Patent ID: 8636442

Claim:
A paving machine for laying a mat of paving material on a paving surface, the paving machine comprising: a tractor comprising: a power source having an output shaft, a pump drive connected to the output shaft of the power source, a generator integrally installed with the pump drive and being operatively connected to the output shaft of the power source to drive a rotor of the generator and produce alternating current (AC) power, a first power converter operatively connected to the generator to receive AC power produced by the generator, to convert the AC power to direct current (DC) power, and to output DC power, and a tractor controller operatively connected to the generator to receive control signals, and operatively connected to the first power converter to transmit and receive control signals; and a screed comprising: a zones power distribution box having a plurality of main zone trunk wires, the zones power distribution box being operatively connected to the tractor controller to transmit and receive control signals, and being operatively connected to the first power converter to receive the DC power from the first power converter, wherein the DC power received at the zones power distribution box is distributed between the plurality of main zone trunk wires, and a plurality of screed heating elements operatively connected to the tractor controller to transmit control signals, wherein each of the plurality of main zone trunk wires from the zones power distribution box is operatively connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of screed heating elements to transfer the DC power from the zones power distribution box, and wherein the plurality of screed heating elements produces heat to warm the screed to a predetermined paving temperature.