Patent ID: 7044681

Claim:
A soft landing control system for a screeding machine for smoothing and screeding a concrete surface, said screeding machine including a screed head assembly having a grade setting device and a vibrating member, said screeding machine including a screed head support for supporting said screed head assembly, said soft landing control system comprising: a control operable to adjust the level of said vibrating member relative to said grade setting device to engage the vibrating member with the concrete surface at an onset of a screeding pass, said control being operable to automatically lower said vibrating member toward and into engagement with the concrete surface after said grade setting device is lowered to the desired grade level; and an activating device, said control being operable to position said vibrating member at an initial location that is generally at or near the onset of the screeding pass and above and offset from the concrete surface and the desired grade level, said control being operable to automatically lower said vibrating member from said initial location and toward and into engagement with the concrete surface in response to a signal generated by said activating device, said activating device comprising at least one of a timing device, a concrete sensing device, a sensing device for sensing a concrete surface characteristic, a sensing device for sensing a degree of cure of the concrete, a sensing device for sensing a degree of processing of the concrete, and a device for determining a height of said screed head assembly above the concrete or the desired grade level.