Patent ID: 8491218

Claim:
A pavement crack router comprising, in combination: a frame; a plurality of bits rotatably mounted to the frame about a cutting axis in a clockwise direction and circumferentially spaced about the cutting axis, with the plurality of bits adapted to be driven by a drive for opening and cleaning a crack in pavement; a wheel mounted to the frame about a wheel axis parallel to the cutting axis, with the wheel rested on and movable along the pavement, with the wheel movably supporting the frame upon the pavement; a ratchet gear rotatable with the wheel about the wheel axis, with rotation of the wheel and the ratchet gear being independent of the drive of the plurality of bits; a ratchet rod pivotable about a pivot axis spaced from the cutting axis and the wheel axis, with the ratchet rod pivotable between an engaging position and a releasing position, with an outer end of the ratchet rod engaged with the ratchet gear when the ratchet rod is in the engaging position preventing rotation of the wheel in a counterclockwise direction but allowing rotation of the wheel in the clockwise direction, with the outer end of the ratchet rod disengaged from the ratchet gear allowing rotation of the wheel in either of the clockwise and counterclockwise directions when the ratchet rod is in the releasing position, with the outer end of the ratchet rod being radially spaced greater from the ratchet gear in the releasing position than in the engaging position; and a safety release movable between a first position and a second position, with the ratchet rod operatively connected to the safety release, with movement of the safety release between the first and second positions causing pivotal movement of the ratchet rod between the engaging position and the releasing position, with the ratchet rod being in the engaging position when the safety release is in the first position, with the ratchet rod being in the releasing position when the safety release is in the second position.