, it is desirable to introduce a side batter, or angular offset of the side edges of the finished concrete. When a side batter is introduced in conventional systems, the function of adjusting the height of the side plate necessarily introduces a gap between the side plate and the finishing pan. 
   Accordingly, there is a need for a side plate system that permits the selection of a side batter while preventing the introduction of gaps in the slip-form area. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In accordance with the aforementioned needs, the present invention provides a side plate system for a slip-form paver apparatus that has a frame supported on a steerable transport assembly and a pavement forming assembly disposed on the frame for distributing a paving material along a ground surface and forming the paving material with a crown running generally parallel to the ground surface using a finishing pan in order to form a paved surface. 
   The side plate system includes a side plate that is disposed generally perpendicular to and in contact with the finishing pan and that has a forming surface on an inward side of the side plate for slip-forming an essentially vertical side of the paved surface. The system further includes a vertically directed extendable and retractable tube assembly connected between the side plate and the pavement forming assembly. The side plate system also includes a set screw arrangement operatively associated with the tube assembly for setting a batter angle of the side plate by pivoting the disposition of the tube assembly relative to the finishing pan. 
   In a further feature of the present invention, the side plate is movable through a range of vertical motion for accommodating a desired height of the paved surface from the ground surface, without introducing a gap between the side plate and the finishing pan. The side plate is configured to remain substantially in contact with the finishing pan throughout the range of vertical motion, even when the batter is set at a nonzero angle. 
   The side plate system also includes a piston for supporting the side plate. The piston is connected at one end to the frame or to the pavement-forming assembly and at the other end to the side plate, and in order to accommodate the range of batter angles, the piston is preferably pivotably mounted at each end. 
   In another feature of the present invention, the side plate comprises mating plate segments, each of which is similarly supported and configured for at least partially independent operation and movement. 
   Optionally, the side plate may be configured to swing in the outward direction, independently from the batter adjustment operation, to accommodate access to the area in which the surface is to be paved (i.e., under and in front of the finishing pan), for cleaning or maintenance. 
   The batter angle may be set within a range of between about 0° and 5° from the perpendicular, or perhaps a greater angle depending upon the precise configuration and arrangement of the tubes, without departing from the scope of the invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Further features, embodiments, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a general perspective view of a slip-form paver apparatus with an adjustable-batter side plate system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention installed; 
       FIG. 2  is a more detailed perspective view of a portion of the slip-form paver apparatus as in  FIG. 1 , depicting the outwardly-facing portions of the side plate system according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 2A  is a vertical cross-sectional view taken through one of the tube assemblies of  FIG. 2  along line A—A thereof; 
       FIG. 3  is another detailed perspective view of a portion of the slip-form paver apparatus as in  FIG. 2 , depicting the inwardly-facing portions of the side plate system according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a detailed perspective view of a side plate according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 5  is a detailed perspective view of a frame portion of the paver apparatus to which the side plate of  FIG. 4  attaches; 
       FIGS. 6A and 6B  are side elevational views of the side plate system of  FIGS. 2–5  according to the present invention in retracted and extended positions; and 
       FIGS. 7A and 7B  are end elevational views of the side plate system of  FIGS. 2–5  according to the present invention in non-pivoted (zero batter angle) and pivoted (inclined batter angle) positions. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring now to the drawings,  FIG. 1  illustrates a slip-form paver apparatus  10  of the general type to which the present invention is directed, as a depiction of the environment in which the side plate system of the present invention is embodied. A set of crawlers  12  drives the paver  10  along a roadbed  14  and support a frame  16  upon which is mounted a pavement forming assembly  18  for distributing a paving material along the roadbed  14  using a strike-off plate  20  in order to form a paved surface. In operation, a quantity of flowable paving material (not shown) such as concrete is deposited in the region forwardly of the frame  16  where a set of helical spreaders  22  are situated. The spreaders  22  distribute the paving material in rough uniformity across the widthwise extent of the paving region  24 . 
   Adjacent and behind the spreaders  22  are the strike-off plate  20  which has a lower edge generally parallel with the roadbed  14 , and laterally extended side plates  30  which are generally perpendicular to both the roadbed  14  and the strike-off plate  20 , so as to define the rough profile of the general shape of a road (i.e., having a roughly rectangular lateral cross-section). A set of mechanical agitators (not shown) follow the strike-off plate  20  to be disposed atop and/or within the paving material to impart an agitating force to the paving material. This agitating force alters the physical dynamics of the paving material, making it more liquid, which enables the paving material flow to be formed into the desired road profile. A finishing pan  25  ( FIGS. 2–3 ), also referred to as a screed, is supported by the frame  16  following the agitators and presents a substantially flat undersurface in facing spaced parallel relation to the road bed  14  to impart a correspondingly flat (often with a preferably slight crown) finished upper surface to the agitated paving material. The lateral sides of the paving material are contained in the region of the finishing pan  25  and are imparted with an essentially vertical finished surface (sometimes preferably with a slight batter angle) by side plate systems  100  disposed vertically in substantially tight contact with the opposite lateral ends of the finishing pan  25  at the opposite lateral sides of the paver apparatus. 
   As noted previously, a number of considerations determine the precise shape of the cross-section of the road being paved. Some of these considerations have been described elsewhere, such as the ability to crown or slant the road being paved. The present invention, however, is directed to the configuration of the sides of the road, and more particularly to the batter angle of that side. While various adjustments are known in the side plate systems of conventional slip-form paving apparatus and, in particular, it has heretofore been conventionally possible to adjust the batter angle when slip-form paving of a road, the known adjustability of the batter angle inherently results in a loss of sealing the batter plate thereby creating undesirable gaps in the form of the paver apparatus which interferes with the desired formation of the road. By contrast, the present invention provides an adjustable-batter side plate system which enables vertical adjustability of the side plate system as well as adjustability of the batter angle while continuously maintaining a secure seal with the side plate throughout the entire range of vertical and angular adjustments so that gaps are not created between the side plate and the finishing pan  25  so as not to interfere with the general operation of the paver apparatus. 
   The adjustable-batter side plate system of the present invention  100  is shown in detailed perspective views in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . Principally the side plate system includes at least one side plate  104  supported vertically from the frame  16  adjacent to and in engagement with the finishing pan  25  at an angle A ( FIGS. 7A and 7B ) that can be adjusted within a limited range between substantially perpendicular and a small acute angle from perpendicular, as will be described in greater detail below. 
   One side plate  104  itself is shown in  FIG. 4  and comprises a substantially flat planar working body  105  which faces inwardly toward the finishing pan  25  and a set of inner tubes  106  located on the outside (non-paving side) of the side plate body  105 , and fixed in upstanding disposition on a flange  108  that extends outwardly from the lower edge of the working body  105  of the side plate  104 . The side plate  104  is supported from the frame  16  by assembly with a mating frame plate  107 , depicted separately in  FIG. 5 , which forms a portion of the frame  16  at each opposite lateral side of the paver apparatus  10 . The frame plate  107  comprises a substantially flat planar main body  109  disposed substantially vertically, with a mounting block assembly  111  fixed to the inwardly facing side of the main body  109 . The frame plates  107  are arranged in opposed facing relation to one another at the opposite sides of the paver apparatus  10  to support the finishing pan  25  extending laterally therebetween across the frame  16  by mounting of the opposite ends of the finishing pan  25  with the respective block assemblies  111 . The frame plate  107  has a set of outer tube assemblies  112  affixed in depending relation to the underside of an upper flange  113  extending outwardly from the main body  109 , the outer tube assemblies  112  being spaced correspondingly to the inner tubes  106  of the side plate  104 . As best seen in  FIG. 2A , each of the outer tube assemblies  112  supported from the frame plate  107  comprise a main outer tube  112 A of a hollow substantially square cross-section pivotably supported at its uppermost end on the underside of the upper flange  113  and a secondary outer tube  112 B of a similarly hollow but smaller square cross-section extending interiorly within the main outer tube  112 A and secured thereto by trunnions  119  midway along the length of the secondary outer tube  112 B to permit a limited degree of pivotal movement relative to the main outer tube  112 A. Set screw devices  122  are secured on each main outer tube  112 A at a spacing above and below each such trunnion  119 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 2 , the side plate system  100  may comprise two, or possibly more, individual side plates  104  connected in endwise abutment via abutting attachment flanges  103  with their respective working bodies  105  coplanar to form a continuous uninterrupted inwardly-facing pavement-working surface. In such an embodiment, each side plate  104  is of substantially corresponding construction, each with a respective set of upstanding inner tubes  106 . Correspondingly, the frame plate  107  has mounted thereto a like number of sets of the outer tube assemblies  112 . The respective outer tube assemblies  112  of each set are connected integrally with one another by a laterally-extending tube  114  formed with apertures  115  aligned with threaded bores  117  located adjacently in the frame plate  107 . 
   As best seen in  FIG. 2A , the side plates  104  are mounted as a unit to the frame plate  107  by insertion of the inner tubes  106  into the secondary outer tubes  112 B. The side plates  104  are supported in assembly with the frame plate  107  by a set of piston-and-cylinder assemblies  110 , which extend vertically between, and have their opposite ends pivotably mounted to, the flange  113  of the frame plate  107  and the flange  108  of the side plates  104 . The piston-and-cylinder assemblies  110  are connected into the hydraulic circuitry of the paver apparatus  110  by hydraulic connections  121  at the opposite ends of the cylinder portions  110 A of the piston-and-cylinder assemblies  110  (the hydraulic flow lines being omitted from the illustrations for purposes of clarity), by which the piston portions  110 B can be selectively extended and retracted to set the vertical disposition of the side plates  104  relative to the finishing pan  25 , fully retracted and fully extended dispositions of the piston-and-cylinder assemblies  110  and the side plates  104  being depicted comparatively in  FIGS. 6A and 6B . The side plates  104  are secured and held in sealing abutment against the outward surface of the frame plate  107  by the tightening of thumbscrews  123  extending through the apertures  115  in the connecting members  114  and threadedly engaged into the bores  117  in the side plate  107 . 
   In accordance with the present invention, the set screw devices  122  facilitate the selective setting of the angular relationship between the side plates  104  and the finishing pan  25  in the following manner. Each set screw device  122  threadedly supports a set screw  125  to be selectively extended into or retracted from the hollow interior of the respective main outer tube  112 A and thereby into contact with the respective secondary outer tube  112 B supported therein. By the selective threaded positioning of the upper and lower set screws  125  of each outer tube assembly  112 , the secondary outer tube  112 B therein is selectively positioned pivotably about the respective trunnions  119 . The hollow interior of the main outer tubes  112 A is sufficiently larger in cross-sectional profile than the secondary outer tubes  112 B, thereby providing for a pivotal range of motion of the secondary outer tubes  112 B within the main outer tubes  112 A. Thus, the selectively adjustment of the set screws  122  enables the selective adjustment of the angular orientation of the side plates  104  relative to the frame plate  107  (i.e. the batter angle) from a precisely parallel relationship (a so-called zero angle position) through a limited range of angular motion relative to the frame plate  107 , preferably up to approximately five degrees to set a selected batter angle.  FIGS. 7A and 7B  comparatively depict the side plate system in zero angle and pivoted batter angle positions, respectively. Subsequent to any such adjustment of the set screws  122 , the thumb screws  123  are securely tightened to insure that any gap created between the inwardly-facing working surface of the side plates  104  and the finishing pan  25  is closed and a secure seal is created therebetween. To assist in preventing the formation of any such gap, a sealing bar  124  is secured to the outward surface of the frame plate  107  up to the finishing pan  25 , for bearing engagement of the side plates  104  against the sealing bar  124 . 
   Thus, as will be understood by persons of skill in the art, the side plate system  100  of the present invention uniquely accommodates both elevational and angular positioning movement of the side plates  104  relatively to the finishing pan  25 , while providing for the secure sealing of the inwardly-facing working surface of the side plates  104  against the finishing pan  25  to close any gap thereby created. Thus, in contrast to slip-form paver apparatus of the prior art, the side plate system of the present invention enables a range of non-perpendicular batter angles to be reliably set while avoiding waste of the paving material and potential damage to the paver apparatus. 
   The side plate system of the present invention additionally provides for ready movement of the entire side plate unit for direct access to the area of the finishing pan beneath the paver apparatus, e.g., for purposes of repair, cleaning, maintenance, or similar purpose. Specifically, upon disengagement of the thumb screws  123  the pivoted mountings of the outer tube assemblies  112  and the piston-and-cylinder assemblies  110  to the frame plate  107 , enables the entire side plate unit to be pivoted upwardly to fully expose the finishing pan  25 . Further, the provision of the side plate system  100  with two separate side plate members  104  disposed in endwise abutting relation to each other permits each of the side plate members  104  to be pivoted outwardly independently as desired. While those skilled in the art of paving will recognize that the batter angle of both side plates  104  will preferably be set at the same angle, a split arrangement of the side plates and independent operation thereof allow the side plates to swing in the outward direction to allow access to the underside of the paver assembly and to the paved surface. This is of particular importance when starting a new day of work, when the section of the road to be paved abuts the previous day&#39;s end of work. A swing-out arrangement such as is depicted in  FIG. 2  allows, for example, the rear side plate  104  to be swung out to accommodate the finished surface, while keeping the front side plate  104  in good abutment with the frame plate  107 . However, the construction of the side plates  104  is such that they may be locked unitarily into place for movement together by inserting a pin, bolt, or screw (not shown) through one or more holes in the abutment flanges  103 . 
   In view of the aforesaid written description of the present invention, it will be readily understood by those persons skilled in the art that the present invention is susceptible of broad utility and application. Many embodiments and adaptations of the present invention other than those herein described, as well as many variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements, will be apparent from or reasonably suggested by the present invention and the foregoing description thereof, without departing from the substance or scope of the present invention. Accordingly, while the present invention has been described herein in detail in relation to preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is only illustrative and exemplary of the present invention and is made merely for purposes of providing a full and enabling disclosure of the invention. The foregoing disclosure is not intended nor is to be construed to limit the present invention or otherwise to exclude any such other embodiments, adaptations, variations, modifications and equivalent arrangements, the present invention being limited only by the claims appended hereto and the equivalents thereof.