Patch roller apparatus

Claim 1

IN ROAD ROLLING APPARATUS OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED FOR USE ON A SELF-PROPELLED VEHICLE COMPRISING A FRAME SUPPORTED ON FRONT STEERING WHEELS AND ON REAR DRIVING WHEELS, AND WHEREIN EACH OF SAID WHEELS IS PROVIDED WITH PNEUMATIC TIRES, THE COMBINATION OF MOUNTING APPARATUS FOR MOUNTING ON SAID FRAME, A TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING NONDRIVEN ROLLER EXTENDING CROSSWISE OF SAID FRAME IN REAR OF SAID REAR DRIVING WHEELS, A PAIR OF ROLLER SUPPORTING ARMS EXTENDING LENGTHWISE OF SAID FRAME FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT IN VERTICAL PLANES DISPOSED OUTWARDLY BEYOND THE ENDS OF SAID ROLLER, BEARING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID ARMS IN WHICH SAID ROLLER IS JOURNALED FOR AXIAL ROTATION WHEN THE ROLLER IS IN CONTACT WITH THE ROAD DURING ROAD ROLLING TRAVEL OF THE VEHICLE, BEARING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID ARMS FOR PIVOTALLY MOUNTING THE FORWARD PORTIONS OF SAID ARMS ON SAID VEHICLE, A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY EXTENDING HYDRAULIC RAMS, MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID RAMS WITH SAID VEHICLE, MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID RAMS WITH SAID ARMS, WHEREBY THE EXTENSION OF SAID RAMS FORCES SAID ROLLER DOWN INTO ROLLING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ROAD SURFACE, AND RETRACTION OF SAID RAMS RAISES SAID ROLLER TO A NON-OPERATING POSITION SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE THE ROAD SURFACE FOR PLACING SAID VEHICLE IN CONDITION FOR TRANSPORT TRAVEL, MEANS CARRIED BY SAID VEHICLE FOR SUPPLYING HYDRAULIC PRESSURE TO SAID RAMS, AND CONTROL APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE SUPPLY OF HYDRAULIC PRESSURE TO SAID RAMS, WHICH HYDRAULIC PRESSURE CAN BE PROPORTIONED TO EXERT DIFFERENT DEGREES OF DOWNWARD PRESSURE UPON THE ROLLER, UP TO THE POINT WHERE THE REACTION PRESSURE LIFTS THE WEIGHT OF THE REAR END OF SAID VEHICLE, WHEREBY A SUBSTANTIAL PART OF THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE CAN BE BROUGHT TO BEAR UPON THE ROLLER FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF ITS ROLLING OPERATION, ONLY LEAVING SUFFICIENT WEIGHT ON THE REAR PNEUMATIC TIRES TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE TRACTION FOR MOVING THE VEHICLE.