SEAL COATING MACHINE
United States Patent 3703856
Abstract:
An asphalt sealing machine for applying a sealer coating to asphalt paving or the like. The machine includes a body having a tank for storing fluid and a spreader means including two spaced scrapers and a rotary spreader to which fluid is dispensed from the tank. A pair of spaced wheels movably support the body and are connected to the body for rotation about an axis. A second or dirigible wheel is operatively connected to the tank by positioning means. The dirigible wheel is on one side of the axis of the first pair of support wheels and the spreader means is on the opposite side of the axis. The positioning means interconnecting the tank and the dirigible wheel include a pair of spaced parallel links and a lever arm connected thereto which may be pivoted to raise and lower the tank to thereby raise and lower the spreader means from a position engaging the surface over which the machine moves to a position spaced above the surface.
Inventors:
Wikel, David C. (Sandusky, OH)
Smith, Rymer H. (Burgoon, OH)
Application Number:05/108825
Filing Date:01/22/1971
Publication Date:11/28/1972
Assignee:
WIKEL MFG CO INC
Primary Class:404/111
Other Classes:404/118, 404/129
International Classes:E01C19/16; E01C19/00; E01C19/12
Field of Search:94/39, 44, 46 172/417, 484 180/5D 299/39
US Patent References:
3533336 October 1970 Wikel ASPHALT SEALING MACHINE
2468336 April 1949 Lewis Collapsible saw for cutting concrete and the like
3228484 January 1966 Arnold Semimounted plow
3517747 June 1970 Fischer AUTOMATIC CONTROL MEANS FOR IMPLEMENT
3554295 January 1971 Kopaska IMPLEMENT TRANSPORT
3333518 August 1967 Sholl Seal coating machine
3283675 November 1966 Gifford Pavement surface-sealer applying machine
3348323 October 1967 Purdy Combination land leveler
3358777 December 1967 Groenke Dolly wheel hitch
2968356 January 1961 Mydels Telescopic beaming device
3174557 March 1965 Newkirk Implement adjusting and lifting linkage
Primary Examiner:Nackenoff, Jacob L.
Claims:
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows
1. A machine of the type for applying a coating to a surface such as applying a sealant to asphalt pavement, said machine comprising; body means including spreader means for distributing fluid over a surface and reservoir means for storing fluid and dispensing fluid to said spreader means, first wheel means movably supporting said body means and connected to said body means for rotation relative thereto about an axis, said spreader means disposed on a first side of said axis, second wheel means disposed on a second side of said axis, and positioning means interconnecting said second wheel means and said body means to move the body means relative to the second wheel means for rotating said body means about said axis to vary the vertical position of said spreader means above the surface supporting said machine said second wheel means including at least one shaft support operatively connected to said positioning means, at least one shaft rotatably supported by said shaft support, at least one dirigible wheel operatively connected to said shaft, and steering means connected to said shaft for rotating said shaft to steer said machine.
2. A machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said positioning means includes a manually graspable lever arm pivotally supported on said body means for movement between an extreme raised position where said spreader means is at a maximum height relative to the surface and an extreme lowered position where said spreader means is at a minimum height relative to the surface.
3. A machine as set forth in claim 2 wherein said positioning means further includes a pair of generally parallel links pivotally connected at first ends thereof to said body means and pivotally connected at second ends thereof to said shaft support, said links being connected to said lever arm for movement therewith.
4. A machine as set forth in claim 3 wherein said second wheel means includes a single dirigible wheel.
5. A machine as set forth in claim 4 wherein said first wheel means includes a pair of spaced wheels.
6. A machine as set forth in claim 5 wherein said reservoir means comprises a tank, said first ends of said links being pivotally connected to said tank for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis, said lever arm being pivotally connected to said tank for fore and aft movement along one side thereof, guide means secured to said one side of said tank for guiding movement of said lever arm and for retaining said lever arm in at least said extreme lowered position, a motor drive means disposed on the opposite extremity of said tank from said dirigible wheel and between said tank and said spreader means, said motor drive means being operatively connected to said pair of spaced wheels, said spreader means including a first and second scraper means with a rotatable spreader disposed therebetween, rotary agitator means disposed in said tank for mixing the fluid therein, a conduit extending from said tank to a valve disposed above said first scraper means, linkage means operatively connected to said valve and extending to a control lever pivotally supported on said tank for opening and closing said valve to selectively dispense fluid to said first scraper means, motion transmitting means operatively interconnecting said motor drive means and said agitator means and said rotatable spreader for rotating same, and power control means operatively supported by said tank adjacent said dirigible wheel and operatively connected to said motor drive means for controlling the direction and speed of movement of said machine.
7. A machine as set forth in claim 5 including a motor and a hydrostatic transmission, said hydrostatic transmission being operatively connected to said pair of spaced wheels, and power control means operatively supported on said body means adjacent said dirigible wheel and operatively connected to said hydrostatic transmission for controlling the direction and speed of said machine.
Description:
This invention relates to a machine of the type for applying a coating to a surface such as applying a sealant to asphalt pavement. Such machines are frequently called seal coaters or seal applicators.
Such machines typically include a body including a tank for storing the coating fluid with means for dispensing the coating fluid from the storage tank. They also include some sort of spreading device to spread the coating material over the surface. The machines are supported by wheels, some of which are driven and others of which are steerable. Most seal coating machines of this type in the past are relatively large and provide a seat so that they may be ridden by the operator. All such machines provide some provision whereby the spreading assembly may be raised out of contact with the surface over which the machine is moving. Typical of such prior art machines is that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,533,336. Although the machine shown in that patent is an excellent machine, it is particularly adapted for coating relatively large areas and there is not available a suitable smaller machine which may be economically utilized for smaller areas such as driveways and the like.
Accordingly, it is an object and feature of this invention to provide a machine of the type for applying a coating to a surface in an efficient and effective manner when the area of the surface is relatively small.
In correlation with the foregoing object and feature, it is another object and feature of this invention to provide such a machine wherein the spreading means is a rigid part of the body of the machine and is raised and lowered by relative vertical movement between the other end of the body means and one of the wheels.
Other objects and attendant advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the instant invention showing the machine with the spreader means in the raised position;
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the spreader means in the lowered position engaging the surface over which the machine is moving; and
FIG. 3 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the opposite side of the machine.
Referring now to the drawings wherein like numerals indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, a machine of the type for applying a coating to a surface such as applying a sealant to asphalt pavement is generally shown at 10.
The machine includes a body means generally indicated at 12. The body means 12 includes longitudinally extending channel members or support means 14 which are interconnected by appropriate braces. The body means also includes a reservoir means comprising a tank 16. Also included is a spreader means generally indicated at 18 for distributing fluid over a surface as indicated at 20 in FIG. 2. The tank 16 stores fluid and dispenses the fluid to the spreader means 18.
The machine also includes wheel means comprising a pair of spaced wheels 22 which movably support the body means 12. The wheels 22 are supported by one or more shafts which are connected to the body means 12 through the plates 24. The wheels 22 rotate relative to the body means about the axis of these shafts.
The machine also includes a second wheel means comprising the dirigible wheel generally indicated at 26. The spreader means 18 is disposed on a first side of the axis of rotation of the wheels 20 and the dirigible wheel 26 is disposed on a second side of an axis of rotation of the wheels 22.
The machine further includes positioning means generally indicated at 28 interconnecting the dirigible wheel 26 and the body means 12 for rotating the body means 12 about the axis of rotation of the wheels 22 to vary the vertical position or height of the spreader means 18 above the surface 20 upon which the machine is supported.
The positioning means 28 includes a manually graspable lever arm 30 which is pivotally supported on the tank 16 for movement between an extreme raised position as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, where the spreader means 18 is at a maximum height relative to the surface 20, and an extreme lowered position as illustrated in FIG. 2, where the spreader means 18 is at a minimum height relative to the surface 20.
The positioning means 28 further includes a pair of generally parallel links 32 which are pivotally connected at the first ends thereof to the tank 16, for pivotal movement about horizontal axes, as indicated at 34, and pivotally connected at the second ends thereof to the dirigible wheel 26, for pivotal movement about horizontal axes, as indicated at 36. Preferably the links 32 are flat plate-like members with the lower link 32 rigidly connected to a shaft 38 as shown in FIG. 3. The lever arm 30 is also rigidly connected to the shaft 38 so that upon pivotal movement of the arm 30, the links 32 move between the raised position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3 and the lowered position illustrated in FIG. 2.
The dirigible wheel assembly 26 includes a shaft support comprising a plate 40 with a pair of spaced flanges 42 extending perpendicular therefrom so as to be pivotally connected to the links 32. A pair of spaced bearing brackets 44 are connected to the plate 40 and rotatably support a generally vertically disposed steering shaft 46. Thus, the steering shaft 46 is rotatably supported by the shaft support which is in turn pivotally connected at 36 to the links 32. A fork or yoke 48 is attached to the lower end of the shaft 46 and is rotatably connected to the dirigible wheel 50. A steering means comprising a bent extension 52 and a T-bar 54 is connected to the upper end of the shaft 46 for rotating the shaft 46 to steer the machine. As viewed in FIG. 1, the shaft 46 and the dirigible wheel 50 are in the position they would normally be in when the machine is moving to the right as viewed in FIG. 1. As viewed in FIG. 2, the steering shaft 46 is in the position it would normally be in when the machine is moving to the left as viewed in FIG. 2, it being remembered that the machine moves to the left as viewed in FIG. 2 when applying a coating to the surface 20.
A guide means comprising an arcuate plate 56 having a slot therein is secured to one side of the tank 16 for guiding the movement of the lever arm 30. The slot in the plate 56 has an offset portion at the upper arcuate end thereof in which the lever arm 30 may be disposed to retain the lever arm in the position illustrated in FIG. 2 which is the extreme lowered position. This is necessary because when the tank 16 is full of fluid the moment about the axis of rotation of the wheels 22 is such that the machine would tend to move to the position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3 if the handle 30 is not maintained in the position illustrated in FIG. 2.
The machine also includes a motor drive means generally indicated at 58. The motor drive means preferably includes a gasoline type internal combustion engine and a hydrostatic transmission. The engine and the transmission are disposed on the opposite extremity of the tank 16 from the dirigible wheel assembly 26 and between the tank 16 and the spreader means 18. The hydrostatic transmission is in driving engagement with the pair of spaced wheels 22 for propelling the machine.
The spreader means 18 includes a first scraper means 60 and a second scraper means 62. The spreader means 18 also includes a rotatable spreader 64 comprising a plurality of elongated flexible rubber-like members of the type well known for use with this type of machine.
The tank 16 has an opening in the top which may be closed by the cover 66 which is hinged at 68 to the top of the tank. A bracket 70 is attached to the tank and limits opening movement of the cover 66 as illustrated in phantom in FIG. 1. Also disposed within the tank 16 is a rotary agitator means 72 for mixing the fluid disposed within the tank 16.
A conduit shown in phantom at 74 in FIG. 1 extends from the bottom of the tank 16 to a valve 76 disposed above the first scraper 60. A control lever 78 is pivotally supported on the tank 16 and is connected to the valve 76 by the linkage means including the links 80, 82, 84 and 86. Movement of the control lever along the side of the tank 16 opens and closes the valve 76 to selectively dispense fluid from the tank 16 to the first scraper 60.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, motion transmitting means comprising sprockets 88, 89, 90, 91, 92 and 93 and the chains 94 and 96 operatively interconnect the hydrostatic transmission of the drive means 58 and the agitator means 72 and the rotatable spreader 64 for rotating the same.
There is also included a power control means including the handle 98 which is operatively supported by the tank 16 adjacent the dirigible wheel assembly 26 and the links 99, 100 and 101 which operatively connect the handle 98 to the hydrostatic transmission for controlling the direction and speed of movement of the machine.
The container 102 serves as a reservoir for supplying fluid to the hydrostatic transmission.
The operation of the machine is apparent from the above description but will be briefly reviewed. When the machine is not being used to apply a coating, it is stored and driven in the position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3. In this position, the lever 30 is in the extreme forward position or in the extreme raised position. The valve 76 is closed and the spreader means 18 is raised from and spaced from the surface 20 supporting the machine. When the machine is in the position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, it may travel in either direction and if traveling to the right as viewed in FIG. 1, dirigible wheel 50 will be in the position shown in FIG. 1. However, if the machine is traveling to the left as viewed in FIG. 1, the dirigible wheel 50 will be reversed and will be in the position illustrated in FIG. 2.
When it is desired to apply a coating to a surface, the tank 16 is filled with fluid and the lever 30 is moved to the position illustrated in FIG. 2 which is the extreme lowered position where the spreader means 18 engages the surface 20. The power control handle 98 is moved to the position where the machine moves to the left as viewed in FIG. 2 and at the same time the handle 78 is manipulated to allow a certain amount of fluid to be dispensed to the left of the first scraper 60 which extends across the machine and has engulfing sides as illustrated. Preferably, the first scraper 60 is of a configuration to form a rectangular elongated pocket into which the material is dispensed. As the machine moves over the surface, the rotating spreader 64 spreads the material over the surface followed by the material being engaged by the second scraper 62. As the machine is moving over a surface, it is steered by moving the handle 54.
The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be understood that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation.
Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.
